I was asked by a colleague last week:
What is a better route to take – Public Company or Private Company
And my answer is…
It truly is a personal preference – mainly because there are pros and cons to each!
For instance, if you enjoy working with a big team, having access to elite resources and knowing exactly what your career trajectory looks like over the next 10-years, having stability, then I’d say you’re probably better suited for a publicly traded company.
However, if you lean more toward an entrepreneurial spirit, you’re not super hung up on titles and you enjoy figuring things out for yourself, then private might be a better fit for you. There won’t be as many fancy resources, softwares and tools, but there is much less red-tape so you can make decisions and earn more responsibility a lot quicker.
My advice?
Look inward. What size company would you prefer to work at? What do you enjoy about your profession? What type of environment suits your frame of mind, skills and interests most?
When we engage with job seekers that are thinking about a change, we’ve found the process is most effective when they’ve already done this internal audit (no pun intended) before reaching out to us.
For example, let’s say I have two candidates approaching me.
Candidate 1 says:
“I don’t care about public or private. I don’t care if it’s manufacturing or healthcare. I don’t care about location or title. I don’t even care if it’s finance or accounting. I just need a job.”
That is not going to help me, help you.
Meanwhile Candidate 2 says:
“I definitely want to be in an organization that does over 50 million but under 500 million in annual revenue, in manufacturing, in Charlotte.”
This is the type of person I want to work with because he/she knows exactly what they’re looking for and I can keep my eye out for specific roles that fit that criteria.
Coming to us with at least the ideal size of organization, industry, and public/private gives us the ability to work harder FOR you.
Moral of the story?
Self-awareness is everything when it comes to your career and overall happiness.
What tips would you suggest to someone trying to become more self-aware?
