Career Articles

What Kind of Company Would be Best for You?

By Linda Jenkins, CHRP

You probably already know that to get the most out of your job search time and effort, it’s important to target your search. What you may not know is that to really zero-in on getting interviews for the jobs you want, you need to think about what kind of company you want to work for.

In this article, we’ll focus first on the main advantages of working for a large company. Then we’ll look at how a very small company might be better suited to your needs, depending on what you’re looking for.

As you read the following, keep in mind that these are generalizations that may not apply to every company. But these points will give you something to think about, and help you decide whether a particular company would be right for you or not.

Large Companies

Advantage 1: In a large company, chances are good that you will be working with others in the same field as the one you are in. Some of these colleagues will probably have more practical experience in the field than you do. These people can be extremely valuable to you as mentors, especially if you are in the early stages of your career. Under their guidance, you will pack lots valuable, practical learning into a short period of time. In contrast, if you join a small company, there may not be anyone in your field who can “show you the ropes,” which means you’ll be learning by trial-and-error, and mostly on your own.

Advantage 2: Most large companies have a policy that employees are given preference over outside candidates when it comes to filling job openings in the company. By joining a large company, you give yourself a competitive edge for moving to other positions within that company in the future. This can be crucial when it comes to moving up in your field (i.e., getting a promotion) or switching into a different field should you decide to do so in the future. Which brings us to our next point:

Advantage 3: If, after a few years, you decide you’d like to take your career in a new direction, being an employee of a large company puts you in a stronger position to do so (assuming, of course, that your company has a vacant position in that field). Even though you may have no experience in the field you’d like to get into, your company has already had a chance to assess you and your work. You have already demonstrated how quickly you learn tasks, how good you are with customers, how reliable you are, and so on. To a certain extent, you’re a known quantity, which means it may be less risky to let you move into a new department than it is to hire someone unknown off the street. This is an important point to consider, especially if you don’t want to spend your whole career in one field, or if you really don’t know yet what field you want to settle into for the long haul.

Advantage 4: Never underestimate the value of having “bragging rights.” Having a résumé that includes a successful stint in a company that is well-known and well-respected in your industry or your community will impress future prospective employers. The overall success of your company will reflect well on you — not only were you part of a highly successful team, but you were gaining valuable practical knowledge and professional “savvy” while you were there. This makes you a very attractive prospect to other companies.

Small Companies (Including Start-Ups)

Advantage 1: Working for a small start-up company, or for a small company that’s growing, can be very exciting. These companies often have a strong team atmosphere, because a small group of dedicated people are working together to reach a common goal. Many people thrive in this kind of environment — they do their best, most creative work in a team where everyone is highly motivated and caught up in making the company a success. The intangible rewards of working in a small organization can be fantastic, as everyone hits an emotional high when the new product is successfully launched or an ambitious sales target is met. If this kind of excitement appeals to you, then a small company may be right for you.

Advantage 2: Depending on your own working style, you may find working in a large company too restrictive. Large organizations tend to be more bureaucratic than small ones — as companies grow, they accumulate formal policies and procedures that restrict what employees can do, how they can do it, and so on. Small companies are often structured much more loosely — anything goes (within reason, of course). So, if you have a strong entrepreneurial streak, you may find working in a small company less restrictive and more accepting of your working style. Which leads into our next point:

Advantage 3: In small companies, job descriptions (both formal and informal) tend to be broader and more flexible. In times of crisis or tight deadlines, everyone in the company rolls up their sleeves and helps get the high-priority job done. As a result, employees are often expected to be more versatile, more willing and able to take on more responsibility, and more dedicated to doing whatever is necessary to get the job done. As we mentioned earlier, this kind of atmosphere is one in which ambitious, entrepreneurial people tend to thrive.

Advantage 4: Ambitious people who like to shine often gravitate toward small companies, where they can benefit from being a big fish in a little pond! It’s usually obvious who the super-achievers are in a small company, and they may be more likely to get both tangible (raises, promotions) and intangible (praise, plum assignments) rewards in a small organization than they are in a larger one. But keep in mind this has a down side too — if you run into difficulties, or if your work doesn’t meet the expected standard, there’s nowhere to hide in a small company.

Advantage 5: There can be definite advantages to “getting in at the ground level” in a small company. Assuming you are good at what you do, your career will grow along with the company. After a couple of years, you’ll have enough knowledge of and experience in the company to make a very valuable asset. In a small environment where there’s less competition for plum assignments, you’ll be a very attractive candidate for any new opportunities that come up.

In deciding whether a small or a large organization would be best for you, think carefully about your working style, your career goals, and what you want a work environment to provide for you. If one type of company clearly seems to be a better fit for you, then focus your job search efforts in that area. Having a clear picture of where you want to be makes it easier to get where you’re going!

Linda Jenkins is President of Red Pen Services, a Career Coach, and a Certified Human Resources Professional. She has over 15 years of experience in a wide variety of organizations and has helped thousands of motivated professionals advance their careers.