A unique experience
Hardly anyone can forget the image of Apple’s first office in Jobs’ family garage. Or the fact that Jeff Bezos’ first desk at Amazon was made of a wooden door. Almost every successful business first started out as a startup. And to become what they are today, they all have to go through ups and downs with nothing but bare hands and a winning startup spirit. So what does it take to work at a startup company?
No matter how much you think of it, it’s far beyond your imagination of how unique and worthy the experience can be. Unlike large and established enterprises, startups are “giant” in their own ways.
They might not make the biggest annual revenue or so, all they have is an unbeatable mindset and strong convictions in success. That’s what makes people who have decided to work for a startup company stand out from the crowd.
Alright, let’s see what’s welcoming you at startup companies.
The Sweet Juice
Stimulating workspace
It’s an experience like no other. You get to work, to learn, to grow and to have fun. Surrounded by young people with refreshing minds enables you to come up with out-of-the-box ideas.
It’s crucial to every business that employees enjoy the thing they do as much as they can. A favorable work environment is ideal to bring out the best in them.
Unleash your full potential
Huge opportunities for learning and evolving in a short span of time. You’re expected to be a self-starter who does not wait for anyone else to give orders. It’s not always 5 or 6 bullet points in your JD. You’re allowed to jump in any areas you’re curious about. It’s all about the experiments.
Learn a lot more than you can expect
Transferable skills could have more value than you think they are. Between someone who works at a large, established company and someone who works at a startup, the latter one will be able to multitask and handle a variety of assignments beyond the job description.
Oftentimes, you work closely and directly with the founders so you have the perfect chance to learn from the best.
Freedom to choose, make mistakes & get creative
Perhaps this surprises you. But yes, you’re the one in charge of all the consequences. And for that, you have all the freedom you want to perform your best self. Also, flexible working hours especially if you work in creativity and innovative fields.
Stock options or future compensation
Over the years, when you have invested your time, gone through thick and thin, and contributed to the success of the team, employee equity is something to expect.
Besides, there are other perks that satisfy the grumpiest employees like free food & drinks, casual atmosphere, on-site entertainment, beauty care, gym memberships, etc.
The Bitter Taste
Heavy workload
Running on low funds, a startup needs to keep moving and catching trends before anyone else jumps in the business. Foresee how the market is going to change and try to quickly adapt to the constantly changing demands.
You might expect to work long hours just to get the job done well and spend more time at the office than at home or with friends.
Cry over your salary
In most cases, you don’t earn as much at a startup as you do in other big companies. That’s not the brightest side of working for startups, but rest assured that your contributions will not go to waste. Especially when the business strives and starts making big revenue.
In the meantime, you might enjoy a surprise bonus at the end of each month for your outstanding performance.
Job security
9 out of 10 startups fail in their first 3 years. Not all startups will become as half successful as Amazon or Apple. Startups are still at the first stage of the business, which means they’ve not been completely and strongly built to survive hardships yet. In fact, many startups are struggling against fierce competition to stay in the game.
Last words
Yes, there will be ups and downs. But is the journey worth it? Absolutely.
When you go with the company from its very first baby step to the moment of victory, nothing can describe that feeling. You’re proud of your contributions as you see the seed you planted has grown and bloomed splendidly.
Startups always have to fight hard to achieve sustainable success, one that will not be shattered easily in tough times. If a startup reaches its height, there are more to offer to their folks who are willing to commit their time and effort in the building process.
Now that you’ve already had an idea of how it’s like to be working for a startup company, are you up for the exciting challenges? Before jumping into this, make sure you’ve spent enough time getting to know the company and prepare for whatever is waiting ahead.