The Perks Of Joining A Start-Up
Big brands can seem glamorous and prestigious to people looking to start a career (or a new path), but there is much more to a career than just bragging rights; every person is different and we are all after different things in our job search, but for some, start-ups can offer an incredibly exciting and beneficial journey that a large corporate can’t.
Tailored training
- A lot of the time, training will be given to you by a company director or senior manager, and will be much more specific to your individual needs than it would be possible to receive at a large corporate company. As well as it being person-specific, you will learn much more depth and understanding of your market, as they have a true passion and have a history of success in it. Problematically, you may not be trained on your role-specific duties, as such, if the company doesn’t yet have a person in that position already – there may be quite a large learning curve and an element of trial and error, but this is not a problem if you are looking for a challenge! If you are a self-starter and are able to stay motivated without having the pressure of a manager to report back to, you will find your bearings in no time.
Responsibility and Autonomy
- You’ll be doing real work which has a real effect on the businesses operations, as you bring something to the company that other people don’t. You won’t be micromanaged and you may even be your own manager; if you join a business with no-one in your role’s department, and are creating your own division, you will be your own manager to a certain extent! You may be a graduate or a school leaver just starting out in the world of work, but you will be integral to the company, and won’t be given work that is often thought of as “starting from the bottom”. Even if you don’t stay with the company forever, you will have developed a great work-ethic and will have found what keeps you motivated, meaning you will be able to bring these sought-after skills to your next role(s).
Recognition
- Bringing to the table a set of skills, expertise and outlook that no-one else in your team possesses will inevitably make you more of a valuable asset to the company than you may be to a large business with whole teams dedicated to your specialism. Being a part of a small team means that no one will be able to claim your work as their own, and you will get full credit for your hard work – perfect for those who want to put in the effort, but not ideal for those who are looking to slip under the radar. You won’t be able to hide behind anyone else or just skate by, the spotlight will always be on you to put in the work.
Personal and professional growth and development
- You will pick up skills like versatility and the ability to be agile in your work, as you will be relied on more than you may be in a large firm. Your expertise and specialism will develop rapidly because, to an extent, you will be thrown in at the deep end compared with the start you may have at an established firm.
- If this is your first ‘proper’ job and you thrive in these circumstances, then you may find that being given this level of responsibility will not only grow your skillset and job-specific abilities, but also allow you to grow as a person.
Progression and seniority
- Joining a company in its infancy will mean that there are less steps to the hierarchical ladder, and therefore climbing it won’t take as long as it would in a company with a defined career path with management roles already saturated. Additionally, as you develop your skillset and explore new avenues for the business, you may then potentially bring on someone to take over your role as you move upwards (starting to build up a department of your own).
- You won’t have the competition that you may face in a multinational and management can dedicate time to your development, as they won’t have to divide their time between developing a mass of graduates at your level.
Flexibility and free rein
- Joining a start-up will give you the opportunity to work innovatively and creatively, and won’t confine you to a set ‘role’ or business rules and regulations. What you actually do day to day may vary massively, and you’ll likely have the chance to assist with other projects within your company, giving you exposure to a wide array of things. What better way to find out if you like doing something you may otherwise not get the chance to try out?
There are definitely risks and a level of uncertainty attached to joining a start-up company, but if you are an ambitious self-motivator, then you can easily see how it could be a leap well worth taking. With heaps of opportunity for development, growth, rapid progression and seniority, joining a start-up is a perfect career move for self-starters, innovative thinkers, and those who are looking for autonomy and responsibility.
Additionally to the points outlined above, it is worth noting that you may find that you’re more invested in the success of the company and the team in general in a start-up than you would be in a large, established enterprise. In many cases, you are in a small team and end up being close to your management team and colleagues, making ‘work’ feel a lot less like work.
