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I'm more fulfilled and have had a better work experience working at small companies than I ever did working for a F500 company. Looks good to have on a resume, but the corporate BS that comes with F500 companies isn't worth it for me anymore.
I'm more fulfilled and have had a better work experience working at small companies than I ever did working for a F500 company. Looks good to have on a resume, but the corporate BS that comes with F500 companies isn't worth it for me anymore.
While that is true, the structure and lack of irrational, inexperienced managers in small companies is something Id prefer not to deal with. Most of the stories in this forum of unprofessional managers comes from people working in small companies. Luckily all the red tape and bureaucracy in a large company also means that these poor managers get removed relatively quickly in my experience.
While that is true, the structure and lack of irrational, inexperienced managers in small companies is something Id prefer not to deal with. Most of the stories in this forum of unprofessional managers comes from people working in small companies. Luckily all the red tape and bureaucracy in a large company also means that these poor managers get removed relatively quickly in my experience.
This forum can be a fun place to visit but I wouldn’t put much stock into what you draw from it. And I certainly wouldn’t use it as proof that most unprofessional mgrs are in small companies.
I agree with gmri on this one. From my experience, working at a smaller org is more fulfilling.
Is it possible without going to an Ivy League school?
I'd say its very possible and even somewhat easy. It depends on how you are willing to go about it.
I have a good friend who wound up at a Fortune 500 in DFW with a bachelor's degree from a state school. Bear in mind, Fortune 500 companies have all manner of functions within them. For my friend, it was a retailer and his function was real estate acquisition.
Locally, I know people who have started on the lower rungs of the ladder at a couple of different Fortune 500s, namely Walmart and JB Hunt, and worked their way up rather quickly. Both of these people started their jobs without bachelor's degrees. The positions were entry-level, and both of these guys finished their degrees while working--one took classes online, the other went to night school and one semester of regular school, while working.
The local Fortune 500s seem to have a lot of entry-level positions, some of which start as low as $15.00 per hour up to around $35k per year. They rarely require extensive education, and often lead to better jobs within the organizations. Surely both of these guys were lucky to have gotten into fast-growing companies, but these are two guys in their early 30s, one now making $100k+ and the other is making in the range of $250k.
There are some healthy companies out there which are expanding, even in this economy. Find one in an inexpensive metro (like this one) and you can feasibly work your way into a really good job if you are intelligent and willing to eat crap for a couple of years.
While that is true, the structure and lack of irrational, inexperienced managers in small companies is something Id prefer not to deal with. Most of the stories in this forum of unprofessional managers comes from people working in small companies. Luckily all the red tape and bureaucracy in a large company also means that these poor managers get removed relatively quickly in my experience.
I wish I had the same experience as you.
My worst manager was at a Fortune 500 company. He was a nice guy, but just a terrible "manager". He was indecisive, not easy to talk to (myself and other co-workers would feel uncomfortable and awkward talking to him), wouldn't stand up for his team to other mangers and directors, and all around didn't know what he was talking about at all about what our team worked on. He was a very bad fit. The lead consultant mainly did the managing and I would take orders and direction from the consultant. That was pretty disheartening. I then realized this manager just wanted to be a figurehead overseer and not deal with the nitty gritty stuff or any administrative tasks. It turned out he was "appointed" the position because the overall department VP had this manager work under him before and I guess they got along good. Three people had interviewed for the position but weren't picked and my terrible manager was given the job without interviewing. You could tell too. That happens all to often at large companies.
I would rather have my yelling, screaming, and swearing manager from UPS than the other guy.
The off brand costs a lot less lol im willing to take my chances. Sadly jobs do not work this way.
Spoken like someone who doesn't know what it's like to work at a fortune 500.
As everyone else has pointed out, jobs do work this way. Sure, you might not stand out as much in the resume stack, but it's hardly something that will get you dismissed automatically. All other things being equal, if there was an ivy league resume with a typo and a non-ivy league resume without typos, my bet is the typo-free resume would get the interview.
I've worked at fortune 500 companies most of my career in the corporate HQ's. None of the people in my department have Ivy League degrees.
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