Thursdays with CC: Small Pond, Big Pond

would you rather be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond?

ahhh. typical career dilemma. and right off, ill tell you, there is no cut and dried answer.

small pond = local. big pond = multinational > it's not as simple as this but for this post, ill reduce it for convenience.

after my stint with the academe, when industry beckoned, the choice was easy. multinational firm with multinational pay. the p&g's of this world was for me to pursue. but reality was harsh. why would 'em multis even pay attention to a non-marketing graduate when they have the best and brightest from business schools begging to be let in?

change industry. onwards to advertising. should be easier. i was a lot more practical now. and a local agency had an opening. grabbed it. but at that time, this local agency was actually a heavyweight. it had the biggest fmcg's in its client list. it was way up there with the multis in billings. my patriotism kicked in. i could proudly work for a local company that was big and respected.

change industry again. my current industry is dominated by multis then. local players were small shops mostly except for a couple of aggressive ones. patriotism took a back seat to the prospect of going multi, with its better cars and opportunities for travel.

but none of them was giving me the time of day. and only one local firm entertained me. do i hold out for a multi?

no, i didnt. this local company, right on the first day of interviews, treated me right. they were talking to me as a peer, as a potential valuable asset, actually. yes, it was one very small pond. but it was a pond that would give me the chance to hone my nascent skills and implement my ideas. and at the back of my mind, i was always thinking 'i can actually grow this pond!'. who says ponds have to remain this size anyway?

fast-forward. the pond has grown tremendously. export is a few years away. multis have tried to attract me and my people to join them. though the environment and the industry have both become increasingly complex, it is gratifying to note that this local company is at the forefront. it is shaping the landscape as much as it is being affected by it.

this is not to downplay multis. their scale and scope will always keep them at a certain level beyond locals. they have the infrastructure, systems and process that improve the consistency and reliability of their output. access to technologies would be faster. but they are also bureaucratic. and the wired world gets smaller and smaller everyday. locals are just a click away from the same technologies.

bottom line for me. pond size is relative and more importantly, irrelevant. don't reduce your career choices to such.


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