Your career questions answered:A letter from my former management student at the University of Perpetual Help-Las Pinas

                              

" I've spent my career so far working for large organizations, but I want a change. How different will I find it to work for a small business"- Mary-Ann

The Answer:
First you would consider the reasons behind your desire to change jobs. You want a new position that will address your current concerns, but if you don't fully understand these it is unlikely that you will be happy in your next job no matter where it is.

It could be that you feel your current employer doesn't appreciate your efforts, that there is a lack of career prospects r you don't find the work interesting. In such scenarios working for a small or medium sized enterprise, a company with fewer than 250 members of staff, may offer the solutions you are looking for.

GA Consultancy survey found that employees of SMEs were not only happier in their work , but they were also more loyal and more committed to their roles than working for larger organizations. This is thought to be a result of staff being able to more readily see their impact upon a business's success or the greater sense of community that is easier to foster in smaller organization. when it comes to day to day job roles the biggest difference between SMEs and larger organizations is usually the variety of work and level of responsibility. In SMEs staff members usually have to approach their work with greater degree of flexibility , whereas in larger organizations individuals may be tasked with a single area of responsibility within a larger departmental team. Often in smaller businesses one person is more likely to work across a range of activities and will generally have closer relationships with other areas of the business.

For quality professionals this can mean moving from an expansive quality team to being solely responsible for quality, health and safety and environmental systems. This can be a huge challenge , but also very rewarding and an opportunity to work with everyone in an organization.

Moving to an SME gives individuals the opportunity to be more hands on and, with fewer levels of management., there can be a lot less red tape if you want to change a process or system. However, this can be a bit of a culture shock for some individuals, especially those from more senior roles within a large business.

While greater flexibility and more challenging work maybe appealing, you must also bear in mind that working in SME generally does not offer the same level of remuneration or the benefits, in terms of pension contribution for example, that working for a large organization can bring.