Pros and cons of working for a large employer

Working for a large employer may elicit positive ideas of a well-paying, secure job with a successful company that many have heard of. On the other hand, it may make you think of a locked-in, corporate position with strict rules to follow. While both of these ideas may be true for some large employers, it’s worth looking at both sides to get the full picture of what working for a large employer might be like.

Advantages of working for a large employer

Job security. Job security may be more reliable if you work for a large employer. While no job is ever fully guaranteed to last forever, when you work for a large, established employer, the chances of your job being eliminated are often lower than when you work for a smaller company like a startup, where roles can change frequently and entire teams sometimes get eliminated.

Great benefits. Large employers may be able to offer better benefits than smaller companies. This can be important when it comes to things like paid time off, how good the insurance packages are, whether the employer matches your 401(k) contributions and by how much, and other things like education reimbursement or the office environment (free meals or employee discounts).

Compensation. You could receive a relatively higher salary when you work for a large employer. Massive companies that everyone has heard of make a lot of money and may offer higher salaries to their employees than smaller companies.

While all these things may sound great, there are other considerations to keep in mind when working for a large employer that may sound … not as great.

Disadvantages of working for a large employer

Potentially lower chances to branch out in your role. Large employers tend to offer well-defined jobs, meaning that your role is carefully constructed to fulfill a specific purpose – and often not much else. If you’re working for a smaller company – whether it’s a startup or a mom-and-pop shop – you might be able to take on other roles or responsibilities that you’re interested in.

Strict pathway forward for career advancement. If you’re interested in advancing your career, there might be only a few options for you to move up at a large employer. There’s often a strict pathway forward, meaning that you move from one role to the next one right above it instead of moving around in the company in different roles that you are interested in or qualified for.

Competitive work environment. Large employers tend to have a more competitive work environment. The people who get hired at big companies are often smart, driven and well-accomplished professionals who have worked hard to achieve a role with a large employer. You’ll be working with colleagues who are superb at their jobs because it’s often necessary for them to be superb at their jobs, so you may find that it takes a little more effort at a large company to stand out from the pack.

Working for a large company or a small company will both have pros and cons. Any size company could be a good fit for you – it’s just important to consider which factors of a job mean the most to you and whether a job at a large employer will best fit with what you need.

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