Graduate Careers Australia

Working in Small Business

Think Small: Working In Small Business

Every year around 3000 students graduate from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, most of them looking for full-time employment. Every year, major law and accountancy firms approach campus promoting themselves to final year students and recent graduates as the place to work. From those firms a few hundred or so positions will be made available and will be filled from a larger pool of graduates and students from all over the country. The numbers clearly don't add up - what options are left to the final year student or graduate?

Small firms are big employers. Companies with fewer than 10 employees form the majority of New Zealand businesses and are present in greater number – in 1998 they accounted for just over 90 per cent of firms in the Wellington region [Source: Statistics NZ ‘Business Activity 1998’]. The work they do is not greatly different from their larger counterparts, and offers many of the same opportunities.

Playing the numbers game, there is a greater chance of finding work among a large number of small companies than from among a small number of larger companies – and this is recognised by employers as well. Smaller and lower profile firms approach career development and employment knowing that there are a large number of highly qualified and appropriate students and graduates able to fill their positions, and are able to recruit them either as part of the graduate recruitment program, or on an 'as needed' basis advertising in 'Current Vacancies' or running a direct mail campaign.

So, what are some of the benefits of a small company? Simply because they are smaller, decision making and areas of strategic responsibility can be often be shared more freely than in a larger organisation. Similarly, the potential for acquiring a wide range of expertise may be more quickly realised because less people carry a broader range of responsibilities. Some people say that in a smaller firm, there is a better chance of having their 'finger on the pulse' of what is going on. In addition, with a small organisation, if it is growing , you're in the best position to take advantage of any new jobs which are being created along the way.

From the job hunting point of view, with a small organisation there's no problem in identifying the person who has the power to hire you. It's the boss - and everyone knows who that person is. There's usually no Personnel or HR department to screen you out, and generally, if they can recruit someone without having to advertise they will. Networking, cold calling and getting your referees to recommend you are key elements to finding work in a small company.

Think 'Small' and open yourself to more opportunities ... good luck!

This article was written by the Careers Advisory Service at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. While it was originally developed for a New Zealand audience, we believe that graduates in Australia will also find the information within it relevant and useful.

Check out the excellent resources available on the Victoria University of Wellington's Careers Homepage .

• Victorian Government Unblocks the Compliance Obligations Drain
• Think Small: Working In Small Business