WHY WORKING FOR A STARTUP CAN BE THE BEST THING FOR YOUR CAREER
With startups being low in income, low in staff, and low in experience, you may be thinking how earning a lower salary, taking on what should be 5 people’s jobs, and working 50 hours a week to ‘accelerate’ the company’s growth is “the best thing you can do for your career”.
But actually, startups tend to offer unique benefits, flexibility, progression opportunities, and strong company values that global businesses may not offer.
In fact, 30% more startup employees say they’re happier than those in larger companies like Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google, and Microsoft (AngelList). Why? Keep reading.
WHAT EVEN COUNTS AS A STARTUP?
Forbes describes a startup as “young companies founded to develop a unique product or service, bring it to the market, and make it irresistible and irreplaceable for customers.” There are no real criteria but it can be described as a company that:
Has an independent, forward-thinking culture
Is around 5 years old
Employs less than 80 people
ACCELaRATED CAREER PROGRESSION
When you work for a startup, there’re plenty more opportunities to advance, develop skills, and move up the ladder.
Startups are naturally pickier about who they hire. Why? Because they want to trust that this person can be a true asset to their company, be passionate about their job, and accomplish goals.
They want you to succeed so you could transition quickly into higher-level roles.
CREATIVITY AND LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Since startups are still developing and employing key roles, chances are, you’d be an integral part of the company.
Not to mention, your input in the company is more likely to be valued and acted upon – well, you’ll actually be able to have input. Imagine trying to reach out to Bill Gates about your crazy idea for Microsoft’s marketing… Probably won’t happen.
Startup founders are much more involved in your day-to-day and office culture – they’ll probably sit in the same room as you. Thinking outside the box, sharing those ideas, and being taken seriously is more common in startups
This gives you the chance to have a sense of leadership, much earlier than any big company would allow. This is something I’ve always wanted from enable, to give people a space to be individuals, be creative, and see a company grow due to their efforts and innovation.
LEARNING IS CONSTANT AND VAST
Small company + small employee base = lots of responsibility
But don’t freak out. With the right company, this is more of a positive than it is a negative. If you’re an extremely ambitious individual with a hunger to improve your skills, become an expert in your field – startups give you just that.
Your role will be constantly evolving, so directors may encourage you to build upon your skills, try something new, or take a course that they’ll pay for. These are things that won’t just benefit your career, but your life.
THRIVE ON TRIAL AND ERROR
New company’s are still adopting new strategies, meaning they’re more open minded to new ideas.
Trial and error is necessary for discovering what works and what doesn’t, so rather than being discouraged from being bold incase you make a mistake, you’d be encouraged.
This isn’t to say you’d be able to run wild and spend loads of time on irrelevant things – but it is to say that if you have a good idea - they’ll probably trust you to give it a go.
COMPANY CULTURE
Startups are known for being unconventional. Often their reasons for setting up businesses are to challenge traditional ways of doing things and producing something new as a result. Enable, for instance, was created to be a “new breed of recruiter”. To challenge stereotypical recruitment businesses and enable employees to succeed.
Startups create informal, collaborative environments, often offering:
Casual dress code
Games at work such as table tennis, PS4’s, board games
Cool kitchens with unlimited tea, coffee, snacks & soda
Wellbeing rooms, chill areas, and open plan offices
This can boost creativity, productivity and engagement in the workplace. You can create truly meaningful friendships and have trusted relationships with directors.
FLEXIBLE WORKING
Work/ life balance and mental wellbeing is something a lot of startups focus on. They want employees to be thriving, not just in work, but outside of work.
As a result, flexible hours and hybrid working come into play. So if you need to do the school run, take the dog out for a walk, or go to your gym class, they tend to work with you to ensure you can.
WORK FOR A COMPANY THAT INSPIRES YOU
Careers aren’t just about money and power. They’re about learning interesting stuff, meeting amazing people, and working to grow a business that personally matters to you.
It may be that the company:
Is B Corp, and is making conscious effort to make a change with their company
Creates services or products that genuinely help people
Focuses on a topic or skill you’re passionate about
And not to mention, you’ll be a part of growing a small business into something potentially huge.
- Written by Tim Macmillan
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