What if your sunset view office sky-scrapper becomes a humble cabin one day, the cafeteria which you were so boastful about becomes just a coffee vending machine? And what if your fat paycheck becomes slimmer like the waist of an anorexic girl? What if you must work in a small company after working with a corporate giant?.

Chances are always possible in this ever changing job market, you work with all you have got but suddenly someday you have to start all over again right from the bottom. But whatever the situation is you must work to survive and to work you must be adaptable to the new job environment .

It's obvious that working on a small organization after a blue chip can be just like having a rich dad and a poor dad, yet the fact is, the way you can't hate your dad for not having millions of cash, you can't curse your new job too. It's just a matter of time and little adjustments here and there. Inequality is a fact of life, so embrace this bravely to make your life less agonized.

With a big company, you’re assured of a steady paycheck. There’s the opportunity to work on well-established ,costly yet very effective business machines .  What’s more, you’re surrounded by tons of talented people. You have the opportunity to interact with thought leaders and highly experienced industry people. When you get promoted, there’s always someone at a level higher than you to learn from. You can tap into the collective experience of people who’ve been around the block a few times and lived to tell about it.

But the curtain unfolds after wards, in a big company there are mean office politics . It's a dog-eat-dog world and extremely competitive. You might have to forget what is the meaning of the phrase “work-life balance”. There are too many layers , too many red tapes you need to follow, too many protocols you must abide by.

On the other side joining a small set up can be challenging plus motivating too. It's said that being in a small set up you can learn from the mistakes of the bigger ones! Small companies are often politics-free. The fewer the organizational layers, the lesser the likelihood of politics getting in the way. You get to see a lot more of the business since you’ll know more of the people who work there. Perhaps the CEO is also a developer, or sits right next to you in the office. The vice presidents may be people that were co-workers before and might be of your age. It's more fun attitude surrounding work altogether.

Below there are some key points which can make you feel relieved if suddenly you've joined in a small set up from a big one:

Don't be the decision maker all the time : People from a corporate giants tend have some sort of superiority complex which is really counter-productive. To make things worse you might end up getting into a cold war against your peers!. So please keep your ego aside.
 
Don't try to solve everything by yourself: You've worked in a big company, agreed,but it doesn't mean that you know everything and you are the sole smart person at your workplace. This is self destructive by nature. So wear “THE” team spirit on your sleeves and blend in ASAP.
 

Make adjustments: In a smaller set up you might have to wear many hats, which may not have included in your job description. It means sometimes you have to take extra responsibilities too. Because resources are limited, you may need to work for long hours a day to get your product out of the door. So make adjustments accordingly.
 

Don't be a spoil sport : You should understand that you are working with other people too, and you can't be an one man army within an organization. So as soon as possible befriend them. A smile in the morning or a complement to a co-worker for his good work will work very nicely.
 

Be creative: Since resources are limited in a small set up you must properly utilize whatever you have got . In that sense be creative while being at work. Right from eliminating waste to just in time solution will be a big plus.
 

Don't solve problems you don't have: Employees at large companies often have the obligation and luxury of thinking about problems that may arise at some future time if things go well. At an established business, it is helpful and sometimes necessary to ask, years in advance, "what happens when a million customers want the product upgrade at the same time — will we be able to support the demand?".  In this case think about short term goals as they are more achievable.
 

Don't be judgmental : May be in the small set up you have come across some people who are not up to your level . Just don't pass a verdict and walk away. Instead if you can help him to learn something from you, go Get him...! and believe me he'll be grateful.

Well in the end the metaphor we can use for this situation is “Big fish in a small pond. But you should remember that working in a small set up has it's own advantages. There are less layers, barriers and corporate politics between you and the main decision makers in the business, so it's much easier for you to pitch an idea that you have, to the decision makers, or show them what you've come up with. Your metamorphosis from being a caterpillar to a magnificent butterfly will happen gradually. Till then just go with the flow...!