BUILDING CAREERS IN SMES

Is a smaller company a good place to build a career?

We were in Dublin last week for Digital Talent EU Days, where our Chief Strategy Officer, Philip Black, joined a panel on just that question.

The panel’s answer was broadly yes. And not only for graduates. Plenty of people moving into SMEs are well into their careers.

We think AI is part of the reason. As it takes on more of the routine work, more of a person’s value sits in their judgement. And judgement comes from making real decisions and living with the results. A smaller company tends to put you closer to more of those decisions, sooner.

It can be a rollercoaster. At a one-year-old company, don’t expect career pathways or structured one-to-ones. Not everyone loves a rollercoaster, but plenty of people do. And you grow in ways nobody planned, which suits curious people best.

But call us out if this isn’t your experience. Where did you build most of your judgement?

Thanks to the Digital Talent EU Days team and BDVA, Cindy McCarthy and Dr. Shirley Kavanagh, who shared the panel with Phil.