All of us have a different career path and growth. It seems like an obvious fact, right? However, what’s not always obvious is that despite the different paths we all come across, we are all presented with the same or similar choices at each step of the way.
I’ve always believed that the vast differences in each one’s career path are triggered by the smallest choices we make. Sometimes the choices could be the company that we want to work in. Should it be a large multinational corporation (MNC)? Should it be a Small-to-Medium Enterprise (SME)? Or should it be a scale-up?
Well, since you’ve read the title, you already know where I stand with this choice. So, let’s jump straight to why working with a scale-up can not only help your career path, but also lead to a more fulfilled professional life, compared to working in an MNC or an SME.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”
— Steve Jobs
A few simple yet significant factors determine how holistic your experience will be working in any company, and a scale-up such as CLEVR comes closest to this experience. Why? Because I feel that at a scale-up, you can truly make an impact. You can be hands-on, be presented with different career paths, continue learning, grow whichever way you want: Do you want to move up the career ladder? Do you want to explore moving sideways in a parallel path? Do you want to continue learning while working? The possibilities are endless and quicker to realize. There are so many benefits when working at a scale-up. Let me take you through them.
1. You Choose Your Own ‘Roles and Responsibilities’
Ideally, if you are looking for a job, this is one of the first things you would look at while looking at a job description. What are the so-called ‘Roles and Responsibilities’?
At a scale-up, you get to choose your own roles, responsibilities and also discuss the results you need to deliver with your manager. It’s an interactive process that isn’t just about your daily job. In the long run, you get to pick the trajectory you want so that you can become an expert in the niche of your choice.
A corporate environment doesn’t give room for this flexibility, the SME space has its limitations, and growing can be a relatively slow process. However, at a scale-up, you are allowed to be at the helm of your career in a more hands-on way.
2. You Interact With Different Mindsets
As opposed to a large company, a scale-up usually follows an agile model where different teams are constantly interacting with each other. This means you get to continuously work with different people and mindsets while turning ideas into a reality.
There’s room for innovation through collaboration. You are exposed to different parts of the process and hence get an overall picture. Furthermore, you develop a sense of empathy when you start to see everything from multiple perspectives.
This not only helps you grow as a professional, but it is also exciting because you are constantly learning new things while expanding your own spectrum of knowledge in a multicultural environment.
3. Creating Something Of Your Own
This is perhaps one of the most significant factors that sets a scale-up company apart from an MNC or an SME. In the latter two, you are either just part of the wheel or in some cases, overwhelmed or underwhelmed with tasks because there are too many or too little people in your department. Here, you feel like you are creating something of your own and making an actual difference. You can be hands-on while setting up the pace of your work.
This helps you understand and imbibe ownership qualities because, at the end of the day, it’s not a company’s work. It’s your product or project that helps to shape the future of the organization.
Conclusion
Besides these three most important factors, there are numerous others such as impact-oriented mindset, the diversity of cultures, and the sheer energy of your workplace that add to your experience. As a Head of Talent Acquisition at a scale-up like CLEVR, I’ve been a facilitator and an observer of these things that form our culture.
Combining all these together results in a much more fulfilling, integral and exciting experience that can help you evolve both as a person and a professional.
So, next time you choose your next step or want to shift, look at these factors. They just might help build your career.
Do you find the CLEVR culture intriguing? Start a dialog with us on how you can bring value to our company while growing in your career. Or apply for an open position with an inspiring motivation letter.
