Choosing your career environment: a guide to different business types

When looking for a new job, focusing on big businesses with thousands of employees and well-established graduate schemes can be tempting.

However, it’s important to remember that opportunities exist in organisations of all sizes, from large multinational corporations to smaller businesses and start-ups. Each type of workplace offers different experiences, challenges, and benefits.

Did you know, in North Yorkshire micro and small to medium businesses (up to 250 employees) make up 99.7% of all businesses in the region? We’re going to take you through the different kinds of businesses out there so you can have a think about which context might suit you best in your career.

Large businesses

Larger businesses have upwards of 250 employees and can be both national and international. North Yorkshire is home to around 60 large businesses – including Quorn and Yorkshire Tea.

Larger businesses can often offer ‘graduate schemes’, an initiative where graduates are hired and undertake a training position for a set amount of time generally recruiting several graduates at once. Graduate schemes are open to both graduates and post graduates and the schemes sometimes include rotations in different departments of the business. After the scheme has finished, the graduate might stay on in the business in a specific role, or move into another organisation.

Places on graduate schemes are extremely competitive and you will need to put into practice the learning from this course and the next one ‘Think Like a Recruiter’ to be successful as most will incorporate several recruitment processes. However the benefits of working in a larger business, and on a graduate scheme, can include:

• More structured working hours and responsibilities
• Being part of a group of graduates doing similar roles and hired at the same time
• High(er) starting wages and ability to increase wages regularly (increments)
• More formal learning opportunities, e.g. through courses and training.

However it is important to note that graduate schemes are not for everyone and most graduates don’t actually follow this route after University.

Small-medium enterprises (SMEs)

Small-medium sized businesses make up 10.4% of all businesses in North Yorkshire. SMEs are classified as having between 10 and 250 employees, and can be some of the most sustainable and successful types of businesses to exist. The benefits of working in a small business can include:

• Less bureaucracy and hierarchy, so you can make a real impact from day one
• Getting exposure to lots of different parts of the business, which is great informal development
• Seeing more easily your personal growth and how your direct contributions impact the business
• Given lots of responsibility early on in your career journey, which often leads to quicker progression
• Working in a small, intimate team, where your ideas can have a big impact – this can also mean more contact with senior leaders and decision makers in the business.

Micro businesses

Micro businesses are the biggest proportion of businesses in the local area (89.2% of all businesses in North Yorkshire) – comprising of many independent shop owners, sole traders (businesses with just one person who owns and works for the business), and other businesses operating with fewer than 10 employees. The benefits of working in a micro business are similar to those of working in a small business, just with more responsibility! Micro businesses can often be the most niche businesses, operating with a small client base, but really excelling at what they do. Examples of successful micro businesses include:

• Ellers Farm Distillery:A producer of high-quality spirits based in North Yorkshire. The business makes various products and now boasts Ricky Gervais as one of its partners!
• ProViz:A producer of high-quality high-visibility and reflective cycling clothing and accessories (finalist of the Amazon Growing Business Awards 2018)
• Popcorn Kitchen: A producer of gourmet popcorn (Winner of Micro Business of the Year 2023)
• Bite IT Marketing: A marketing company focussed on consulting and creative solutions (Winner of Micro Business of the Year 2022)

Charities/NGOs

Working in a charity or for a non-governmental organisation (NGO) can be an excellent way to make a difference to others and can have many of the same benefits as with an SME – getting lots of experience (usually) within a small team.

You will likely work with like-minded people who want to make a discernible difference to the lives of other people, with lots of charities providing you with benefits such as extra annual leave and employee support programmes. If you’re not someone who is motivated by profit or winning money or clients, then working in a charity might adhere to your values more than working in the private sector. As charities are dependent on funding, you might not get the competitive salary that you might get in a private business, but you will get an opportunity for development, as charities exist to move the world forwards and impact on others, both locally and nationally, depending on the charity. This also means that you might not have a permanent position, and instead might be ‘fixed term’ which gets extended as funding is extended, meaning there may be less job stability than in other types of organisation.

Public sector

There are lots of jobs available in what we call the ‘public sector’ (there’s over 6 million people in the UK who work in the public sector) – those which are generally funded by the government or by local authorities. These roles could include working in the civil service (in areas like the Department for Education, Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, etc), for a local government, or in somewhere like the NHS or a school. These roles are generally well-paid and “safe”/stable, and government organisations are generally accommodating when it comes to flexibility, both for working hours and place of work. There’s generally quite structured personal development available, and ability to make progression within departments over time working there. You could look for jobs with your local authority or council or with the national Civil Service which has bases and departments all over the country.In North Yorkshire these include:

• The Rural Payments Agency – With offices in various locations, including North Yorkshire, this agency handles payments for rural schemes and agricultural support.
• The National Agency for the Control of Animal Diseases – This agency, which works on animal health and disease control, has a presence in the region.
• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – HMRC has offices in cities like York.
• The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) – DEFRA has regional offices in North Yorkshire that focus on environmental and rural issues.
• The Ministry of Defence – Various defence-related offices and establishments may also be found in the area.

Self-employed

Did you know that there are 60,000 people in North Yorkshire who are self-employed? This can be an excellent way to be your own boss whilst earning! 37% of adults in the UK have multiple sources of income, which can involve being self-employed in one way or another, such as having a side-business or freelance, as well as partaking in full-time employment within another business.

Lots of students and graduates alike will start their own business; in 2020 it was estimated around 25% of students were running, or planned to run, their own business whilst at university. There’s lots of support out there if you’re interested in starting your own business, in whatever field or sector that might be in! If you’re a recent graduate of a university, there might be grants available from your institution – if you’re a University of York graduate you can check out the link here on enterprise. Below are some sites you can look at to learn more about enterprise, entrepreneurship and setting up your own business:

• Government guidelines for starting up a business
• Prospects
• University of York’s short course about enterprise and entrepreneurship

References

• nomis official census and labour market statistics National Statistics Logo
• Prospects: Working for a small business