Attention Job Seekers! This post is for you! When I was in business school, the big push was for students
to take opportunities with large companies and Fortune 500 firms, which is not
a unique business school experience. Now,
before I go on, and at the risk of sounding contradictory, I do think that
there is something to be said for starting your career with a big, well known company. I did not do this. I've always worked for small and/or
entrepreneurial type firms. My current
organization is the most “corporate” environment I've ever worked in and it’s a
far cry from true “corporate America”. I
mean, I get to watch sports, or attend a pro sporting game during my workday –
it’s pretty awesome. My current employer
is actually over 100 years old, but it’s transforming in ways that give it the
occasional start-up like characteristic.
The balance of both is new for me, and part of what drew me to the role
over my traditional pick of the entrepreneurial feel. What can I say, I want ALL the experiences! However, I've watched others follow the path
of starting in large firms, and moving onto small or mid-size firms later in
their career. From both a career
development and compensation standpoint, I won’t argue that starting your
career and spending the first 2-10 years in a large firm has value. However, I would argue that many successful
careers were built on the model of building knowledge, skills and abilities in
a more independent way via start-ups and small businesses as well.
Whether you’re looking for your first job, looking to make a
change out of corporate America, re-entering the workforce, or just want to
explore your options, here are 6 reasons (from my experience) why you should
consider working for a start-up or entrepreneurial company as your next career
choice:
1. You will have more responsibility.
In a start-up, you are probably part of a small team. What this means is that you are likely very
different from your co-workers – you probably have a different skill set and a
different way of approaching tasks and problems. In my first role after graduate school, I
worked for a start-up and was the HR Director for a company that started at 40
people, and ended at 150 before I left.
Being the HR Director for a high growth start-up meant that I had the
responsibilities of recruiting and performance, but don’t forget that I was
also responsible for many of our facilities, and the smooth operations of the
office and leadership team. I had to
scale the company for growth by designing the structures of each department,
and then actually getting the talent in door.
I also had to make sure we were getting the most from our staff and that
they were engaged, while also handling all the administrative responsibility of
HR such as payroll and benefits, as well as make sure our facilities were in
tip top shape, and so much more. I might
not have been given the same level of responsibility at a larger firm. Was I the most important person on the
team? Absolutely not. But, was I an integral part of it? Definitely.
And that's an empowering place to be right out of graduate school.
2. You will be able to do and try a lot of
different things.
I have heard on more than one occasion from my peers in
large, Fortune 500 companies that the part they dislike about their job is that
they are generally stuck with their main task and don't get to branch out into
other areas. This sentiment better
resonates with me after having worked now in both start-up and more structured,
corporate like environments. One person
per task doesn't sound like any start-up position I've ever heard of. Working in a start-up means wearing lots of
hats, and I mean LOTS. I would joke with
my friends, that in my roles with start-ups, I would be having a strategic
conversation one minute about the structure of a department or the direction of
a product, and the next minute, I would be squatting with a wet vac to avert
the most recent office crisis.
3. You will learn from brilliant people.
All companies are looking for “problem solvers”. If you don’t believe me, go look at the
career website listings of 3 organizations you know of. Trust me, even if you have to read between
the lines, they are looking for people who can either sell, or help solve their
problems. People who start their own
business have a different mental and professional makeup than those who have
never gone off to create something on their own. Entrepreneurs solve problems in original and
innovative ways, which make them some of the best people you can learn from. Innovation is more than creativity – it’s
solving problems in new ways, and learning how to act and react in flexible
ways. Some people have a real gift for
this, and they often start companies.
You should want to learn from these people - it makes you more valuable in the job market.
4. You will be visible.
This is a double edged sword, because in a start-up,
visibility magnifies both accomplishments and failures. Anyone who has seen "Office Space", "The Office",
or any other comical show or film around office satire knows that in big
companies, your work goes primarily unnoticed, or someone else takes the credit
for it. Due to the nature of a small
team, your successes will be recognized instantly. As a benefit to working in a start-up, I
recommend you savor these moments, and bask in the glory. The other side is that it’s pretty easy to
see when someone makes a mistake. I’d
argue that this isn't necessarily a negative though. There is a lot less slacking in an entrepreneurial
environment. It would only be a matter
of days before your coasting would be noticed, and trust me, your team members
will be upset. It also makes you more
conscious of producing error-free work.
Since you know the lights are on and everyone is center stage, you will
be focused on not making mistakes, so as not to disappoint your
co-workers. Then, when others say, “we couldn't have done it without you”, you’ll know they mean it.
5. The work culture is awesome.
Those of you reading this who currently work in a start-up are probably wearing jeans or shorts, sandals, and t-shirt right now. I actually enjoy dressing up a little, but I
can tell you that being able to throw on jeans in the morning if you want to is a real perk. It’s also a really fun
environment. If there isn’t at least one
good joke or email per hour between you and your co-workers, it’s probably a
slow day. You also get to form real
friendships with your co-workers. It’s
much easier to be friends with your co-workers when you have to work so closely
and rely on each other so heavily.
There’s no room for backstabbing and excessive office politics. Additionally, passion is contagious, and it
comes really naturally in an entrepreneurial atmosphere.
6. There are financial rewards.
There are two pieces I want to talk about here. First, working in a start-up teaches you to be
frugal. At one company I worked for, being frugal was one of our core principles. It’s likely that money is
tight. Even if investors are knocking on
every door, or the owner has a really rich uncle who stops by frequently, it’s highly
likely that you will be asked on a regular basis to do more with less. This responsibility will certainly transfer to
your own life as well, and you'll end up finding new ways to find fulfillment beyond
spending your money. Instead, you'll likely discover a joy in creating
and doing, rather than consuming. In the start-up world, it's about creating more and consuming less (except when it
comes to your favorite lunch joint).
Now, you must be in it for more than money when joining a start-up, but
let’s be honest, very few people get rich working for a big company. Many people who make millions, make it in
stock options. It’s also nice to know
that there is real upside for your hard work, besides a shiny pen at the end of
a 40 year career.
I kept this list to 6, but one additional value I found was
that these experiences have permanently instilled the value of hard work, ownership,
and self-sustainability within me. This
alone, is something I can never say “thank-you” enough for. Keep an open mind about your next opportunity, and consider a start-up!
