Startup vs Service

Times when you should choose service companies over startups

I always advocate for students to go for startups rather than service companies. Although I do stand by my statement, there are cases when one should join a service company or when one should not join a startup. This has lately created a lot of general confusion and that is why I would like to clear out and put forward my detailed thoughts.

when to go for service companies?

Yes, you can choose to join a service company, TCS, Wipro, IBM, etc. when your goal matches any one of the following:

• You do not like programming.

  It is absolutely fine if you do not like coding and have no real-world programming skills. Service jobs do not demand a lot of coding and you will thrive and grow very fast in such an environment. Service companies actually give you a job when you know absolutely nothing, just a degree is enough to get you in.

• You need stability in life.

  Let's be real, startups are extremely volatile. The startup that you work for today has a decent possibility of getting dissolved tomorrow. And finding another job takes effort and gives stress, whereas your service job may last a lifetime. So do not go for a startup if you are weak-hearted.

• You need a work-life balance.

  Startups often do not have the HR departments that service companies boast of. They make one work very hard, even on holidays and weekends. A service company provides you with all kinds of leaves and there is minimal work pressure. If you want that aaraam ki zindagi, go for a service company.

• You want to pursue a master's degree or a government job or a side hustle.

  When you work for a service company, you often spend most of your time on the bench, waiting for projects, or you may get a menial job that does not take a lot of time and effort. In fact, you can deliberately choose to stay on the bench. This leaves you with enough time and energy to focus on your preparation for a postgraduate degree or government job or even freelance or startup on the side, and have a free-flowing income all the while.

• You want to get married right after college.

  You have a college sweetheart and you want to get married soon. Take up a job in TCS. The name TATA is good enough for masses in Tier 2 and 3 cities of the country. It gives you a decent reputation and a stable income. And I wish you a happy married life!

when not to go for startups (as an employee)?

• You do not understand the product.

  Every founder or CEO has the ability to sell an idea. Every startup is meant to change the world, or become the next big thing. But if the product of the startup does not impress or call out to you, do not join. You need to put your heart and soul into a startup, and if you do not connect with it, it won't work out for you.

• The team size is less than 5.

  With the absolute rise in the number of startups in our country, sadly, it has become a new way to scam students. You may be hired by a startup and do their work, but when the time comes to pay you, there is a high chance that the startup does not exist anymore and the contact person has blocked you.

• There is a person but no Pvt. Ltd.

  Often, founders might ask you to do the heavy lifting of the startup while they themselves enjoy their full-time jobs. Do not commit to a startup whose founder him/herself is not committed to it. You should not risk your career for someone else's idea.

• The startup offers only stock options.

  Never rely on the stocks of a startup. Reiterating, startups are extremely volatile. If the startup fails, you will be left with absolutely nothing. In fact, do not join a startup as a full-time employee if it offers anything less than 35k INR per month.

• Your research leads you nowhere.

  Suppose you are offered a job from startup A, but it has no internet presence. There are no real people or employees that you can talk to about the company. This means that there is something fishy and startup A might try to take advantage of you. Make sure that you do your research right.

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