Job Searching Small Business
The point of contact is usually the owner or manager instead of a personnel officer. They will be looking for how you do things; are you flexible, willing to work in multiple areas, energetic and do you get things done? Small business employers are entrepreneurs who possess all of these characteristics.
Employers also look for these characteristics in a potential employee:
- Ability to assume responsibility
- Ability to assume responsibility
- Initiative/drive/resourcefulness
- Motivation
- Ability to handle stress
- Self-discipline
- Desire to succeed
- Desire to succeed
- Confidence/self reliance
- Interpersonal skills
- Flexibility
- Oral communication skills
Candidates should not list course work on a resume. Employers want to know what you can do and listing courses does not tell them that. Tell about your knowledge base and give examples of how you accomplish tasks.
Also, don’t say "I am willing to learn", rather say, "I know how to learn", giving examples.
A new employee will have direct responsibility for the bottom line, as well as immediate impact on projects. So the employer will be seeking candidates who can hit the ground running.
Want an interview ?
Small business employers will rarely use neutral sites for interviewing and rarely do long distance interviewing. If you want to interview with a small business, plan on going to the business site.
Things to be ready for when you get to the interview:
- Do you know who you are (the employer is looking for a realistic life plan); also can you get along with people?
- Are you a problem solver (concrete examples will help greatly in demonstrating this to the employer)?
- Be ready at the interview to meet more of the employees on your first visit than with a larger company.
- Employers hire quickly, especially when they are in a progressive mode. Be ready to make a decision in a short time when an offer is given.
- Tell how you can produce quickly by providing solid examples of skills.
- Small companies are more selective because hiring is an investment that has immediate effect on the bottom line.
- Exhibit flexibility in doing a variety of tasks, i.e., if you are an engineer, will you also work in customer service if needed?
What to ask the employer:
- Ask questions about turn over and the company’s annual growth rate.
- If not talking to the owner, ask what the interviewer thinks of the person for whom they work.
- Ask if the company experienced a layoff.
- Ask about the vision of the organization.
- Ask about service delivery, new products, technology for staff use to get the job accomplished.
RESEARCH THE EMPLOYER
Most small companies operate quietly. Finding out about these smaller companies takes time and ingenuity. Begin by researching companies that match your areas of interest, such as geographical limitation, employee size of the company, and interest in the industry of the business. This will make your potential employer list manageable and targeted to you personally. A good number to start your research with is 15 - 20 companies.
How to locate small business? There are many methods, but here are a few:
(Obvious methods)
- City directories, local Economic Development office, etc.
- Local newspapers (classified ads and business section)
- Telephone book yellow pages
(Indirect methods)
- Local business organizations
- Professional associations
- Industry vendor/suppliers
(Direct method)
- Your personal network. Networking is one of the best methods to get information on small businesses.
Where to find information on the employers you’ve located:
- At the library: directories, financial sources, magazines, newspapers, general industry analysis reports or articles.
- Look in the community: government offices, Chamber of Commerce - Industrial Development Board, Job Service, Better Business Bureau, local competitor, customers, supplier, trade or professional associations.
- People who can help: business librarians, placement counselors, reporters for local (broadcast and print) media, your personal network, your prospective employer (in an informational interview).
THE SMALL BUSINESS PRACTICE IS TO HIRE AS NEEDED, SO HOW CAN YOU HIT A MOVING TARGET FOR A JOB?
Informational Interviews: Employers in small companies want to talk about their businesses, because they live their jobs. Personal referrals are one of the best contact points between employers. A good information interview can lead one employer to refer you to other employers for more information interviews. Plan ahead, set the goals you want your interview to achieve, show confidence and a winning image.
Temporary Employment: Small businesses are increasingly using Job Service offices and temporary service agencies to access workers immediately. Small companies often use "temps" whom they later hire on a permanent basis. Job seekers should re-examine their attitude about temporary jobs, these are no longer left-over jobs. Temporary work provides an opportunity to exhibit the "flexibility" that small and medium businesses are seeking in new employees.
The Chamber of Commerce: How can you use your Chamber of Commerce to get closer to employers? Use the Chamber as a place to network, especially by attending their public programs and events. Also consider volunteering at the Chamber to assist at their events.
Internships: Intern positions can help the small business to get the work done. As a potential employee, an internship provides the employer with a good way to screen you as a prospective employee. These opportunities offer students actual job experience and networking contacts.
NATURE OF THE SMALL BUSINESS:
- Less structure, greater flexibility
- Ability to see bottom line when projects are complete
- Work environment is different than larger company
- Implementation of ideas is immediate
- Environment more receptive to new ideas
- Closer to decision maker, open door is more readily accessible
- Growth mode allows greater advancement in responsibility
- Name recognition of company may not be widely known
- Compensation and benefits may not be as competitive as larger businesses
- Career advancement is not measured by job title, but rather by responsibility given
- Limited resources for training and personal development
- Inconsistent employment needs
- Difficult to develop a mentor relationship
The small or medium business can be an employment site of choice. The new employee often is given responsibility that directly reflects on the bottom line, has variety on the job, and works in an environment different from a large corporate structure.
