Established Companies or Startups?

Question

Hello,

I am an early career MBB consultant who is planning to exit consulting. With 2 years under the belt, I am now on the lookout for a new experience. I'm fairly open, but after months of interviewing with both big/established companies and startups I've realized one thing: Startups tend to pay significantly more than established places.

I understand startups want to attract top talent, so they want to be competitive. I'm just wondering how will it look in the resume down the line to pick a well established company versus a startup. Does the high salary at a startup come with the trade of hurting the resume?

Example of what I'm seeing: a Series B/C startup in the healthcare tech space offering a much higher base than an established healthcare tech company. Thoughts on this?

Answer 1

Hi,

Having experience at a fast-scaling start-up I find has always been more attractive than joining in a very well-established and mature company, because you end up having more rich experiences and stories to share, and opportunities to be promoted quickly are more abundant. Roles at more well-established companies tend to be more silo-ed so the experiences are relatively more boring, and you don't get promoted until someone above you leaves.

Answer 2

Startups often compensate for risk.

Meaning, you are a high value candidate (soon to be ex MBB) and you're taking the risk of joining an organisation that goes belly-up in months. Or, of course, it could skyrocket and so would your compensation and involvement and brand.

You get paid for the risk.

Honestly, I wouldn't take the decision based on compensation. Compensation tends to evolve over time anyway, as you get more experience across your career. So it makes little sense to optimise for small differences in compensation early in your career (or at least, that's my own take on it).

Rather try to reflect on what sort of environment you'd like to join.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 3

Hi there,

Startups and established companies both add strong value to your CV, just in different ways. A well-known brand signals stability and credibility, while a startup shows adaptability, ownership, and exposure to growth dynamics. Neither hurts your resume if the story is consistent with your career goals. In fact, many ex-consultants who join startups later move back into corporates, PE, or even bigger tech firms without issue.

So it really comes down to lifestyle, risk appetite, and what skills you want to build now. If the startup excites you and the comp is higher, it won’t close doors later.

best, Alessa :)

Answer 4

Hi,

To add what has already been said: Not all startups are the same. A fast-scaling Series B/C with solid funding and traction can boost your CV just as much (or more) than a siloed corporate role.

Think more what role and environment your enjoy and what risk you are willing to take that what is seemingly better for your CV.

Best,
Lukas

Answer 5

My only though on this is... that I don't think you are using the right criteria to evaluate these alternatives.

Choosing jobs based primarily on what other people will think about the brand name is a terrible way to make decisions about your career. I could understand that if you were considering two similar options and would now be resorting to secondary criteria to pick up the winner. This is not the case.

You have to consider what you want to be doing in the long run. The kind of professional you want to be. The kind of environment and industry you want to be working on. The level of stability vs. growth opportunity you prioritize. Your risk aversion.

Of course - if you are looking into the brand that looks better in your resume, maybe you are risk averse. If that's the case then the corporate role will be a better one for you.

Answer 6

I exited MBB and attempted to do something in the startup space (one of my previous VC clients approached me for an opportunity) - so I'm happy to talk more about my experience - feel free to dm me.