Which job would you choose?

[Fat Pitch]

Hey all!

 

I am at a crossroads right now.

Basically the past two months I have been job hunting like a hound. The results have been spectacular but now I am split between two job offers that both look really good and I am having trouble deciding which is best for the long term.

 

1) Financial Analyst at a small firm.

 

2) Sr. Research Analyst at a nationwide firm.

 

If you have questions fire away. I wanted to keep it short and sweet.

 

[oddballstocks]

Which excites you more?  Where did you get along better with the people?  In my experience people make or break a company, great people and dull work can be exciting.  Incredible work and terrible people is just terrible.

 

Sounds cheesy but I've done pro/con lists for things like this.  Just putting thoughts down on paper can help.  Sometimes you have trouble coming up with any pro's for one item and that's the nail in the coffin.

[Mephistopheles]

I second what oddball said: people matter more than anything. But I'll add that you should think about your family too, and how each job would affect them, and your own lifestyle for that matter. If both are equal in that regard, figure out what excites you more. If still can't decide, figure out what will lead you to what you ultimately want. If both jobs lead to the right path, then decide based on salary/bonus/benefits.

 

Don't be afraid to take risks, as this is not a permanent life decision. Ultimately, what does your gut tell you?

 

Best of luck!

[Fat Pitch]

Oddball, meiroy, & meph. You all bring very valid points and I appreciate it very much.

 

People wise the small company is almost creepy friendly! The large one, well I think there will be a lot of egos to deal with. This is definitely a big factor.

 

The other big thing I am mulling over is the name recognition of the national firm would be incredible on my resume for the future. (BTW I am 28 and its my first new gig after graduating with my MBA.) Isn't it best to go with a big firm after graduating? Seems like its much easier to get a great gig at a small company later down the line after "doing time" at a powerhouse firm.

 

Here is the other factor. I love the financial analyst role much more. Plus its a small company so I will learn every facet of the business including training on the acquisition side. Now the big company and "research analyst" seems more like a dead end and a shitton of risk for very little extra yearly salary. However my hope is that I kick ass in the first two years and they transition me to a sr financial analyst/assocate.

 

Oddball tomorrow morning first thing I will make a pro con list.

 

 

[peter1234]

Congratulations!

 

Here are some free random thoughts:

;)

Don't forget to think about if you have to relocate.

Commuting

Working hours?

Where will you be after 2 years? Best/worst case scenario?

Learning on the job?

Could you do the big job and if you hate it after 2 years take a smaller company job? How about the other way around?

Could your job/position change at either firm in the short term due to reorg, clients moving assets etc?

Whichever job you decline, decline gracefully so you could go back/network later on

[augustabound]

Sounds cheesy but I've done pro/con lists for things like this.  Just putting thoughts down on paper can help.  Sometimes you have trouble coming up with any pro's for one item and that's the nail in the coffin.

 

I did this recently with a potential career change. I'm lucky in that my wife has a great job that she loves and makes great money, which gives me the opportunity to pursue something else if I choose.

 

I had 4 things I thought about doing and in my mind I was stuck on all 4, none seemed to stand out.

 

The pro/con list basically shut 3 down and in a very obvious way.

When I let my smarter half look it over for another perspective she came to the same conclusion.

 

I have felt the power of the pro/con list...........  :D

 

 

[Packer16]

I would ask myself where do I want to be in 10 years?  Find someone in that position and ask them how they got there.  Also what has been your experiences to date.  Have you worked in both small and large firms and developed a preference?  After my MBA I transitioned into a valuation job at a Big 4 accounting firm even though at the time I knew I liked smaller firms because that was my only choice.  I was eventually able to transition to a smaller firm and have been there ever since.  Another question is did you feel you would fit culturally with the smaller firm?  This is more important with the smaller firm as there will be fewer tribes to become a part of.  This sounds like a good choice to have hope all goes well.

 

Packer 

[giofranchi]

Three questions:

1) How much will be your cash flow in job 1 and in job 2?

2) How much of your time will you have to devote to job 1 and to job 2?

3) Which is linked to question n.2, how much time will you have at your disposal for investing the cash flow you are going to generate, if you choose job 1? How much if you choose job 2?

 

And, of course, given the fact this is a job, not a business, question n.4:

4) Which job would you prefer doing for the next few years?

 

I think about career choices much like I think about business and investments: I’d want to maximize cash flow, to minimize the time devoted to operating responsibilities, and to maximize the time at my disposal for investing the cash flow I am going to generate.

 

The only difference is that with a job, as much as you succeed in minimizing the time spent working for your employer (the time I call "devoted to operating responsibilities"), it will always be a significant portion of your working day… therefore, you should enjoy doing it! ;)

 

Good luck!

 

Gio

 

[rpadebet]

Assuming you like to build a long career in this field, I would

 

1)ignore the difference in cashflow

2)ignore the size of the firm or how it looks on my resume

3)ignore the chances of promotions/raises

4)ignore relocation and geographic factors unless there are extenuating family circumstances

5)ignore the duration of work hours

 

Out of college, you really want to be a learning machine at this stage. If you learn enough now, few years down the line the knowledge and skill will most likely pay you back in spades. Difference in cashflows then between a skilled/knowledgeable candidate and others will be huge. You will likely have some real world accomplishments to put on your resume rather than rely on brand name employer/college. Promotions/raises are a by-product. Relocation will be a bigger factor as your family responsibilities grow, so you want to factor in this only when u actually need to.

 

Take the job where you feel you can learn the most.

[Ham Hockers]

Role number 2 is not an investing role, is it? Do not go sell side if your ultimate goal is buy side.

[giofranchi]

Take the job where you feel you can learn the most.

 

Of course, how much you can learn should be a very large part of how much you would enjoy any job... Therefore, my suggestion about cash flow and hours worked is still valid only if you can think the learning experiences would be roughly equivalent!

 

Personally, the most important things I have learnt have always been self-thought... But surely a good job with a good mentor can be helpful!

 

Probably, my point of view is always the one of the entrepreneur, and not of the employ who wants to build a career...

 

Cheers,

 

Gio

[rpadebet]

Alternatively invert, and put yourself in the shoe of a hiring manager 5 years down the line:

 

He has two candidates in front of him with the exact same resume, but the difference being the first one is a Sr. Research Analyst at a brand name firm with standard experience and the other one is a Financial Analyst at a no-name firm with likely greater experience. You as a hiring manager want to pick the candidate who can best get the job done. Whom will you hire? Would you rely on the brand or would you give more weight to the experience?

[SharperDingaan]

Probably not what you want to hear .... but take the big firm.

 

For all jobs there are really only 3 levers; (1) the inherent interest of the job itself, (2) the boss, (3) the money. When just starting out you need the money, & if the bosses are a-holes you put up with it. 2 years out you move to another firm & cash in on the nameplate you just bought. The great things about a-holes; is that their firms have to pay more to overcome the divas, & they have a lot of turnover because of the divas.

 

Nobody is going to hold it against you if you're on the street again 6-12 months after starting. You took a risk & it didn't work out, but you had the brains to realize that if you hadn't stepped up, you would have regretted it for the rest of your life.

 

SD

 

[Uccmal]

Something else to consider:

 

I have never liked jobs.  I am politically incorrect, dont like managers (unless it was me).  Most bigger organizations put stupid pills in the drinking water.  My long term goal from 31 was to be out of a job.  I have now succeeded at that. 

 

Fat Pitch, your on this board and you contribute a fair amount,  so what is your real ling term goal.  Which choice gets you closer. 

 

A

[bookie71]

Which one will give you the experience that you want? My past experience is that a small firm gives you much more diversified experience sooner, because of fewer folks. You also will probably be required to put in more hours. If they are creepy friendly, that is a good sign also.

What does your better half think?  This is extremely important.

[Guest 50centdollars]

I would choose the small firm. Big firms suck. I work for a CDN bank and its terrible. Moral sucks. You're just a number.

[Uccmal]

I would choose the small firm. Big firms suck. I work for a CDN bank and its terrible. Moral sucks. You're just a number.

 

Yeah, The most fun I ever had was working for small companies where you get to be Jack of All. 

 

The least fun was working for the government. 

[Travis Wiedower]

The other big thing I am mulling over is the name recognition of the national firm would be incredible on my resume for the future. (BTW I am 28 and its my first new gig after graduating with my MBA.) Isn't it best to go with a big firm after graduating? Seems like its much easier to get a great gig at a small company later down the line after "doing time" at a powerhouse firm.

 

Here is the other factor. I love the financial analyst role much more. Plus its a small company so I will learn every facet of the business including training on the acquisition side. Now the big company and "research analyst" seems more like a dead end and a shitton of risk for very little extra yearly salary. However my hope is that I kick ass in the first two years and they transition me to a sr financial analyst/assocate.

 

Seems like you genuinely want the small firm while you're liking the big firm for the wrong reasons. Not that thinking of your resume is a bad idea, but it's just one item on the pro/con list and when you say you love the other role that should trump just about anything.

[Martian]

“There comes a time when you ought to start doing what you want. Take a job that you love. You will jump out of bed in the morning. I think you are out of your mind if you keep taking jobs that you don't like because you think it will look good on your resume. Isn't that a little like saving up sex for your old age?” - Warren Buffett

 

With that said, since you are a fresher, the brand name recognition on your resume will be great and last forever. Your resume will stand out  and that will open lot of doors for you than having a no-name company even if the role was  really good.