Is A Startup Really The Company For You?
Or should you refocus on applying to traditional business structures?
As startups start their race to the top, it has become more and more challenging to build a team around these companies.
Though there are new apps and platforms where startup companies post their listings, it has been a drastic change for the job seekers’ end. Before the startup era, finding a job has already been made difficult by the massive competition in the market. There are better candidates from better colleges. The interviews become more and more intricate. The screening process has never been so tedious. Not to mention, the economy has never really been that friendly for the blue collar workers since the recession.
Basically, it was a total disaster…if you’re the applicant.
So, the zigs and zigs of startup match-making in the human resource department has evolved to a more complicated cycle. However, if you are looking for a new career path, you may want to rethink if you are really fitted to join a startup or if you should focus on looking for open positions from more traditional business structures.
Here are some tips to know if a startup company is not for you.
Repetitiveness and Change
Startups need growth, but they also do repetitive tasks to accomplish the bigger goals. This repetitive structure can mostly be seen in traditional companies. But, with startups, you need to be able to balance the demands of doing the arduous tasks every single day while taking into account the bigger goals at the same time.
In traditional and startup companies, repetitiveness is a constant factor in the workload. However, the difference between startups vs traditional is their never ending fluidity.
Startups need to change and adapt all the time. It even happens in just a week or a month. Sometimes, the rules and metrics for success that they have laid out during the beginning can change and this calls for a new habit development phase. The adjustment period is really small and unless you’re the type of person who can morph from one thing to another, startups’ constant change is the norm.
Stability is Possible, But Not the Goal
When you look for a job, one of the main factors to consider is the payout. At the end of the day, the salary is what gives you the financial foundation of your career. Startups, especially with seed funding, have highly competitive offers, but they do not get stuck with this kind of structure. They are looking for something more.
According to Avi Ashkenazi, founder and CEO of 2PAx, hiring for startups is factored in the burn rate. Though finding the perfect people to do the job is the key element in startup recruitment, they consider a lot of other things than just getting you on board.
If you are looking for a secure, constant and parallel money stream, do not join a startup. However, the difference with traditional and startup companies in this case is the growth plan compared to the current offer. Traditional companies offer a more stable payout landscape, while startups have a faster growth plan. Startups grow in a year’s timeline. If it’s successful, you can be promoted in the time it would take you 5–6 years to grow in the traditional business setup.
“Top candidates come and work for a pay cut and blue sky options. They come because they believe in a mission and are willing to work together to make it happen,” Ashkenazi notes.
If you are vested the startup will continue working with you. With startups it’s not all about now, it’s about the future.
The Fanciness of the Job Title
You are not meant to work for a startup if you think the fancy title will give you fulfillment. The “Accounts Manager” for a traditional business has a different role than in a startup. Just as it was mentioned above, startups do the grub work.
They have to grow and learn fast. That means, they have to work out the open gaps in the team and follow through. It does not matter if your are in the entry level position or the managerial one. Everyone feels almost the same pressure when it comes to quota, goals and performance. The reality is, you might punch in more than just the 8 to 5.
The reality is, if you join a startup, it will not just be all about lying on beanbags.
Though startups have been more progressive than traditional companies when it comes to offering a more flexible work schedule and environment, the demand and work flow is probably more demanding.
CONCLUSION
Startups have a big contribution to the growth of the economy, but you have to be ready if you are to join one. Do not come in with the expectation that will look like all the other jobs you know from 10 years ago because the reason why they are startups is because they thought differently than others and they thrived.
Their ultimate goal is bringing their ideas, products and goals to life.
Though joining a startup may be one of the most rewarding experiences of your career, if you are any of the above (or others that I have failed to mention), join a different structure instead. This way, you can manage your finances as well as your expectations.
If you have comments and suggestions when it comes to joining a startup, give me a shout out in the comments below!
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- Why women should lead boldly. For many years, we’ve known intuitively that having women in top leadership positions means superior organizational performance. Today, a body of data from prestigious research organizations documents the positive impact women leaders have on their organizations.
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- The Theory of Winning. Last week, I expanded on mental models and explained how you implement decentralized decision-making. This week, I want to concentrate on focus so that your resources have the greatest possible impact.
- How To Cope to Ever-changing Workforce Landscape. As 2017 begins, the modern workforce starts to move forward. Over the past decade, new forms of careers are introduced and new ways of business have been invented.
