Small fish in big pond vs big fish in small pond

Go for it .. sounds like your ready!

You cannot paint any job/situation with a broad brush. Let me give you the flip side. At a small company, especially if it's owned by a person or several people, you are susceptible to anything and everything. This could include things like poor managerial skills, lack of any formal policies, nepotism, heck even his/her mood on any given day. The worst part is, you can't do a damned thing about any of it because that person runs the show and can do whatever they want as long as it's not illegal (and even then...). At least at a big company, there are policies, threat of bad publicity, etc.

That said, don't make assumptions. I've worked for smaller company, and one of the partners was a jerk at times. You had to do whatever he wanted, whether you liked it or not. I've worked at large companies. Some bosses were so so, but my current boss is the best boss that I've ever had. However, there are terrible managers at my current company as well, so not everyone will have the same experience. Anyways, my point is, regardless of where you are going, do a full assessment of who your boss is going to be and figure out if you're going to enjoy working with the person, whether you think you can get along, etc. Don't just jump at an offer. Job hunting is a two-way street.

SW20 MR2 wrote: ↑ You cannot paint any job/situation with a broad brush. Let me give you the flip side. At a small company, especially if it's owned by a person or several people, you are susceptible to anything and everything. This could include things like poor managerial skills, lack of any formal policies, nepotism, heck even his/her mood on any given day. The worst part is, you can't do a damned thing about any of it because that person runs the show and can do whatever they want as long as it's not illegal (and even then...). At least at a big company, there are policies, threat of bad publicity, etc.

That said, don't make assumptions. I've worked for smaller company, and one of the partners was a jerk at times. You had to do whatever he wanted, whether you liked it or not. I've worked at large companies. Some bosses were so so, but my current boss is the best boss that I've ever had. However, there are terrible managers at my current company as well, so not everyone will have the same experience. Anyways, my point is, regardless of where you are going, do a full assessment of who your boss is going to be and figure out if you're going to enjoy working with the person, whether you think you can get along, etc. Don't just jump at an offer. Job hunting is a two-way street.

Oh boy, good point. Yes, it is owned by the CEO/Founder, and it's fully private.
Good insight.

I forgot to mention in my original reply, though it was implied, there are many smaller businesses where the owners are outstanding human beings and good business people. You just need to figure out which one your potential new boss is.

Yea you need to bounce around a few times to see if you truly find the right place. Small vs big has its own pros and cons. However to properly answer this question one needs to evaluate themselves first and really be honest. I think if you do find a small business with an owner that you can live with then this is much better if you are a hard worker because your values are on display everyday to the person who directly controls your destiny.

Have you considered a medium sized pond and advantages and disadvantages here?