Working for Big vs. Small Companies
At a full-time position, you’re going to be spending 40+ hours devoted to your career. Yes, it’s easy to get caught up in the salary and paycheck when you’re deciding where to apply or what offer to take, but it’s also incredibly important to be at a company where you can enjoy your 40 hours per week. One major factor that differentiates companies in many ways is the company’s size. If you’re not quite sure about the kind of company you’d enjoy working for, this is a great place to start!
Small Companies:
Because these companies are smaller, it is typical for employees to wear many different hats and juggle several different roles. For example, you may be involved in both sales and marketing projects in a small company, whereas in large companies, these departments have their defined employees with titles that clearly delineate whether they are in the sales or marketing department.
If you crave change, innovation, and bringing new ideas to the table, a small company just might be the way to go for you. If you try to offer new ideas at a large company, you’ll find that you must get your ideas passed by several higher-end executives before they are implemented. And because the company has an established way of operating successfully, your ideas will have to supported by a lot of evidence and prior planning.
Large Companies:
Large companies have typically been established for quite a while, meaning that there is usually a very structured and systematic way that things around the office get done. If you’re the type of person that thrives on structure, this could be a great fit! However, if you enjoy the creative liberty of being able to accomplish your goals without having an explicit set of guidelines to get you there, you might feel a little suffocated.
Large companies typically have a lot of opportunity for you to grow as a professional within the company. If you start at the bottom of the totem pole and are able to demonstrate your abilities, it’s likely that there will be several positions above you that you will be able to apply for at one point or another. Because companies typically prefer to hire internal employees, this gives you a huge advantage for getting ahead in your industry.
But with such an expansive system comes the inevitability of working with people that you don’t know. If you want an office that feels like a small, tight-knit family where everyone knows everyone, then you might not find what you’re looking for in a big company.
Small company? Big company? There is not a right or wrong answer here. Only a type of company that may be a better fit for you and your work style. While the company’s size doesn’t need to be a decision-making factor for you, it’s definitely something to at least consider as you’re job searching for your next ideal position.
