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Working for a Start Up – Are you cut out for it?
— Written by Sarah Hightower Hill
If comfort and security are the main criteria for your next position a start up company may not be for you, but if challenge, innovation, independence and resourcefulness are your strong points, a start up might be right down your alley as they say.
A few months ago I assisted one of our partner employers, a “start up” with writing their interview strategies and questions for their top national sales position. Because they wanted outside opinions as well, I sat in for the first round of interviews.
When drafting the interview questions we were very careful to address the “start up” issue. It was important to the company that each employee understand exactly what that means especially in terms of resources available. Resourcefulness takes on a whole new meaning sometimes when a company is just beginning – often employees have to make do, be flexible and more creative than in other situations.
You can imagine then our combined surprise when the first (and top) candidate was asked why he might be interested in our company said enthusiastically “because you are a start up and I have found throughout my work history that start ups are the environments where I thrive best and have the most to offer”
It was a great answer and easy to tell not just one that he had rehearsed. It came from his heart and he meant it. Why then did the next two candidates seem concerned about the “start up” status and reluctant to enter into a working relationship with such a company?
In later conversations the first candidate (who was hired of course) told me that working in a start up gave him the opportunity to use his resourcefulness, his intellectual energies, and he felt always that in a start up situation more a part of the core of the business, closer to the excitement of each new milestone – that for him it is always easier to be innovative and excel where the rules are being written rather than where they are etched in stone and have often grown stale.
Our candidate is not alone, in many start ups you will find technically smart and driven people who are there because they can follow their convictions without the turf battles found at larger companies. There is also a sizable risk that goes along with hitching your wagon to a new star. Keep in mind, however, that just because a business is a start up does not mean the odds are against it. Look at the background and credentials of the founders – the product, the market, location, facility, all of these play a role and should be part of your decision making process.
Before you sign on with a new company there are several key questions you should ask the company and a few more key questions you should ask yourself.
- Evaluate the risk, what happens to you if the company doesn’t make it.
- Are you more productive in a traditional environment where everything is tried and proven or do you truly enjoy a new world everyday which can be the case in some start ups
- Can you have a passion for what the company is doing and give it the extra time and attention a new endeavor might require.
- Do you like and trust the people who are in charge, do they have a solid plan or does it sound like a pipe dream. Have they started other businesses? Were they successful?
- Have a clear understanding of the consequences before you sign a non-compete with a start up. If it fails your best bet might be the competition.
- Ask how the company is funding its start up activities. This is a fair question and most entrepreneurs will appreciate your sophistication. Make sure you know how long the company has projected its start up funds to carry it; at what point will they need extra funds or be on their own to generate sufficient revenues.
- Get an idea of the work habits of the founders – if they work 24/7 they might expect you to do the same, be sure you are clear about their expectations.
- Make sure that you have a clear and precise understanding of your salary and benefits picture – if anything is tied to company growth or performance evaluate it carefully with your professional advisors.
If after you have done your due diligence and you decide that you are suited to “start up” then go for it. Working in the beginning stages of a company’s growth can be some of the most challenging and rewarding work you will ever do. Certainly career growth opportunities may be enhanced by getting in on ground floor opportunities. You might be able to take advantage of financial rewards typically offered in start up situations such as stock options, partnerships, and profit sharing. For many, the small company atmosphere is reward enough.
If however, after careful consideration you decide it’s not for you, decline the offer and continue on your quest. Do not accept employment with a start up if you have any doubts about your ability to cope with the unknown challenges that could lie around any corner. Wearing many hats might not be a role you are cut out for, and the sought-after small company atmosphere that exists in the beginning will probably go away as the company grows. Benefits and other financial options may be limited and of course, there is always the risk of failure for one reason or another.
One thing is for sure, all businesses were a start up at some time, and all business is a risk in one way or another, those are just other words for challenge, and it is the part that attracts many brilliant and capable people.
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About the author:
Sarah Hightower Hill is CEO of Chandler Hill Partners, the Nation’s leading career search specialists. For nearly 15 years, Sarah Hightower Hill has been successful in helping mid- to high-level executives and professionals outperform the competition. Her clients have included executives, managers and support personnel, as well as employees from both public and private sectors across an array of industries. Her groundbreaking work in the career development field has resulted in targeted, solution-oriented services that deliver the most effective and fastest search cycle times. Sarah is also the architect and driving force behind Chandler Hill Partners’ community service program “Find Your Future” -- a two part strategy helping motivate high school students to stay invested in their education while helping drop outs to find career opportunities. |
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Other articles by Sarah Hightower Hill include:
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CORPORATE NEWS WALL STREET JOURNAL - Experts Weigh In on Job Boards - Interview with Sarah Hightower Hill, CEO of Chandler Hill Partners Full Story
CAREER NEWS WASHINGTON, D.C. - Speeding up the job search process Full Story AUSTIN, TX - Don't let silence kill your chances of landing a new job! Full Story
JOB MARKET NEWS Fortune/CNN Money.com - Secrets of the resume gatekeeper Full Story View All | Top |
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