A few months ago I had two offers on the table. One from Zillow as an IT Engineer @ 80k and I had a competing offer from a local software startup @ 8.25k + better title. My goal is to have the opportunity to work for Google, Netflix, Disney, Spotify etc one day as an IT Ops Lead Or IT Manager. My question is...did I screw my chances of being able to work for one of the places I mentioned above by not jumping to the big name company when I had the chance? Thia is my 1st startup..as most of my IT experience has been in Higher Ed. Background: Bachelor's in IT and Business administration Masters in IT with emphasis on Enterprise Technology Management Certs CSM CSPO Security + ITILv3 27yo/ATL/Married
in my opinion, no. working at a big name company makes it easier for future recruiters to find you and establish a baseline, but that doesn't at all mean that you're more skilled or more knowledgeable. working at startups offers you the ability to wear many different hats and learn to how do things from the ground up, which exposes you to a different set of problems that you can learn from and grow more skills. it's a trade-off; if you're young and still trying to get more experience i'd recommend going with a startup, and if you're a bit older and ready to mature a more specific skillset (such as management), i'd recommend an established company.
Thanks for this advice! This is my plan exactly...In my current position I am all things IT and it has given me the opportunity to build things and establish what will be known as an "IT Department" as we continue to grow. My hope is that I am able to take my newly acquired skills to one of the places I named in my original post and bring value as Im able to justify my financial terms...but also have the ability to grow the Infrastructure..while also teaching and mentoring .