Just Graduated College? 3 Reasons to Work for a Small Business

While graduating from college is an exciting milestone to celebrate, there's a downside. Now that you have your degree and your studies are over, it's time to enter the real world and go out and find a job so you can cover your bills.

When it comes to finding work, you have choices. You may be motivated to work for a large employer with vast financial resources. But here's why applying to work for a small business could benefit you even more.

1. You have a chance to build great experience

When you work for a large company, you might never actually meet its president or CEO -- even if you end up employed there for multiple years. When you work for a small business, you could end up working alongside the person who owns and runs the company, as well as other seasoned individuals who can teach you a lot when you're first starting out.

Many people underestimate the value of free on-the-job training. And at larger companies, you don't always get so much of that -- at least not on a one-on-one basis.

2. You might have an easier time getting promoted

Being able to get promoted could mean not only growing your career over time, but also, your savings account balance. But it can be difficult to snag a promotion when you work for a large company and there are dozens of employees like you who are all vying for the same few higher-level positions.

The upside of working for a small business is that you might be only one of two candidates in line for a promotion at any given time. In some cases, you might be the only person eligible for a promotion, which means that if you do your job well, chances are, that higher-level job is yours.

3. You might earn a nice wage

It's easy to assume that larger companies pay higher wages than small businesses. After all, these companies have extensive financial resources, whereas small businesses tend to have limited resources.

But actually, you may be surprised at how much money you can make at a smaller operation. Small businesses paid an average hourly wage of $31.49 as of April, according to Paychex. Assuming a 50-week work year (at 40 hours per week), that's an annual salary of about $63,000.

If you're coming in straight out of college without any experience, you might earn less than that. But as you grow your skills, you may find that you're able to earn a lot more than that by working for a small business.

Also, don't assume that working at a small business will mean not getting any benefits. You may be privy to everything from a retirement plan to paid time off to a nice health insurance plan. Small businesses are often very invested in employee retention, and are often willing to offer nice perks to keep workers happy.

Working for a small business out of college could work wonders for your career in many ways. It pays to consider applying for small business jobs as you're entering the labor force.