Why choose to work at a startup over a big brand?

Ten years ago, much of the Indian job market functioned like an oligopoly. Battling it out between five major corporate houses made competition fiercer, heightening the already powerful brand names of individual companies.

The Tata and Reliance groups would revel in propagating a monopoly and the stage was set for their show. But somewhere along the line, the spotlight started tilting towards smaller entities crouching up on the horizon. Men and women with great vision began to build their own brands and started making money off it.

We live in the age of startups, where we are encouraged to create, invest in and make a profit out of our own ideas. We employ others to turn our ideas into ‘the next best things’.

It is important to note that there are many benefits of working in an established company in the corporate world. You get the brand name of course, and you get a fixed schedule and possibly more holidays.

But where’s the fun in that?

For someone fresh out of university looking to begin their career with a bagful of dreams and starry eyes, here’s why you should consider joining a startup over a big corporation.

Good job, who?

When you join a corporate company that has been around for a while, you fall prey to their system. At an entry-level position, it is likely that the standard work you are given will go unnoticed by your bosses. You will be reduced to yet another face among the hundreds they are delegating work to every day.

But if you join a startup, the very act of joining will mean instant recognition from your bosses and peers, given its flat structure. From the founders to your department bosses and the sales team, everyone is on board to help you learn, grow and excel.

All hands on the deck

Job satisfaction can be gained from any company, but in the corporate world, chances are that you won’t get to learn more than your stipulated duty, in one particular branch of the company.

The motto of a startup is all hands on the deck. In the very first year, you will learn to create content, gather clients, manage sales and venture out to things that seemed like rocket science just a few moments ago.

The name’s Bond

Trying to form a bond with the 100 faces running around your desk is like screaming out to a mute room. Remembering their names is even harder. In a startup, you’ll even know stories about your colleague’s cat. Their parents become your friends on Facebook. You know they have your back on a sick day. There’s a special equation you create with everyone in the company, from the bosses to the peons. This becomes your second home.

Tomorrow at three o’ clock lies…

Opportunity.

When you are on your way to your corporate job, you know your smoke break timings, what you’ll have for lunch from the canteen and the minute you can stroll out for home. Predictable becomes your middle name and you start dodging hours, just to try something different.

In a startup, you could get a call from your boss saying you need to crack a deal with a potential investor in an hour. Or pick up a celebrity client by the end of the day. Every day at work is an opportunity to learn something new and build something new.

In a rich man’s world…

Coming to the most important unit of consideration, it is very easy to get swayed by the big bucks. While the corporate company can offer you a steady flow for your tenure, the future returns are only so much.

You can hit the jackpot in a startup because the more they grow the more investors they pull in. You don’t have to be Adam Smith to realise that the larger the input, the greater the returns.

So here’s our final advice to you: don’t think twice, take that leap. It’s a story that’s waiting to be told.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)