No doubt that we are living in tough times. With the current global economic slump and the fact that countless number of graduates are unemployed, many have stated that the job market is undergoing a slump. For those who have always been keen to pursue a career in the startup field or are curious as to what it’s like to work in a startup, now is the best time to get that job in a startup. If the reasons below strongly resonate with you, then don’t waste time and start applying jobs to your favorite startups immediately.
1) “Allergic” to Redtape
Every large corporation has its set of “redtape”; rules, bureaucracy and “ways of doing things”. At times, it can get frustrating as there are many rules that employees have to adhere to in order to get work done. In a startup, there are no formal set of rules and employees are guided by the core values of the startups to guide them to doing their work.
2) Passionate About a Greater Cause
We are all creatures of passion. Be it about sports, food or movies, we are all passionate individuals. In a startup environment, the startup is formed to solve some of the biggest problems faced by society such as education, poverty, healthcare, etc. If you find yourself passionate about a certain cause and want to “put a dent in the universe”, you should pursue a career in the startup field.
3) “Never Say Die” Attitude
“Never say die” attitude also means not taking a “No” for an answer. When things and odds are stacked against you, people in the startup world will hustle their way through to ensure they achieve their desired outcomes.
4) Prefers a Wide Array of Responsibilities
Working in a startup probably means working as part of a small team. Due to the nature and size of the team, chances are you will get exposed to work that are outside of your academic background. You may be an accounting graduate, but apart from your “daily job” in the Accounts team, you may be exposed to other areas within the business such as sales, marketing and communications.
5) Ability to Work Independently
In a startup, there are no formal chain of commands. While you may on-paper be reporting to a line manager, but startups tend to operate on a trust basis. Hence, if you are able to work independently and your line manager can trust you to deliver the results, you will go very far in the organization.
6) Seek Recognition and Not Afraid to Fail
In a corporate environment, chances are that your hardwork and results will go unnoticed. However, in a startup, credit is given where credit is due. If you succeed, the team will recognize your effort and credit will go to you. Similarly, if you did not perform very well, the responsibility lies with you. In a startup environment failure is not viewed negatively, and instead, it’s viewed as valuable insights to how things can be better.v
7) Prefer to be the “Big Fish”
In a large corporation, you are only recognized by your job title and your staff ID number. Chances are people may not even remember your name and you are viewed as a “small fish in the big pond”. However, in a startup, since the team is small, everyone knowns you and the work that you do. Chances are, you may view yourself as a “big fish in a ever-growing pond”.
8) Ambition to Launch Own Business
Majority of Gen-Ys have the ambition to launch its own business for a variety of reasons. The best platform to learn how a business works and how to grow a business is in a startup. You will be exposed to every aspect of the business, including ways to scale up the business and even expanding the business globally.
