5 Things I’ve Gained From Enstitute
My job at Enstitute is to recruit awesome people who want to learn exceptional things. I often do this by telling my story of what the program did for me and why I’d recommend it to others. Here are the top 5 things I’ve gained from Enstitute:
It has led me to some amazing places
I moved to New York City from the midwest to work for an awesome startup called Holstee. The 3 co-founders/my mentors were so tired of NYC in the winter that they relocated the entire team to Mexico for the month of February. The next summer, I went to Ireland for 6 weeks to test out what Enstitute could look like in a future European expansion. I’ve spoken at events and conferences and also attended awesome startup events in NYC and STL, all thanks to connections made through the program.
Real-world experience, not just a diploma
When speaking with prospective employers, they often ask some typical questions: “Where did you go to school? and “What did you study?” Now when I have those kinds conversations, I never mention my diploma or GPA. My standard response is something like “How about I talk about how I helped run a kickstarter campaign that made $50k and shattered our original goal, assisted in obtaining grants totalling over hundreds of thousands of dollars, or opened a UK product fulfillment center that ships out thousands of products every year- Or do you want to know how good I am at multiple choice tests?” I’ve sat in on meetings with investors and CEO’s, had access to inboxes and emails about deal flows, acquisition talks, termination plans, etc. I’ve seen how business actually happens in the real world as opposed to in textbooks.
An awesome network of friends, colleagues & mentors
I now have connections in startups from San Francisco to NYC, over to Dublin and straight through to Taiwan. If I need a place to stay in a random city, there’s a pretty good possibility that I can make it happen and that I’d be introduced to even more awesome people in the process. I’ve met some people that I could seriously see myself co-founding companies with in the future, and I’ve found mentors whose advice has been invaluable. I’ve had dinner with Gary Vaynerchuk, Marc Ecko, Scott Belsky and even had a beer with Tim Ferriss.
Marketable skills
Along with the experience comes a set of marketable skills and qualities. Among them is the confidence to accomplish my goals, no matter the size of the task at hand. I feel very strongly that if I were to lose my job tomorrow, my bills would all continue to be paid on time and I would have another startup job, no problem. I’ve learned more about digital marketing, coding, biz dev, sales, and basic human psychology in the last 2 years than I did in all of undergrad. The skills I’m refining now will continue to ensure my employment for the future.
It has turned me into an idea machine
I used to feel like I had a mental block of some sorts when it came to creative ideas. When I would develop a business idea, it was still very difficult to see it through from concept to reality. Now, there aren’t enough hours in the day for me to execute everything that I want to start or finish. I fill notebooks far too fast and I brainstorm a new startup every week with an old friend or a new acquaintance. I’ve been bitten by the bug and it’s a beautiful thing.
Applications close on 9/15. It’s free to apply, and you have nothing but amazing things to gain.
If you have questions about applying for the program, please feel free to contact me.
Originally posted on the Enstitute Blog.
