A Willingness to Jump In

Written by Danielle Birchard

Working at a small business provides many opportunities. A sense of belonging and a greater purpose, a smaller group of individuals with likeminded goals and aspirations, an opportunity to get involved many aspects of a business. But one can only reap those benefits if they have a willingness to jump in.

In my 7 years working at a small business, I've been afforded many opportunities to try new things. That's one of the reasons I love working in here, every day looks different. But in order to experience a day that looks different than the last 365 days, you have to be willing to try something new. Working in a small business often means that you are assigned to task that no one in the company has ever done before. So, there isn't exactly someone one cubicle over that can answer your questions on how to do it. But I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing. This is your chance to learn something new, to apply knowledge that you gained by calling up others who may have the answer, and trial and error.

Within a small business, you may be asked to do something that is outside of your job description or your skill set. Small businesses, companies of any size, appreciate someone that is willing to jump into a new project. In the small business, you often don't have any choice, there are only a few individuals, and everyone else is already involved. You join them, and you help get the job done. The camaraderie that develops in times like those is something that is hard to break. Strong teams are built as individuals are pushed outside of their limits.

When I interview candidates, one of the things I'm most looking for is their attitude towards trying something new. It's not always easy to gauge, but I value that trait of eagerness and willingness, something that is often hard to find. Sometimes it can be more valuable than a degree. Be willing to jump into new opportunities.