5 Steps to Landing your Dream Job in a Startup
“I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying” — Jeff Bezos, Amazon Founder and CEO. The startup world has one fundamental advantage over any corporate job. Every employee matters, a hell of a lot.
The Startup world is risky business, and perhaps a small unknown company ending with an ‘x’ doesn’t look as good on the resume as EY or Macquarie. However, the Startup world has advantages that far surpass any corporate job in its ability to provide endless freedom, develop a breadth of new skills and most of all, ideologically allows you to feel like you are part of something bigger.
If you are keen to enter into a fast-paced, risky, chaotic, ideologically empowering environment, where you are valued a hell of a lot — the startup world is a fit for you.
How do you get your foot in the door you may ask? It’s not as easy as other jobs. You have to be proactive and seek them out. At StartUp Link, we’ve seen what works and what doesn’t.
So here are five quick and easy steps to get your foot in the fast pace, chaotic, yet rewarding startup world.
STEP 1: KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN
Unlike the corporate world where job positions are more transparent and direct, finding a job at a startup takes a little more effort.
The secret to the game is keeping your eyes peeled looking out for companies that have recently raised funds — chances are that they want to scale-up and are looking to hire. To follow which startups have raised funds, comb through tech blogs such as the medium.com, businessinsider.com and techboard.com, as well as follow my personal favourite twitter page @vcdeals for all the latest intel.
STEP 2: NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK
Unlike the corporate world, a fancy resume won’t get you through the door. In the tight-knit startup community, most positions in a startup are through referrals. Thus, getting your name out there is super important.
My personal recommendation is attending as many events as possible and don’t be shy to ask questions.
The startup world is built on networking, connections and trust. Most startup founders are more than willing to have a chat, so approach as many founders as you can.
The trick here is to be brave. The ones that are rewarded are usually those who are happy to put themselves out there.
STEP 3: GET RISKY, POSITIVE AND PERSISTENT
Startup founders are above all else looking for traits such as confidence, determination and risk-taking. Don’t be bogged down by the fact that you might not have all the required skills for the job, chances are a persistent personality will resonate well with a startup hustler.
The world of startups is learning to be at ease with risk. As mentioned above, when introducing yourself to people, show them you’re not afraid of risk. Be confident. The results will follow.
STEP 4: KNOW YOUR STUFF!
Research beforehand is a must. When speaking to startup founders, ensure you know the basics of what their company does. A read up on their website never hurts, as well as doing a quick Youtube, Google and LinkedIn search.
The trouble is, startups are so diverse! From Fintech, to Agritech, to Regtech, to Deptech, to no tech! To be successful in the startup world, you need a spread of knowledge.
STEP 5: GET INVOLVED
The final step requires venturing a little out of your comfort zone, getting involved and finding the perfect balance between persistence and not being a pest.
The best advice I ever received was ‘hire yourself’ and give them enough value that they feel like they just might need you.
These tips require some social media activity; reaching out on LinkedIn, showing interest in their product, sharing, commenting and liking posts, or participating in market research projects.
Founders want all the advice they can get, so simply volunteering to use their product and give feedback is the best way to get one foot in the door.
Don’t get down — you might not get the job today, but you never know where ‘getting involved’ now and building those connections can get you in the long run.
You don’t learn to walk by following the rules, you learn by doing and falling over.
Good Luck!
If you’re interested in learning more about the Sydney startup ecosystem and how you can land a startup job, apply now to attend Textbook Ventures and Startup Link’s inaugural Startup Careers Fair on the 14th of March.
Apply here: https://goo.gl/forms/uFK2865uW5NhT6Uj1
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/297094964495743/
