As I said in part one of “I Need Help Deciding What Career to Choose“ when it comes to choosing careers, the first thing you need to consider is the day-to-day and hour-to-hour characteristics of alternative vocations. Choosing employers is very similar to choosing careers; you have to research the nature of the work environment to find the one that’s right for you.
A common career mistake a lot of people make is to believe that a big company is the ideal place to find a job. Big companies always seem to have lots of job openings. They also have nice facilities, plenty of customers and cash. Perhaps the most seductive thing about working for a big company is the fact that everyone knows their name. But all that glitters is not gold! Here are a few of the pros and cons about choosing a career with a big company.
Job Security Can Be An Illusion – Growing sales in a very large business is quite difficult, but shareholders demand profit growth in order to increase stock prices. That’s why big companies often lead the way in adopting new forms of automation, or moving jobs overseas. Unfortunately, this also means that they frequently layoff people in one part of the world while hiring in another. If you work in an area with a high cost of living, your career will always be at risk in a big company.
Potential for Growth – Big companies have lots of employees and lots of job openings, so theoretically, there is tons of potential for career growth. The downside is that they are also very political; infested with human sharks that play the career game for keeps. If you’re still choosing careers and want to work someplace with lots of options, a big company might be right for you.
Impact on Private Life – When someone says “I need help deciding what career to choose,” they’re often saying I need help choosing careers that offer the right balance of wealth and happiness. For many people happiness means having a job that they can get away from at the end of the day. Next to government jobs, big companies are often the least intrusive on your private life.
Financial Rewards -- Big companies often have the highest pay and some still have private retirement plans. Another nice perk for long term employees is the ability to redirect some your paycheck to purchase company stock at a 10-15% discount. Over time, this can be one of the best savings plans anywhere.
Freedom of Expression – Much like government jobs, there isn’t a lot of personal freedom at a big company job. The people who survive are often the ones that not only go along with everyone else, but actually openly “tow the company line.”
So if you’re saying "I need help deciding what career to choose" and stability is your thing, you may still want to look at government jobs. On other hand, if there are job openings at a big company in your area, it might end up being the best thing for career.
9 Critical Strategies for Building a Winning Career
Dave Horne
