Why Recent Grads Should Work at Startups
If you really want to accelerate your career after university, there are few better options than going to work at a startup.
However, when considering post-grad opportunities, too few top young Canadians consider starting their careers in this way.
Most recent grads either consider going to launch their own businesses, or going to work for large organizations. Going to go work at a startup is a good middle ground for those who want to learn entrepreneurial skills, but are not ready to launch their own firms.
Below are some of the main benefits recent grads should consider, when deciding whether to go work at a startup.
- Learn Quickly
Working for a startup means often being thrown into an uncharted challenge, and having to learn on the spot. There are few opportunities where you can learn as much in as little time.
Startups are innovative environments, where new ideas are always being tested, and boundaries are being pushed. In a small growing firm, you can be given a level of responsibility that would take decades in a large corporation. If you want the opportunity to gain a lot of responsibility and experience fast, then join a startup.
2. Gain Diverse Skills
In startups, your role is often constantly changing. That gives you the ability to get a taste of many different parts of the business. In the end, this makes you more multi-dimensional, as well as gives you a better ability to know what are your strengths and what are your weaknesses, ultimately determining what you want to do in your career path.
Moreover in a startup, rather than following rules and procedures, you are creating everything from scratch. This leaves you with a more innovative mindset, and the experience of what it takes to create something from nothing. And although failure isn’t encouraged, it’s all part of the learning process!
3. Build A Great Network
One of the greatest benefits of working in a startup is the network that you gain. When you’re in a startup you’re working long hours with others who are committed to turning a vision into reality.
Your co-workers can become future business partners, or collaborators. In the end, businesses are co-founded by people who have built up trust, and know each other well. Working with others in a startup is a great way to build up these kinds of relationships.
4. Launch Your Career As an Entrepreneur
There is no better way to prepare to launch your own firm than to work with a proven entrepreneur, who is running a quickly growing business. You can see what works, what doesn’t, and gain the skills to launch your own business.
Also, you gain a better understanding of all the functions of a business, rather than becoming highly specialized in a specific component.
With all of this in mind, working in a startup is not meant for everyone, and can be incredibly difficult. Working at a startup means placing a premium on learning, rather than earning. While one is taking a temporary short term pay cut, one is gaining the skills that wil reap long term dividends. As Mark Suster argues, the most important person you need to angel invest in is yourself — and one of the best ways to invest in yourself is by taking a reduced salary to work at a startup.
If you are looking for a great learning opportunity, working at a startup is a fantastic career choice. Regardless of your career goals, it’s a great way to make an impact, gain valuable skills, and take yourself to the next level.
