Is working for an SME right for you?

Given what you‘ve learned so far, does this broad overview of SMEs feel like a good fit?

Some of you might be thinking that the characteristics of a small business that we’ve described will suit you very well. Others might be feeling rather put off! But for many of you, it will be the nature of the company and the role itself that matters most, regardless of company size. This doesn’t need to be an ‘either/or’ decision – the point of the course is to introduce you to an alternative to large employers in the job market.

So the question isn’t so much whether you would be happier working for either SMEs or large companies, but whether a particular SME or large company will be right for you.

In order to make a clearer decision, you might find it helpful to ask yourself some of the following questions:

Practical questions

For example:

• Have I got relevant qualifications and/or experience?
• Is the commute ok or will I have to relocate – can I afford to do that?
• What kind of working environment would this employer offer, e.g. office/shop/lab-based, outdoors, remote working etc. – and will that suit me?
• Will the salary be enough to sustain my standard of living?

Culture-based questions

For example:

• How does the company culture come across on their website/social media/in person, e.g. friendly, formal, market-driven, creative, etc. You’ll explore how to identify and research the SMEs that interest you in Week 2.
• Is this a culture I could thrive in?
• Do I know anyone who works there (or who knows someone that does)? What could I find out from them?
• Do my values align with those of the organisation?

In one of the other courses in this series, Finding Your Why – we talk about the value of identifying your purpose in helping you to decide whether a particular career or job is right for you. At the end of this step you’ll have the opportunity to complete an exercise reflecting on your values. If you find that useful, identifying your purpose could be another useful piece of your jigsaw.

Future career questions

For example:

• Does working for this employer fit in with my longer term career plans?
• What experience can this employer offer me that will enhance my CV?
• Which skills or strengths will I be able to develop further while working for this employer?

If you have any questions you’d like to add to these lists and you want to share them with your fellow learners, feel free to add them in the comments below.

You may need to do some careful research to answer some of these questions and you’ll learn more about researching SMEs in Week 2.