What is a corporate job? See who’s behind the glass office door!

Working in a corporation is a promising career path for some and for others, it is boring, repetitive, lacking in challenge and sitting in a glassed-in office. What is it really like? There are as many differences as there are jobs and many different businesses. Corporate work is specific in its own way and some people love the sense of stability it gives, but will it work for you? You’ll have to find out for yourself. Below you will find an overview of what a corporate job is, what features it has and what kind of positions it is characterised by. 

What is a corporate job? Definition of corporate jobs

The meaning of corporate job isoften associated with working at a computer in modern office buildings in large cities. In many cases it’s the truth because what exactly is a corporation? A corporation is either a social organisation or a type of enterprise, which has a legal personality and, most often, is based on capital consisting of shares (stocks on the stock exchange). Colloquially, corporations are simply large, multinational companies with many employees. So corporate jobs refer to roles within a corporate entity that may consist of various branches across different regions or global sites. These roles are typically organised in a structured hierarchy, offering employees opportunities for career progression within the organisation. The corporate hierarchy encompasses various levels of seniority, with each level collaborating to attain the company’s business objectives.

What is the meaning of “corporate world”? 

We can say that the corporate world is a sphere encompassing the world of profit-oriented businesses and organisations. Being part of the corporate world involves offering an organisation the essential skills required to enhance their revenue, expansion, or other crucial business requirements.

Employment in a corporate context often requires higher educational qualifications. Moreover, corporate settings commonly follow implicit professional norms, covering aspects such as dress code and email etiquette. But we would say that in today’s developing world and progressive labour market, this is a stereotype about corporations. Of course, there are many places where it is expected to show professionalism, e.g. in the form of a suit, but more and more often, if this is not necessary, informal dress code is introduced as one of the benefits, and for contact if it is not with important customers, for example, chat is used. Being part of the corporate world is not as rigid and serious as it might seem. 

What is it like to work in a corporation?

Working in a corporation, you can do a lot of things. Large companies employ programmers, copywriters, managers, assistants, lawyers, accountants and specialists in all sorts of fields. So what are the characteristics of working for a corporation? 

• Corporate roles can be highly competitive, often with multiple candidates vying for a single position.
• Even so, they are good for those starting out in career because the so-called entry-level positions on offer often involve additional courses.
• Often, however, any previous experience is required in a corporation. This demonstrates not so much a specific expertise but soft skills.
• Corporate positions frequently involve performance assessments, commonly conducted through annual performance reviews. You have to be prepared that salary increases or cash bonuses depend on performance, which is not always 100% up to you. 
• If the type of work you do is not based on achieving specific goals, you will be required to submit work reports. In corporations, due to the large number of people, functions, tasks and projects, reporting applies to almost everyone.
• In a corporation, there is a structure, so sometimes when it comes to the flow of information you may find out something later than others depending on your rank in the hierarchy. The hierarchy also works in situations where you want to ask for a raise, for example. You have to go to your superior, but he or she is not in all situations the most decisive. The higher up in the hierarchy you are, the shorter the path becomes.
• Corporate jobs often offer attractive benefits. These positions can provide greater job security, especially in well-established and reputable companies.  In order to maintain a high position and grow, they want to attract top talent, which is why you can count on all sorts of benefits related to wellbeing, sports, team-building events, subsidies, etc.
• Opportunities for development and learning are often of high importance in corporations. Corporations want employees who have already started working for them to be able to grow, so that they do not waste money on re-training a new person. In addition, there are many people from different fields and departments who can offer their knowledge to each other. 
• Corporate work is mostly team work. It is important to be able to communicate with people and to be open for it. Sometimes you have to get information from many people from different departments to complete a task. 

Types of corporate jobs and examples

Management

Corporate executives are the highest-ranking personnel within an entity. It is important to know these names because, firstly, they are often only used as acronyms, and secondly, they are used in many companies (not just corporations) all over the world in their English form. 

Human Resources

The human resources (HR) department, also known as the personnel department  is responsible for hiring employees and ensuring that employees are motivated and developed. They recruit talent to the company, and are also responsible for the induction and training of new employees.

Marketing

The marketing department deals with the activities it undertakes to promote products and services. Its aim is to satisfy the needs of the company’s customers and at the same time make a profit.

Sales

The sales department is in charge of setting the company’s sales and promotion policy towards customers. It may also create customer demand according to the offers of the company it represents. In addition, it searches for and evaluates market opportunities for the sale of given goods or services.

IT

Tasks of the IT department include: designing, implementing and maintaining IT networks and systems such as servers, databases, software and hardware. Providing technical support to employees and customers for software and hardware problems.

Finance

The finance department is responsible for the organisation and maintenance of the accounts. Executing preliminary, current and subsequent control, consisting in examining the legality, reliability and correctness of the financial operations carried out. Organising, controlling and coordinating the correctness of the circulation of documents in accounting.

Corporate job vs social media

The hashtags related to what’s called “Corporate Girl aesthetic” have become very popular on social media, proving that working in a corporation can have many advantages and should not be associated with a bored secretary. The term “Corporate Girl aesthetic” on TikTok referred to a trend or aesthetic movement where TikTok creators portrayed and celebrated the professional, corporate, or office life in a stylish and engaging way. It often involved showcasing various aspects of working in a corporate environment, including office attire, work routines, and office setups. 

However, there are critics who argue that the trend oversimplifies corporate life without showing any minuses, especially for those who do not have certain privileges. They express a preference for seeing employees who face specific challenges like extended commutes or mandatory dress codes.

As we mentioned at the beginning, it is impossible to clearly state whether corporate work will be for someone or not, because each job and each company contains many variable factors. But just as when using services or looking for a job, we seek reviews on the Internet, the same applies to working in a corporation.

Do you want to learn more about #corporatelife in a specific company? Find its thread on gowork.uk and ask your question.