THE FREIGHT TRAIN vs. THE BICYCLE

A friend of mine once said “Going from working at a start-up to working at a large corporation is like going from riding a freight train, to riding a tricycle.”  As someone who has worked in both situations, I have to agree with him; both carry some frustrating aspects, and some exhilarating experiences.  Preparing yourself for the pacing that comes with various employment environments is essential to creating an efficient and fruitful job search.

As a coder, you have the opportunity to seek employment in a number of work environments, and in a number of different types of companies.  When looking for a job, it is important to understand the differences that you’ll find in the application process for larger, established companies, and, in contrast, in the application process for smaller or start-up organizations.  Understanding the application and review process can prevent frustration while waiting for responses to your resume and application.

It is also important to understand the opportunities and career tracks that are in place in both large companies and smaller up-starts.  These factors can be very significant to you, depending on your career goals, your ambition, and your experience at this point of your job search.  To avoid wasting time looking at positions at companies that aren’t going to fulfill your career goals, be sure to examine the positive and possible negatives to working in each different organization size.

The charts below explain 1) The differences in the application volume and process within larger and smaller entities, and 2) The distinctions to career paths within each type of employment.  Use the examination of yourself and your goals that you’ve done to decide which track you’d like to pursue.  Then, apply that knowledge to your job search; if you don’t think that a larger company is right for you at this time, don’t waste time reading their job listings!  Focus on your goals and your ambitions. 

The good news is that the more we understand about the behind-the-scenes processes, and the more we understand about ourselves, the easier and less frustrating the process becomes!