Why You Should Work for a Great Team than a Great Company
You boss is the one that will either make you or break you.
From the moment we gain consciousness as a student to the point where we walk on to the stage to receive our degree, all we hear about is “make sure you apply at a well renowned company”. Why are people so fixated on the idea of working for a bigger company? What do they think comes out of being a part of a larger organization? Answer is simple, they think about the name and the money that comes with that brand or company.
Once you enter the world of professionalism there is so much more than goes into that job. You may have set your foot in the door by getting hired, but are you really going to be set up for success? That is the underlying idea that does not receive acknowledgement by most people.
I was fortunate enough to start my career with a well renowned company, and I stayed with them for a good amount for time. But after one point it felt like no matter what I did, how much effort I put in, it was leading to a dead end. Truthfully, I learned so much about the industry, met some extremely intelligent people and had the chance to pitch in some good ideas. All those things apart, I did not feel connected to my management. There was a gap that led to miscommunication. No one decision stayed constant, there was a change incorporated into every thing everyday. I felt overwhelmed.
These little things are rooted into your management. Irrespective of the success that company had, my professional success was hindered by people around me. People that were supposedly designated leaders. And these leaders are the ones that will decide how the route to your success within the company.
Many times, leaders and management feels threatened by an employee’s ability to express themselves. The ability to walk into a room with their head held high and politely request what they deserve. And if you have that ability, then no matter how successful your organization is, it’s the immediate mentors that will block your way with their insecurities of watching you succeed. Bossing someone around is a lot easier and satisfying than watching that same person take a promotion and step out of that territory. It takes a great amount of courage to be a mentor that does not feel the need to keep his team members in one place for the rest of their careers.
It took me good four years to realize this thing. It took two two employers two learn my lesson and finally understand that it is the “team” you work with that matters the most. It is the people who want to watch you succeed that matter. The money that comes with that job will continue to rise when your peers feel confident in contributing toward your success. When they teach you something for the purpose of “teaching” you and not bossing you around. When their criticism is constructive and not destructive. When their words are not harsh on you. And their connection with you is of focused on developing as a team and enhancing productivity.
To fresh graduates out there, please do not limit yourself to big companies. Do your research about the team you will be working with. Find people on LinkedIn that are employed by that company, specifically in the area you will be working in. Get in contact with them and try to connect with them. Ask them how long they have been with the company and why did they choose to stick around? People appreciate honesty and so they will be honest with you if you ask them to be. Keenly observe what they mention or do not mention during your conversation. During your interviews you should ask questions to the recruiter and the hiring manager, these questions should be open ended and focus on uncovering where previous employees went. What career paths they took upon and how did they reach that point.
Remember, again, it is the team that matters.
