What Size Company Is The Right Fit For You?

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Have you ever considered the size of a company as important when looking for employment? Today, we are giving you the pros and cons of both smaller-size businesses and large multinational companies to help you decide which working environment and conditions fit you best.

When it comes to figuring out your career path and the route you want to take, it is often a good idea to start thinking about what size company is the right fit for you.

Finding your dream job is a key part of the job searching process, but it's just as important to find your dream company, too! We encourage you to find a company that shares the same values as you and that will help you achieve your career goals. 

There are many differences between working for a smaller or larger size company. It’s important to consider these differences before you begin your job search…. 

Smaller Companies & Startups 

Pros 

• Gain experience in a variety of areas - when working for a smaller company, you can get involved in different areas of the business as the structure tends to be a lot more flexible. 

• More visibility from managers and other members of staff - you often have more responsibility working for a smaller company, so your efforts are more visible. 

• A more flexible working environment & schedule - with smaller companies, your schedule and working environment are a lot more flexible. 

• Feel closer to your coworkers & boss - due to the smaller, closer environment, you usually have better relationships with employees of different seniorities. 

• Gain experience in different areas - the boundaries between individual roles are usually more fluent in a small company, so you might be expected to perform tasks from outside of your regular domain. It's a good opportunity to try out new things and, who knows, maybe even find a calling towards something you never expected?

Cons

• Limited growth opportunity - smaller companies are unable to provide a lot of growth opportunities because sometimes they are just starting out themselves. 

• Fewer employee perks - due to a smaller budget, smaller companies usually offer lower salaries and project budgets, less training, travel, etc. 

• Less structure - more disorganised and more likely to experience changes. 

• Not as recognisable - the company is less likely to be known to future employees. 

Small companies and startups can be a great route into your industry, a place where you can learn and develop new skills alongside your usual day-to-day tasks and responsibilities. Generally, you get to work in a more flexible environment, which is ideal for those of you who are still mapping out your career path within your industry.

The working environment is generally more intimate in a smaller company, which allows you to work closely with other team members becoming more aware of each employee's roles and responsibilities. 

Roles within smaller companies often have a lot less structure and tend to suit highly adaptable individuals. Due to the flexibility of a smaller company, it’s common for them to face a lot of changes within a small amount of time, so they will need an employee who adapts well to change.

Roles within smaller companies usually involve more independence and responsibility than in larger companies. Therefore, they suit those of you who don’t mind taking on multiple projects at once!

In smaller companies, you can genuinely see and feel the impact that your overall performance has on the rest of the company. This is a great way to build confidence early on in your career, as knowing how much positive influence your performance has on the company helps you to feel more indispensable! 

One of the many benefits of working for a small company is the close-knit, family-like environment. You get to know each member of staff on a more personal level, including managers and directors. You are also not just a floating head among hundreds of other employees, but a few days into your new job, everyone will have gotten to know you.

This is extremely beneficial for your professional network and enables you to build closer and stronger relationships. People who work for smaller companies and startups are often involved in other projects and companies, which can open the door to other opportunities for you in the future!

All in all, working for a smaller company allows you to gain responsibility and experience in a variety of areas. Is a smaller company the right choice for you? It all depends on your preferences as an individual, the level of responsibility that you want, and whether you adapt well to change!

Large Multinational Companies 

Pros 

• More employee benefits - larger companies offer bigger reward packages, higher salaries, paid travel, healthcare programs, discounts, gym memberships, etc. 

• More structure - larger companies often have more structure and are well-organised due to the rules and regulations in place. 

• Strong company reputation  - bigger companies often have a good reputation worldwide and this can help to boost your CV! 

• Growth opportunities - due to the size of the company, there are lots of opportunities to grow and advance your career within. 

• Training programs and courses - since larger companies tend to have a bigger budget, they often offer lots of training and courses, etc. to help employees develop. 

Cons

• Less recognition - with so many people in the company, it's harder for your work performance to be noticed, especially if you are in an entry-level position. 

• Less flexible environment and schedule - due to the size of the company, there are often lots of rules in place, which apply to every member of staff. 

• More resistant to change - in larger companies, it's harder to suggest changes and to introduce new ideas as decisions need to be made by more senior staff members. 

Working for a large company is an exciting prospect, especially if it’s a well-known brand. Depending on the brand and its reputation, the company's size can often give instant value to your CV and future career.

Recruiters and hiring managers are usually more interested in your experience working for well-established companies and international brands rather than an unknown company name. 

There are many benefits of working for a bigger company and it can also be a great way of kickstarting your career. Compared to smaller companies, bigger companies can offer bigger rewards in terms of salary, training programmes, travel, and more.

Although your effort does not get noticed as much as when you work for a smaller company, you get to work with a range of professionals at different levels. In larger companies, you often have access to more resources and potentially a bigger budget for your projects, too!

There are lots of opportunities to learn new skills and secure a bright future through internal and external training, online courses, and more.

Working for a larger company allows you to become a specialist in your field through the resources and opportunities that are available. You will often have a more structured job role that remains more or less the same from day to day - with little to no surprises.

You get to use more advanced software and more expensive equipment and from working with more professionals, you get to build a wider professional network for the future. 

In larger companies, you have more opportunities to travel for work purposes. This involves meeting new people from all over the world and gaining a handful of professional skills from these experiences. This helps you to build confidence and develop a range of hard and soft skills that you can use throughout your career.

If you already know which specific field you want to specialise in and how far you want to progress, working for a big company is definitely a good idea!

Still finding it hard to decide? 

Remember, not all of these pros and cons will apply to every small or large size company, there will be some exceptions!

Before you apply for a job, it’s very important that you research the company and familiarise yourself with as much information as possible; their company size, values, background, history, future growth plans. Nowadays, it’s easy to find almost all of this information on LinkedIn, Facebook, Company websites, etc. 

Check out the following Employee Review sites to gain an honest insight into the working environment of the company you want to work for:

• Glassdoor,

• Indeed,

• Vault,

• Kununu,

• The Job Crowd,

• Fishbowl.

Refer to the Question - "Where Do You See Yourself in 5 years?"

As we have mentioned earlier, this is an important part of your job search process. Even if you find the perfect job role, the company you work for needs to be a good fit for you, too!

Think about your 5-year plan, what size company would fit this plan the most. If you don't have a plan, it's a good time to start thinking about one because this is a very common interview question! 

If you are not looking for the right place to settle for years and years but more of a place to apply your skills and build confidence in your career whilst trying out different roles, a smaller size company may be the best option for you!

On the other hand, if you are happy where you are located, you know exactly what role you want to settle into and you are looking for a company with clear progression opportunities, a larger size company is for you! 

We hope you know better what company you should aim for! Ask yourself important questions about your professional goals and tell us in the comments what you now consider the best option - small or big size company environment? Can you think of more pros and cons to adding up to this list? Feel free to share your suggestions and advice below!

Feeling inspired? Visit our blog for more career advice! How can you be sure the information we provide is top-notch? We are a group of professionals working with recruiters, career coaches, and HR specialists from all over the world! 

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