Into the future...
Ok… lets get down to the more serious stuff for a bit.
I have a job interview lined up for tomorrow evening after work. I am excited about having the interview, but I am approaching it with a certain amount of caution and skepticism as I am as yet not one hundred percent sure of what is expected of me. I guess all of that will be made clear to me when I meet with my prospective bosses.
What I do know is that the company I am interviewing for, has been in existence for about 2 years. This in itself scares me a little as I know, and there are many examples of this happening, that many small companies tend to do well initially and then away fizzle in to nothingness.
A small startup company, based in Cape Town, who in a very short space of time has become a significant player in the industry they operate in. They appear to have a pretty solid client base and a lot more that are willing to come on board, as I have discovered and have been told. Yep, I’ve been doing a bit of research of my own too. It is an advantage to be prepared and at least have an idea of who you are dealing with.
According to the company representative who contacted me, the number of clients in the Gauteng region has grown significantly in the last year and now represents a large portion of their portfolio. With the expansion, the increased workload and demand on their resources, it has become necessary to set up offices in Johannesburg. They are no longer able to see to and fulfill the needs of their Gauteng-based clients out of the offices Cape Town. A few names were mentioned and based on what I know, these are major companies in South Africa.
They need solid around the clock representation in Johannesburg that would be able to look after these clients. And that apparently... is where I come in. They are basically looking for someone who can set up (from scratch) and run the office in Johannesburg from an operational and marketing perspective. It is an exciting prospect and a great opportunity, one that I can exploit and leverage to my own and the company’s advantage. Hard work and long hours are the least of my concerns and have never been an issue for me. I am however naturally skeptical and before I make any decisions there are lots of questions that needs to be answered an many more assurances that need to be made.
My entire professional career has been spent in working for large multi-nationals. Job and financial security has never been something I needed to worry or be concerned about. There are many advantages/disadvatages to working for a multi-national, and so far I have been able to swing the pendulum in my favour. Lucky, perhaps? Who knows?
There are an increasing number of people out there who swear by th fact that working for a large company is not all that it is made out to be. There is also a growing trend globally and in South Africa towards moving to smaller businesses. Small is the new big ala Seth Godin and other ppl in the know. The concept appeals to me and has for quite a while. Perhaps the time has come to sit down and seriously look at the options.
Anyway, enough said for now. The meeting/interview will hopefully reveal all and help me to make an informed decision. What more could I ask for than to be given an opportunity to do just that?
