Finding work in SME’s!
Finding your way to an SME job!
There is a perception that graduates just apply to and work for large employers. While there are large numbers that do this, many end up working for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s for short). Did you know that about 34% of graduates usually go onto work for SME’s? So why do these students apply for smaller, less well known companies? There are lots of positives, including the following;
You will get greater responsibilities earlier,
A wider range of experience early on with different clients or areas of the business, rather than being narrowly focussed in a large graduate scheme,
More chance to interact with senior leaders in the business, this should help widen skills, experience and knowledge,
Working in a more flexible and adaptable work environment could be far more interesting than a large corporate organisation,
In a smaller company you will get a better understanding of the industry quicker, which will help with any future job role changes,
Whilst the pay may not be quite as good, the work/life balance should be better!
So, in the ‘gloom’ of leaving education into a challenging economic situation, SME’s are still worth considering! Rebecca Fielding of Gradconsult recently came up with 10 top tips for those looking to find work with SME’s. These are discussed below and have turned into 11!
Top tips on finding SME jobs!
1) Read and follow the local business press editors. Rebecca suggests sheffield star’s business editor David Walsh is one great example. These local business press editors are usually big supporters of the local small business community and often share stories on growing local SMEs. Not sure how to find these editors? Local Media Works has a searchable facility to find local/regional news media.
2) Google local and regional small business awards and ‘fast growing’ lists. that will give you lots of inspiration for businesses to look into or contact.
3) Attend regional professional network events that are relevant to the profession you want to work in. There are often talks, workshops and networking events, where you can just meet others in the industry and keep up to date on current issues. Examples include CIPD, RIBA and Royal Society of Chemistry.
4) WHen you find an SME, do your research and get in contact. SME’s don’t always advertise vacancies. But they may create a role for a keen, committed person who shows real interest and skills relevant to their business.
5) Talk to your university careers service - they work with lots of employers, from local to international employers! As a graduate you can access support for at least 2 years, and sometimes for a lifetime after you have left.
6) Check out jobs boards which are free and therefore well used by SME’s. Your uni job board will have an online vacanies listings, there are also boards like indeed and monster. You may have to sort through a lot of grit but there is gold there too!
7) Check out graduate search sites that have dediacted SME pages like graduatejobsUk, prospects, Gradjobs and also regional sites like yorkshire grads.
8) Use your own local network! Ask your firends and family who they work for and who they know. You’ll be amazed at what you discover and who they can introduce you to.
9) Look into schemes like Rise (Sheffield), Grads for D2N2 from Nottingham Trent University and Graduate Champions from DMU, all looking to connect graduates and SME’s. On a slight tangent, another option is Charityworks, it helps small and large charities provide graduates with development opportunites.
10) Most SME’s dont have job titles like ‘Graduate/intern’ they use a job title to describe the job. So dont search for ‘graduate’ search for ‘assistant’ ‘administrator’ or ‘coordinator’. You’ll get a lot more results!
11) It’s worth finding out about the local Federation of Small Business and chambers of commerce too, they are a great way to connect with local companies.
I hope this list of top tips has given you some ideas on what you can do now. And if this blog has been helpful, how about reading ‘Surviving and thriving in a difficult economic climate’ or listening to Lancaster University’s Careers Service podcasts?
And lastly, good luck in finding your next role! Having worked as a careers adviser through different recessions, I’ve seen lots of people manage to find opportunities - which have sometimes taken them in a very unexpected but interesting career journey.
Mark Yates
Member of the Careers Writers Association
