Ask HN: Taking the First Job Offer?
I'm in a weird situation. I have an offer to start as an SWE consultant at a small, but growing technical consulting company that has an office near my college (in NC), as well as offices in other states.
Things I like about the company/offer: - Flat organizational structure - Supportive and collaborative culture (I've talked to 7 people at the company and had good impressions from all of them about this) - Better work-life balance compared to other consulting companies I know of - Opportunity for exposure to lots of technologies via different clients - Good starting pay ($72K) - Company pays for continuous learning opportunities (certifications + online courses) - Role is oriented around being a self-starter - Health insurance and 4 weeks PTO
Things I don't like: - Perception (by others and myself) of settling, since this is my first offer - In an industry I don't think I'll stay in long-term. I'm interested in the idea of working on open source products at companies like Elastic and Canonical, but I'm not at the level of skill/confidence yet where I can make significant contributions and/or get into those companies. - Not sure if fast-paced nature of consulting aligns with how I learn best. - Nagging feeling that I should be doing something more "risky"
I have a good feeling about this company, and think the small, self-starter nature of it could provide lots of opportunities for me to learn, grow, and stand out if I put in the effort.
About me: I struggle with perfectionism. I love learning and the thrill of programming, but I've been in a chronically overwhelmed state in college. I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like I haven't been able to truly _focus_ on learning in my later college years because of all the technical courses I am taking, and I really hate that feeling.