When looking for a new job, there will be a range of different companies to choose from when applying. You will come across start-up companies that have only been around for a couple of years and you will come across larger corporate companies that have cemented their presence within the industry – but which is better?
When you work within a smaller start-up, your role is bound to evolve as you gradually take on more tasks. Moving around job titles is generally a lot easier as there are less people in the company – this is a bonus for you as you are able to find your niche and be happy within your job role.
Smaller, younger companies tend to be a lot more flexible with letting employees work from home and will be open to suggestions for different working hours.
Start-ups are built up of a smaller, collaborative team. This can mean a better working environment as you will end up getting to know everyone within in the company really well.
It’s a tough industry out there and the majority of small businesses close down within the first 3 years. Start-ups will always carry the risk of shutting down unexpectedly due to no profit being made or even going bankrupt.
Working in a company that hasn’t been around for many years means that you will be in a constant battle with other competitors to make sure that your brand name is heard. When you are talking to potential clients, you will have to establish a level of trust before working with them as they will not be familiar with the name.
Normally in a smaller business, there are not as many processes put in place in comparison to a larger company – in some cases you may have to start from scratch and create your own processes for the next employee to work in your position.
You work in a company that is well-known and established, everyone knows who you are and you don’t have to build a level of trust with your clients. When you pick up the phone and tell clients where you work, they will already be familiar with the brand name. This will make your job a lot easier in general as (if you have built up a good reputation over the years) clients should trust you.
In larger companies, there will be employees who have worked within the industry for 5+ years. This is great if you want to evolve and progress within your job as you are constantly learning off of your peers.
A company that has been around for a long time will have investors behind them, they have seen the growth and have confidence within the business. It may be harder however for an investor to put money into a smaller Start-up company as they risk losing everything if they don’t turn over enough profit.
Your peers will be sat in their position for a good 5+ years. Unless they decide they want to leave there won’t be room for the same position to be filled, whereas in a start-up company they can generally be quite flexible with positions as they can never have enough staff.
Larger companies will have their own processes in place and will have worked like that from when they first started. If you are looking for a job that is flexible, working an a corporate company is not for you.
Candidates moving from larger corporate companies into smaller start-ups always say the same thing, “I feel like a number” or “they don’t notice me”. It can be hard for a director of a huge company to notice your hard work and achievements as they will be looking after a multi-billion pound business.
As you can see there are positives and negatives for both start-ups and corporates – it's great to think about these things before making your next move!
