Graduating college students and young professionals at the beginning of their careers are confronted by a tough decision that seems quite perilous. If made without careful deliberation, it can lead to your career’s beginning to become an inescapable turmoil!
When stepping into the professional scene, such candidates are faced with a choice, i.e., whether to work for a start-up in a high-growth face or a mature firm with a great brand name. The selection at the forefront may seem a simple one with its complexities.
What can you do?
Consider the following factors, and that is how one can get out of such a dilemma.
1) Instant vs Deferred Work Ownership: Are you someone who wants the ownership of the work from the beginning of your journey, or are you someone who is comfortable with holding off the recognition for a while?
If the former, then your choice should be startups as they allow space for recognition and acknowledgment compared to mature corporates, which should be your choice if the latter is true for you. Startups tend to give you more responsibilities than corporates that often test the waters before handing over any significant tasks and responsibilities to a candidate. As the candidate performs and keeps proving that they are responsible, the corporate trust in the candidate starts solidifying.
2) Instant vs Deferred Wealth: Do you prefer instant benefits of the work you do or are you someone who is comfortable receiving their benefits at a later date and is more focused on working at the moment. Mature firms allow space for instant wealth through various forms such as hotel accommodations, paid trips, and year-end bonuses. Whereas the same isn’t true for startups. Startups are more like to give you ESOPs, the right to own equity in the company and the right to encash them as the company grows. The benefit here is entirely dependent on the growth of the company. So if you are someone who is patient when it comes to monetary remuneration, then choose startups; if not, then mature corporates are your pick.
3) Exit Opportunities: What is the long-term goal? Are you planning to step into entrepreneurship at the later stages of your career? Or do you intend to play it safe and without risking being an employee for the foreseeable future? Your answer here determines your choice between startups and established organisations.
Working with a startup provides you with first-hand experience and engagement with running a business and often motivates people to start something of their own. Joining startups in the early stages of your career will allow you such exposure opportunities. However, in case of indecisiveness in terms of what you want to do with your career, established mature corporates are a safer choice as they allow decent and varied exit opportunities.
Any decision requires careful deliberations, especially those so integral to life. Think, assess, evaluate and select.
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Aryan Gulati : An avid reader, researcher, and versatile content writer who is still learning and enjoys the company of animals and books on a peaceful Sunday evening.
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