2 simple strategies I used to land multiple startup job offers
Rejection.
We’ve all rolled our eyes through the redundant pep talk. You know the one, from our parents, our teachers, and that drunk old man at the bar that feels inclined to vent his life problems and dole out unsolicited advice to anyone that sits within 10 feet of him.
“Rejection is just a part of success.”
But, for anyone that’s experienced it (that should be you), rejection stings a little bit while it’s happening. I learned this the hard way while applying for a new job.
I was coming up on two years in my current position — one that I knew I was going to quit soon after I accepted the offer. The startup world was where I always wanted to be and I was getting a little antsy. So, I started applying.
My pie-in-the-sky goal was to join a pre-seed round startup in the tech world and to be one of the first employees, working side by side with a CEO that had a track record of being a key player in building multi-million dollar businesses. Knowing that would be a little difficult to find considering my current work experience and network, I shifted my focus a little bit.
Instead, I decided to pursue mid- to late-stage startups, as there were far more opportunities within reach. Platforms like angel.co, Techcrunch’s Crunchboard, and buitin.com were my bread and butter. I’d discover a company that tickled my fancy (which wasn’t very difficult, as I was pretty desperate to be a part of anything in the startup world), click on the ‘Apply’ button, and fill out a variation of the same form that asked for my cover letter, résumé, and whether or not I was a veteran. I’d shamefully click on the little circle next to “No, I am not a protected veteran,” wondering every time if a little white lie could help my case.
I followed the same routine for over 35 companies. Most of them wouldn’t even answer. Of the ones that did, a majority would send half-assed, unsympathetic rejection emails. There were maybe 3 or 4 that were interested in speaking with me over the phone. 2 of those invited me to the next round of interviews. 1 of them to the final round. Of course, I didn’t get the offer.
My success rate? You shouldn’t need a calculator for this one:
It was pretty disheartening. I consider myself a thick-skinned person, but this type of rejection just didn’t sit well with me — I was a little angry. I’d send overly aggressive reply emails to recruiters that weren’t even part of the decision-making process, attempting to argue my case. I knew this approach wouldn’t work, but I needed to get my point across.
I struggled to figure out what I was missing. What were the other candidates doing that I wasn’t? I just didn’t understand.
It was time to try something new — a way to leap the giant pile of résumés sitting in the recruiter’s inbox and distinguish myself from the rest. I realized every résumé is pretty much the same: a plain white piece of paper covered in black ink, filled with to the brim with exaggerations and hyperbole’s of life accomplishments. If you’ve ever had to tackle a pile of résumés for recruiting’s sake, you’d know that you begin to lose attention about 2/3 of the way through the first one.
If I wanted any chance at getting a second look, I had to devise another strategy. Then a light bulb went off, I knew exactly what I had to do. These two new strategies worked like a charm and awarded me with multiple job offers:
1. Land a first interview without even applying
Impossible you say? I guarantee you it couldn’t be any simpler.
First find out who the recruiters and decision makers are. Job platforms make this information pretty easy to find. For example, angel.co tells you the exact person you’re applying to when you click on the ‘Apply Now’ button. Sometimes it’s a dedicated recruiter, sometimes it’s the CEO.
Then, go find their profile on LinkedIn and send a connection request. The platform encourages you to leave a note to the person you’re trying to connect with to add some context. You have 300 characters to sell yourself, which is just enough to get your point across without wasting their time. Ask them if they’d have a few minutes to chat over the phone.
Wait patiently like Mr. Bean for a couple days…
If you don’t see a response, poke around a little bit and find other people in the company that would give you the time of day. Many times, you’ll find 2nd connections in places you never expected. 2nd connections are HUGE on LinkedIn, especially if you know the mutual connection personally. You automatically have a subject to bond over.
If there are no 2nd connections in the company, search for any employee that has a similar role as the one you’re pursuing, is a fellow alum of your university, or lives/lived in your area. These types of commonalities are extremely useful as well.
Don’t expect everyone to reply. In fact, most won’t answer you. But, the percentage that do answer will be astronomically higher than if you simply submit an application.
Once you get an answer from somebody, chances are they’ll be happy to speak with you. This is essentially a first interview. Perform well on the call and you now have created a referral for yourself. With this insider leverage, you’re almost guaranteed to get a second call.
My results? Out of about 50 companies I reached out to, 12 gave me second round interviews. 8 invited me to the next round. I ended up with multiple offers.
2. Résumé AND ____ ?
A bit confused? Let me explain.
Companies want to know they’re not just another one of the copy and paste messages you sent to dozens of others. They are only interested in the candidates that are interested in them. They want to feel special just like you do. Send them more than just your résumé.
One BIG taboo is devoting the extra time to companies you do not 100% want to be a part of. The lack of enthusiasm will eventually show, I guarantee you. Don’t waste your time. Or THEIRS.
So, this tactic should only be deployed for the companies you are genuinely passionate about. You’ll know them when you find them — you’ll experience that exact feeling you feel when you see the perfect guy or gal at the bar and all the sudden everyone else disappears.
Once you’ve found that perfect company riding a horse on the beach at sunset, with their gorgeous locks blowing in the wind, you need to do whatever you can to catch their attention. They want to see that you are thinking about how you’d hit the ground running in your position and far exceed their expectations. They want to hear your new ideas for growth, suggestions for how the business could improve. How certain life experiences and people in your network could be leveraged to make an impact. Just show them you care. It’s that simple.
Yes, it’s going to take a little more time. Your application will require a few hours instead of a couple minutes. But it’ll be worth it.
Every single time I’ve deployed this strategy, the company has given their best effort to move me forward in the interview process. At the very least, I’ve gotten through the first couple rounds of interviews. At the very most, I’ve earned an offer. If I didn’t get an offer, they were extremely apologetic and tried to connect me with other people in their network.
I don’t want to bombard you with advice. There are, of course, many other crucial aspects to successful job hunting, like making sure your résumé is absolutely perfect, understanding what specific buzzwords to use in an interview, being proficient in email communication, etc. But these are the basics you’ll hear in the countless other articles trying to teach you how to land the perfect position.
The two strategies I listed above are ones I devised myself and they actually ended up landing me that pie-in-the-sky job offer I mentioned towards the beginning of this article.
You don’t need to follow this advice to the T, as slightly different tactics will work more effectively for you. Whatever suits you, make sure you are doing what you can to show how much you care. It applies as much for your job application as it does for your lovers.
Happy job hunting :)
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I love to talk with new and interesting people. If you’d be interested in chatting about the ideas mentioned above or any other ideas, shoot me an email at jlord5397@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
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