When deciding which company to work for, either the company has to be a reputable/well-known one, or the position/work has to be in line with the goals/desires of the individual. Ideally, you have a job that meets both of these. However, when starting out on a career path, getting experience is the most important thing to keep in mind. If the experience that you are getting isn’t exactly what you want to do, but it is at a good/reputable company, this will still help you when moving onto other positions early on in ones career. I am currently in this position. I work for a very reputable company with a strong name in the industry, but I am not doing the type of work that I would like to do long term (more bench science, less engineering). However, I realize that a year of experience at this company will make my resume significantly stronger. I am also using other avenues within my company to gain the experience that I wish. Ultimately, gaining quality experience at a good company or in the job role you wish to have are indispensable and either should be the primary objective of an early career engineer.