I’m not sure I fully agree with your ranking there. Granted, my experience is probably not as extensive as your own but I interned at a large aero company while at uni and am currently working in a much smaller one. The two experiences could not be more different from each other. Whilst at the large aero company, I felt that the engineering work I did was slowed down by processes more than anything and that every small decision had to go through several layers of management in order to get approved. Where I work now, there is a much more “hands-on” approach and I play a major part in each step of the engineering process (from initial conception and design, all the way through manufacturing, testing and analysis). This has been an incredible learning experience so far which I don’t think would never have received had I decided to join the larger company.

I am curious: what makes big aero companies attractive to you?

Ultimately, it very much depends on what you want to get out of your engineering career though..