Without the data in front of me, the largest variables in job satisfaction have to do with the person’s manager and whether the employee believes the work they are doing makes a difference.

If you take those two criteria, the frame becomes: where do I consistently find good managers and does the work I do right now make a difference?

That can be both large and small companies.

Large companies re-org more frequently, so the manager criteria is more problematic. In small companies, a bad manager is a bad manager and there is less ability to maneuver to fine a good manager. The work you do contributes? Large or small, it is dependent upon culture.

I just don’t think this is about size of company, having your own company, or whether it is a small company.

The criteria is: manager effectiveness and engagement in the work.

1. Starting your own company–is a big commitment of energy. I know Penelope writes about how easy it is to start one, etc., but to keep one going that is your major source of income is often a lot of work. I remember my father working at his own law firm while I was growing up, and he was never home. Now he works at a large firm and is also never home with his new family, but he makes 3 or 4 times the salary and is near retirement age. By the way, my dad loves practicing law (I often read here how many people hate it, but all the lawyers in my family are really happy in their careers).

2. Working in a big company may have the downsides that Penelope writes about, having to climb ladders, dull work, hierarchical, miniscule raises. But there are good sides–great benefits packages, clear policies and procedures, perks like tuition reimbursement and association dues, networking opportunities, support system/network at the job (coworkers) and chances for mentors.

3. Working in a small company can be a lot more politics than you are used to, personalities of the CEO may pervade everything, you may get pigeonholed in your first week–by everyone, less benefits/perks, at my last small company there were no networking opportunities–my bosses disliked the community of groups working in the field so we never did anything together, there were no prof. associations etc., job responsibilities may not be clear and may include tasks like coffeemaking, answering phones etc. for everyone, you will reinvent the wheel a lot because there is no one you can ask about the things you need to do. At the end your position may not exist anywhere else, so if you want to move on it may be difficult for you to find a spot and sell the skills you acquired.

And Jacqui, I have to disagree with you. The sky may not be the limit at small companies. The limit may be the CEO’s vision. You have to do the homework in advance before taking any job.

I could go on and on but I’ll stop myself here.

I can talk to people in other departments off the record and find out not only if they have positions available, but whether my personality would be a good fit in the department culture - before even having to speak to a hiring manager.

In a big company, I’ve found that I have the option of going over or around a bad manager - something that is an impossibility in a small company. I also get twice yearly official reviews with merit increases and constructive feedback, insurance (medical/dental/vision and life), and a variety of projects because of the sheer scope of the company.

I honestly don’t mind generally working only 8-5 and Monday through Friday (with a lunch hour and paid vacation/sick time!) in a cube farm. When I worked in a small company, we always ate in, worked crazy hours, and still got to watch our projects get ‘nuked’ by our owner/CEO’s ineptness.

I am confident enough in myself to know that it doesn’t matter if I follow the crowd in my job - I can wear black on the inside.

What’s even better is that your potential is limited by heirarchy and culture at a larger firm, but with a small company, the sky is truly the limit. (Even more so if you have the guts to ride the wave of the start-ups.)

Maybe it’s just me needing the reassurance of a Fortune 100 company’s backing, but I like working at a big company with its big training department *and* tuition reimbursement!

So, yes, it has a lot to do with the group/company culture and atmosphere. This is precisely why interviews are so important, in my opinion. Ask the questions! What kind of projects will you get to work on? Dig around, find former employees, do the research.

No matter what the size of the company you work for — whether you’re the boss or an intern — there are going to be pros and cons. I would say it’s more important to decide which of the pros are more important to you and how that company’s structure fits in with your life. Maybe working for a large corporation means they have on-site daycare, so then it would be okay for you to work long hours, because you kid would be there with you. It’s about finding your right fit, your balance.