By Surranna Sandy, CEIP, CPRW

 More and more Canadians are creating their own jobs or working for smaller companies. One in eight Canadians were self-employed in 1977, however, by 1997 one in six was self-employed. Recent data from Stats Canada revealed that over 36,000 Canadians became self-employed in April 2009. These new entrepreneurs will be creating small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) and would require Canadian workers who able to work in their unique environments.

Research from the Canadian Federation of independent business (CFIB) concluded that of Canada’s one million businesses, 78% employer few than five workers. A further 97% have under 50 employees. SME’s accounts for 58% of total employment in Canada. This begs the question, what is the implication for job seekers career decision making with the growth of self-employment and small businesses?

it is documented that SME’s creates the most new jobs in the Canadian economy. Therefore, job seekers should include SME’s as part of their overhaul job search strategy for targeting companies. Many job seekers make the mistake of concluding that jobs are only to be found with larger organizations, established firms or government agencies. SME’s can job seekers with the opportunity to gain valuable work experiences in organizations where they can wear multiple hats.

There are many positive implications for a job seeker career when targeting SME’s. SME’s can provide job seekers with greater flexible in terms of work hours, creative incentive programs and bonuses such as the ability to take vacation in lieu of overtime pay. Additionally, because most SME’s are owner managed, communication with management may be informal and there is a greater propensity towards a consultative work environment.

Most SME’s are in the growth phase of the business cycle, as such the changes in the organizations can be swift and numerous. A job seeker who cannot handle change well and require structure and return may not thrive in an SME environment. They will need to be prepared. Specifically, they need to identify the skills they want to develop and the ones they would need to be successful in SME environments. However, on the positive side, CFIB research demonstrates that job satisfaction for employees working for SME and for self-employed individuals in extremely high.