
Ask HN: First job at a startup vs. a big company - isredditright
I am about to graduate and wanted to know the pros and cons of choosing between a startup and a Big company for my first software job. Please offer your opinion.
======
taylodl
Go for the startup early in your career, consider the big company later in
your career. The advantage of a startup early in your career is you'll be give
wide latitude for taking on many roles - heck it's going to be needed! This
will give you the opportunity to do things you will never be able to do at a
big company and get a lot of experience in general.

Big companies tend to offer more financial security - which is something you
may find yourself wanting later on in your career. Big companies also provide
the opportunity to take on big opportunities that could never be considered at
a startup - but unless you have a lot of experience you're never going to get
to work on that project anyway.

The only other thing I would advise is not to stay anywhere too long while in
your twenties. 2-3 years. Get a wide range of opportunities to work in
different environments and with different kinds of people. It's not for the
money (though that helps too) - that experience will make you extremely
valuable to a big company later on.

Good luck!

