Whether you are just starting out in your career or are an expert, everyone asks themselves these questions at some point: – Which employer is right for me? – In what kind of environment am I most likely to feel comfortable? – Where can I develop further? Perhaps you are currently facing this important career decision yourself. Of course, we can't give you blanket answers to these questions. Where you end up being happier and more satisfied depends on so many factors and your personal preferences. There is no one employer, one corporate culture, or one environment that will make everyone happy, and we can't make that decision for you. What we can do is give you an insight into the different worlds. To do this, we asked our colleague Andy, who moved from a large corporation back to a medium-sized company (catworkx), so he knows both sides very well.
Please introduce yourself briefly! Who are you? What do you do at catworkx?
Andy: My name is Andreas, but everyone calls me Andy! Together with my colleague Benjamin, I am Head of Atlassian Experts.
What made you decide to leave a large corporation and join catworkx?
Andy: There were three main reasons for my decision to leave Axel Springer after more than 15 years. Firstly, I was responsible for the print division, which was in decline at Axel Springer. This meant that I had limited scope for creativity.
Secondly, with Axel Springer moving to Berlin, there was a latent risk for me as a Hamburg resident that I would have to relocate. Thirdly, I was – and still am – deeply convinced that German companies have a very high need to optimize processes and also want to work more collaboratively. This means there are plenty of use cases for the Atlassian toolchain!
Was the transition easy for you?
Andy: The transition was easy for me, partly because my colleagues at Axel Springer gave me such a warm and appreciative send-off. However, it was unusual at first at catworkx: I came from a position with technical and personnel responsibility. Suddenly, I didn't have as many appointments, and when I started here at catworkx, my inbox wasn't overflowing right away. It was a kind of cold turkey. However, since it was a conscious decision, I was able to handle it well. The transition was easy for me, also thanks to the very warm and appreciative farewell from my colleagues at Axel Springer. However, it was unusual at first at catworkx: I came from a position with technical and personnel responsibility. Suddenly, I didn't have as many appointments, and when I started here at catworkx, my inbox didn't immediately overflow. It was a kind of cold turkey. But since it was a conscious decision, I was able to handle it well.
Do you sometimes miss the corporate environment?
Andy: Not really: My assumption about the potential of Atlassian tools has been confirmed. And at catworkx, I have just as good a relationship with my colleagues and employees as I did at Springer.
What opportunities does a change offer?
Andy: We are leaving the beaten track and embarking on new paths. Trying out new possibilities ensures that new energy is released.
Welche Vorteile bietet ein Unternehmen wie catworkx im Vergleich zu einem Konzern, Deiner Meinung nach?
Andy: It offers a better opportunity to get involved in a company's strategy and fewer “political” constraints.
Conclusion
In medium-sized companies, you have the opportunity to grow and develop alongside the company. In large corporations, the areas of responsibility and tasks of individual employees are often very precisely defined and delineated. If you want a job with more individual freedom and a broader range of tasks, you will probably feel more comfortable in a medium-sized company. Smaller companies often have a more informal working atmosphere and you may have closer and more frequent contact with your colleagues, including those from other departments. Thanks to greater flexibility, fewer “political” constraints, flat hierarchies, and short decision-making processes, ideas can often be implemented more easily.
If you like having creative freedom, want to take on responsibility, and prefer flat hierarchies, short decision-making processes, and a family-like working atmosphere, a medium-sized company is probably the right employer for you!
→ And what is it like at catworkx? We at catworkx have grown big from small beginnings. We all know each other – and (in some cases) not just by name. catworkx was founded in Hamburg over 20 years ago and has grown steadily ever since. We now also have offices in Cologne, Munich, and Stuttgart, as well as in Austria (Vienna) and Switzerland (Winterthur, Lucerne). We have many long-standing employees on board, some of whom have been with us since the beginning. In May of this year, we were acquired and are now part of the TIMETOACT Group. What has remained are the flat hierarchies, personal interaction, and short communication channels. We think we're a great team!
