Good Things Come
in Small Companies: Reconsidering Your Career
Path
Nan Knight
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Many chemistry majors and graduate students envision
themselves working for huge multinational corporations.
These are the recruiters who come to campus, and
these are the companies with the highest profiles.
But "large" chemistry-oriented companies
are in a distinct minority in the United States:
only 2.3% of all U.S. chemical manufacturing and
allied companies have more than 500 employees.
More than half of the companies in this industry
have fewer than 20 employees.
As recently as a decade ago, more than 70% of
new chemistry graduates went to work for large
companies and only 28% chose small companies (with
fewer than 500 employees). Today, almost half
of new chemistry graduates get their first job
with small businesses. The trend has been strengthened
by diversification in the industry, the growth
of "boutique" biotech firms that need
the support of staff chemists, and a competition
for good workers that has given many chemists
the opportunity to carefully evaluate what they
want from the workplace.
But for many chemistry students and those who
have entered the workforces of larger companies,
the "small" company remains a mystery.
What exactly constitutes "small"? How
do the structures and rhythms of work differ from
those in larger corporations? How do you learn
enough about a small company to be sure you want
to work there? And what goes on in there that
seems to be attracting so many able scientists?
No One Size Fits All
The first and most important thing to know about
small chemical companies is that no two are exactly
alike. Using the definitions set up by the U.S.
Small Business Administration, a small company
can have anywhere from 1 to 499 employees. It
can be family owned, employee owned, controlled
by a larger company, traded on the stock market,
or run as a research not-for-profit servicing
the chemical industry. Although every company
is required to follow national and local employment
laws, the atmosphere and work ethic can vary widely,
from come-as-you-are and work-the-way-you-need-to-work
to fresh-lab coat-every-day and punch-the-clock.
Speaking broadly, however, the old adage is true:
very good things can come in small packages. In
general, smaller companies offer new employees
certain advantages that they might not find working
for larger corporations. Some of these advantages
are quite tangible; others have to do with job
satisfaction. Whether you're a new graduate or
someone thinking about switching employment, the
small-company box may hold some pleasant surprises.
Sidebar:
What Makes A Satisfied Employee?
What's in the Box?
What's in the small company box for you? Although
every company is different, small business employees
and owners report that a range of interesting
opportunities awaits new employees.
- Lots of hats: In a smaller company, you're
less likely to find yourself doing one narrowly
defined job. Employees may be asked to perform
in several areas of strength or to pitch in
for group efforts. You may find yourself doing
basic science in the morning and a sales rep
briefing in the afternoon. The result is that
you know more about the company and more about
your own strengths and job preferences. You
may find that a hat you never thought of trying
on fits you perfectly.
- A megaphone: Your voice is louder in a small
company. One of the most common fears of recent
graduates is that they will become silent cogs
in a big-business operation. At a small company,
each worker is much more likely to have the
opportunity to speak up and be heard on topics
from research and development to which kind
of coffee to use in the break room. Your good
ideas, for innovation of techniques or advancement
of the company's scientific mission, will have
an easier time finding an audience with upper
management. And if these ideas are adopted,
you're much more likely to find yourself a part
of the team that sees them through to successful
completion.
- A smaller map: Smaller companies are
usually more geographically circumscribed. The
well-rounded workingman or woman of the 21st
century who may have strong ties to family and
community has (thankfully) supplanted the "Organization
Man" of the 1950s. Many of today's
workers are reluctant to sign on with huge multinational
corporations that may transfer them (or their
entire units) as often as every 2 years. With
a stable, smaller company you can be reasonably
sure that your job will still be where you want
it to be for the foreseeable future. And, if
you're looking to start a new job, small chemical
businesses offer a diversity of geographic locations
that allow you to choose your ideal community
at the same time that you choose a new employer.
- A piece of the pie: Many smaller companies
offer their employees stock, shared profits,
shared ownership, and other incentives to participate
materially in the success of the business. These
offerings are often more significant (and sometimes
less risky) than the standard stock options
offered by larger companies. Chemists at small
biotech firms have found themselves suddenly
wealthy in the new genomic revolution in medicine.
Owning a piece of the business also may position
employees to start up spin-off businesses with
new technologies (and the blessing of the parent
company). Most of all, having the opportunity
to own a part of the company gives employees
both a material investment and a sense of goal-directed
teamwork that may be lacking in larger corporate
settings.
- A rubber band: The shape of employment in
small businesses is as elastic as management
wants it to be. Flexibility is high on the list
of attributes all employees want in their jobs,
and smaller companies most often have the latitude
to structure your employment to fit your needs.
Some newer companies take an entirely laissez
faire attitude toward the scientific workplace:
as long as you get the job done, it doesn't
matter how, when, or in what way you do it.
Others allow as-needed deviations from routine-for
doctors' appointments, exercise, family matters-and
require only notification of supervisors, without
adjustments to pay or leave status. The flexibility
of the small company also may allow you to try
out different tasks, exploring new scientific
areas, receiving additional training, and pursuing
meaningful community activities, such as coaching
Little League or doing volunteer work.
- Secret compartments: Every really good package
has some unexpected extras hidden at the bottom.
In the case of small companies, these are the
intangibles that everybody talks around but
few employers address directly in their job
advertisements or brochures. Smaller companies
are more like families. You are more likely
to be valued for who you are, form lasting relationships
with co-workers and management, and make a real
difference in the company's mission and success.
Sounds corny, right? But when asked what they
most like about working for small companies,
employees give these answers first. For recent
graduates, the small company may provide the
flexible and supportive atmosphere that can
nurture a well-trained chemist into a great
scientist.
Outside the Box
All of these benefits may come with a job in
a small chemical business, but how do you find
these employers? More important, once you've found
them, how to you find out what which one offers
the work environment and challenges that best
suit you?
You can start looking for openings at small chemical
companies right here on JobSpectrum.org.
Professional journals and classifieds are another
source of information on who is hiring where.
But for the best jobs in smaller companies, the
experts advise that you do some serious networking:
tell your colleagues, professors, professional
contacts, and others, exactly what sort of job
you'd like to have. Ask if they know any smaller
companies who are working in your areas of interest.
Find out the names of the contacts at the companies,
and do your research before calling or sending
in a resume. Better yet, take advantage of the
career assistance available at scientific meetings.
The semi-annual meetings of the American
Chemical Society offer career fairs at which
prospective employees are matched up for a series
of interviews with representatives of companies
of all sizes.
You can get a good idea of the size, stability,
and financial situation of a smaller company by
a quick visit to the library or by checking on-line.
Resources like the D&B Business Rankings from
Dun & Bradstreet can tell you where the company
stands, and a good reference librarian can point
you to other resources that will tell you about
the company's history, work foci, growth, and
organization.
Once you've identified several smaller companies
in which you're interested, how do you find out
what working there is really like? The answer
here is simple: arrange a visit. If you have an
appointment for an interview, ask to see the facility.
Do employees seem friendly, interested, and engaged
in their work? Do they seem genuinely glad to
see the manager or manager's representative who's
taking you on the tour? Quite simply, does it
look like a place you'd like to work? If possible,
talk to one or two employees apart from your tour
guide. Ask them to name the two best and two worst
things about the workplace. Be direct with your
interviewer in asking about profit sharing, flexible
hours, employee participation in business decisions,
and any other factors that are important to you
in a job. Don't worry about sounding pushy; the
interviewer will see that you've given substantial
thought to what kind of company you'd like to
work for and that you're looking for long-term,
productive employment.
Think Small
When contemplating a career move or a first job
in chemistry, keep small companies in mind. Finding
the right one takes a little more effort, but
the rewards may give you a career that is more
satisfying and multidimensional than any you might
have imagined.
Nan Knight is a freelance science writer and editor
whose credits include Smithsonian exhibits, Discovery
Channel Web sites, and a wide range of publications
on radiation in medicine.
Related Reading
Chemical
Employment in Small Companies from the ACS
Department of Career Services discusses the process
of identifying and applying for jobs in small
companies.
Want to start your own business? Read Start
Me Up: Is Small Business Entrepreneurship in Your
Future? From the JobSpectrum Weekly archives.
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