Why Work for a Start Up When You Have a Corporate Job Offer

Ok, so you are just out of college and are one of the lucky few that landed a job with one of the IT majors. You also have an offer from one of the start ups that you think is really going to be big. While you are all excited about the big company hiring you, you also see the start up rage around you, you feel excited about the new start ups you read about every day and may be some of your friends have already taken the entrepreneurial route. And now you got to make a choice.

Many of us face such situation and while this decision could be life changing and difficult to take, knowing what’s on offer ( and I don’t mean the pay packet), could really help make a choice. While for most large corporations the benefits are well drawn out, for start ups there is still a lot of grey zone. So let’s try to understand what you are actually signing up for when you decide to work with a start up.

Valuable Experience, Exciting and Equity
The experience you gain working in a start up is invaluable. You typically end up doing a lot more than your black and white job role, you are trusted with more responsibilities and you gain some amazing experience, especially if you have any plans to start your own business. At the same time life in start ups are typically very exciting as decisions are taken really fast and without any red tape bureaucracy. And best of all, depending on the stage of the start up and the value that you add to the company you might end up getting some equity.

Own Your Ideas and Execute
Start ups don’t have the multiple layers of approval. You have an idea, you will have the support to execute it and see the results. You can own your ideas and their implementation and see how they impact the business.

Your Work is Recognized ( and the results thereof)
In a big corporation you are just a small cog in a giant system, however, Start ups are typically small teams and each one is a vital gear for the system to work. If you do a good job, you will receive enough appreciation and may be some opportunity to celebrate as well and when you fail you get to realize that too and in all likeliness will have some helping hands around you.

Fast Learning
Start ups are typically fast paced environment and the incredible pace of work makes you learn a lot about your area of work ( and also various allied domains) within a very short time. Whether or not the start up works out the learning stays with you for life.

Fast Growth
Unless you are being recruited directly at a senior management level, it is typically very difficult and takes much longer to move to the higher ranks in a big corporation. Whereas in a start up, as the business grows, your status in the business automatically grows with it. The early contributors are always valued and this is one reason you see so many young professionals on senior management level in so many start ups.

Flexibility – Timing & Location
Most start ups are flexible about time and location. Depending on your job requirements, it is not necessary for you to clock a 9-to-5 schedule and you can work your own hours and if you truly love your job, you will probably end up spending much more time than that. Also, startups are often flexible about your work location – working from  home, working from remote location is very common. But the underlying condition for all of this is that you are passionate about your work and you must get the job done.

You Will Love the EnvironmentHow about going to work in shorts  and sandals ? Start up environments are extremely friendly and casual and actively promotes a free thinking, entrepreneurial approach. Also Start up communities are typically very close knit and you make a lot of good friends with highly talented, interesting and energetic people. Caffeine is an essential part of the work life and some of them even have stacked freezers.

So do you still want to pass the start up job ?

Still not sure ? Ok, take a look at this fun list on start up culture.

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