Don't you hate working for a big corporation?

[cartel]

I have recently left my job. Lasted less than a year which is the shortest proper job I have had.

The reason I left? Because you where treated like a number and analysed on everything. There where statistics which showed how many time you went for a st etc.. I have worked for medium/small companies in the past and what frustrated me was the lack of career opportunities. Working for a big corporation does perhaps offer career opportunities but there are 1000 odd other people in similar jobs also fighting for those opportunities. Everybody seems so focused and competitive. Everybody seemed brainwashed with procedure and "culture"

Too much red tape, too much bullst, too much brown nosing and too little money

I never want to go and work for a big corp again. I understand why they work the way they do, it is just not for me

(not naming and shaming)

Edited by cartel on Wednesday 8th December 19:26

[JB!]

it has its benefits and drawbacks.

[davepoth]

It is generally st. The last company I was at got taken over by a bigger corporation, and over 15 years progressively got stter and stter as the reporting lines got longer and longer. By the end nobody actually gave a st about what we were making, everyone was concentrating on saying "yes" to their line manager to ensure they got a pay rise.

[pacman1]

swerni said:

I love working for a large corporation.

Sorry to buck the trend

Depends on how high up the food chain you are.

[thetapeworm]

I work for a big global corporation as an outsourced resource provided by an equally big global corporation who then supplies me to another large corporation.

It's very rewarding, honest

[cartel]

pacman1 said:

swerni said:

I love working for a large corporation.

Sorry to buck the trend

Depends on how high up the food chain you are.

This. Anywhere but towards the top is too much bullst and procedure

You do have job security but the negatives outweighed the positives for me

[cartel]

swerni said:

Not all corporations are the same

Yes that is probably true. The one I was at is pretty famous for having a "unique culture" so it should not put me off all big firms

[pacman1]

cartel said:

swerni said:

Not all corporations are the same

Yes that is probably true. The one I was at is pretty famous for having a "unique culture" so it should not put me off all big firms

You worked for Yakult??

[cartel]

pacman1 said:

cartel said:

swerni said:

Not all corporations are the same

Yes that is probably true. The one I was at is pretty famous for having a "unique culture" so it should not put me off all big firms

You worked for Yakult??

Well it did feel like a corporate factory

[raharley]

I like it. I'm the CEO

[spikeyhead]

I only work as a contractor these days.

Working at a small place, I can make a significant difference but teh buck stops with me.

Working at a big place, life is generally easier and less challenging, but that also means its more boring. I'm leaving the job in the Netherlands that I've been at for the last 18 months as I can't hack the boredom.

[davethebunny]

cartel said:

pacman1 said:

swerni said:

I love working for a large corporation.

Sorry to buck the trend

Depends on how high up the food chain you are.

This. Anywhere but towards the top is too much bullst and procedure

You do have job security but the negatives outweighed the positives for me

Depends.

I work for a v large corporation, around 40k employees.

But, i work for a division that has 3.5k employess, in a cost centre that has 70 employees.

That cost centre has to work as a private business and stand on it's own 2 feet.

There are pros and cons.

Some clients love the big business culture that we can portray. Some seem scared of it, so we try to show that we are just a small outfit that happens to be owned by a PLC.

I came from a family owned business and it was a nightmare in some respects.

Chairman who had started the co, made his son the MD, but wouldn't fully relinquish control.

Trying to get any capital spend was a nightmare, even a new plotter took a year to get sorted.

Here, new laptop every three years, BB, 3G card, all ordered as soon as you want.

However we have the typical corp IT dept where they seem to think they're more than a supporting role to those that actually generate an income for the business rather than a 100% overhead. Some of the things they do seriously hamper productivity and the only answer you get is 'Group policy'

With regards to the job security, as i said we have to be profitable as a stand alone concern. Any CCs that aren't are thrown to the wolves.

[shirt]

JB! said:

it has its benefits and drawbacks.

spikeyhead said:

Working at a small place, I can make a significant difference but teh buck stops with me.

Working at a big place, life is generally easier and less challenging, but that also means its more boring.

^these

i like the responsibility and ability to influence things in a small firm, but if the senior management and/or your colleagues are dicks then you can't achieve a great deal.

in a large multi, its easier to feel 'lost' in the system, but its also much easier to escape the dicks.

[dmitsi]

I used to work for GE, corporations don't get much bigger. I have to say it was one of the nicest places I've worked. Felt we got treated with respect and that my opinion mattered (didn't enjoy the job though). I now work for a small PLC, and TBH feel much less appreciated. The environment and job itself are great, but it feels like you're just a number here. I guess because of the relative size of the company I can notice it more, but you certainly feel second place to profit. I sort of expected a closer knit feeling as it's such a small place, but no. Nevermind.

[spikeyhead]

I think it's far more important to work for a successful company than one that's struggling.

Size makes much less difference. (as the bishop said to teh actress)

[Bullett]

I worked for a small company that was taken over by a large Co. They pretty much crushed the life out of it, taking everything they paid millions for and throwing it away. We still operated like we used to but slowed down by red tape and regulations. I left andwent to a bigger company.

It's ok if you know what you are buying into. I went to a small Co for the flexibility and lack of bull. What I do is specialised so I need the bigger Co really, no room for the smaller guys anymore.

[GSP]

I'm quite happy in my big corporation lol. I guess it depends on whether your at the bottom of that list of 1000, or at the top... and how competitive your willing to be.

I was sat with someone the other day who was moaning he only earns £36k when us younguns are coming in and earning alot more... but he is an old chap. comes in at 9, leaves at 5... won't travel more than 10 miles away from home. If you don't want to put the effort in, dont expect to get anything out.

[RockyBalboa]

I left 'permanent' work in corporations a long time ago for a variety of reasons including:

1. Not being helped with roles I wanted to go for despite being more experienced/qualified than others.

2. Not being given requested/necessary training despite putting together a business case for it.

3. Working my bks off all year to find that I had been 'averaged out' in performance using statistical models by the Gestapo HR and hence, affecting any bonus.

4. Not hanging around with the 'in-crowd' resulting in being 'held back'.

And a whole host of other reasons I can't care to remember.

Many years on, I often return to such organisations (but not in a permanent capacity) to see some of the same people there but just more miserable.. boy I am glad I left!

[Wills2]

I work for a big business with about €6.7billion in revenues but it's broken up into different companies within the group and therefore feels more like a medium sized enterprise (we do about €500 million)

We operate a very flat structure where even someone as lowly as me is only 2-3 reports away from the main group board.