A frequent conversation I have with fellow candidates is the desire to seek employment in a smaller firm due to expected greater, ability to influence the outcome and generally less office politics. (Bonus: If you are in a start-up, you can add the expectations to wear jeans and use an Mac vs. a pc).
Having myself worked in a 60,000 employee firm, 120 person firm, and a 4 person firm, there is truth in that you have more influence on the outcome in a smaller firm. This is just one element to consider in your decision.
Before pursuing a smaller company, give some consideration on the type of company that fits you. A colleague of mine drew up this grid and while it makes some generalizations, it’s a good starting place to think about what type of company fits you.
To help you get prepared for possible networking/interviews, here’s a few of lessons to keep in mind that will help in what questions to ask and how to answer questions.
One: You have to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. My colleagues learned what I was good at and what I was not in quick fashion, and I did the same with them. The sign of a good team is that you figure out how to compensate for one another.
Two: You do not have a big team to back you up. As
Three: You need to think like an owner. In a small firm, business gets down to the bare essentials: Client needs, sales levels, spending and available cash/capital. You have to watch each like a hawk and understand what drives each one.
Four: The good news: A small team that talks often. The bad news: You talk often. You need to keep up your outside network to make sure you get an unbiased opinion of your strategy, etc.
Five: Personalities play a bigger role. One of benefits of a big company is you can always find indirect ways to work with the PITAs (Pain in the ….) so you can accomplish your work with less hassle. It’s one-on-one in a smaller firm; you need to learn how to manage dealing the PITAs on a daily basis (chances are they are not going to change). The
Six: Tighter focus. Dreams are interesting, but what you can accomplish is relevant. Smaller companies succeed because of their ability to deliver a narrow band of service or products. You simply need to balance your dreams of potential clients, products, etc. with available capital and talent to pursue. Everyone can see the growth, but what small firms need are people willing to grind it out to give them the chance to pursue.
If you start looking at a smaller firm, sit down with a few colleagues who have made the transition to get their insights and use your network to learn what you can about the key team members.
Good luck today.
Mark Richards