I consider myself extremely lucky to be associated with some of the biggest companies in the world. When I was in college, I always wanted to work for these companies. You can say that my dreams did come through.

For new graduates, getting the first foot through the doors of these companies is not as easy as it sounds. For one, these companies have recruiting merely exist to week out anyone who is weak on the resume. So having a strong supportive resume is extremely important.

The question that I want to answer today is whether it is worth it to work for a large multinational company. The short answer is yes. The long answer is you have to make some sacrifices throughout your career.

Let’s begin by exploring my career in the last 25 years. After graduating from college, I had a difficult time securing employment. I was lucky enough to meet an alma mater from my college who recommended me for a low-paying job. I started as a low-level assistant with Arthur Andersen with an annual salary of only 26 thousand per year. Over the years I moved to Citigroup and presently working with HSBC.

One of the things I learned working with big corporations is the camaraderie that all employees have in striving to achieve the goals of the companies. While each employee has their own distinct role and responsibility, we never lose sight of why we exist. That usually gives me a sense of belonging because we all have one common goal.

Besides the teamwork, there are a lot of opportunities in big companies. There is always a way to advance, which is a pro. But there is a con in the same respect which I will touch on below. If an employee is not happy with where he is, the same employee can choose to move laterally.

Another big plus that I find is there is so much to learn in a big company. Over the years I noticed that these companies want to advance their employees by giving them a lot of training and most of them are free. I work for a bank and this is particularly important for regulatory compliance reasons. To meet certain requirements as set by local regulators, all employees must know certain laws and regulations.

Now, let’s touch on the negatives. In a sea of employees (Citigroup had 275,000 employees when I started), it is very hard to get noticed. I need to constantly work hard to exceed expectations. Otherwise, no one will know my name. I learned over the years how to make this work, of which I had posted this a few years ago. I may revisit this and provide an update.

The advancement in a big company is a plus, but it is also a negative. While it is easier to move to a different department within a company than to hire externally, there is the sense that you need to do more to move any further. You need to prove yourself again and again that you are an exceptional employee. Additionally, moving laterally doesn’t mean there is a monetary gain. The salary range is dictated at a company-wide level and moving around will not help you gain better pay. If you are not interested in working hard but at the same time want better pay, it is better you look outside of the company.

Another negative that I’ve seen more a more has nothing to the culture of the company, but the new generation of employees who are joining these companies. I hired a few employees in the last few years and the attitude of Gen Z is completely opposite to the culture of these established multi-national companies. Just because new employees are hired by these companies doesn’t mean that they should feel entitled and disregard some of the norms. I realized that the work culture of Gen Z does not fit the work ethics of these big corporations.

I could go on but this post has already exceeded the length that I intended. Anyway, please let me know what you think. Do you believe having a career with big corporation worth it?