Find out from leading Career Coach, Adrian Tan, the differences between joining a large corporation and a SME and why the SME way may well be the career jumpstart you need.
5. SMEs are an important
part of Singapore's
economy as they make up
99 percent of our
companies, employ 70
percent of our workforce
and contribute 50 percent
of our GDP.
- Teo Ser Luck
22 Oct 2013
15. What is an SME?
Ministry of Trade and Industry’s definition:
SME being an enterprise with less than S$100
million annuals sales turnover or employing less
than 200 workers
When you enter a large company, you're taking part in a machine that's been around for a long time. As such, there is typically an established way of doing things. As soon as you walk in, you will know what your job is, how you fit into your department and over time you'll even learn the obvious pathways for promotions. This isn't the right route for everyone, but if you want to go into a job with a sense of stability and a well-defined path for advancement, larger companies typically have great templates already in place.
Larger companies, in general, are better about providing benefits like health insurance or retirement plans. The smaller a corporation's revenue is, the less likely it can afford to pay for benefits. According to a recent study, only 47% of companies in the U.S. with 2-99 employees offered any benefits at all.
Large companies need a lot of people working a wide variety of jobs to operate. While your specific role may be specialized, it's possible to change positions and explore a new area without leaving the company. Developers can become project managers, designers can become marketers, or the senior VP of a web browser can become head of a mobile operating system. It may still require some hunting, but if you already work for the company where you're applying for a new job at, that's one less thing the recruiter has to worry about.
Shaking things up at a big company can take a lot of time. Even if your company is open to new ideas (which isn't always a given), getting your department to move to a new model or create a product can take a lot of time.
No matter how social or friendly you are, if you work in a company with hundreds or even thousands of employees, it will be impossible to know everyone. Inevitably, some aspect of your job will be affected by someone you've never met. It may be the CEO, the head of payroll, or the legal department, but someone will make a decision that determines how you work and it may be difficult or even impossible to speak to that person directly. A good company will provide a method for employees to voice serious concerns to upper management, but this isn't always guaranteed or effective.
A related problem is that your success and happiness can be determined by where you are placed within the company. Working with a dysfunctional group can bring down the quality of your work, despite your best efforts. It may even affect your ability to move up in the company
If you are not sure which area you’d like to focus on in your career, a small business allows you to work in many areas, so you can decide which areas you like best.
Since there are less people and layers to navigate, usually no middle management, people who work in small businesses tend to have the autonomy to work independently.
Because of simpler reporting structures and less red tape, it is much easier to implement creative ideas.
In a small business, it’s much easier to walk into a manager’s office, even the business owner’s office, to get her perspective on your ideas.
Because of their size, small businesses can make decisions faster and respond more quickly to changing business environment.
This is especially important for people who are just starting out in their careers, or for those who are making career shifts. In smaller companies, managers and business owners often mentor and coach people to promote from within.
Most small businesses have a familial atmosphere, which makes people feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for the success of the company. Because they feel like they are part of a family, they want to contribute to well-being of the organization.
You get the opportunity to multitask and work in many areas of the business, which offers the opportunity to acquire new skills and discover abilities you didn’t know you possessed. And there are often critical projects, without current sponsors, therefore there is less chance for boredom and feelings of stagnation.
It’s easier to get noticed in a small business. You get seen for your hard work that contributes to the company’s bottom line – you matter and not just another cog-in-a-big-wheel.
Because of smaller budgets, small businesses tend to be more creative in the kinds of perks they offer employees.