DISCOVER YOUR CAREER OPTIONS
CHOOSING WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU: MNCS, SMES OR STARTUPS When choosing a job, it’s important to find the right fit.
W
ithin the area of your chosen career, employers come in all shapes and sizes. Although they can be generally classified into multinational companies (MNCs), small or medium enterprises (SMEs), or startups, you will quickly find each company has a character and disposition of its own. It is important when you begin considering job offers — finding the right workplace is vital when you’re just first setting out your career.
Multinational companies (MNCs) Large firms that usually have one global head office and maintain facilities and assets in numerous countries other than its home country. MNCs are well-known companies with large operations bases and revenue. Some well-known organisations include Nestlé, Proctor & Gamble and Visa. MNCs tend to have strong and reputable brand value, and many graduates tend to attach a certain level of prestige to working for an MNC.
Positives of working for MNCs Opportunities As MNCs maintain a presence in numerous countries, there will be opportunities to travel and work around the world. This would give you the chance to work with diverse colleagues of different nationalities and backgrounds. Moreover, you can shift between departments within the same company, enabling you to update your résumé without having to search for a new job. Career progression is also fairly straightforward and you’ll be able to see the paths of progression ahead of you. Benefits MNCs, with their large revenues, can afford to spend. Due to this, they generally offer excellent benefits, from healthcare to corporate discounts. You may start off with a larger paycheque as well. Upskilling If moving between departments does not interest you, you can still hone your skills and master your trade as job scopes are more likely to be fixed. You can cultivate your expertise in one area of work as there will be training and upskilling provided as well. You will also be surrounded by successful experts who you can look up to as role models.
Negatives of working for MNCs Culture and opportunities Maintaining a shared culture is challenging in a company that sprawls across several countries with different values. As employees also tend to integrate into the company’s culture, some aspects of your individualism may get lost as rules and regulations are much stricter. While there are opportunities for cross-departmental tasks, most employees would find themselves moving within their own job scope with little reason to interact with other departments. Red tape Standard operating procedure (SOP), workflow and structure can be inflexible in a global organisation. The different levels of management also leave many MNCs resistant to change, which results in less autonomy for employees. On top of that, if you need approval for a decision or project, it may take some time for it to pass through all the required processes. Job satisfaction As one individual in a massive organisation, it can be hard to see how your work impacts the company. It can also be discouraging if you like to see the results of your work, leading to feelings of frustration and disconnect. Recognition is hard to come by and you may even end up feeling like an expendable cog in a large machine. Competition Graduates are not the only ones coveting positions in MNCs — so are experienced jobseekers. As such, competition for positions is fierce. Competition within large companies can be just as intense, if not more. Missteps may be used against you and, with countless jobseekers raring to join MNCs, a single mistake may endanger your career with the company.
38 | SIM CAREER GUIDE 2020
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