7 Reasons Why New Grads Should Consider Working at a Startup
With loads of ambition and little to no work history, new graduates are in the same boat as a startup trying to make it big. Learn why a startup may be the best post-grad job now.
After your much-earned downtime post-graduation, you’ll need to find a job ASAP so you don’t get stuck in your parent’s basement forever.
But should you be scanning job boards for boring 9-to-5s at a large corporation?
Or do you want to be part of a team of innovators at a startup?
Though the risks of working at a startup may seem greater, 44% of U.S. graduates now say they want to work at one or another smaller enterprise.
So today we’ll be highlighting seven reasons why that’s actually a pretty great idea.
We’ll start with the biggest allure of working at a startup: the environment.
#1. The Work Environment is Kind Of Like Going To Grad School
If you skipped grad school to get out in the real world, the transition from college life to a startup won’t be that much different.
Ping pong tables and stocked break rooms aside, the work environment at a startup is way more laid back, flexible, and fun loving than cubicle life at a traditional office space.
And just like colleges are a hive of mental activity and idealism, so are most startup offices.
With the goal of making life easier or disrupting a niche, startup employees are constantly collaborating and working as team with a single goal in mind.
And these goals aren’t necessarily shared by larger corporations solely focused on making money.
If you’re eager to learn more and think you’ll miss professors and students constantly engaging in discussions and brainstorm sessions about making the future a better place, you’ll be right at home at a startup.
Working at a startup also delivers a greater sense of freedom to work on solving a wide array of problems. In fact, you’ll be working on tasks you may never get to try out in a job with a more defined role.
#2. You Get To Try On Different Hats to See What You Like Best
If you’re eager and ready to hit the ground running, there’s always an insane amount of work to accomplish at a startup at any given time.
And since most startups lack a traditional corporate hierarchy, employees are expected to pitch in and help wherever they’re needed most.
The phrases “outside of my pay bracket” or “above my pay grade” don’t apply here; you do whatever you’re asked to do — and you crush it — regardless of whether it’s in your wheelhouse.
So while your daily job responsibilities may change, your adaptability and desire to succeed at each task should be strong. Kind of like acing tests across multiple subjects in school.
This uncertainty may make some nervous, but it chases away the boredom of working the same job day in and day out for most.
Plus, when no two days are the same, your skillset will evolve the more hands-on you become. You may work on website analytics one day, social media outreach the next, and investor pitches the following day.
This is the best way new grads can experience different roles in a company — without changing jobs — and find out what you really want to do with the rest of your life.
So if you’re capable of learning new skills and willing to be coached, you could grow immensely both professionally and as an individual.
And since you’ll be rubbing shoulders with everyone from the founders to investors, you’ll be learning from those with much more experience and expanding your network at the same time.
#3. Networking Opportunities Expand Your Professional Circle Fast
The startup community is very close knit. Everyone knows how hard it is to succeed and rally around each other for support like a fraternity or sorority.
Your LinkedIn connections will branch out in tons of different directions thanks to the diverse startup workforce. And this often includes remote workers from around the world.
And while supervisors, VPs, and head honchos of a corporate job tend to stick together or have their own offices far away from the rest of the employees, everyone works together at a startup.
So when you’re close with these higher ups, you’ll also start to expand your network with their influential connections.
#4. If It’s A Success, It Will Be The Star of Your Young Resume — And A Learning Experience to Kickstart Your Career
If the startup you’re working at explodes to Google or Apple-level success, you’ll have your foot in the door at every company in the future.
Hiring managers will know you have a solid understanding of what it takes to build a viable business from literally nothing but hard work.
And since startups are generally small, everything you do matters. Unlike working a corporate job where you’re just a cog in a huge machine, your work will be on display in a very visible way.
If you’re used to earning straight As, you’ll get to see how your work specifically contributed to the success of the company.
And then you’ll be able to take that experience with you to the next phase of your career.
#5. Only The Young Can Handle the “Always On” Schedule
At a traditional office job, you may work eight straight hours during the weekday. As far as your schedule goes at a startup, you’ll need to adopt an “always on” mindset.
That means you’ll probably be answering Slack messages from your coworkers at midnight and following it up with a smoothie run for the team at the crack of dawn.
If you’re used to pulling all nighters or don’t mind the less-than-standard work hours because you’re young, startup life may suit you better than someone twice your age.
#6. The Salary and Potential Lack of Benefits May Not Be Hangups
You may not have the chance to negotiate a salary or compensation package at a very new startup. Your salary may be small, but the tradeoff for a long-term payoff could be worth it.
Unless you’re trapped under a pile of student debt, most new grads don’t have a ton of expenses like a mortgage or childcare expenses to cover. So this may be the only time in your life when salary isn’t the biggest reason to accept a position.
Similarly, you may not have a 401(k) or medical or dental insurance at a startup either.
But again, you can use this to your advantage. New insurance rules now allow most children to stay on their parent’s plan until the age of 26.
So if your startup package doesn’t offer benefits, you can ride them out with your parents until you budget for an individual plan of your own.
On the contrary, the breadwinner of a household may not have the chance to take a lower salary and lose benefits for their family this way.
#7. It’s Easier Than Ever To Find a Job At A Startup
Think you have to move out to Silicon Valley to work at a startup?
Think again.
Back in the day this used to be the case, but new grads can now take advantage of working remotely or finding a position locally using a job board specifically for startups.
Check out the available jobs posted on Unicorn Hunt, the best job board for startups seeking developers, designers, marketers, project managers, and so much more.
Ultimately, there’s no wrong choices when finding your first workplace post college. It really comes down to what appeals to you the most and where you see yourself being happy, productive, and excited to work.
Up next, find out how to assess whether a startup is the right fit for you and don’t forget to read this before applying to one so you know exactly what you’re getting into.
Ready to find your dream startup job? Head over to Unicorn Hunt now!
