Keys to a Successful Engineering Career: Should I Work For A Big or Small Company

This is a quick lesson to help you decide whether you should go to work for a big company or a small company. There are pros and cons to each one, so you need to think carefully about what type of person you are.

[andreasa]

I went back to school at 26 and graduated in 2023 in mechanical engineering. Your channel, your advice, and your expertise has helped immensely. Can’t wait to learn more from you. Thank you

[queenstrategy]

I wish I found you channel years earlier. It has everything I'm fascinated by!

[encryptorEJ]

it makes sense. I enjoyed listening. I feel the big company job I work for rocks my world each day. It's hard to tell what I'll be working on from day to day.

[alterguy]

Hai Paul Sir
I finally got my first job as an Analog layout Design Engineer in a VLSI company(Startup Company Working for Texas).
i just want to thankyou. Your tutorials have really been helpful to me.
I know your channel from my first year of Engineering.I have learnt Arduino, Raspberry Pi and Linux from your channel and what not.
ThankYou for being an Inspiration for lot of Engineers

[Alex-nshj]

I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Ive always loved adventures, excitement, adrenaline. Going from studying business for this reason now moving to electrical engineering and probably mechanical as well, thanks to you Paul you helped me make the connection that working for startups and smaller companies will be something i do in my youth years. Amazing content unlike anywhere ive seen. Please keep it up!

[profittaker]

Every student it should be mandatory to see these videos like a mandatory part as preparing to studies or something, really good stuff..

[philosophyoftrucking]

I like the idea of working for a small company and really bringing talent and value to that scenario. If it doesn’t work, there are more opportunities out there.

[fidgetgadget]

Interesting comparison, thanks for the advice. I'm studying electrical engineering at university. Gonna start my career in a couple of years!

[alexisidro]

Great points, Paul. Specially when it comes to structure. I've been working for small companies providing engineering services and you're right; there is limited room for growth, and sometimes the work varies and the position can be very nimble. It's definitely more adventurous than working for a big company based on what I see from others. Not to mention there is a lot less bureaucracy and layers of management to deal with. That's a great perk BUT it IS a bit more unstable, as you mentioned in the beginning. I like it though.

[OneTimWhatley]

A lot of this makes sense, but there are many generalizations here. It's not always the case that a small companies are volatile and a high pressure place to work, and large companies are stable and well organized. I've had experience with both, and the largest company I ever worked for was also the most demanding, with priorities changing almost hourly.

[yoursfithfully]

Hey paul i love the content very motivating and accurate . Paul i think you should talk about the course specifics like specefic fileds of engineering and thier introduction and their career options

[ferbrahert]

Probably starting with big companies and after that jumping to small ones.Getting used to walking would make running easier in my opinion.
They are stable and have a system. That would teach tons of things by itself. After that one can easily jump to the endless seas of opportunities with small or their own companies.

[yoursfithfully]

And also i had a doibt about what you said i like stability but the constant thought of pushing myself out of my comfort zone lets me discover new things it’s difficult at first but then i get used to it thus it also includes the challenging water rafting side so what kind of company should i target small one or large one

[killianbuenst]

My father works at microsoft and he is constantly under pressure, each year if your under a certain quota you're fired it doesn't matter how long you've been in the company and your position
His first year he had been working each day from 9am to 2am it was really sad to see and he went close to a nervous breakdown

[Alvy]

I've been three years in a small company. The main benefits: 1) You get to hangout with Senior engineers - I don't think that would be the case in a big company. 2) You will learn a bit of everything. 3) You will pick up a lot of skills in no time 4) High expectations and accountability. 5) By doing and seeing a bit of everything, you see the forest and not just a tree. 6) If you ever aspire to have your own company, well this is what it would look like. 7) It feels like a family. 8) Massive potential for growth if we make it. I would prefer to go whitewater rafting any day of the year.

[ksju]

I hate fishing and love my job at a smaller company, in the field of electrical systems engineering.

[amycurrier]

I like the analogy of the white water rafting vs fishing but even though I like things to be calm and organized (fishing)- I’d rather chose the white water rafting- but not everyday..if that makes sense. I like the adventure but only once in a while…

[Cyborg]

Being in my early 30s and going back to school to learn mechatronic engineering. I've had alot of experience in big companies (from another field) and I hated it. If you like seeing things that could have the potential to work better or more efficiently and dont want to be ignored because your just a standard employee dont work for a big company they will ignore you even if your idea is good and innovative.

[joshuacalderon]

My dad has a machine shop, I am working with him and getting experience machining. I am majoring in mechanical engineering and plan to work with him to make the company grow and make our own product. My dad is not engineer, but he has a lot of experience machining and programming, I can learn a lot of machining skills from him. The only problem is that I don't know how to know what I'm going to do as an engineer. I would like to maybe get one internship to have an idea of what to do once I graduate, but my dad needs my help to work with him becasue he needs assisting in programming. (I know how to use mastercam). I want to know what to do once I graduate, but I don't know how. What is a good tip? :')

[mohammadaleisah]

I'm a mechatronics engineering student in my last year now, do you think learning Linux, AI, and ROS will be beneficial for me in the next couple of years?
because I get a lot of comments from my friends that in the real job world, I'm not going to need that knowledge? what do you think?