By JONNELLE MARTE

As big firms cut back during the recession, many professionals found work at small companies. For college grads, small firms became the most promising way to launch a career.

But as hiring picks up again, some of those professionals are looking to break into larger companies, seeking the stability, benefits and resources not always available at small firms.

And while recruiters and hiring managers perusing the résumés of job hunters with small-company experience won't experience the sort of instant name recognition they might with résumés of candidates from big companies, experts say the multitasking skills and self-starter attitude common among small- firm employees can make a job seeker attractive.

"Hiring managers are looking for people with experience from smaller companies … because those candidates tend to think out of the box," says David Mezzapelle, director of  marketing and development for Goliath Jobs Inc. a Web-based employment firm in Stamford, Conn.

On job sites GoliathJobs.com and JobsOver50.com, some 5,000 job seekers with profiles indicating they worked at small firms—those with fewer than 500 employees—used the sites to apply for jobs with larger companies in the first quarter.

Luicila Torres left her job as a marketing representative with a national home health agency in October to work at a similar, but smaller agency in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. She made the move so she could take charge of a broader territory and get exposure to other parts of the business. She later worked briefly for a small durable medical-equipment company, but was laid off after two months because the company was struggling financially. Now Ms. Torres says she wants to work for a larger, more stable employer.

On her résumé and in interviews, Ms. Torres, 36, is touting the skills she picked up while wearing several hats at the smaller companies. Among them: She learned to market many brands in a larger territory and was involved in sales, billing and business development. "It did help me learn other aspects of the business," she says, and although she hasn't received an offer yet, she says interviewers appear impressed by the diversity in responsibilities.

Career coaches regularly encourage job seekers hoping to break into a larger company to market their small-firm experience by emphasizing the various roles they took on.

Read the entire article by clicking here.

Copyright ©2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.