Like many of us, at some of point at our lives we have to start the so called job hunting – Whether it’s because we are graduating from college or just because we are over our current job and need a different challenge, I imagine, you, like me, have applied to what seems like 176,238,943 million jobs and then at some point you get a couple of job offers. YAY! But now comes the real challenge… which job do we choose? Sometimes we get job offers from small businesses and big corporations and at this point in our lives, we just want a job and end up choosing the one that pays the most; right? but, it’s not only about payment; there are many other things involved!
In my personal experience, like some of us, I have been fortunate enough to explore the difference between working in a small business and a big corporation. Therefore, I have a better idea of the pros and cons to guide you through your decision making process.
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Small Business: A small business is a company that typically has less than 500 employees and it’s annual revenue is less than $7 million. My experience with small business has been great and not so great, like many of you have probably experienced before. I have worked in a total of 3 small businesses, including the company I work for at the moment. The characteristics of a small business I love the most is the proximity you have with your co-workers, including your bosses. The sense of autonomy and the power to make decisions is something that’s really valuable because you are really able to reinvent yourself, think outside the box and create. In a small business, you are able to do this; you are driving the company and as the company grows, so do you. The cons of working at a small business is, probably the pay will be a little smaller compared to a corporation, benefits might be limited and the budget is small. Having a small budget is a pain but it also helps you grow professionally as you will be able to rethink the impossible to make your idea come to life without breaking the bank.
Corporate world: When I worked at Ann Taylor LOFT, I managed the Aventura Mall store and although I wasn’t in the corporate office, we had to comply with all corporate standards; what does this mean? Well, working for a big corporation means that there’s more than 500 employees and only a few at the top are making the decisions that are shaping your every day at work. The pros of working at a big corporation are security (which is not entirely true), good pay, good benefits, you get to learn from people that have years and years of experience and you add a great name to your resume. The cons within the pros, are that all the name and money you get from working at a big corporation end at just that; it’s tougher to be recognized because there’s so many of you at the office and it’s nearly impossible to be allowed to think outside the box. When you get directives from your superiors, that’s the way it should be and there’s no going around it. You are learning from people that have been doing the job for years but you are not challenging your brain to think of different ideas, or ways of doing something to better the company.
In conclusion, if you are looking forward to have freedom to create cool things and have influence the company’s growth as well as personally, I suggest you choose your small business offer because although it’s probably less money in the beginning, as the company grows, you will be the first one at the list to promote or give a raise to. If you are the type of person that wants security and a 9-5 job so you can enjoy your nights working out, having drinks and so on and don’t have the interest in influencing big decisions at the office (awesome! I wish that was me), then I suggest you go for the corporate offer; you will be much happier.
So, what would be your next move? Choose wisely!
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