Don’t really know in what category I can fit this post. It’s about different workplaces – not all jobs match your expectations, as I found out in the last years. It depends on your own style, social status and moods. And of course, there is no real saying how the workplace is just from being at a big corporation, small company or in entrepreneurship. Without a clear order, here are the most important aspects:
Stress
- Big Corporation: if you are middle management, or just a simple worker, you will probably have a relaxed environment. If you are top management, stress it’s a big issue.
- Small Company: stress is somehow higher as you have more duties, and everything you do might have bad results in the overall company standing
- Entrepreneur: stress is high. You should take care of everything, your future life might depend on it.
Money
- Big Corporation: usually good payment, but you can’t expect any miracle
- Small Company: payments are not so great, but you might have additional benefits
- Entrepreneur: at the beginning payment is lower but you have the opportunity to reach the sky high
Flexibility and work liberty to take decisions
- Big Corporation: unless you are top management, your job is not going to be too flexible and you won’t have the right to your own opinion or to take your own decisions
- Small Company: usually you can make yourself heard, you can work outside office, but sometimes top management will want to have complete control on every single piece of paper that gets delivered – and this is a pain in the ass
- Entrepreneur: you can do what you want as long as you have the money to do it
Work satisfaction
- Big Corporation: well, not really. Maybe sometimes when you get to accomplish something really special
- Small Company: good, as long as your work does matter
- Entrepreneur: excellent, if it brings money home
Working hours
- Big Corporation: probably 9 to 5, nobody wants to pay extra hours, even if sometimes you get to stay longer
- Small Company: usually some hours extra are required for the “good standing” of the company. Top management doesn’t understand that you have a life of your own
- Entrepreneur: what else could you do than work? Nothing, so keep on doing it.
Pride and accomplishment feeling
- Big Corporation: good levels of pride, especially when you are meeting old friends and you “let” them know where you work
- Small Company: ?? Nobody heard of your company, why should you have pride at all?
- Entrepreneur: the company is your baby. And every parent is proud of its children
Office stupidity
- Big Corporation: usually rules and regulations in a big company, and the way the decisions are taken passing through multiple decision factors is a kind of a firewall against bosses stupidity
- Small Company: your boss is your master, you should endure any level of stupidity because you are his slave
- Entrepreneur: painful
Learning and evolution
- Big Corporation: somebody has already thought about how things have to be done. You just have to obey the rules – which doesn’t make you smarter
- Small Company: very good, you have to do more that you are supposed to do, and you learn things
- Entrepreneur: learn, or die trying to learn
Human relations
- Big Corporation: usually forbidden by the rules
- Small Company: very good, you know everybody and everybody may be your friend
- Entrepreneur: loneliness
Personal success
- Big Corporation: it depends. But if you get a higher rank you might consider yourself successful
- Small Company: usually replaced by the company success
- Entrepreneur: rich and famous
Workplace security
- Big Corporation: if you don’t do anything extremely wrong, or the company doesn’t do anything extremely wrong, chances are to have a good and secure life
- Small Company: some worries. Will I make enough profit so I could get paid?
- Entrepreneur: if you don’t do more money that you need to keep on working, then is not secure
Working environment
- Big Corporation: if you don’t get to stay in a cubicle, the levels are acceptable, excepting when your colleague is shouting at the phone
- Small Company: nice, user friendly environment.
- Entrepreneur: hey, when is the last time you left your basement?
So where is the best place to work? I don’t know, I really don’t know…