I think it depends on what you want. If you want “credibility”, sure go ahead and join a big tech company, I’m not really denying this, I later joined a big tech company and my boss says it was one of the reasons they hired me. But I think you roll the dice on what you learned. If you want to know stuff and build skills?
Join any place dynamic. High growth startup is obviously ideal, but really probably anyplace that’s not quite steady state. This could be certain divisions in big tech, but it also might not be.
The article is from 2011 so definitely from an easier time. But the overall advice in my opinion is still solid - it’s best to work for a recognizable company early on then to spend your first couple years at a company no one recognizes.
I’m a big proponent of startups, but I really wish I had read this when I first graduated.
I really don't buy into any of those theories, you learn what you can when you can. The whole strategizing "learn this than that than that" stuff I think is bogus and doesn't represent the vast majority of working situations.
It's all some pretend / after that fact imagined "optimizing" IMO.
I think it depends on what you want. If you want “credibility”, sure go ahead and join a big tech company, I’m not really denying this, I later joined a big tech company and my boss says it was one of the reasons they hired me. But I think you roll the dice on what you learned. If you want to know stuff and build skills?
Join any place dynamic. High growth startup is obviously ideal, but really probably anyplace that’s not quite steady state. This could be certain divisions in big tech, but it also might not be.
I was never much in a situation where I had a lot of choices, I wonder how many people really do have their pick when they graduate?
But right now I think you take what you can get....
The article is from 2011 so definitely from an easier time. But the overall advice in my opinion is still solid - it’s best to work for a recognizable company early on then to spend your first couple years at a company no one recognizes.
I’m a big proponent of startups, but I really wish I had read this when I first graduated.
I really don't buy into any of those theories, you learn what you can when you can. The whole strategizing "learn this than that than that" stuff I think is bogus and doesn't represent the vast majority of working situations.
It's all some pretend / after that fact imagined "optimizing" IMO.