Third year Business and Marketing student, Alice Buck, has blogged about how working for a SME - a central and vital part of business - brings more advantages than first meets the eye.
Often overlooked for the large multi-national companies, students tend to focus their attention and efforts on the large scale organisations.
I’m talking the Bosch’s, the John Lewis’s, the Unilever’s the IBM’s…and why not!? You’ve studied and worked so hard throughout your time at university, why not aim high!?
Well, here’s the hidden benefits and opportunities that working within a SME can lead to;
You’ll have a voice and make an impact:
Working in smaller teams, your opinion is likely to make a bigger difference to the team and the organisational as a whole. In many SME’s you will be the main point of contact in your particular area of expertise, you will be able to see the difference you make to the organisation as SME’s tend to be transparent in working practise and this often leads to greater job satisfaction.
Invaluable experience:
Working with an SME often means being an all-rounder and wearing many hats, depending on the nature of your role you could find that each day brings about different tasks. This allows you to get endless amounts of hands on experience across a variety of functions. This not only makes you more valuable in your experience but also allows you to investigate which areas you’re best at, which can often surprise you as you may find you enjoy a different aspect of a job role more.
You’re closer to decision makers. There are definite advantages to being a big fish in a small pond.
‘Keep them satisfied’: Why employees in SME’s have the edge on happiness
Research by The Global Recruiter found that employees working within a SME have the edge of happiness and engagement at work, within companies with fewer than 10 people coming out on top. The study stated that “the opportunity to have a positive impact on others is one of the key differentiating factors according to smaller employers surveyed."
Small businesses accounts for 99.3% of private sector firms in the UK (2016). So don’t forget to remain open minded when job hunting and recognise all opportunities that are within your market!