SMEs vs MNCs: Benefits of working in a Singaporean SME

Looking back as I completed my bachelor graduation ceremony, I wished someone had shined light on how different realistic work life was going to be from my own expectations.

In my time with CoAssets, that is coming up to 11 months, it dawned upon me that my years of education had prepared me for a job interview and not the job itself. Soft skill sets such as critical thinking, analysing datasets, and being confident when delivering presentations was something I could not pick up and learn from textbooks. I then realised that I needed to expose myself to an SME to strive for growth and development in my career.

According to LinkedIn findings from job listings, employers these days are seeking out and are looking to employ people with digital prowess, creativity and strong communication, favouring applicants with both hard and soft skills. Whilst having hard skills for one’s profession is important, gaining the soft skills allows one to move up and will likely take one beyond routine work.

Soft skills beyond technical expertise
Promotions and moving up the ladder in one’s career can vary between the various industries in Singapore, and typically it has been found that it takes years for someone who starts off as a junior to move up to an associate position and claim more responsibilities. In one instance, it takes a junior analyst at an investment bank six years to progress to an associate level.

At CoAssets, I’m able to work on a variety of tasks from setting key performance indicators for a junior team to having say and influence on project executions. With the constant high pressure, the learning curve tends to be much steeper in this fast-paced environment. I was privileged and given the honour to lead and manage the SOAR Conference held in Singapore that was attended by esteem guests such as Jim Rogers, who shared insights on investments and valuable knowledge on the market and trends. Taking charge of such a large-scaled event, it enabled me to improve my project management skills, create external partnership opportunities and excite my colleagues within internal departments. Reflecting on the skills I’ve acquired in such a short span of time that would have only been possible at a managerial level in an MNC, I’m grateful for all that I’ve learnt. 

Carving out roles
Whilst MNCs are well known for its large operations and revenue, strong brand recognition, diverse working cultures, to master one’s own trade, they often come with rigid organisational structures. In other words, high levels of bureaucracy. One of the key reasons for choosing CoAssets, is primarily because they did not have a marketing department to begin with that allowed me to fill in the gap, create and set various functional processes. Despite being a junior and fresh entrant, I was given the responsibility to create marketing policies for the group that allowed me to understand how different departments such as operations, technology, and sales work together cohesively.

Furthermore, it has been said that SME’s are a key pillar of Singapore's economy, contributing 48% of its GDP, employing about 65% of its workforce and constituting 99% of all its enterprises.

Flat hierarchy
Research and books are always advising us to ask ourselves a couple of key questions before we consider applying at a particular workplace – such as where do we see ourselves fitting in or does the company culture align with our personality and goals?

I believe that finding the right manager could set a great path in one’s career progression. Having to report directly to my CEO, poses to be a challenge daily, as I have the responsibility of making calls on difficult decisions. This invariably, has made me progress and climb the ladder faster than many would have expected. All in all, working in a fast-paced environment, I can advise the young onlookers that working at an SME is a hands-on, self-learning journey and experience as opposed to following any structure or protocol of some sort that will enable one to gain maximum exposure as one manages and juggle’s various responsibilities.