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Would-Be Entrepreneurs Need Big Biz Experience

Jeff Haden urges would-be entrepreneurs to get some experience in a big company (not some small start-up) first. Why? They’ll get the skills and knowledge essential for success.
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What’s the Latest Development?

One of Jeff Haden’s BNET colleagues recently recommended that college grads should aim to make their first job in a start-up. But he disagrees, saying if you want to one day start your own business, first get a grounding in a big company. “My first post-college job was with a Fortune 500 company. Starting and running a business would have been much harder without the skill and experience I gained in a corporate environment.”

What’s the Big Idea?

Haden’s reasons for tasting the corporate world first? Entrepreneurs are sometimes crazy, not in a good way; training is not a distant dream; mentors are everywhere; checks and balances limit extreme behavior; “my way” tends to hit the highway; discipline and follow-through are expected; large companies assign a variety of projects; and, most importantly, you’ll learn what not to do.

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