Let’s admit it – we always say bigger is better, but is this true in terms of the company you work for?
Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) or big brand name companies are perceived to provide better perks, having a better reputation and branding, making them many job seekers’ first choice.
Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) may not have big budgets or numbers to boast about, but they also provide useful benefits, opportunities, and a closer working environment.
If you are a fresh graduate or a job seeker considering between a small or large company, you are not alone. This article might be able to help you decide by looking at several factors.
1. Job scope
In large companies, employees are recruited to focus on one job scope and be really good at it. This allows you to be focused on your role and lets you delve deeper into your expertise.
If you are looking to be an expert in your field, this specialised environment might suit you better.
Smaller companies, on the other hand, allow you to gain experience by having a more diverse job scope.
They might not have the luxury of manpower to pick up the extra work, but this means you get to see the whole work flow process and have a hand in it.
By being able to see the bigger picture, one can better understand who to look for, what to do, and how to do it in a small company.
You get to tap and grow more skills as you progress in the company.
2. Training
As larger companies tend to have a bigger budget for training and development, the chances of getting training in-house or getting sent for a course out of the company might be more possible.
You can speak with your supervisor and discuss skill-sets you wish to grow, or source for courses from the Training department, or even provide feedback to them on the courses the company might be lacking.
However, big companies also mean competing for training with a large group of people and possible red tape for approvals.
In a smaller set-up, employees can get on-the-job training from people they probably work side-by- side with.
By learning from their top people first-hand, employees can accelerate their skills by picking up tips from their bosses.
3. Career growth and recognition
In a smaller company, top management is also not an elusive team of people they see on the company website, but people that they might be working directly with.
As such, getting recognition might seem easier as your boss is probably more aware of what you do. Getting ahead in your career and having more competencies might be more achievable in a smaller company.
In MNCs, it is easy to get lost as a statistic within the company and your performance is ranked among your team mates, across divisions and departments.
At the end of the day, there are many great companies to work for in both MNCs and SMEs environments, but it is all about finding the right fit.
Your preferences will differ at different stages of your career, so it is best to find out what your short- and long-term goals are before choosing the company, job role and industry.
Main image from Pexels
