PREMlESH MACHAMA lists the things that freshers must keep in mind before they agree to join a start-up in light of the unique work environment that they offer, compared to other well-established companies
Joining a start-up straight after college is a huge risk and demands a great deal of hard work and dedication. Although the start-up market is on a rise and is paving way for mammoth job possibilities, the industry has its own share of challenges.
Start-ups are small teams of people going through thick and thin with one another, trying best to be better than their competitors. They are often faced with a gamut of challenges such as significant business variations in a short span, an incessantly evolving culture, efficiency of workforce and more. Hence, it is imperative to walk with your eyes open before joining any start-up.
If you’re a college student or recent graduate with an eye on working at a start-up, you have your work cut out for you. Before making the decision of working for a new venture, ensure that you are a good fit for the place.
Make sure that in addition to you bringing a lot to the organisation, it also brings a lot to you. Below are a few tips for freshers:
MUlTITASK
Students who can multi-task and genuinely enjoy working with others, who have participated meaningfully in an initiative that required close interaction with others and those who can perform well under pressure are ideal for start-ups. The wide range of exposure helps one to perform in ambiguous situations and thorough understanding of the business. Joining a start-up can turn out to be a great learning experience if one is able to handle the uncertainties and pressure well.
KNOW All
Start-ups usually have lesser number of employees due to limited monetary resources and, thus, require one to wear multiple hats and a fair degree of discretion. It is imperative that one highlights one’s accomplishments in these aspects in the interview process for start-ups. A column in a college magazine or newspaper, an event organised, a meeting to solve an issue — these reflect highly on one’s resume.
BE A TEAM PlAYER
Start-ups are mostly faced with dearth of resources and time, relying on everyone to multitask and focusing on building creative and cost effective alternatives to get the work done.This makes one learn every aspect of the business, and be a better performer and a valuable asset for the organisation.
Being flexible in one’s attitude towards both work and environment can help one to establish well in the start-up. Handling a multi-functional profile, learning new skills quickly, adapting to the company’s needs and stepping out of comfort zone enables one to gain significant professional growth and work in any type of environment later in life.
DON'T BE CASUAl
Culture plays a crucial part in unifying any organisation. Workplace culture consists of the values, people and communication of a company. The hacker culture in a start-up may allow you to have a casual attitude in your work place and come to office dressed in casual attire but the work ethics and protocols remain the same in all companies, be it big or small. Getting too used to the lax culture of start-ups may hamper your professional journey in bigger companies at a later stage in life. So one should maintain a degree of professionalism no matter how small the organisation is.
lONG HOURS AT WORK
There are also high chances of your work-life balance getting disturbed because of the demands of the job. You will probably be working longer hours than you would at a larger corporation, but the advantage is that work and life are typically intertwined at young companies. This, of course, becomes a bigger concern only if you are married. Start-ups can be great places, with terrific opportunities to develop your skills.The experience and exposure of working in a start-up will enable you to fetch a job easily, anywhere and in no time.
(The writer is Premlesh Machama, MD, CareerBuilder)