How to get a job at a startup (out of the corporate world)
“I’m thinking of leaving my corporate job and would like to explore opportunities in the startup scene. Do you have any tips?”
You would be surprised to find out how many people ask me this question. I get it all the time, and it is often the same story: a talented, often highly educated business person reaches out directly or through a friend. They usually are literally tired of their job working at a large corporate, in finance, or in consulting, and want to join join a startup with hopes of meaning and excitement.
Having hired developers, product managers, sales reps, marketers, and account managers, for the past four years, I wanted to share recruiter tips on finding a startup job, and more importantly how to prepare for the journey.
Select the startup stage you wish to join
Startups at different stages need different kinds of talent and offer widely different opportunities… and paycheck sizes. A 2-people early stage team might be looking to bring you in as a co-founder, which would be a great choice if you are driven by earning entrepreneurial experience (and equity!), and can afford living off your savings for a while. In contrast, a fast growing 20-people team needs very scrappy people who are comfortable working in chaos and with little direction, while a 100+ people startup will look for seasoned professionals who will structure sales and operations. Knowing what environment would work best for you is the very first step to succeed in your search.
Define your unique proposition
Startups need to operate with limited resources, so you need to show that you are specifically qualified for the job. Look within your experience for precious skills and achievements, and show how they could be out to work at various startup need stages. And please avoid the way too common “I can do sales” just because you are not a developer.
If your background is not directly relevant to the new job direction you’re taking, at least a strong tech culture and knowledge could make you stand out. Looking to work in a specific sector? You should know the latest news and have tried out every product in the space. Looking for a marketing role at a marketplace startup? You should know about growth hacking, inbound marketing and guerilla PR. At the very least, this will show curiosity and motivation, and the last thing you want is to appear stuck in your previous industry.
Build a qualified shortlist
Create Google alerts for fundraising keywords, as startups are more likely to be hiring right after raising capital. Follow the leading tech blogs for your ecosystem — such as VentureBeat and TechCrunch in the US or Maddyness and FrenchWeb in France — which will inevitably report significant funding activity. Build a list for a dozen priority companies, and learn everything about them. Sign up to events where founders are speaking to get a sense of their vision and culture. Read descriptions of all their current job openings, to have an overall view of their hiring priorities. Actively use their products, and their competitors' products, and form your own thoughts about what they do and what they could be doing. There is nothing more flattering that hearing you truly love our products, but their is nothing more impressive than a relevant and convincing opinion about how to improve them.
Network and reach out
Finally, you should develop your network and find strong references to recommend you as a professional. That does not mean going to events and conferences, since founders who attend them seek to develop their own business rather than to recruit. Look within your LinkedIn network for introductions to the founders of companies you have identified. Contribute to company blogs and share interesting content. Then ask for intros, showcasing your specific skill, or at least your knowledge and culture, that will make the founders want to refer you to their relevant hiring manager.
And if you cannot find a reference, try cold calling the founders. Remember, startups are in desperate need for talent, so if you sound like you could be the person they are looking for, they will not hesitate to meet with you. And if your profile does not match their need, at least you will get a quick response that will let you focus on more promising opportunities.
