I am planning my job search. I have to make a strategic decision. Should I work for a large or small company?
This question should be a required course in college, saving many students from making an unhappy life choice. While there are differences in opportunities, salary, benefits and culture, almost all employees agree on this: Your personality has to mesh with the company you join. Besides making a checklist of the companies, determine the qualities you possess. There are pros and cons for each corporate option, so we will give you an overview.
At a larger company, it is a more structured and established. It is a well-oiled machine and you quickly understand your status there. There is a defined path for promotion and it offers stability, which suits commitment-oriented personalities, explains managers at a CNC machining plant. Employees need to be dedicated to learning the entire manufacturing process.
Benefit packages are usually better at larger companies. Health insurance, vacation and sick days, and retirement plans are more likely to be offered.
Switching jobs does not always mean switching companies, in a larger one. Many companies offer positions internally first, since they have a large pool of qualified employees.
On the flip side, there can be frustrating bureaucracy at a big company. Although your ideas may be valuable, it can take years to make changes within a company. You are working for a company that serves stockholders and investors. They are more concerned with predictability of corporate income and stability of employee relations.
At the office, it is highly unlikely you will really know many of your co-workers. Decisions are made about you and your job by people you do not know or even meet.
There is a greater personal experience, working at a small business. You not only join a team, but our extended family, says company owners offering plumbing work. We all feel that our job represents a large part of our identity.
Your success, or failure, is visible and any contribution can immediately impact the business. For an entry-level job, it can quickly create references and demonstrate your abilities.
There will be more flexibility at a smaller company. You usually have direct access to the manager or owner. Changes happen faster, because there is no long approval process. We absolutely rely on our employees to shake things up here, asserts a fitness blog on how to train like an athlete.
Your responsibilities will include a wider skillset, handling different tasks and freely switching between them.
On the downside, you may not get the lucrative benefits offered at larger companies. Paid vacations, pension plan and generous healthcare are not common. It is unlikely you will find a legal or human resources department that will handle a grievance.
Job security can disappear overnight at a small company, since you have greater individual responsibility. Any failure is noticed by everyone. Change is more rapid here, so job security should not be your single priority.
The employment selection decision depends on your personality. Learn which work environment suits you better.
You can’t fit a round peg in a square hole.
Written by Jacob Maslow, founder and editor of Legal Scoops.
