

Don’t Waste Your 20s at Google or McKinsey - sherjilozair
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140727232741-15381-don-t-waste-your-20s-at-google-or-mckinsey?_mSplash=1

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s4sharpie
The author rightly points out that there is, dare I say, a disruption in
traditional career paths. Consulting/Banking/Large Corporate was 20/30 years
ago seen as a key entry point for any career. And in that there was an
informal contract: start with us, work hard, and we will promote you
internally and externally so that you can move into the next big thing. This
ultimately depended on said big bank/corporate/consulting house continuing an
inexorable growth to support everyone growing.

Today, big banks/corporates/consulting firms now no longer offer that same
social contract (they would argue they do, but they don't - with few
exceptions). You are expendable and most firms would be happy for you to stay
where you are (same role, same salary) and if you want to change, go find it
outside the company.

So in complete agreement with the author that a big name brand name won't
necessarily move your career forward.

But extrapolating that further, what I am now seeing is that this first choice
can irreparably hamper your choices down the road. Following the 'traditional'
and 'secure' path of a big company/consulting firm etc is now seen as the
safe, risk free, dare I say boring choice. If you have any intention of being
in a risky role (ie startup/entrepreneur) the signalling from a big
comfortable riskless name on your resume may do more harm than good.

I review candidates for roles in a fast paced tech startup. If I have a choice
between someone from say Microsoft and someone from a failed startup,
everything else being equal, I will pick the startup man/woman every time.

