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Choosing between two job opportunities

by joenied on 3/6/14, 11:50 PM with 11 comments

Recently i've been restarting the job search. I've been generating a lot of interest and I guess you could say I have a happy problem. I'm a front-end developer who is also a talented designer in my mid 20's.

I have two job offers and would like some advice about it from some fellow nerds.:)

1. Big fortune 100 company with really cool people from Apple and Microsoft who jumped ship and now work here. Not your typical big company environment has a startup vibe with full fridges, open office, pool tables, standing desks etc. Is a 6-month contract only with potential hire afterwards. Mainly working with HTML/CSS and jquery. None to little design work.

2. Small 30ish person company SAAS service company and would be totally 100% remote. Would have potential to use some new javascript frameworks like Angularjs and test-driven development with also about %30 percent of the work being design. Pays a bit lower then job 1 but is permanent.

My problem deciding is job 1 I feel would be a good learning experience, working with other people better then me and having a big name on the resume. Job 2 i'm going to be able to actually make some more decisions and not have as many people to lean on.

Before this i've mostly been a solo dev slogging through whatever needed to be done back-end, front-end, design etc. If you were personally in this position what would be your thought process to deciding?

  • by mswen on 3/7/14, 1:47 PM

    I would try the following. Envision success at both places, what would that look like 3 years from now? What would the job duties include? What is the likelihood of promotion? What current skills would have grown significantly? What skills would have atrophied through lack of use and challenge? What new skills would you have acquired? Who would you know? Project out the differences in income and expenses and calculate an expected net worth at that point?

    Now imagine the logical next steps, see yourself switching companies and taking a new job. Or, starting a new venture of your own if that is your dream? Which of those next step outcomes is more attractive to you?

    My own take is that the corporate role will lead to more specialization, has better income, benefits and security over the next 10 years. By contrast, the SAAS service company will expose you to a much wider range of responsibilities. You will be more rounded. If you have your heart set on building your own company someday, this role will likely be better preparation.

  • by whichdan on 3/7/14, 1:55 AM

    I used to work entirely remotely, and six months ago started working at a hundred-person office in downtown Boston. It has been, without a doubt, the best career move I've made, and I've made a lot of friends in the process. #1 sounds like a hugely better deal if you can handle the uncertainty of not being hired permanently.

  • by yen223 on 3/7/14, 3:21 AM

    Take the one with higher pay. If this is your first job, either job will serve well as a learning experience.

    Use that pay to build up your savings - ideally, you'd should have at least enough money to survive 6 months without pay. Once you achieve that, you'll have enough financial independence to be able to choose your own adventure, and hopefully you'll have enough experience to make an informed decision.

  • by sesteel on 3/7/14, 8:15 PM

    For one, this is obviously a false choice; you could choose countless other avenues. If you already have a strong resume, job 1 really isn't a risk unless devs suddenly stop getting hired six months from now. If you don't have a strong resume, perform a thought experiment where you are leaving either position sometime during the next year; which position sets you up best for your next job?

  • by prateekj on 3/7/14, 12:16 AM

    I would go for the second job. I personally think that developing your overall skills takes precedence over company name and job safety, especially during the initial stages of your career. I don't think it would be that much of a learning experience if you are not allowed to make design decisions.