You are mistaken. In a small company you usually have the power to choose technology and make architecture decisions. Small company where you have many hats and

You are mistaken. In a small company you usually have the power to choose technology and make architecture decisions. Small company where you have many hats and work closely with stakeholder will teach so much more. In the big enterprise, you will code on the locked windows7 machine and deploy to RedHat 5 box with the assistance of Ops team. You will use antiquated technology and all important architecture decision will be made by a clueless architect in the mothership. My rule of thumb: Junior - require handholding often a negative contribution Midd - work independently, add value but require oversight Senior - can contribute multiple times more, can mentor or architect Most people never reach senior but they feel entitled by having years of experience.