So, you’ve deemed yourself a start-up-er, but haven’t landed your dream start-up job yet. It’s not an easy task—how do you find a job at companies that may only have five team members and no recruiting budget to speak of? If you’re looking at the big job boards—stop. Consider these tips!
Below is a condensed version of the Muse article. Read the full article here.
- Networking – With very little budget, start-ups tend to rely heavily on the people they know, the people their friends recommend, and the people they meet at events—a.k.a., their network.
- Seek out start-up events – While New York City, Boston, and Silicon Valley are well-known start-up hubs, there’s a community of entrepreneurs in almost every city across the U.S. With a little research, you can find innovation labs, networking groups, and mentoring programs , all focused on start-up companies. Check out the Vermont start-ups on AngelList.
- Connect with “start-up people” in your area – As you attend more networking events, you’ll hear some key names mentioned as great resources again and again—these are major “start-up-ers” that you should connect with.
- Befriend a start-up recruiter – Use LinkedIn to find them, or ask the people you meet at networking events—these recruiters are typically well-known in the start-up community.
- Target start-ups directly – Try compiling a list of start-ups in your city by looking in a local business journal or searching online. If you live in a larger city, you can also look on AreaStartups. Do some research to learn about each company’s history, values, and purpose.
Also consider creating accounts on these online marketplaces to make yourself visible: