Small to medium enterprises are on the increase in Britain and with over 85 graduates applying for every graduate job you would think they are a good place to look for work. However, research conducted by ‘Give A Grad A Go’ has shown that 91 per cent of UK graduates think larger companies pay better, whilst 79 per cent think they offer better job security and 74 per cent believe they offer better career progression than SMEs.

They do, however, acknowledge that SMEs excel in terms of work ethic (75%) and job satisfaction (82%), while 92 per cent of all those surveyed felt that SMEs encouraged more creativity in the workplace. Smaller businesses also scored higher (62%) than larger enterprises on work-life balance.

Founder of ‘Give A Grad A Go,’ Cary Curtis, has stated that these small and medium sized firms are very important for the UK economy.

Graduate coach encourages graduates to look for internships at SMEs. The proactive approach to creating your own internship demonstrates to the company that you are actually keen to work for them. Door-stepping and face-to-face marketing is the best form of marketing yourself, especially if you are able to show your passion for a specific sector.

Whilst internships, especially at smaller companies, offer fewer financial rewards, the future benefits far outweigh these and can really help you go from an unemployed graduate to working in a field you will really enjoy.