Opportunities to progress

We often think that progression at work must mean promotion. But as well as this, there are other ways to progress and develop within a small business environment. In fact, the Cambridge dictionary defines progression as:

the act of changing to the next stage of development

which offers the potential for a broader interpretation.

Promotion is of course a possibility in an SME, so don’t rule it out. One of the advantages of working in a small business is that any expansion of the business can lead to new roles and opportunities, and you’ll be in a great position to take advantage.

While there won’t usually be a structured career path within a small company, with incremental pay rises and a gradual increase in responsibility, there will be opportunities that arise as profits increase or additional funding is won.

Other progression opportunities

Many new graduates assume that their next step has to be towards management, but not everyone wants to climb the managerial career ladder. It requires a specific set of skills and strengths, and a desire to work differently with individuals and teams. Also, opportunities to do this within a small company with a low staff turnover might be limited.

For some, their goal is to become an expert in their field, a respected ‘go-to’ person across their sector, keen to share their knowledge and experience where needed. An SME is an ideal environment for this type of development as you can start to build your expertise and level of responsibility more easily in a small team.

For others, the opportunity to experience different roles within their organisation – moving sideways into a new specialism, will be preferable, allowing them to continually develop new skills and experience the business differently. Again, an SME environment lends itself to this type of progression as you’ll know all the key people and are likely to have a better understanding of how the various roles contribute overall than you might in a larger business.

Being prepared for opportunities

When you’re looking for progression within a small business environment, it is important to be ready for unexpected opportunities. You can also do a lot to ensure that those who might be generating the opportunities are aware of you and your potential.

First, be curious – look out for things that grab your interest and take the opportunity to explore them. You never know when they will lead to something.

You may already have come across the concept of the ‘growth mindset’ – believing that you can become better at something by dedicating time and effort to it. One way to develop this is to focus on gaining new skills and knowledge.

Talk to people about what you want to do next. As a new graduate in perhaps your first role after graduating, you will be expected to be thinking about how your career might develop and the direction you want to go in. Discuss your ideas with those around you – find out about others’ career paths and reflect on the parts of your new job that you enjoy the most.

There’s a career theory called ‘planned happenstance’ that you may find useful to explore further. Another course in this series, Finding Your Why, looks at that in more detail.

Taking every opportunity to expand your network will also pay dividends in the future, and you’ll consider that next.

Over to you

What appeals to you the most at this point in your career – managerial responsibilities, a variety of roles and experiences, or becoming a specialist in your field? If you want to, share your thoughts in the comments. Be aware that these reflections are likely to change as you progress through your career and build your skills and experience.