Warren Tesla
Startups are becoming an increasingly exciting work opportunity for many people in the post-pandemic world. With remote work on the rise and many companies developing new products and services, startups are cropping up left and right that need talent to fill their empty positions. If you have been searching for the perfect job to start a new career or you are just getting out of college, this is a great time to join a startup and grow your resume and skills with ease.
Startups are exciting places to work but you do need to consider a few things before you take a job at one.
Calculate the Risks
The most important thing that you need to know about startups, is that they almost always fail. Startups are often created to try to develop new products or services and sometimes these ideas do not gain a solid enough footing or enough consumer interest to be viable long-term. You should view any job that you get at a startup as temporary.
When you decide to work in start ups, you will need to work independently and you will need to gain access to information and skills on your own in some cases. Being a self-starter and a good researcher is critical to succeeding in the startup world, so if you are not sure that you would be comfortable with this kind of work environment you should think twice.
The other key factor that can cause trouble for people who look before they leap into a startup job is that the culture for each of these companies will be unique. You will need to be able to be flexible in some ways to land on your feet in an environment that is free-flow and self-driven like this.
Startups are an excellent place to work if you love being free of management oversight and you enjoy working with other creative people who have similar goals. If you are looking for a very structured workplace, this is not the right kind of job for your needs.
Figure Out What You Hope to Gain From This Experience
The key thing that you need to remember when you are looking into startup jobs is that you want to have a set goal for your time at this company. You already know that many of these businesses fail, so you need to have a secondary goal beyond just getting a job that drives your choice of startups to work for. If you want to add some management credits to your resume or you are interested in learning more about a specific skill, this might be a good reason to take a startup job at a company with the right offerings.
Always remember that you will want each of your jobs at a startup to open more doors for you in the future. You should treat each job as a stepping stone to new and better things and resist the urge to get stuck in the same kind of job over and over again that does not allow you personal growth and development opportunities.
Do Your Research
You should always make sure that you look into the background of the founder of a startup and check on the stage of the startup. Some companies are not backed well enough to make it past the initial idea stages and you probably want to avoid these jobs due to the risk that you will be out of work right away.
Look into the financials of the company and find out who the investors are. You should also ask about any benefits and what the salary would be for your job. The more you know, the more certain you can be of which is the right job opportunity for your needs. Research into any company that you are thinking of working for can help you to decide if this is the right opportunity for your needs or if you need to pass and look at better options.
Salary and Benefits
This is one of the key areas where certain startups will stand out above the rest. When the startup has a good founder and good backing, you can expect things like health insurance, benefits, and possibly stock or equity options. You might not plan to stay long enough to enjoy these things, but you should at least know if they are an option for you. If you love the company that you have taken a job with, but do not have access to any benefits, you will likely have to move on after a while to find a better job.
Consider asking about raises based on performance and other perks like gym memberships or cellphones and other tech that is offered with the job for free. The more you know about the benefits and the pay scale, the happier you will be with your choice overall. Benefits can vary widely for these kinds of companies and you should not be willing to sacrifice all of the basic benefits that make your work-life comfortable just to get a specific job.
Conclusion
Startups can be a great way to gain skills, add to your resume, and network with other people in your field. You should look at any startup job that you are thinking of taking with a grain of salt and do your research before you commit to working there. Being sure that you are getting the right benefits from taking this kind of job is critical since startups are often high-risk and could easily shut their door while you are working there.
Making sure that you have a clear goal in mind when you pick a startup job can make the time that you work for one more pleasant and more profitable for you personally. These companies offer creative and free-flow work environments as well as really good networking opportunities and you will probably develop a lot of new skills that can help you later on in your career. When you do your research into these key areas of work at a startup, you will be able to leverage this job opportunity for its maximum value.
Learn more about startup recruiting: brighterbox.com/
