Ask Career HN: Go back to employer or start fresh?

Dear Hackernews, I need some career advice from people that would know: After High School I interned at a small startup, at that time it was just me and the three founders. About a year later I went to College, but continued to do work for them, mostly dumb copy&paste HTML stuff, rarely more complex and time sensitive design work.

Fast forward six years: I am about to finish my M.Sc., I am still with the company (doing the same work at the same low rate, gotta pay the rent), the company now has more than 20 employees and was bought for a considerable amount by one of the largest media companies of the country/world. The founders are leaving the company (and while the company will stay independent, suits will be taking over) and approached me about a "frontend and usability" position at the company on pretty short notice: They liked how versatile and loyal I was, how I know the company, know the processes, etc

I was flattered, but also alarm bells went off: It's great to be offered a job without even applying for one, however, I am afraid that if I go back, I will continue doing the same stupid work I have done before, even though I now have Masters Degree and shifted my focus considerably (from design to development, which was advice from one of the founders, and I am really thankful for that). The company will definitely undergo some restructuring with interesting opportunities (and I think it will be interesting to experience a company transitioning from a small startup to something bigger), however there are enough people at the company that know I was the "HTML guy".

I was always quite busy with school so in terms of internships, my CV is lacking (just a couple of side-projects and freelance jobs). On the one hand, it has always been a dream of mine to go startup hopping and learn from many different experiences, but I am afraid that I won't even be considered for something remotely interesting and will become and stay unemployed. On the other hand is my current employer (with a very large parent company) offering a position that has the potential to open many doors (maybe some I would never get to otherwise) and would be a big name on my CV, potentially making getting internships later easier.

I am wondering what to do: Should I ask for an rather high salary to see if they really consider me an asset to the company? How can I make sure I will not be treated as an intern anymore? What looks better on a CV, many Startups or one large corporation? What would you do if you were 26 and broke? Any advice is truly appreciated. Thanks.

Look at it this way: what are you learning at this job? Chances are, having a six year history of being an intern there (which is, btw, an extremely long time to be an intern in my opinion), just getting a different title will not make people treat you any different than they have up to now. Did they offer you a single raise in six years? If not, they don't see any value in you that is specific to you, rather, you are easily replaceable. We've had interns at companies I worked for before, and they all either moved on after six months to a year, or got hired full time. Not a single one has stayed an intern for six years.

I'd strongly suggest looking for new positions for multiple reasons.

1. You will have a clean slate and can grow as fast as you want, without the history of being the eternal intern.

2. You will get experience interviewing and talking to different kinds of companies and teams.

3. You will almost certainly get paid considerably more than you are now.

4. You will almost certainly find a position doing work that is more interesting/rewarding than dumb copy and paste grunt work.

That being said, if you like the company, like the team, and/or like the work, definitely talk to them first. Ask for a competitive salary (do some research of what the position you are being hired for normally pays). Ask what kind of benefits they offer. If they really want you to stay on, they should have no problem offering you a decent rate.

I wouldn't worry about staying unemployed. Engineers tend to take their skills for granted and not realize how valuable they actually are. You can always find freelance work if you work on it, and despite the economy, the hiring in IT sector is not slowing down as far as I can see. If you are bright and good at what you do, many companies will even pay for relocation if you are not local.

You are young and just finishing college, this is the best time to take these kinds of risks. You'll have a much harder time deciding to join a startup or quitting an unsatisfying job if you have a family to support.

Companies that truly value you, will want you to be engaged and fascinated by the work you're doing - that is how you get the best work from the engineers and they know it. Companies that don't understand that, end up with teams of unhappy engineers. In some companies, you can transfer to a different team, work on new projects, and find new interests - other companies have a set hole for you to fill, and if you are not happy being a cog, you are stuck.

In the end, ask yourself whether you feel like you are growing and learning anything from the work you are doing and the team you are working with. If you are stagnating, it's time to either change your position in the company if they are simply not utilizing your potential, or look for a different company if they have no work for you that challenges you.

Go somewhere else. You need to challenge yourself. It sounds like you know this and have already decided, but you just want social verification. Here it is.

I worked for a summer at a pool plastering company in Los Angeles. While the work was mindless and painful (LA can be hot!), there were actually a few important things I learned.

We often finished pools in Beverly Hills. One job we did was a "grout demo". The deck of their pool was tiled rock and they just didn't like the grout. It "wasn't sparkly enough" apparently. We didn't want to do such a pointless job that would take so much time. So the owner of the company bid on the job. He gave them a figure that was so ridiculously high that he wouldn't mind doing something that pointless. They agreed (crazy people live in Beverly Hills).

Moral of the Story: Find your price. Figure out how much they would have to pay you to get you to do the same thing you've always done, regardless of how much value you feel that adds to the company. If they balk at that price, fine. You wouldn't want to work for less than that anyway. If they take it... good, you are valued.

I would at least diplomatically present your concerns about the offer as it may be they see it as 'stepping stone' to the actual position they see you at in the future within the company and that you want, namely development.