Jiajia Lin
Futures First Ambassador & Placement Student at Audit Partnership
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to work for a big multinational corporation where you could potentially have better access to resources and opportunities? But does this mean a relatively small company has less to offer?
Having to spend a whole year doing my placement in a smaller-sized company, my answer is no! I can see my commercial awareness has strengthened throughout the placement, and I have become more tactful and goal-oriented.
I won’t go through the exhaustive list of advantages and disadvantages of working in a smaller company, as a quick Google would do the job. However, I will use my experience to demonstrate that a smaller company would have a very similar offer as a multinational company, perhaps more.
One to one mentoring
I did my placement in a company called Audit Partnership Ltd, which had about 160 employees (Classified as a medium-sized company). I got assigned with a mentor when I first joined the company, who was my team leader and very patient and understanding! He would offer one to one mentoring and ensured I was on the right track. For me, the hands-on learning experience was an efficient way to learn about the job in a less stressful manner. As a newbie, it is reassuring to know that someone is there to help you and answer your queries!
Multitasking
Another aspect is that you are likely to develop your multitasking skills, and it is a great opportunity to learn about the other areas of the business operation. For example, a chaser from a department, who sends claims to the suppliers and ensures they pay within the agreed term days, may also audit the accounts when there is an upcoming deadline. As you can see, there is flexibility in terms of how this company operates to ensure greater efficiency is achieved. Smaller companies often require employees to be innovative, creative and able to adapt quickly to changes. Managers value inputs from the employees as these are the people who do the work daily. So, if that’s you, perhaps a smaller company might be a good choice!
Increased Recognition
Lastly, you are more likely to be recognised, which is easier to build a network! (I used to attend the HIIT session, provided by the company, with managers from other departments and the CEO!) Increased recognition comes with the benefit of more opportunities, thus higher chances of being promoted! This piece of career advice was actually coming from the HR manager, during my first week of training!
In conclusion, working in a small company would have a similar experience as to working in a bigger-sized company. You would perhaps get more support post-training, opportunities to have your hands-on other areas and work in a more “family” like environment.
Find out more about the Futures First Ambassadors here.
Discover placement opportunities here.