6 Reasons to Work in Startups
Following our article debunking the myth of bigger companies being more secure, here are 6 reasons to work in startups. Some may surprise you.
- Less bureaucracy: Big companies have lots of rules and forms for everything – buying software, going on vacation and even seeing a manager can be a long and tedious process. In small companies, decisions are made more rapidly, saving the time and the annoyance.
- People are more fun: Small companies usually attract people that are more open minded and more free-spirited, making the atmosphere more comfortable and more fun. Some people will react in a more serious manner in a big company than in a small startup.
- Hours are more flexible: Startups usually allow workers to arrive and leave the office in more flexible hours, and to work from home more than big companies will tolerate. Though, this flexibility can have a downside of working too many hours.
- More responsibility and influence: Workers in small companies are often exposed to a larger variety of responsibilities and have more say than they would have in a big company, being limited to a certain field.
- More innovative work: In most cases, a big company already has a successful project, and the worker needs to maintain it, add small features to it or customize it for a customer. A small startup is likely to have many undeveloped areas in its main product and room
- A chance of promotion: This point may surprise some readers. In theory, big companies have a more levels of hierarchy, therefore offer various positions a worker can climb to. In reality, a worker that began in an entry level position or slightly higher may find himself unable to pass a certain level and see how outsiders, friends of the managers in some cases, land in the desired position. In a small startup that grows, a good worker that sticks around has a better chance of promotion.
Startups may not be suitable for everyone. Some people want to know exactly when they come to the office, exactly when they leave and exactly what they do in between. Just remember that these clerical boring jobs in big companies don’t carry the promise of job security.
More posts by Yohay Elam »
Author: YohayElam
Yohay Elam is a problogger, with Forex Crunch being his primary site. Yohay belongs to the founding generation of Israeli political group blog Black Labor, a writer in the The Networking Blog and maintains his personal bi-lingual blog. Before becoming a problogger, Yohay worked as a programmer in various Israeli startups such as Metacafe.
9 Comments
2010-06-07
11:59:42
6 Reasons to Work in Startups http://bit.ly/d5YNRt by @yohay #israel #startups
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
2010-06-07
15:25:42
Another good thing about working with a startup is that you have the chance to incorporate best practices right off the bat since you are working with a small workforce, which is sometimes hard to do when you become a brick and mortar establishment. If everyone is used to doing the right things the first time, then you know you are on your way to becoming a great company with long term growth prospects. :-)
Also, interactions with others becomes a little more intimate, so you are more aware of what others are doing within the organization. Being more in tune as a team can help the company along in terms of completing projects and meeting deadlines, since you become each others cheerleader.
Glad I found this article. :) Looking forward to your next installment.
Karen, The Resume Chick (on Google or Twitter)
2010-06-07
15:42:14
@aaltoes, enjoy a lot the culture here! RT @thewadi 6 Reasons to Work in Startups http://bit.ly/d5YNRt by @yohay #israel #startups
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
2010-06-07
15:49:43
Thanks for your comment Karen. I'm glad you liked the article. Startups are definitely a warmer environment. I met an employer of a big company a few days ago, and he complained about the cold attitude in his company...
2010-06-07
17:23:51
Thank you for this post, Yoham. I am making aliyah this summer and will be looking for work as a technical writer. Out of curiosity, do startups usually employ technical writers or do they hire freelancers for that type of work?
2010-06-07
17:49:36
As far as I know, only really big companies hire full time technical writers, while most companies work with freelancers or with translation / technical writer companies.
2010-06-07
20:22:37
and also options.... :)
2010-06-08
11:09:28
Options usually don't turn into money, but they're nice to have...
2010-06-10
09:55:26
6 Reasons to Work in Startups | The Wadi http://minu.me/2iqr
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
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