Starting A New Life, Take The Risk Or Stick To The Safer Side?

[mests]

I need your serious help, fellows.

I am a 27M single software engineer, and I’ve been living a normal stable life in my developing country.

I worked for different startups since my graduation, and for the last year and a half I have been employed in one of the country’s most well-established big corporates.

However, it has been always my dream to unfortunately live somewhere else, hoping to find a better quality of life and gain more freedom.

Last week I landed 2 job offers - one for a 10 year old startup in Berlin with 200 people. And another offer for a very well known company in Rotterdam with over 6000 employees.

The startup is offering me a senior title with 20K EUR more pay. Both are offering decent benefits as well as good relocation support and packages.

My mind and heart are torn apart knowing I am about to make a decision that could completely shift the course of my life. I cannot help but think it’s more logical to join the big company, but my first feeling is that I want to join the startup, I want to take the risk if it exists, I am also greedy for the money and the title, and I even feel I will enjoy life in Berlin a bit more than Rotterdam.

How would you approach this decision making process? I have not been able to sleep from all the overthinking. Please help.

[Mamyalynne]

Go with you heart, choose Berlin - if things don't go to plan then you're still in a good place to find something new.

Seize the day!

[Buenchico]

Imagine yourself looking to join a different company a few years down the line. If your c.v. shows that you've worked for the well-established Rotterdam business, you'll be seen as just another software engineer (among many thousands), who's probably only been working in a fairly routine role. If though your c.v. shows that you've worked for the start-up business in Berlin, you'll be seen as someone who stands out from the crowd, probably having worked on plenty of innovative tasks; that will be likely to give you the edge over other candidates.

[tonyav]

Difficult one for you to choose, would be Berlin if it was I having to choose and as ( Chris ) Buenchico say's will stand you in good stead in future on your CV.

[Smowball]

I agree with both Mamy, & Buenchicho - you only live once! And as has been pointed out, if you fancy a change in a few years the Berlin job with show a much better existing job title etc won’t it. Good luck!!

[mests]

Thank you everyone for the answers, it looks like I'm going with Berlin - hoping the startup won't blow up a few months after I join them :)

[Mamyalynne]

Good luck, keep in touch if you can and let us know how you get on.

[Peter Pedant]

go for the moolah in berlin
not really a difficult choice

The new starts I have done - 1970, 1973, 1980, (2)(*) 1986 2000
have all been forced - i had to stop and start something new or newish. These have turned out to be unvarnished benefits. No matter what they looked like at the time - which was pretty crap to be honest

(*) 1980 was a bad year and - - - started out so good. - no make that 3

[Peter Pedant]

even if the Berlin job does blow up
you will be finding a new start up much easier as you have just done it before

[Peter Pedant]

1980- 4 I hadnt realised it was bad -