Career Move - Which One Company A or B?

amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 12:22
Last edited 08/07/2021 - 12:26

Hi All,

First of all, I love this community, it is really great to come to know this platform. You guys are amazing, providing a lot of good input for me.
So I would like to Thank you all.

This thread is still in regard to my career move…

For your information that I have two threads about my next career change,
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/634030#comment-10661221
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/636442#comment-10709608

I would like to have your final comments about the choice of the two companies with the below comparison

Area Company A Company B
Size Smaller Company <100, Smaller Team, Smaller projects and customer accounts   Bigger Company (more known) ~800 staff
Established 1.5 years ago but 10 years in overseas headquater Around 10 years
Responsibility Less responsibility (technical only) Management (Client + Team) + Technical - High Level, end to end delivery responsibility
Reward Less remuneration <~10-15% less More remuneration
Learning Currently, focus on Technical, mostly self-learning and interact with a small group of people Management (Client and Team) + Technical - High Level
Risks Easier to pass probation (as lower responsibility), turnover may be lower as it is a smaller company Header to pass probation period, Maybe high turnover (not sure - based on the reviews)

Questions to myself with I dont have answers at the moment :(
- Should I take the chance and try (Company B)? or stick to technical only (Company A)?
- Can I accept failure if it happens (if I don't pass probation) (Company B)?
- Is this the chance for me to leap my career and see accept any consequences (Good or Bad) - Company B?

My Situation:
Capability: High-Level Technical and a bit of management (team/technical management) - still learnig and no expert in both.
I don't mind doing management but I am not sure I will be very good at that or will stress about it.
Financial: I have savings of around 6-12 months (for rainy days).

Of course, the answer is what you want to do.. but I am very carious your various thoughts and ideas.

I really appreciate your input or comments

Thank you.

Regards

Poll Options

  • 11
    Company A
  • 67
    Company B
  • 7
    Not Sure
Education & Work

Comments

  • MoshPitShaq on 08/07/2021 - 12:34
    +7

    From personal experience - B, stretch yourself. You seem to be focusing on probation more than its worth. If you're competent and have the right attitude that will be valued. Most will recognise you need at least 3 months at the start to find your feet.

    Emphasis on personal, everyone's different.

    Good luck.

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 12:55

      Thank you for your advice. I am ok to learn and improve myself, just that there might be a lot of external factors that we cannot control..

      • Icecold5000 on 08/07/2021 - 15:39
        +1

        Do you know who your direct report is or know someone who has worked for them. I think you really need to understand their expectations to decide which role is for you.

        • amaz1nggreat on 11/07/2021 - 15:30

          Yeah.. My future potential bosses interviewed me and they seems nice. Very hard to tell for the first encounter.
          Company B will have more responsibility as it manages end to end delivery. But for Company A only focuses technical at the moment.

  • nubix on 08/07/2021 - 12:41
    +1
    • Should I take the chance and try (Company B)? or stick to technical only (Company A)?

    This you can only answer yourself, and your own life goals. Staying technical most likely create a ceiling for your career. If you don't mind management, seems like a no brainer.

    I hate management so I'm staying technical until I can FIRE

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 12:56

      I agree, different from one person to another.
      I really love to be FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early).. I hope I can reach that in a few years hehehe..

  • Crow K on 08/07/2021 - 12:48
    +1

    Your personal enjoyment of the work is a much more meaningful metric of the work than what the pay is. You'll soon forget what you're actually earning.

    Also, how easy it is to pass the probation shouldn't be a factor - you can either do the job or you can't. If you go into the job with the mentality "I need to work extra hard now to pass probation and then I can slack off and relax" then you haven't got a good long term approach to the work.

    B seems to offer more client faced work - which you're uncertain of - if you want to develop that skill, that's the main reason to work there. It will Corporatise you, which the family company won't. This isn't a good or a bad thing, it's down to what sort of business environment you want to work in.

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 12:56

      Yeah Company B will be more challanging but not only technical but also client facing…
      Thank you for the advice.

      • brad1-8tsi on 08/07/2021 - 18:51
        +1

        also client facing…

        I was an introvert that went beetroot red when I spoke to people I didn't know. My first job was in a workshop with 2 others.

        When I went to my 2nd job I thought it was just technical. It turned out there was a lot of sales and talking to clients on the phone and F2F. At first I hated it but my boss mentored me and in the end I loved it. That job taught me so many communication skills that I used for the rest of my career.

        I'm still an introvert but a sociable introvert.

        Probation where I work now is 6 months. It's not about being able to do the job straight away, more about fitting in with the team and company culture; making sure you aren't arriving hungover everyday or have a detrimental personal habit; making sure your abilities are similar to the lies you wrote on your CV.

  • Donaldhump on 08/07/2021 - 12:49

    what's the commute to both.

    if company A next door to your hosue and B 1 hour away , do A

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 12:58

      Both are in the city.
      Company A - mostly home or in the city office
      Company B - can be home or the city office or in the client.
      Thanks

      • curious101 on 09/07/2021 - 08:11

        You can work "in the client" ? Front or back ? :D

  • Drakesy on 08/07/2021 - 12:50
    +4

    I think you got your answer the first time you asked this question.
    I really don't see the benefit of starting another thread.

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 12:59
      -3

      As I mentioned in the thread detail, I would like to get your opinion or way of thinking from the comparison.
      Thanks

  • No on 08/07/2021 - 12:50
    +1

    The way I see it is you have 2 choices here. Company A or Company B.

  • boostpak on 08/07/2021 - 12:56

    Decide what you want, not what other say. Don't be insecure. Much appreciate it.

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 13:01

      I very much appreciate it :)

      • boostpak on 08/07/2021 - 13:02

        no problem, I appreciate very much it

  • bobbified on 08/07/2021 - 12:58
    +1

    I don't mind doing management but I am not sure I will be very good at that or will stress about it.

    hmm.. management requires you to make decisions - you're not going to be able to run to OzB to ask for everyone's opinions on what you should decide! 🤣

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 13:01

      As I mentioned in the thread detail, I am very curious about your thoughts and various ideas.

      • bobbified on 08/07/2021 - 13:10
        +1

        I would always take the one that I think has the most opportunity and can progress my career the most (so Company B). But that's me - I know myself and that's what I want. I try and look at the longer term possibilities rather than just what's in front of me.

        • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 13:23

          Thank you for your advice.
          I agree totally with your ideas and thoughts.

      • isthatallyougot on 08/07/2021 - 13:13
        +2

        Mate , honestly its like you are trying to find the right answer that justifies what you want to do.

        If you have 15 years work exp , then why even worry about probation ?

        If you have to have 3 threads on ozbargain to make a life decision then I honestly don't think that being in management is good for you. Is being a manager what you really want ?

        • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 13:22

          Thanks for the input.
          As I mentioned, this thread is focusing on comparison between the companies. I am trying to be as transparent as possible.
          Having this thread will provide me some ideas from different prespectives. This will help me to understand out of the box ideas.

  • holdenmg on 08/07/2021 - 13:00
    +2

    Have a look @ Company B on https://www.glassdoor.com.au/Reviews/index.htm
    and Company A if they are there.

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 13:04

      Company A - no reviews
      Company B - mixed reviews… some people says a good comnpany, friendly people etc, however on the negatives middle management, high turnover, not passing Probation. Not sure which ones you can trust.

  • rektrading on 08/07/2021 - 13:09

    You have more duplicate threads than people have bank accounts. Have you thought about consolidating them?

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 13:26
      -1

      Thanks.
      I believe this is not a duplicate thread. I am very transparent about the other threads. For this thread, I just want to open a discussion on differences between the companies and I am very carious about your opinions and ideas.

  • Quantumcat on 08/07/2021 - 13:09
    +3

    I voted company A. Only because being in management terrifies me and I'd much rather be technical. Plus small companies are nicer to work for - flatter structure, you can talk directly to the boss, you get your finger in multiple pies (multiple projects and tech) people care about getting their job done instead of seat-warming. Culture is usually a lot better. More perks as it is affordable for the company as fewer employees.

    Edit - also noticed you said company A is mostly at home and company B is mostly office or client. Another point in favour of company A. Being client side sucks really bad. If company A lets you work from home or the office when you feel like it and company B has lots of rules and procedures around when you're allowed to or God forbid has a schedule you have to rigidly follow even if you have a sniffly nose and would be better off working from home but they make you come to the office as it is your day in the office so you're forced to waste sick leave to avoid infecting everyone —— run don't walk to company A.

    • bobbified on 08/07/2021 - 13:20
      +2

      I've found that what you've described with smaller companies is very true, but only if you and everyone else's preferences are "aligned" and you all get along. If you don't like the culture or the boss or if there's something about someone that bothers you, things can easily become quite difficult. Whereas, In a larger company, you've got many more options when it comes to the people side of things. You can pick and choose who you hang out with.

      • Quantumcat on 08/07/2021 - 13:21
        +2

        That's an excellent point. In your interview you need to use your time wisely to ask them questions too and see if you'll get along with the sorts of people there.

        • bobbified on 08/07/2021 - 13:26
          +2

          Sometimes you don't get a choice because the people you might not get along with can get hired after you. I'd say that the safest bet is to figure out whether you get along with the boss first because when he/she does the hiring, they're likely to hire the people that they think they can get along with. Like you said, it'll be perfect if everyone got along - like one big happy family! haha

          • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 13:31

            @bobbified: totally agree! You spot on.
            For both companies, the managers are nice (met only during interview - a single interaction)
            Thank you for your input.

        • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 14:27

          In both companies, when I interacted with them during interviews, they seems good to work with.
          Both companies are positive in term of my interaction so far.
          Thanks

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 13:29

      Thank you for your input.
      Just to clearify, Company B is also giving you a bit oif flexibility on either working from home, office or in the client side (if this is a requirment from the customer).
      All your points are valid.

  • Mokr on 08/07/2021 - 13:17
    +1

    Age - current goals - ablitiy to find another job etc

    pretty important when making the decision

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 13:27

      I agree.. those are my considerations.
      Thank you for your input.

  • Baa on 08/07/2021 - 13:19
    +1

    Having moved between small/medium to large businesses multiple times doing primarily the same job I can confirm I find working for a smaller company much more enjoyable, but have been lucky that the size of the organisation has not impacted my overall remuneration.

    I always find all the bureaucracy in larger organisations to be a bit stifling, wherewith smaller organisations I am given the freedom to act more independently. I have always felt I have a better connection to the organisation too as I feel like I am more involved in the day to day and have greater visibility on the work I do to grow the organisation.

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 13:32

      You are absolutely right.
      I have been in consulting for many years, my clients are from smaller to top corporations.
      Thank you for your input.

  • onetwothreefour on 08/07/2021 - 13:25

    Please show these threads to both employers so they can review your application.

  • SF3 on 08/07/2021 - 13:40
    +3

    OP, sounds like you are boiling the ocean with the repetition of the same subject on which decision is better.

    Short answer is both can be good, it is what you want to make out of it and the experiences you’ll obtain along the way, there is no script that can tell us what will happen. You either go along with the rules set out by others, or start to define your own rules with your career, then you can see if they’ll work for you.

    Life is an opened end adventure, you decide what will work for you as you’ll be the one learning from it and those experiences should translate to help with your future decisions/journey.

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 14:02
      -1

      Thank you for the comments.
      As I mentioned, I am just carious about others' comments and opinion. This will be an input to find out anything else that I have not thought about.

  • Jcwj on 08/07/2021 - 13:49
    +1

    I've worked in a small company <30 people and a company with globally >20k employees.

    Some points from experience:
    1- Agree with someone above who said probation shouldn't be a concern.
    2- Visibility - does it matter to you? Probably easier to shine in a small company, but also keep hierarchy in mind - who are you reporting to
    3- People/culture - you can learn a lot about people from interviews, especially if you ask the right questions or given the chance to. What is your impression of the people you might work for? Of course you can't be 100% sure but I think for me this is one the most important thing - people you work with!
    4- Always stretch and challenge yourself, as you learn and grow ultimately you become a more valuable asset (you may not agree so up to you). I often surprise myself by how much I've learnt by intentionally challenging myself.
    5- Follow your interest! You'll likely go further

    Hope that helps and all the best

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 14:04
      -1

      Thank you for sharing your experience.
      It is indeed my decision, I am just carious what others' opinion and whether I have missed some points that I have not considered.
      As I always mention, this is a great community for sharing ideas.

  • Mokr on 08/07/2021 - 15:06
    -1

    which company has the hotter men/women/them

    • Orico on 08/07/2021 - 17:45
      +1

      The good looks gets old real fast if they're psycho.

  • netjock on 08/07/2021 - 16:30

    B - looks like a better challenge

    A - if you are looking for an easy glide path to retirement

    Number of employees have nothing to do with it. Has to do with the culture. I worked for a non for profit once and it just scared me how much wastage there is in the name of "doing good" got out after 3 months. Same can be said for certain wagering, gaming and hotel businesses I've had the misfortune of working for.

    • amaz1nggreat on 08/07/2021 - 19:46

      Thank you for your advice and sharing your experience.

  • th123 on 08/07/2021 - 18:29

    Ask company A to match the remuneration of B. If they say no, take B.

  • Fexofenadine on 09/07/2021 - 16:34
    +1

    My advice is don't be so worried about making a mistake or the wrong choice. Sometimes it's impossible to tell which will be the better choice between the two, or what seems like the worse choice may actually work out better. Still do the necessary homework but stress less and see where life takes you :)

    • amaz1nggreat on 09/07/2021 - 19:39

      Thank you. It is really a wise advice.
      We definitely don't know what the future will hold.

  • Brendoo on 09/07/2021 - 21:08
    +1

    As you say you don't have deep technical nor deep management experience, go with B.

    It's easier to wing it in Management as compared to Technical. Plus you'll get paid more.

    I work for a reasonably large company (about 70,000 staff) and the amount of clowns we have in management who don't know much and have little to no training is incredible. They get paid a ton too. But on the technical side, if you don't know your stuff then things cannot get built and you'll be out of a job. It's much harder to skill up in a technical job than it is in management. If you can organise a picnic you should be ok for management.

  • amaz1nggreat on 12/07/2021 - 00:56

    Thank you for your advice and sharing your experince.

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