Student Question:
Hello Master Chi. I saw your post on the platform about choosing career tracks and wanted to discuss it with you. During my internship, my choice of industry caused me to miss out on certain big-name companies. Later, with limited opportunities and skills, I had no choice but to compromise on industry. Looking back now, I think placing too much emphasis on career track in the early years actually narrowed my options — and when your abilities aren’t there yet, you don’t really have a choice to make anyway.
If a choice is available, the priority should be: big company (preferred industry first) > small company. The real goal in those first few years is to learn problem-solving methods from the best people around you and build good habits. Choosing a career track comes later, once you’ve built up foundational workplace skills. It all comes back to what you’ve discussed on the platform — the question of choice versus effort. Without work experience, your understanding of any industry is too shallow to make sound predictions.
Master Chi’s Response:
Right out of graduation, if you can get into a big company, get into a big company. At that stage, learning and building your résumé matters more than anything else.
Save the career track question for a few years down the road.
That said, there are always exceptions. Some departments at big companies are notoriously bad — in those cases, you’re better off joining a small or mid-sized company in the industry you actually want to be in.
The main reason I recommend big companies is résumé credibility. It serves much the same function as a degree.
Don’t judge a company by its size — judge it by its quality. If you’re walking into an excellent team, it doesn’t matter if it’s a startup.