So, you’re thinking about working at a startup? First of all, it’s important to understand what makes a startup different from any other established business? A number of large organizations are in business for more than a decade and they still consider themselves startups. For example, Apple, Beyond Meat, and Netflix are considered startups.
Generally speaking, a startup is a young company founded to build a new product or service and bring it to the market.
It’s hard to figure out a startup considering all the risks and unclear paths to advancement. Despite that, you should consider joining a startup to navigate success more quickly. Before you decide to be a part of a new business, make sure to answer some basic questions.
How would you determine whether or not a startup is the right fit for your career? What is the best entry point? What are the benefits of working in an early-stage startup even if it isn’t earning profit margins?
This post will answer these questions and help you identify why it’s cool to work in a startup. If you’ve already decided to join a startup, make sure you do the following three things:
- Learn how to manage large doses of uncertainty and ambiguity.
- Push limits by always looking to solve problems and make the existing solution more efficient.
- Weigh your alternatives: be analytical and rational when evaluating opportunities.
The benefits of working at a startup
Startups are popular for their ambitious entrepreneurial spirit and unique environment. Entrepreneurs and business leaders mingle with every aspect of their startup, driving everyone to help develop and implement innovation and business strategies.
There are numerous intangible benefits of working with a startup. Let’s take a quick look at some of them:
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Flexibility
It’s cool to work with a startup because you can take real ownership over your work. As an employee, you can have a valuable impact on a startup’s performance. You can’t enjoy such a level of self-governance and individualism working with a large organization. In addition, you’re likely to have more flexibility when it comes to working routines and dress codes.
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Collaborative environment
Startups are likely to have small teams of workers. So, you can expect a more collaborative environment where people spend plenty of their time solving critical problems and interacting with each other. This is where you can take advantage of unique learning opportunities. For example, you can have easy access to organization leaders and work closely with industry leaders.
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More opportunities
Startup jobs probably don’t pay as much as some of the bigger and established companies. Your talent, experience, and qualification may be worth more than what you can make by serving a startup. Nonetheless, working at a startup can offer a different type of reward that could outweigh the pay cut. Since you have the power to play a key role in a startup’s success, you’ll be able to unlock new growth opportunities.
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Innovation
Let’s face it: a majority of startup businesses fail. In order to survive and thrive, a startup has to offer innovative solutions. Working at a startup will allow you to bring in the dose of creativity and innovation it needs to make it through the difficult phase. However, make sure to work with a startup that encourages innovation and new ways of doing things.
When you perform in an innovative working culture, it greatly impacts your attitude, performance, and motivation. If we evaluate large corporations, we come to know that small acts of innovation and creativity don’t make an impact due to complex organizational processes. On the other hand, startups can’t afford to waste time and they have to do more with less. It creates enough room for innovative ideas from the workforce.
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Recognition
Big companies often don’t pay attention to small success stories from individual workers. If you want to get recognized for all of your hard work, consider working at a startup. Why? Because it’s almost impossible to get noticed for a job well done.
If you succeed in achieving something, your small team and boss will instantly recognize your efforts. At the same time, don’t forget that failure is also easier to notice when working within a small workforce.
Startups are more accessible to juniors
Startup companies are certainly great places for fresh graduates and not-so-experienced professionals. If you’re just starting out your career, an innovative startup is likely to be an ideal place for you to test yourself and learn. You might not be able to secure your dream job at some big company if you don’t have much experience.
Since new companies don’t have enough resources to hire highly specialized people, getting an inexperienced workforce onboard might be their only option. This is where you can show up with your talent and give your career a great start.
There was a time when serving a new business was considered risky. You can’t say how long a startup is going to be around. While the risk factor is still there, startups have gone mainstream, creating compelling opportunities for juniors. When you’re passionate about an opportunity, you’re likely to pay less attention to associated risks. However, you need to be cautious.
Conclusion
Whether or not you should work with a startup is a subjective question. While it’s cool to be a part of an ambitious, small business, make sure to carry out the due diligence to find out whether or not a particular opportunity is right for you.
Get to know the founder and their team. Think strategically, just like an investor does before making an investment. In the end, it boils down to your personal preferences and career goals. Keep in mind that startups fight to survive even if they achieve some early-stage success.
Therefore, it could be an intensive experience involving extensive work with few holidays. You’ll constantly be thinking to identify and fix problems. At the same time, you’ll also learn how to deal with emerging challenges in pressure situations.
