When you are looking for a new job, factors like salary and prestige are important, but they are by no means the only important aspects. Big companies often will be able to offer the biggest salaries and have the most prestigious work force, but that does not mean that they are necessarily the best starting point. Sometimes it is better to get your foot in the door somewhere smaller, even if it means taking a little bit of a pay cut. This may not look as appealing on the outset, but joining a small company can give you room to grow your career much more quickly than you could at a larger firm.
The main reason for this is the room for learning. At a large corporation you are expected to be dynamite at your new job very quickly. This is great if it is a field that you are well versed in, but can be incredibly stressful if you are still getting your bearings. Large corporations are competitive, and every employee is replaceable to some degree. At a large firm you are judged on the merit of your work more than on the merit of your potential. With a small company you are more likely to be given the room to learn the ins and outs of your new job, with a supportive staff, which can be a great way to get up to speed in your new field.
If you want to diversify your skill-set, a small business is the perfect place to be. If you are an accountant, but want to learn about sales, it can be tough at a big corporation. There you are hired to work in your department, not to learn about other aspects of a business. With a smaller firm there is more of a team mentality, and your co-workers will often help you learn about what they do. If you are considering changing fields this can be a great place to be, as it allows you to work with multiple aspects of a business.
Small businesses also have a much smaller ladder, which makes it much easier to climb. If you are working for Nike or Wells Fargo or Allstate you are going to have a tough time climbing up and being one of the most important people at the company. If you are working for a small town insurance company, or a local credit union, you can actually prove yourself and become one of the most dynamic people at the company. Being the vice-president of a local credit union does not have the same salary as being the vice-president of Wells Fargo, but it is far more attainable. The smaller ladder can actually be a positive instead of a negative.
It is important to remember that all the skills you learn at a small business are transferable, and if you decide to go back into the corporate sector you will be a more qualified candidate. Being able to put more prestigious job-titles on your CV will impress future employers. So even though the pay is generally less, a small-business might be the perfect place for you to grow your career, either inside the realm of the small business, or as a stepping stone to a bigger job at a bigger company.