It is quite an unfair duel between start-ups and established companies when it comes to people making career choices. Most people are skewed towards the stability that an established organisation offers. Driven by the hype of the corporate world and big company bragging rights, they jump into the corporate bandwagon without weighing the pros and cons of the two divides. It is important to have an open mind when making career choices; things are not always as they seem.
A friend who works with a multi-national was only recently invited for an interview with a leading e-commerce start-up in Nigeria. He told me he wouldn’t go because it wasn’t a BIG company. I tried to sell him the merits of going; he simply wasn’t down for it. And that is the mentality of most of us.

Here are some things to consider when deciding if you want work in a start-up

The Pros

1. Valuable experience for wannabe business people; Trust me the guys behind start-ups are really smart people. These guys are constantly staring at the face of failure every other day, so wannabe entrepreneurs could really learn the ropes from them before they venture out.
2. Ability to work in different roles. You will get to wear different caps. For instance there is often little or no demarcation between sales and marketing here. Also the finance person may handle tax, payroll, credit control, reporting, etc; roles that are often separated in large corporate bodies.
3. Less bureaucratic; decisions are made instantaneously as there are no layers of authorizations that they would have to go through. And this is one of the reasons why large companies don’t react fast enough to changes in the market place.
4. Chance to be a part of something revolutionary; large corporations today were once start-ups. Working for a start-up may give you an opportunity to be a part of the success story of the start-up when it grows to become a corporation. When this happens you may also get a very good designation and reputation at the organization.
5. May teach you to be a better manager of your resources; start-ups are often frugal. Every kobo counts. Unlike in large organisation where managers have large budgets to spend, most start-ups operate on a shoe-string budget.

The Cons
1. Lower pay and lower employee benefits: on the average, you would earn more working for a corporate organisation than a start-up.
2. Pressure; With more responsibility also comes more pressure tight deadlines. Bosses don’t smile when you fail to deliver. You are constantly under the pressure to deliver.
3. Low Job Security; Start-ups operate in a volatile environment with far lesser job security compared to the established business: Because they move at a relentless pace, they are quick to hire and also quick to fire sometimes without any lay-off benefits. They also have a higher chance of failing compared to the large corporations.
4. Work-life imbalance; because most don’t have clear structures, you may find yourself working long hours and juggling different things at the same time.

http://lightednation.com/2015/10/5-reasons-why-should-work-for-a-start-up/

You have indeed made sense OP - the pros and cons well highlighted! very good, I like such stuff. Now, Off I go to make a decision....

amicable09:
You have indeed made sense OP - the pros and cons well highlighted! very good, I like such stuff. Now, Off I go to make a decision....

That's the idea!!!

Alright Stanodi, I just sent my application to a start up company because I'm very curious about the services being offered there. So, hopefully I will have you to thank after I've been contacted.

amicable09:
Alright Stanodi, I just sent my application to a start up company because I'm very curious about the services being offered there. So, hopefully I will have you to thank after I've been contacted.

Great! Happy to hear that. I once worked at a start-up myself right after service in 2012 for 4 months.They were paying like 40k per month. Left after i got my big break with a multinational.

here a couple of things i learnt working there

a. how to sale; had people who patronized the business because of the way i attended to them (i wasnt employed as a sales man), some still keep in touch till today
b. how to be responsible for my actions; my actions and in-actions had an almost immediate impact on the business.
c. that business is where i want to be; working for someone can be b*t*h. Even though it is important business people always learn the ropes before venturing out.
d. you are your product most times; my bosses then always looked the part.
e. Respect for entrepreneurs; the risks are often so high.
ETC ETC.

Trust me the time is always worth it in the end

stanodi:


Great! Happy to hear that. I once worked at a start-up myself right after service in 2012 for 4 months.They were paying like 40k per month. Left after i got my big break with a multinational.

here a couple of things i learnt working there

a. how to sale; had people who patronized the business because of the way i attended to them (i wasnt employed as a sales man), some still keep in touch till today
b. how to be responsible for my actions; my actions and in-actions had an almost immediate impact on the business.
c. that business is where i want to be; working for someone can be b*t*h. Even though it is important business people always learn the ropes before venturing out.
d. you are your product most times; my bosses then always looked the part.
e. Respect for entrepreneurs; the risks are often so high.
ETC ETC.

Trust me the time is always worth it in the end

Wow! I can't wait to someday share my story like this too. Thanks