Do We Want the Experience or Do We Want to Be Known for Working at Big Corporations?

As someone who was employed long before I even graduated, I had the opportunity to work for major companies as well as smaller, lesser-known ones.

But somehow, people associated me more with the larger ones, making me realise how much weight society places on where we work.

For anyone entering the job market, the pressure to start their careers at a well-known corporation is real. After all, having a big name on your curriculum vitae (CV) often feels like a golden ticket or proof that you’ve ‘made it’.

But behind this prestige lies a bigger question: do we want the actual experience, or are we chasing recognition?

I’ll be first to admit there’s a certain pride in telling people you work for a global brand.

Big corporations offer instant credibility. When someone hears you’ve worked at, say, a large bank, you’ve already cleared competitive hurdles.

These companies also provide structure: established systems, corporate training programmes and professional networks. For many, especially those with little experience, that structure can be comforting.

But prestige does not always equate to practical experience. In some cases, junior employees can spend months doing work that, while important, doesn’t stretch their skills or offer real growth.

On the other hand, lesser-known companies, startups or smaller firms often provide hands-on exposure.

Fresh graduates may find themselves managing projects, attending strategic meetings and solving real business problems from day one.

These environments demand more, but they also give more.

They teach resilience, problem-solving and adaptability – not from a handbook, but through lived experience. And those skills? They’re the ones that last.

In my own journey, I found that the unknown companies often gave me more room to grow, more space to contribute meaningfully and more responsibility.

But despite the skills and confidence I gained, the world outside mostly noticed the brand names on my CV – not the real work I did elsewhere.

THE PROBLEM WITH BEING ‘ASSOCIATED’

The deeper issue here is how we associate value with appearances. As a society, we often judge capability by affiliation.

Someone who worked at a famous media company is assumed to be smarter than someone who worked at a small agency – even if the latter has far more practical experience.

This mindset can trap fresh graduates into chasing logos over learning. It encourages short-term thinking – “How will this look on LinkedIn?” instead of “What am I actually going to learn here?”

The truth is, it doesn’t have to be one or the other.

Some big companies offer rich, valuable experience. Some small companies are poorly run.

The real challenge is in how we evaluate opportunities.

When deciding where to begin your career, consider:

Will this job challenge me to grow professionally?

Will I gain practical, transferable skills?

Will my contributions matter?

Is this aligned with where I want to be in five years?

It’s okay to start at a big company. It’s okay to start at a small one.

What matters more is whether you’re building a strong foundation – not just for your portfolio, but for your career.

In a world obsessed with appearances, it’s easy to fall into the trap of chasing recognition.

But real confidence, capability and credibility come from experience, from getting your hands dirty, solving problems and adding value.

So to anyone out there: don’t just strive to be known for where you work. Strive to be respected for what you can do.
That reputation will follow you longer than any company name ever will.

– Delphina Muleke is a brand strategist, communications consultant, proofreader and writer.

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