Career growth in Indian Services companies vs Product companies

[Rambo Prasad]

Hi Ranchers,

I would like to know about your comparative views on long term career growth in Indian Services companies vs Product companies...I had started my career in a product company and had all through out worked only in Product companies...I have seen many people with even around 7+ years of experience working only as individual contributors in Product companies...Whereas a person with similar profile in Services companies will be managing and heading a team of at least 15 people (Please correct me if I am wrong)....Currently I am seriously thinking about making a move to Services companies,but I am afraid that I will have to take a pay cut if I decide to move to services...I am sure many of you must have had experience in both the category of companies and may have faced similar dilemma...Please do let me know your views about which would be a better option from a long term perspective...

These are the pros and cons I think..

Services
Pros
1.Frequent International travel opportunities...
2.Faster carrier growth..(software engineer-->module lead-->team lead--->Project Manager)
3.Exposure to various different project and client interaction opportunities..

Cons
1.Too much office politics and buttering of superiors
2.Lesser salary than product cos..

Product companies
Pros
1.Better Salary than Services companies..
2.Opportunities to build expertise in a specific domain(again this depends)

Cons
1.Less international travel..
2.Most of the product companies have a flat hierarchy and hence carrier growth is very slow...

What do you think...?

[sundar vishu]

Hi,
I feel that service companies are somewhat better than product..because..you get oniste opportunities. The offshore salary given by services companies are less when compared to product companies but if you consider the onsite salary of the services the amount they get in onsite is far better than product.
And these are dependent upon the currency rates of the country you travel onsite.

[ankur rathi]

You have analyzed it pretty well. Now compare pros of both kinds of companies, what attracts you, and decide.

All the best.

[Srikanth Basa]

In any HR interview, one of the questions they ask is - where do you wish to see yourself after 5 years. This is where the answer to your question lies in.

If you want to be an architect, in my view the best place to work will be a Product based company as you DON'T have 1. Restrictions on downloading open-source software and playing around 2. Client restrictions on technology 3. CMM processes where you spend most of the effort in documentation. You'll have to understand that the career growth is generally linear.

If you are a person who are interested in management career and wish to interact with clients, travel abroad and keen in career growth then you may want to consider service based companies. But, you have to understand that you'll have to abide by your client's needs & restrictions and at times you may have to see yourself losing your technical skills.

[Jignesh Patel]

I am not sure, why do you neet to take pay cut. Service companies also pays well. If you are getting good role, they will pay well.

Moreover you need to carefull for joining service companies in India, as there are many maintanance project and few development projects.

[Manish Hatwalne]

Well, this is what happens when you have analyzed & assessed situation pretty well yourself -- others cannot give you more than what you have already figured out yourself. I often face this problem myself. I agree with most of your observations & inferences - except that there are some service companies which might pay you equally well. But then knowing your company & salary it seems that it may be unlikely to get higher than what you're already getting. However, you can definitely try in banglore - the best paymasters in India are there.

I have myself worked in service companies for first 3-4 years in my career, and then shifted to product company and still working there. I think it is better to work for service companies in the initial stages of career to get exposure to diverse technologies, projects and then one can decide whether he/she is interested in service companies or product companies.

As for your question - a lot depends on what do you want to do. If you prefer to manage projects early, it's better to shift to service companies and enjoy more onsite visits as well. If you prefer to stick to development side - you might enjoy product companies more as they are often more focussed and systematic in their work. Spend 1+ year in service company now (even that means accepting slightly lesser salary) and see how it goes. You will do exceptionally well in finance domain as well - you may want to give it a try! Good luck!

- Manish

[Rambo Prasad]

Thanks for all your thoughts...It was very usefull...I will think and take a good decision soon...