What company would you like to work for?

Question

I'm often thinking of which company would be the "best" ones to work for.

Best working conditions, best payment, personal responsibility, freedom, and so on.

Is it a pure software development company or is it automotive, medicine,... what else?

Would it be a big company like Google, Microsoft or SAP or could it even be a very small company with less than 5 people somewhere in the outback of the bavarian woods?

What do you think about the company your working for (don't have to name/blame it) if you don't like it (any more).

Answer 1

another one :(

Answer 2

I currently work for a small company (7 employees, 2 developers including myself). Here's my dream list:

1. My own company - Endless possibilities
2. FogCreek - Excellent work environment
3. StackOverflow - Awesome product
4. Microsoft - Awe inspiring, money, and work environment.

Answer 3

The best company is the one that pays you what you are worth and gives you what you need to work. The rest is up to you.

Answer 4

I want to work for My Own Company.

Answer 5

Somewhere where you just feel comfortable (with money, responsibility, colleagues and work hours).

Answer 6

My own - nothing beats the freedom of working for yourself.

Answer 7

My Own. I had the opportunity to work at Microsoft, and I've gotten the chance to work for and with some great companies and great people, but there is nothing like calling your own shots.

Answer 8

While I agree working for my own company would be best, I think the spirit of the original question was to name specific companies. To that end, I would say I think Pixar would be a really fun place to work.

Answer 9

Blizzard would be ideal.

Answer 10

I'm thinking about a more academic oriented career choice for myself. I think that it must be really exiting to be at the edge of technology, doing research related to computer science.

Maybe I'm just naive, but thats the image I have of that career choice, and it can't hurt to try it out, at the very least, and see if it suits me as well as I imagined.

Answer 11

I'd love to work for Gnoso. A small startup with a lot of energy and excitement.

I've helped run a startup before and it was awesome. You'll never work harder and ride such a roller coaster as owning your own company. Granted I'd still be doing it but the owner had different ideas and ran it into the ground. Sad, but I learned some valuable lessons.

I think it would be great to work for some of the Inc. 500 companies - especially the top 10. Talk about some excitement there.

I think it would be fun to work at Three Rings too.

Answer 12

My #1 requirement for a company is that they make payroll on the 15th and last day of each month. The small companies that I worked for were exciting at the start, but when they couldn't drive revenue the ride down wasn't pleasant.

Once that's met, I want interesting work and smart, high integrity people to do it with.

I don't want it to consume my life, either. Chef on site? I'll eat at home, thanks. I was an engineer when my kids were small, and I was grateful to work at a company that allowed me to go home and know my children. I wouldn't appreciate a 24x7 work lifestyle, even if they provided free coffee and a foosball table.

I think one's requirements are different depending on where you are in your life.

Answer 13

I've only got a few preferences:

1. Microsoft
• Obviously it's a fantastic company that develops great technology. Not only that but the company is so broad that they could cover the majority of my interests. I'm willing to bet that Microsoft is a phenomenal place to work at and that developers are treated well.
2. Google
• Whilst I'm not a huge fan of Web Development there are many aspects to Google that interest me. Firstly, their work environment is top notch and they're an unstoppable force in Computing right now. I'm sure that the majority of people that work for them are happy.
3. Fog Creek
• Being a reader of Joel's *blog* I often wonder what it would be like to work there and I'm sure it would be pretty good. I won't pretend to have much interest in the product but I do have interest in the working environment.
4. Academia
• Surprisingly, if I were capable of doing so I would love to work at a top university with some of the smartest people in my field. As far as lecturing goes if I were actually any good I'd probably only want to lecture at bottom-league universities, those that need it.

Those are my requirements as of today, but who knows? Perhaps I'll change my mind when my life moves forward?

Answer 14

I wouldn't mind working for me.

I'd like to work lots of places that aren't my previous or current job.

Answer 15

I work for the best company already - my own.

Answer 16

This one ?

Answer 17

Any company where I get to work with folks who know more than I do, and inspire me to become better at what I do. A company where I'm excited to go to work, where I want to put in extra hours because I love what I'm doing (but am not required to do so).

A company with exciting projects, challenging work, intriguing problems to solve, and a fun environment.

Somewhere where I'm not expected to dress like a stock broker just to sit unseen in a cubicle all day.

Somewhere where the tools and technology I'm given to work with match the problems I'm expected to solve in the timelines I'm given to solve them in.

Somewhere where people have an appreciation for the fact that not just anyone can write software and do it well.

Somewhere where we learn from our mistakes, and make a concerted effort not to repeat them.

Somewhere where incompetence is ruthlessly eliminated. Especially if it's found in management.

Somewhere where Risk Management isn't just a buzz word.

Somewhere where software developers are actually involved in the prototyping phase, and listened to, in order to reign in over-zealous designers who think that software can do anything they envision just because they imagined it.

Sadly, I fear that no such company exists.

Answer 18

Google Oracle

Answer 19

I'm Happy with my current organisation :)

Answer 20

Any where I'll get well paid and let me develop FOSS projects in work hours or let me work in my own research. Something like Google ;)

Answer 21

Anywhere where you can do research in areas whatever you like,with cool community and flexible working ( 2-3 days in office 2-3 at remote at home -> the prefect combination)

Answer 22

My dream would be to be part of some think-tank where various ideas I write up are considered for improving the planet. Granted the think-tank has to have solid funding, employ me as a sort of tenured teacher so that firing me would be rather difficult with excellent benefits.

Now, coming back to reality, I would like to see a Results-Only Work Environment where there isn't a question about how many hours I'm in the office but rather am I getting things done? If so, then just pay me and let things be.

Answer 23

I like small companies, so there's no rigid separation of roles and if you need somebody he or she is in the building and accessible.

I don't want to run my own company; I'd rather work for somebody else who handles the business side. I'm much better at creating valuable software than getting people to pay money for it.

I've worked at companies where computers are a general support function, and I don't really like being treated as a necessary expense. I've worked at companies that sold software, and the pressure could get intense. Now, I'm working at a company where the software is an integral part of the business process, but we make our money selling other things, and I really like that.