Working for a Mega Corp sounds interesting, am I nuts?

[saluki9]

Ok, this is going to sound a little strange to a lot of you. I know because my friends tell me I f'ing crazy.

I've never in my working career worked at a large company. (being a stockboy for Walgreens when I was 14 doesn't count)

Most of my friends went to work for mega corps when they graduated, most have left for greener pastures. I've always worked for small organizations and feel as though I've missed out on some interesting experiences. I'm only guessing (after hearing what others have to say) that it is really different to work for a big company compared to what I'm used to.

I think if I had done it, I would have had greater exposure and more possibilities. It seemed like my friends always got to work on bigger deals, more interesting projects, and got to travel to cool places to do it.

Now, they always point out that by not working at a MC I avoided most of the political BS, and other fun stuff that happens at public companies. They also correctly point out that by working for a small firm you are almost always in the middle of every major decision, and more likely to know when it's time to jump ship. Also, this isn't a money issue because I know our comp has been about the same in most cases.

How nuts am I?

 

[brewer12345]

Very nuts. I've worked for huge companies, mid-sized ones, and small ones. The big ones invariably involved huge amounts of BS instigated by people who wouldn't know you/your work if they backed over you in their Bentleys. The big companies also had an annoying tendency to pigeonhole people doing one specialized thing in a box.

 

[Nords]

How nuts am I?

My BIL the CPA who's always worked for very small companies & partnerships, says that you're very nuts.

No need to jump out of the frying pan (or the slowly heating pot of water)...

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i worked for a fortune 500 company for, yikes, 17 years. before re-engineering it was really fun. our division ran like a small company. you'd come up with an idea, get credit for it and suddenly there'd be 600 people working on it.

however, after they re-engineered and started acting like a big company, things started to suck. now when you came up with an idea, you got no credit and 600 people simply stole it.

your mileage may vary.

 

[VoyT]

I think you're crazy, too

If mega-corp leaves your department alone, then it's not so bad. You probably have access to better bennies..
Usually doesn't happen that way, though. The bean counters usually get involved, meaning perioic cutbacks and out and out cheapness. You deal with the boss of the week as corporate cycles management types through its divisions. Or worse, you're constantly being moved....

 

[donheff]

your mileage may vary.

That says it all.

Some people flourish in environments that others find toxic. I enjoyed most of my 32 years with the Government (a lot like mega corp) while others hated every minute - same agency. Think of it like a big high school. All the same personalities are there doing all of the same stuff they did in HS. The arguments pro and con are probably similar to the arguments for a small, private school vs a big public school. And the variations from one big company to another are comparable to the differences you would find in big schools in one community vs another.

I think I would feel stiffled in a small company. If you don't like your boss or co-workers there your only answer is to leave the place entirely, you can't just move to another division. The thought of feeling financially trapped in a toxic small business makes my skin crawl.

 

[cube_rat]

You're definitely not missing anything at megacorp. My company is a phlethora of Dilbert-isms, butt sniffers, cutsey corporate jargon, mealy mouth, moronic bosses who don't understand technology (this one really pi$$es me off to no end) you get the picture. I regret the day I walked into mega corp 6 years ago. I wish I worked at a small company where I'm not a piece of meat to be rotated around the corporate freezer when someone high up comes up with a brilliant strategic initiative.

 

[Spanky]

The biggest drawback of working for a MC is the politics. However, there are some pluses: profit sharing, 401K (+ matching), employee stock discount program.

 

[Helen]

The biggest advantage I have found in working for a megacorp (or Gov't) is that you can switch jobs without having to switch companies. I don't think I could last in the same job for more than 3 years.

 

[TargaDave]

I like to call it the Good Guy-Idiot metric (no sexism intended). DW had a great experience at one Megacorp due to a decent Group, Boss, Division Head. Most of the Idiots just happend to be sufficiently removed from her group for a long enough period of time. Now she works at a small 60 person manufacturing startup, and while her co-workers are all decent the new Plant Manager is beyond pathetic. Excellent ratio of Good Guys to Idiots but the one Idiot is in a key position that rubs off heavily on everyone. Huge turn-over and moral problem.

 

[Craig]

You're not nuts.

This is like any other prejudice ... perhaps based on real tendencies, but actual experience differs greatly by individual / company.

I've worked for both as well.  Some big companies are great, and some are a royal PITA.  Tendency is way too much bureaucracy, no question.  But the pros are more resources, bigger projects, chance for major responsibility (e.g. doesn't hurt to say you managed a $1.4B division ...), great experience acquiring and developing businesses most folks could never hope to run, better employee benefits, less risk of financial ruin, good on the resume.  [Note many executives in small and medium-sized companies love to see big company experience in the folks they hire ... they know they'll bring plenty of best practices to the smaller company.]

Small companies have a nasty tendency to go bankrupt, accept nepotism, display small-thinking and an inability to take smart strategic action, and are very very dependent upon the CEO / entrepreneur.  If the CEO / owner is great, these can be wonderful experiences.  If not ... hold on.  Napoleon rides again.  When these CEO's / owners are great, it can be a wonderful ride ... honest brainstorming, continuous improvement, exciting growth, true appreciation for each team members contributions, stock options that actually become worth something.

Medium-sized companies are small companies that have survived and prospered ... trying to make the transition through what has been called "no man's land" by Tatum Partners ... too small to be big, too big to be small.  Adopting bureaucracy, because without more structure, they're out of control.  Still laboring under some small-company challenges, like Napoleon sometimes.  If these companies prosper, they become acquisition targets for larger companies, from larger markets ... your employer may get acquired out from under you. Sometimes good, sometimes bad.

Bottom line ... your mileage will indeed vary, and you are probably best off taking the right opportunity without paying too much attention to whether the company is big, medium or small.  Is the job interesting, good pay, opportunity for advancement, great experience, do you think you'll like your boss (huge) and coworkers, would you be proud to work there, acceptable benefits, educational opportunities?

Best of luck.

 

[soupcxan]

There's plenty of anti-MC sentiment here but I would say that you should consider what you can learn from time at an MC. I work for one of the largest MCs and I have plenty of frustration over inefficiencies and burecracy. However, I'm learning a ton about the right and the wrong ways to do business. I've seen how the pressure to make quarterly numbers for a publicly traded company has resulted in poor long-term decisions. I've also learned a ton about management styles and how good/bad they can be. And although "job security" no longer exists, there is more of it at this company than at a smaller shop...I don't have to worry about them not making payroll this week or the CEO dying and the company falls apart. A steady paycheck and decent benefits (which are getting harder to find at small companies) have helped start me down the road to ER.

If someone told me I have to spend 30 years at this MC, I would go crazy. However, I am putting in my time here, learning what I can, and building my resume. There is no question that it will pay off in the future once I take my skills to a smaller outfit.

A former boss at this MC once told me "stay on the big ship for a while, work for the captain, and learn all you can. then go to the little ship and haul in the fish."

 

[runchman]

One potential mega-corp advantage is that being just a small cog in the operation, you might find it possible to spend a significant amount of time crusing the web and researching FIRE topics while getting paid for it.

Or so I've heard anyway - I of course wouldn't do that, in fact I'm working on a C program at the moment...

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

The biggest drawback of working for a MC is the politics. However, there are some pluses: profit sharing, 401K (+ matching), employee stock discount program.

These are no guarantees. I have worked for big computer companies that shared their wealth (bonuses, trips to cool places, free dinners, parties, regular raises), and I have worked for an el-cheapo company that really believes that just giving you a job is reward in and of itself.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Big YMMV. Digital Equipment Corp in the late 70's/early 80's and Intel in the late 80's/early 90's were pretty darn good big companies to work for.

I worked for a couple of companies with 10-20 people in them that were awful. Big ego's, close proximity, and a few folks who liked to strap on the dorsal fin and beady little eyes every now and then.

 

[Caroline]

A lot of good advice here.

Like others, I've worked with small companies with despotic rulers...er... managers, and life was a living hell.

Right now I work for megacorp, who has run around for the last several years vacuuming up those small companies. For those who still care, it's a living hell.

If you can get hell in both places than I assume (though I have no personal data to support me), that you could get heaven in both places too. The "what makes a good boss" thread is probably required reading -- no matter where I've worked, a boss who knows what s/he is doing has trumped all the rest.

As to the work -- I used to have "cradle to grave" responsibility for several products in a small company. Learned TONS about bringing products to market, working with development teams, etc. etc.

Here at megacorp that same job is split between AT LEAST 50 people. If you want to do focus on one TINY LITTLE area of expertise, this is the place to be. If you're a big picture person like myself, you'll hate it. Unless you think you're CEO material, that is.

Good luck to you, either way.

 

[cj]

Lots of good responses so far on this.  I also worked for a mega-corp (for 22 years), and the answer in my experience is, it all depends.  I had some great bosses and great situations, and some really, really horrible ones.  In the meantime, there were some great benefits, and things I could really take advantage of.  Like an 83% match on the 401K plan.  Like an actual pension plan.  Like lots of vacation time.  Like, mega-corp paid for all of my schooling (which I did at night - it took forever): 120 credits of undergrad, 48 credits for my MBA.  After all the years of school, no one seemed to think I was any different just because I had the degrees, so I took them and went elsewhere.   :  I have a lot to be grateful for. 

In the job I just RE'd from, it was a medium sized company.  I spent 10+ years there, and had some great bosses and great situations, and some really, really horrible ones.  (It can happen anywhere!)

I guess the bigger the company, the easier in can be to move around and find opportunities within the same company - and the easier to get lost in the shuffle and bureaucracy.  That can be good, or it can be bad.

DH also worked for mega-corp, and now he works for a small, family-owned company.  He loves where he is now.  He's much more comfortable in a small company situation. 

To each his own!

CJ

 

[donheff]

After all the years of school, no one seemed to think I was any different just because I had the degrees, so I took them and went elsewhere.

It is unfortunate that a lot of people experience this. From the employers perpective nothing really does change on the day you graduate so no one feels like anything specific needs to be done. From the students' perspective, the degree signifies a break point warranting something big.

Maybe companies should try to tie some significant job opportunities to the achievement of a major educational goal. Of course, that is easier said than done.

 

[cj]

It is unfortunate that a lot of people experience this. From the employers perpective nothing really does change on the day you graduate so no one feels like anything specific needs to be done. From the students' perspective, the degree signifies a break point warranting something big.

Maybe companies should try to tie some significant job opportunities to the achievement of a major educational goal. Of course, that is easier said than done.

Yeah, the weird thing is that they are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars to educate people, but then they don't seem to think it matters.  Well, it sure helped me get a better job elsewhere!!  Doesn't seem like a good investment on their part, though.  I know there are some companies that require you to stay for at least x years after receiving tuition assistance or you need to pay it back.  That wasn't the case with me, though.

CJ

 

[Nords]

I know there are some companies that require you to stay for at least x years after receiving tuition assistance or you need to pay it back.  That wasn't the case with me, though.

That's the way the military does it. Eight years for a service academy's four-year undergraduate degree (at least five of them on active duty), and roughly three-for-one for most graduate degrees.

Unless, of course, you screw up badly enough. Then your obligated service becomes negotiable...

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Well, we still haven't heard from the OP, so perhaps we have sufficiently dashed his dream of going to greener pasture at a mega corp.

 

[saluki9]

Well, we still haven't heard from the OP, so perhaps we have sufficiently dashed his dream of going to greener pasture at a mega corp.

No, I'm still here soaking it in.

Here is why I posted this in the first place. I work in the financial services business. I also have many friends who are also in the field, I'm just the only one who works for a small company (10 people)

I'm pretty happy with my position, I have good hours, very good pay, and I get to work with nice people. My only complaint is that my job can get a little routine and there is not much else I can do where I am.

My friends who work a financial mega corps have an entirely different lifestyle. They get to work on very dynamic projects from month to month. They travel a lot more than I do (good and bad) Last week one of my good friends got to cross the globe in a Gulfstream IV (which as an airplane junkie makes me very jealous ) They stay at the four seasons, and have a much more fast paced life than I do.

I guess I just wonder from time to time if I'm doing the right thing and if I'm not going to regret it later. Then again, I'm home by 6:30 90% of the time and none of them can come anything close to that.

 

[bow-tie]

...Then again, I'm home by 6:30 90% of the time and none of them can come anything close to that. 

Well, for me, if all other things are somewhat equal, that point there would seal the deal.

If I have only really worked for a fairly large company since leaving college.  I've seen my share of managers in my 7+ years.  To me, they make up aout 75% or better of what I do/do not like about my gig.

It's all about the tradeoffs.  I may have more opportunities where I am, but my job is very narrowly focused.  I am also just a number, too.  Pay is decent and bennies are good.

FWIW

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

One last tidbit.

You're a financial services guy...is that the primary business of the 'megacorp'?

Point being, if you work for a company that makes widgets, you better be involved with the design, specification, creation or sales of the primary widgets. Otherwise you're a second class corporate citizen (at best) and early up for cost cutting and business unit trimming.

Big problem a lot of people never figure out. Be part of your companies core business or find a job where you are.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

I don't know. Personally, I wouldn't be caught dead in anything less than a Gulfstream G500. Seriously, wow, your friends travel better than the CEO of my last company. Them 1% - 2% fee surely do add up when the pot is $1 trillion.

Being able to go home at 6:30 is very nice. I just called an alum of my school who's working in M&A. She said her schedule is 9 AM - 10:30 PM on a good day. I hope she wasn't pulling my leg. No amount of time on a Gulfstream or in a Four Seasons is going to make that schedule fun.