Working for Large Companies

david225
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david225
Hey everyone, so I just recently got a couple job offers for 2 very large corporations...one makes automobiles and the other makes heavy equipment machinery. (I'm sure you can guess what they are but I don't want to blatantly say them Wink )

I was wondering if anyone here has worked or is working for a large company that has hundreds if not thousands of people working at one facility? Many people I talk to say that there is a ton of politics involved in these companies and you are basically just another number.

But a goal I made for myself was working somewhere that has a name that is recognizable to anyone. I do have several opportunities with smaller companies but I would like to at least experience what it is like to work for Corporate America lol.

Anyone have any insight or stories that they might like to share with me??
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XXVoid MainXX
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XXVoid MainXX 12/12/2016 6:20pm
12/12/2016 6:20pm Edited Date/Time 12/12/2016 6:26pm
I've been working for Corporate America for the past 20 years. There are advantages and disadvantages. If you want to truly understand what it is like just watch the movie Office Space. I used to dream about driving a forklift at a warehouse while working. Actually I have it pretty good right now since I started working from home full time about a year ago. It's pretty amazing actually. In fact I am thinking about buying a motor home and changing work locations every couple of weeks or every month. Being someplace warm in the winter and someplace cool with plenty of altitude in the summer.
david225
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david225 12/12/2016 6:33pm
12/12/2016 6:33pm
XXVoid MainXX wrote:
I've been working for Corporate America for the past 20 years. There are advantages and disadvantages. If you want to truly understand what it is like...
I've been working for Corporate America for the past 20 years. There are advantages and disadvantages. If you want to truly understand what it is like just watch the movie Office Space. I used to dream about driving a forklift at a warehouse while working. Actually I have it pretty good right now since I started working from home full time about a year ago. It's pretty amazing actually. In fact I am thinking about buying a motor home and changing work locations every couple of weeks or every month. Being someplace warm in the winter and someplace cool with plenty of altitude in the summer.
One of my professors told me to watch Office Space one time... doing 2 chicks at the same time lol!! Last summer, I interned at a place that was around 150 employees so I really wouldn't know what to expect..
ledger
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ledger 12/12/2016 7:28pm
12/12/2016 7:28pm
I worked 28 year's for a major airline, met a lot of people, some good and some not so good, but overall the good far outweighed the bad, I enjoyed the different personalities. The money was good and the benefits outstanding, I also liked that we bid our job and hour's on a monthly basis, I was fortunate to be able to work a 5:30am shift and be home at 2:20 in the afternoon. I worked closely with the mechanic's and I can honestly say these men and a few women are the best in the world at their job. I took The Buy-Out when the opportunity arrived and walked away at the age of 52, I miss everything about it, from having coffee at 5am with my friend's and shoot'n the chit or trying to figure how those heavy bird's fly. I had an employee number, an ID, a certain dress code and more test's than I ever had in high school, it wasn't a job, it was one helluva career. My advice, jump in with a positive attitude,do what you're hired to do, and have a good time doing it.
seth505
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seth505 12/12/2016 7:34pm
12/12/2016 7:34pm
Does one start with a C? There are definitely positives and negatives for large corps and also tiny companies. I've been at both but have spent more time under bigger corporations. Usually you can excel if you try, work there for a really long time without doing much and only get fired if someone high up absolutely hates you, you steal or you harass someone.

The Shop

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motogrady
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motogrady 12/13/2016 4:12am
12/13/2016 4:12am

Back in the day I worked the shipyards, Beth Steel in a Baltimore and a few others.

Just mind your own business. Don't get sucked into the gossip scene. Listen but don't comment.

You will see and do stuff at those places that are pretty cool, bennies should be good, same with pay.

Good luck on what could be a career job.
MotoTribology 12/13/2016 1:49pm
12/13/2016 1:49pm
I work for a fairly large oil company and there are certainly lots of politics available to participate in if you are interested. However, if you aren't interested in "climbing the corporate ladder" and are either happy with where you are at or are patient enough to let years of good work do your talking for you with regards to advancement, you can avoid all that drama.

I am currently in both of the latter categories. I'm happy with where I am at, but I do good work and see the rewards here and there for said work. There are good points and bad points to it though. To me, the bad is the bureaucratic stuff and red tape in order to get simple things done. The good is that if the company is doing well they do really well and they tend to spread the wealth as it were. Also to just "be a number" isn't always a bad thing and it is easily accomplished if its what you want.

Most of the time I prefer to stay out of the limelight and just do my work and go home at the end of the day. If you set yourself up as "that person" (one who does good work, but doesn't actively seek attention for that work) its an easy feet to leave work at work and keep your personal life personal. I like it that way because it keeps my stress levels low.
david225
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david225 12/13/2016 2:38pm
12/13/2016 2:38pm
Thank you everyone for the replies an input! It is reassuring to hear that there are people who enjoy woking for these huge corporations.

I definitely don't like to be involved in all the drama, so it's good to hear that you can still be successful without degrading others to gain an upper hand.
SEEMEFIRST
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SEEMEFIRST 12/13/2016 3:02pm
12/13/2016 3:02pm
I work at a fairly large beverage company, but our facility only has about 150 employees.
I used to work for a large military aircraft company that had as many as 30,000 employees at any given time.

Just do your work, and as others have said, leave the drama to the union sloths and other drama queens, and enjoy the security of the big corp.
JRT812
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JRT812 12/13/2016 3:30pm
12/13/2016 3:30pm
I work for a large healthcare industry and there is always politics no matter the size of the company. It is easy to play the game and it is easy to stay a wall flower. Great things about working for my company and I imagine it is the same for other larger companies is once you get your foot in the door, you have so many different job choices to decide on. Networking is a big thing to remember and it will help you advance within the company. A ton of perks for working at larger companies.
david225
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david225 12/13/2016 4:10pm
12/13/2016 4:10pm
JRT812 wrote:
I work for a large healthcare industry and there is always politics no matter the size of the company. It is easy to play the game...
I work for a large healthcare industry and there is always politics no matter the size of the company. It is easy to play the game and it is easy to stay a wall flower. Great things about working for my company and I imagine it is the same for other larger companies is once you get your foot in the door, you have so many different job choices to decide on. Networking is a big thing to remember and it will help you advance within the company. A ton of perks for working at larger companies.
Thanks for the response JRT. When you talk about more perks, what exactly do you mean. You don't have to give specific scenarios, but is there more flexibility when it comes to work hours? Or do you get discounts on certain items?

The place that I interned at was great. They basically allowed me to set my own hours within reason and it had a very close-knit vibe feel. However, like what others have said, there is more opportunities for advancing and furthering your career at the bigger places.
Brad460
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Brad460 12/13/2016 7:43pm
12/13/2016 7:43pm
david225 wrote:
Thanks for the response JRT. When you talk about more perks, what exactly do you mean. You don't have to give specific scenarios, but is there...
Thanks for the response JRT. When you talk about more perks, what exactly do you mean. You don't have to give specific scenarios, but is there more flexibility when it comes to work hours? Or do you get discounts on certain items?

The place that I interned at was great. They basically allowed me to set my own hours within reason and it had a very close-knit vibe feel. However, like what others have said, there is more opportunities for advancing and furthering your career at the bigger places.
Perks? I work for GE and to name a few- I have unlimited vacation, my 401k is matched 100% up to 7%, and a healthy bonus program.

Honestly, no matter where you work (big or small company) your happiness in the job is highly dependent on your immediate manager and your close co-workers. If you have a terrible boss and crappy co-workers you will be miserable, for me I have a great boss and great co-workers so I am very happy...
JRT812
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JRT812 12/13/2016 9:12pm
12/13/2016 9:12pm Edited Date/Time 12/13/2016 9:21pm
JRT812 wrote:
I work for a large healthcare industry and there is always politics no matter the size of the company. It is easy to play the game...
I work for a large healthcare industry and there is always politics no matter the size of the company. It is easy to play the game and it is easy to stay a wall flower. Great things about working for my company and I imagine it is the same for other larger companies is once you get your foot in the door, you have so many different job choices to decide on. Networking is a big thing to remember and it will help you advance within the company. A ton of perks for working at larger companies.
david225 wrote:
Thanks for the response JRT. When you talk about more perks, what exactly do you mean. You don't have to give specific scenarios, but is there...
Thanks for the response JRT. When you talk about more perks, what exactly do you mean. You don't have to give specific scenarios, but is there more flexibility when it comes to work hours? Or do you get discounts on certain items?

The place that I interned at was great. They basically allowed me to set my own hours within reason and it had a very close-knit vibe feel. However, like what others have said, there is more opportunities for advancing and furthering your career at the bigger places.
Matching 401k as you put the years in, but it's different with every company. Discounts on shopping like cell phone plans, gym memberships, clothing ( polo, brooks brothers, etc), apple/pc products, hotels to name a few. They also provide consulting for retirement and health, which is pretty nice. PTO hours accumulate more each year that you're with the company and tops off at 15 hours monthly. Holidays off without using PTO. Ability to cash in PTO at full price. The option to work from him twice a week. Bonuses for meeting goals. Directors get up to 2500 yearly and everyone else gets up to 400 quarterly. Then they're little things like the holiday party last week where they were drawing names for a 400 dollar apple gift cards x 15, yeti cups with 50 dollar gift cards stuffed in them, etc. I used to be about climbing the corporate ladder and maybe I am still, but the biggest plus for me since taking this job is the freedom to make personal appointments and truely be home with my family when I am off work. My wife and I are expecting our second child and even though I worked for the same company at the time, I worked through the whole pregnancy the first go around due to climbing the ladder. My biggest advice other than doing your job correctly is, networking and doing the little things correctly. You will stand out and have the opportunity to decide how far you want to go once you get your foot in the door. Bigger companies have more opportunities for you to move around to meet your needs.

Good luck landing your job!
JRT812
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JRT812 12/13/2016 9:29pm
12/13/2016 9:29pm Edited Date/Time 12/13/2016 9:30pm
One thing I forgot to add, some larger companies give better starting pay by hiring outside. I often see people land a job and move to another company for a few years, but will come back to the original company for better pay because technically they're being hired from the outside. Within most large companies, your starting pay is crucial for your yearly raise. Most companies max out at 2% percent for a yearly raise. Some employees get a market increase, but not most. You will always play catch up if your starting pay is low. Don't be afraid to negotiate your starting pay. Know the market value for the position you're applying for.
seth505
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seth505 12/14/2016 6:43am
12/14/2016 6:43am
JRT812 wrote:
One thing I forgot to add, some larger companies give better starting pay by hiring outside. I often see people land a job and move to...
One thing I forgot to add, some larger companies give better starting pay by hiring outside. I often see people land a job and move to another company for a few years, but will come back to the original company for better pay because technically they're being hired from the outside. Within most large companies, your starting pay is crucial for your yearly raise. Most companies max out at 2% percent for a yearly raise. Some employees get a market increase, but not most. You will always play catch up if your starting pay is low. Don't be afraid to negotiate your starting pay. Know the market value for the position you're applying for.
Very good points as well. I was at my last job for 6 years and the last few years I was getting stellar reviews but not comparable salary increases so I left. While I was there, several people left for 1-3 years and came back for a better role in the company.
david225
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david225 12/14/2016 7:05am
12/14/2016 7:05am
Awesome! Thank you all for the responses. Brad, JRT, and Seth I really appreciate you giving me your experiences! I really did like the vibe of a small company but I do want to see what its like working for someone thats big. I am kind of surprised that they let people come in from the outside and get a higher salary... Don't they follow the principles of company loyalty?? Lol
ridinbeast932 12/15/2016 9:38am
12/15/2016 9:38am
I think each has it's obvious perks (as mentioned by others above). I recently moved from a global company to one with around 12 office personnel where I'm one of four engineers. I did take a slight hit with health benefits and 401k matching but I'm also expecting better raises, bonuses, and I interact with the president on a daily basis.

I'm just now coming to my first evaluation and bonus period but I'm expecting a more individualized and accurate evaluation being that I work so closely with my direct supervisor and the president.

The atmosphere is so much more relaxed but at the same time people work harder here than at my previous job. Being that you're in the opposite boat I definitely suggest seeing what corporate america is all about. You can't really go wrong as long as you enjoy the position itself.
MxKing809
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MxKing809 12/15/2016 3:38pm
12/15/2016 3:38pm Edited Date/Time 12/15/2016 3:43pm
I work for a Fortune 500 public utility in Management.

We have over 9,000 employees in 37 work locations across the state. It's a logistical nightmare coordinating my work (I have statewide oversight on a division of our work).

The hardest part in a large corporation is curbing your expectations of others. It sounds horrible. I'm working on a multi-million dollar project with IT, Legal, Supply Chain, and Property Accounting and it's taken MONTHS to get a 5 page Statement of Work through the corporate channels.

I love my job, I love the company, and I am thankful to have the position I have.

My advise is to take which ever one will offer you greater flexibility in your day. If you're between Chevy and Cat, my brother in law works at the GM Tech Center and loves it. I would also recommend auto over heavy industries. If you don't enjoy the first employer, there are literally 100's of suppliers nearby the big 3 autos in Michigan.
MR. X
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MR. X 12/15/2016 7:19pm
12/15/2016 7:19pm
I got my start in small mom and pop type shops . The plus is having a genuine relationship with the owner . The last guy i worked for offered to hold the mortgage on a small piece of property with a giant barn , he knew a bank would rape me on interest for such property with no house on board . 3 years ago i left to be a die maker in the auto industry (union shop) great pay and benefits , you do have to work right next to guys who drag their feet all day and make the same pay. It also sucks when you really get into a job , making good time ,everything is going great ,then you call for welder and he takes 2 hours to show up , nothing will piss you off more then standing still on a job that you were just kicking ass on because someone else decided they were gonna fuck off that day. That type of behavior leads to a lot of finger pointing ,which seems to happen regularly .

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WRH
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WRH 12/18/2016 7:24am
12/18/2016 7:24am
I made my way to a large Company. 20 years ago. All is true in the previous post. If you find a company that rewards long term commitment, then your on to something. Max out your 401k contributions asap, get ready to work around some people who aren't as dedicated as you, and some that struggle or don't try very hard. Benefits are always a moving entity nowadays, usually in a direction away from you. If you really seek to advance salary wise then be prepared to relocate every 2 to 4 years. On the other hand I didn't get hung up on titles and nameplates and learned way more than the others about everything and how it works. Just like motorcycles. I have managed to put a bit back in a 401k, and earn more than those who started at the same time. When you know your job the hardest thing to do is breaking in all the new managers that come thru.... Every 2 to 4 years. Good luck in your future.
look out below 12/18/2016 8:39am
12/18/2016 8:39am
If the heavy machinery company is based out of peoria IL, it used to be a shitty place to work. They were always on strike and closing plants to move elsewhere. But that was years ago. All of my family members that worked there have now retired. The work place is different these days than it was in the late 80s and 90s.

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