From living on their own to starting a new job, the working world is very frightening for many young professionals in the business field. One of the decisions people make when going into the business world is whether they want to work at a startup or a traditional company as these businesses have many differences and similarities. Knowing these can help you find a position at a company that fits your needs and personality.
People who work at startups are often people who don’t need as much security and can adapt to new things. Startup companies often pay less. According to Sifted.edu, startup companies pay their employees ”30-40% lower than they’d typically be offered [at a traditional company]”(Miriam Partington, 2022.) For someone who needs more security such as a parent with children at home, this can be difficult because they need the extra money to support their family. Also, people who can’t adapt to a changing environment shouldn’t work at a startup. This is because start ups are inherently risky and always changing. I talked to Mark Schaub, a founder of multiple startup companies, who said workers often have lots of non-traditional responsibilities at start up companies. For example, “tech people will do marketing and marketing people will do sales”. The limited company size leads to workers needing to be flexible.
My research indicated that benefits of working at a traditional company are stability and a more consistent schedule. In an article on business culture, Cultural Atlas Editors said that business executives often, “closely monitor absenteeism and productivity of employees”(Cultural Atlas Editors, 2016.) If you want more feedback and structure regarding your job performance , a traditional company is good for you. I talked to Michael Behrensmyer, a young professional employee of a business in Chicago, and he said that he took his job because “I knew I would be able to move up if I worked hard.” People who want security and a more defined path of advancement may want to work at a traditional company because moving up can be more straightforward.
Overall, if you want to have a job with more risk and changes, you may want to consider working at a startup, but if you want security and a more defined schedule a traditional company may be right for you.