Nov 24
Big to Medium. A Guide to Surviving a Move from the Corporate World.
All Posts, Business, Rants|Many people, especially fresh out of University, look to large corporations as the best way to move up in the world quickly, but what happens as careers grow or stagnate or as family situations change? The answer can most commonly be found in the faces of burned out and disillusioned staff who choose to move out of big business.
I have always either worked for global companies or for myself but am now working in a medium sized privately held company. It is an understatement to say that it has been both an eye opener and a learning experience for me. I took on my current role primarily for family reasons and financial opportunity. Here are some tips for those of you about to leave the corporate world:
- No one is above any job. This is slightly untrue as I can’t imagine the President of my company driving a front end loader, but let me give you an example. I am currently personally redesigning and rebuilding the company website (www.atlantichort.com) and marketing literature and have just finished work on the site for the strategic business unit that I look after (www.aprailsupply.com). I can’t delegate the work to a creative and I don’t want to spend company money (my money) on professionals. Our Director of Sales attends trade shows, the Sys Admin and I pack and organise booths and everyone in the office helps when it comes to speaking to customers.
- Don’t expect a nice desk. This was a big surprise for me. I’d previously had a lovely view of the harbour and Sydney skyline from the top floor of our office building. Now? I share a cramped space with 20 other people. None of the desks match, and there are no partitions. At first I was appalled. But after visiting our suppliers and other businesses in the area I realised that most SMEs, like most start-ups, are extremely expenditure conscious. Personally I would rather see a company that invests its money in product development and marketing than one that has the snazziest furniture.
- Vice President of Crap No-One Else Wants to Do. I often joke that this is my job title. Having moved from Advertising Agencies to a forestry company in rural Canada provided me with an invaluable insight into the importance (sometimes hollow) of job titles. An agency will have Account Executives, Account Managers, Account Directors, Group Account Directors etc. Most SMEs are lucky to have a Sales Director and Sales Manager and a smattering of Sales People. Initially it sounded antiquated but it really does fall into the first point. Everyone does everything, and some do a bit more. That said, many SMEs have grown from small businesses and are not comfortable to introduce a strict hierarchy, even though the additional structure that it can provide will help those businesses deal with their growth. It’s a fine line and don’t attach too much relevance to the fact that you may now be a manager of something rather than a director of something else.
- Umm, can I have a vacation please? Unlike big businesses which often have a certain amount of redundancy built into their HR structure, many SMEs cannot afford to do this. Especially so if you are in a key role. Be prepared to have to shuffle your vacations, but don’t let your employer use this excuse to lord it over you.
- You are not a loser. I tell myself this every time I look around and reminisce about my former profession. Most of us choose to work in an SME. Get in on the ground level and grow with your company. Spend more 1 on 1 time with your boss as a mentor. Look to expand your skills through vocational learning, these will be a benefit to your employer and you.
