Is it better to work for a startup as your first job or a big company like Google, Amazon etc.?

Google hands down

This is pretty much impossible to answer if you ask me. I mean, my first job (technically a year's paid internship) was with IBM and while I didn't enjoy it by the end, it was certainly a formative and informative experience. Then my first job after graduating was with a rather small startup (I was the 28th employee in the company's history), and that was great while I was there... until the company hit financial trouble and I got made redundant.

So it's all a much of a muchness really. I'd say go where the opportunities take you and try to make the most of where ever you go. Everything has something to teach you, even if you have to learn it by having a shit time of it for a while.

As for experience, I'd say it is better to work for a big company as your first job.

Big companies may not be the best personal experiences (some exceptions) BUT they might be the best professional experiences.

Big companies have procedures, standards, best practices that help the business continue and are good to learn and know when starting.

After a couple of years you'd have gathered a lot of information about how the big ones play and you can apply or adapt that information to any other team you are into (be it other big company or a small one like a startup).

best is to be a founding member of a startup like google or amazon - so - yes

@antorqs I have to say I disagree with the notion that all big companies have procedures and standards and whatnot! xD My team at IBM was a total shitshow in that regard! xD

@Zaphod65 Lol yeah. I didn't mean ALL big companies. Even some specific teams in big companies may have flaws.

But I'd say a great number of them. Plus, is easier to scale down.

If you know how an application for 10k users in 20 countries is deployed, you might be able to adapt the procedure to a smaller scenario (new app by startup maybe?)

The other way around is harder, different. You'll learn a lot though, but that's in the case the app you're working gets big.

I mean, it's not impossible or bad. Just I think is better to start in a big one. :D

@Zaphod65 at least you have a fixed set of rules such as salary hike once per year regular holidays and stuff and you have a defined job role