What Size Company To Work For?

Aug 3

4 min read

"Going to work for a large company is like getting on a train. Are you going sixty miles and hour or is the train going sixty miles and hour and you’re just sitting still."

- J. Paul Getty

In the job search arena, your primary focus is on finding that J.O.B. However, you should also be thinking about what size of company you want to work for. There are, of course, a variety of industries and companies that sell product versus those that deliver a service. The choices on these topics are likely defined a bit for you already based on your education and past job experience. But the focus here is to think about the size and the history of the company that you are going to join. There are companies of all sizes, but I have grouped them into three categories.

I have had the pleasure of working for companies with hundreds of thousands of people and those with under 100. People have asked me which is better and the answer is, ‘it depends’. There are good and challenging with all companies. It is also important to note that even in large companies they are typically comprised of many smaller parts. So you might be a piece of a very large company, but work in a smaller company that was just acquired or a new initiative. Everything about this topic is very unique to each company and can also be very fluid.

The Mega Companies:

These are companies with thousands, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of employees. Fortune 500 types of companies. Names like…Ford, Target, IBM, Google, Disney, US Bank, etc. There are many more than 500 and once you get above a couple of thousand employees, I think they start to just all feel very large.

What are some of the characteristics about working in these super large companies?

You will feel secure based on their size.
They will be very organized with processes defined and procedures.
There will be upward mobility for promotions within the company.
You will have a lot of co-workers.
Your ability to impact the business will feel limited. Much like the quote from J. Paul Getty above.
It is difficult to change the direction and course of these companies.
Day to day life will likely be fairly predictable and repetitive.
You will likely feel a bit more like a number verses a name.
These businesses are less likely to be acquired and more likely to be acquiring.
These businesses will be more focused on quarterly results and likely are publicly held.

The Smaller to Mid-size companies:

These are companies with ~50 or more people up to perhaps 500 or maybe 1000. The company names will not be known to you or advertised on social media. They will show up at very focused industry shows or publications.

What are some of the characteristics about working in these small to mid-size companies?

You will likely get to know most of the people in the company.
The company will likely be focused on one product, service or industry.
The influence of a very few at the top will be felt through the organization.
There will be few processes and more tribal knowledge in the business.
These businesses might change direction quickly.
They are more likely to be acquired.
The focus will likely be on longer term results versus quarterly results and are more likely to be privately held.

The Mini-size companies:

These are companies with 1 to 30 people. They will be very focused on a single deliverable to their market. They are likely owned privately, but could be young or old. Marketing companies, small machine shops, law firms, food industry, etc. Often more of these companies will focus on services. However, these are also the start-ups and entrepreneurial companies.

What are some of the characteristics about working in these mini companies?

There will be a single leader driving the business. If you don’t connect with this person quickly, then this might not be the right company for you.
The work of the team will be directed by this leader.
There will be a lot of flexibility in the work space and processes (usually).
These companies could be very young in their life cycle or quite established.
You will want to understand are they a ‘life-style’ company where the owner just wants a certain return or are they a growth focused company driven to grow rapidly.
Upward mobility with promotions will likely be limited, but in a life style company as long as you get along with the leader then you are probably fairly stable in your position.

I have sometimes started to think about naming these characteristics for the Mega, Small/Mid or Mini sized companies as Pro’s and Con’s. But really each individual person will likely see these business characteristics as positives or negatives depending on their personality or their current status in life. Do you have three kids, a large mortgage and want to be home at 5:00 pm most days…that will cater to a different lifestyle than someone that is single with no kids…maybe.

You will be spending most of your waking hours working at/for/with this company. It is important to think through the types of company characteristics and prepare yourself to live in that environment if/when you are successful landing that job opportunity.

Finding a job is important…very important. Finding the right size company to make your home is important too. Size doesn't always matter, but in this case it might be important. Otherwise, you may be looking for the next job sooner than you think.