You have learned a lot. You can see the good, the bad and the ugly. You will see many very good ideas (such as proper source code control) and some not-so-good ideas (such as how not to motivate people).
Although a big company may not look very exciting, it must do something well before it can grow bigger. Learn from it. Even the most mediocre organizations hide Excellence, and people still care and struggle persistently to keep things going. They are the most resourceful people you will meet. They combine superb technical skills with no budget management ability and superb political acumen.
You can work with many smart people. I'm a bit of a snob-I like the smart atmosphere of working with smart people. And you can also find that many of them are crowded into several departments of big companies.
Many smart people stay in big companies because they like their jobs. They have family/responsibilities and can't risk leaving. You will be knocked down by a clever old hacker who was doing these things when you were still at school. The consultant who ate fresh faces for breakfast in his twenties has some great stories to tell. You will have different ages-let's face it, most startups think that if you are over 23, you are over that age.
You have become part of a large immigrant community. 12 years ago, I worked in a big company. I still keep in touch with the people there. I met my former colleagues in many unexpected places, and people remember me. Such a network is priceless.
Even in the era of social media, it is often who knows you and who knows you can do it well. If your boss does a successful project, he will usually seek to "re-band" for another performance in a few years. Big companies give you a chance to impress and eventually appear in the address books of many successful people in the future. When you have something to sell, they will answer your phone and arrange an introduction for you according to your past performance.
They have many perks. I really miss the "additional facilities" such as canteens and gyms. And the' training' in Amsterdam that week, the cost was borne by the company. That's really interesting!
You won't be sent to a one-week training course on the use of Oracle Bone Inscriptions, and you won't get a fully funded part-time MBA in a startup. If you are really lucky, they may buy you a book by O'Reilly. So seize this opportunity, learn some skills, get some qualifications, and enjoy a good time at the expense of others. Do you really want to work 100 hours a week all your life to pursue a dream?
You studied political art, and for many people, big companies make you realize that it's not just technology. Large companies offer many opportunities to acquire diplomatic and political skills.
Once you leave a big company, you will be able to use these skills, because you want some big companies to become customers-they have money to spend (because it's not their money, they often bargain less), they can connect you with other potential customers, they buy things, and they like to renew their annual support contracts. So you need to understand how they work.
6. You have time to reflect. In a small company or startup, it often feels like you are squeezing your life into every day. Big companies don't advance at such reckless speed. You have time to study and reflect.
Large companies tend to act in a slow and mutually agreed way and take no risks. Sometimes this is actually a good thing. I can mention a large media company that avoided wasting millions of dollars on a stupid strategy during the internet boom-it took so long to decide what to do that the internet bubble burst first. ...
You may also appreciate the relative sense of security, peace and the opportunity to keep your life in order. Once you join a startup, it usually becomes a permanent "sit back and enjoy the success" mode.
7. You have a bottom line. Then you should try to do better.
Make a list to see how much ambition you can hold on to, or whether you finally give in and realize that you also need "middle management" to make things work.
That's why I'm glad I work in a big company.