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A big part of the answer to this question depends on the goals of the individual. For those poeple who are intent on climbing the ladder and are looking for extrenal recognition, I would say that it is usually better to work for a larger company. I know from my days in larger companies and trying to climb the ladder that sometimes at a big compnay you have to work not only but harder and longer as well. I remember sitting at my desk in a sea of cubicles. It was well after five and I was finished with everything that had to be done but still I sat. Why you ask? Well simply my boss hadn't left yet. My boss at the time was a firm believer in no leaving before he did and he didn't leave until his boss left. If you got up and left on a regualar at the normal time, you could kiss your promotion goodbye. We were all also required to participate in the company golf league and various other social events. I was miserble. I did however have excellant benifits and the pleasure of saying oh I am a cost analyst with XYZ. It is also easier to find your next job when you have big hitters on your resume.

Small companies tend to be more people oriented and usually offer you chance to make a larger contribution. I always feel that I am important to the company and that while others could do the work, they would notice my absense. You also tend have more of a work family. So if your goals relate to more of a work life balnce situation, then maybe you want to consider a smaller company.

So how do I answer the posed question?

I think it is better to work for a small company than for a large company. At a small company, you often get a larger amount of experience and have the opportunity to learn more areas of the business. You also usually have the chance to make more decisions earlier in your career, develop true mentoring relationships and to have a "second" family.

There are some down sides to working for a small business. usually when you work for a small business you will not have as many benefits. You will probably have to pay more for your health insurance. You may have to forgo the Family Leave Act and some other guarantees that exist with large companies, but I feel that the benefits far outweigh the problems.

I currently work in a small business and I love it. I have the chance to take my children to work when I need to, (this is a great benefit for me because of the behavioral issues with my oldest who is too old for daycare), I have learned so much more than I ever learned at larger companies. I got to learn a retail function and human resource functions. I also got to expand my experience in accounting and in customer service. I would have always stayed in the accounting field if I had stayed in a large company. When you work in a large company you have a tendency to be pigeon holed into one set of tasks. You come in and perform these repetitive tasks over and over again and it is rare that you get the chance to see how the full system functions.
Of course each individual has to look into his or her own situation. When I was younger and did not have a family to take care of, I loved the recognition and the feeling of being a part of a large company. The benefits were great and I learned a good deal. As my responsibilites outside of work grew and I found that I wanted a different lifestyle. Each must judge for themselves.

Learn more about this author, Stephanie Jordan.
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