9 reasons to quit your corporate job and work for an NYC startup

Written by Tessa McLean
Published on Oct. 23, 2015
Corporate jobs are typically known for offering higher pay up front with some great benefits, but that doesn’t make them the best place to work. Too often, such positions evolve into dead-end jobs that leave you highly unsatisfied.
 
Sometimes it’s more important to focus on your end goal than to rejoice over the initial benefits when you're hired. This kind of calculation may make working for an NYC startup the far more attractive option. 
 
New York is one of the most promising cities in which a company can launch. It’s the largest city in the US and the second largest in the world, which makes the opportunities and successful firms extremely diverse and plentiful.
 
Here are just a few of the many reasons you might consider quitting your corporate job to sign on with a startup. 
 
1. You’ll Feel More Important
 
Working for a new company typically means you take on more responsibility. You’ll suddenly feel like a valued member of the team because, in fact, you are one. The new business could have as few as10 employees, and if that’s the case, you’ll be worth at least 10 percent of the company’s operations.
 
2. The Employee Culture Is Unbeatable 
 
If there’s one thing that sets working at a startup apart from employment in a large corporation, it’s the culture. Getting a small group of employees together in one office creates a certain unmistakable mix of passion, enthusiasm, and fire to ignite.
 
The members of the team are able to bond over their many projects and work together to implement a more successful working atmosphere. On top of it all, you get the opportunity to work side by side with your boss.
 
This certainly beats cubicles and seeing the boss just once a quarter when he has a conference with your floor manager.
 
3. You’ll Be Readily Recognized for Your Efforts
 
If you’ve worked for a large company, how many times has your work been ignored or someone else taken the credit for a job you primarily performed? The small size of a startup makes that outcome virtually impossible. You’ll definitely be noticed for both your successes and your failures, so keep working hard and you’ll earn respect. 
 
4. You Can Probably Play Ping-Pong While Working 
 
Startups are known for bringing in toys that make for a more enjoyable working atmosphere. Don’t be surprised if you wander into the break room and see a Ping-Pong table, bean bags, and a basket filled with goodies.
 
You also can probably wear jeans and a t-shirt to work instead of a suit and tie. 
 
5. Gain More Experience Through Greater Responsibility
 
You’ll probably shoulder more responsibility than you know what to do with, but that’s a good thing when it comes to gaining experience and moving up the ranks. When you’re part of such a small team, you’re an entirely unique individual. Nobody has the same skill set as you or takes the same approach to problems as you do. You’ll be recognized for your strengths and given responsibilities to match them.  
 
6. See True Innovation at Work 
 
There’s much to learn from the entrepreneur who has enough tenacity, gumption, passion, and drive to start a business. You’ll have the opportunity to see that innovation at work, learn from it, and even mimic it. If you suspect you may someday wish to start your own business, getting to witness the power of originality and drive for a new product is priceless.
 
7. Frugality Will Come Easy to You
 
You might have the creativity, knowledge, and skill set to design an elaborate and ambitious plan for a particular program or effort, but you won’t always have the budget for it. Thus, you’ll learn pretty quickly what it means to be frugal and cut costs before they accumulate. Many employees have not yet mastered the concept of being frugal in their business spending, and it’s a talent both large and small companies will covet when they hire.  
 
8. You’ll Have a Face and a Name 
 
In a large corporation, you’re lucky if your boss remembers you’re an employee, let alone your name. In a startup, not only will all your coworkers, supervisors, and bosses know your name, but they’ll also be your friends. You’ll bond over long hours, video games, and brainstorming meetings. That sense of belonging is fairly rare in a corporate setting, but commonplace in small businesses. 
 
9. The Opportunities for Advancement are Real
 
The corporate world promises opportunities for advancement, but those may not come as readily as you’d like. There may simply be too many people in line ahead of you for a promotion.
 
But in a startup, there are so few employees that anyone who puts his nose to the grindstone and works hard is up for a promotion, particularly if your efforts help the company increase profits exponentially. 
 
Startup companies in NYC are some of the finest places to work in the United States. With an emphasis on value, employee culture, and passionate products, it’s no wonder people choose to leave major firms elsewhere to work for a new business in the Big Apple.
 
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