Straight after university, I secured a job at a large corporation. I worked in the IT department and was responsible for planning, costs and regulations. At the time, I was ecstatic to have found a role in such an established company. After six years passed, I realised working in a large corporation was holding back my career. It was time to make a change. Here are the reasons why I decided to stop being a corporate cog and became a valued team player at Decision Focus.
You would expect to have access to more opportunities and projects in a large company. When you work in the corporate world, there are also lots of competition. Everybody is vying for the best clients and projects. It’s hard to get noticed when thousands of people work in one company. Also, creative thinking might not fit with a large corporate machine.
After only one year at Decision Focus, I have noticed a considerable difference. You have access to so many more varied projects. You can express your creative thoughts and often get the reigns to do it yourself. Also, the collaborative, no-blame, no-politics culture at Decision Focus is so refreshing. It’s enjoyable to work here, and every day brings new exciting challenges and experiences.
At Decision Focus, you can enjoy close relationships with clients. These strong relationships develop fast and are beneficial for all projects. It is convenient when problems arise. You can grab the bull by the horns and inform the client of the situation when it happens. These client relationships speed the whole process up. It allows you to provide a quick solution.
In the corporate world, this is not the case. Everything takes far more time. You have a slow, arduous chain of command to follow when issues arise. It’s not something you can deal with straight away with the client. Also, when things go wrong, problems tend to escalate to a superior. At Decision Focus, problems are seen as opportunities to grow for me and the company. It’s a working experience for everybody.
After university, I wanted to work somewhere that gave me the opportunities to show what I could do. My corporate role didn’t give me the chance to use my skills to their full extent. I applied for several different positions and projects. But I was unsuccessful every time. These knock-backs were disappointing for my career. Everything felt rigid in the company and, at times, boring.
At Decision Focus, it is the opposite experience. I can always enjoy client-facing roles that are interesting and varied. Within a few short months, I was leading on my own projects. You have the total freedom to show what you can do. Then when your abilities shine through. You can enjoy the prospect of having more opportunities. It’s an exciting way to work.
Many implementations used by larger organisations are “out of the box” solutions. These implementations are not always the best solutions. While working at Decision Focus, it has been exciting to build systems from scratch. You can start working with nothing but a “blank sheet of paper”. It’s the ultimate in real end-user involvement. You can enjoy creating something that matches the needs of the client.
The corporate job didn’t give scope for any personal or professional growth. It was pretty much doing the same thing day in day out. At times I felt like I was “stuck in the mud”. It was the typical feeling of “toeing the line” and following what everyone else was doing, the feeling of being one of several thousand employees. It’s quite frustrating when you know you can do other things.
I have open space to develop as a person at Decision Focus. It was eye-opening to receive a project with some guidelines and then hear the words “off you go”. It’s a significant boost to your self-confidence and abilities when a company trusts you to use your skills. On top of all this, the team is friendly and personable, making it a pleasure to come to work.
At Decision Focus, clients provide positive feedback throughout the projects. Because the client relationships are close, you have access to this direct feedback. This type of feedback doesn’t always filter down in larger organisations. You might hear about positive results from a manager, but not always from the client. I have found client feedback here is far more motivational.
Changing my role and moving to Decision Focus was the best decision for my career. Working here will challenge your assumptions about small companies compared to large ones. In one year at Decision Focus, I have developed more than six years in my corporate role. It is a great place to work, and they are hiring again soon. Get in touch, and you can also enjoy the positive difference in your career!