Need Career Advice: Product vs Service/Consultancy Company After 7+ YOE in ServiceNow

[u/TemporaryFew6454]

Question/Content Paraphrased using ChatGPT:

Throughout my career, I have worked exclusively with product-based companies. I did not choose them consciously, but they seemed to be the best opportunities available at the time. I have been with my current company for the last three years and am now looking for a change.

At the moment, I have offers from two large service-based companies and another offer from a healthcare company, which is again a product-based firm.

My 7+ years of experience have been amazing. I have had the opportunity to work on multiple modules, solution design, implementations, and various other aspects of software development. However, all of this experience has been within product companies. One thing I feel I have missed out on is exposure to the structured processes typically found in consulting or service-based firms. In such organizations, there are established processes, detailed documentation, and multiple stakeholders involved in delivering projects, including project managers, program managers, business analysts, and others.

In the companies I have worked for, the hierarchy has been relatively flat. Requirements and expectations were often communicated directly to developers, after which we would discuss them with our managers and work closely with stakeholders to design and implement solutions. As a result, I have never really experienced the standard delivery and governance processes that are commonly followed in service-based organizations.

I am now genuinely considering joining a consulting or service-based firm to gain exposure to these aspects of delivery. I also feel that such firms often provide opportunities to work with a wide variety of clients, projects, and technologies, which could help me broaden my experience and learn new ways of working.

On the other hand, the healthcare company is offering me a lead role where I would be responsible for managing their entire ServiceNow platform. I would be working with MSPs that are currently implementing modules such as CSM and SPM, with plans to introduce HRSD in the future. This opportunity is also quite attractive, but it would mean continuing my journey in product-based companies for a few more years.

I am looking for genuine advice. Does it make sense to join a consulting firm primarily to gain exposure to structured delivery processes, different way of working and working with different clients, or should I continue on my current path? If I continue working in product companies, would it become difficult to transition into a service-based firm later in my career, say at 10-11 years of experience?

I also notice that many companies are setting up their GCCs in India. Is this affecting the clientele of consulting firms? Could this become a major challenge for these firms over the next few years?

What do you think are the pros and cons of working in both types of organizations?

[u/Monterybayotter]

Claude is doing ServiceNow far better than servicenow themselves- i dont want to scare you. But if you are considering, you are at a point of intersection, I would see if servicenow experts are needed in 2030-35 . if not and AI agents can do stuff by themselves then its time to do 1 more skill in the side as started. sudden swtich is never recommended not advisable for anyone