Joining a Start-up

Graduates and candidates new into their careers often ask me about the prospect of joining a start-up; the impact it will have on their career, the level of risk involved, and lastly- why I’m such a big advocate! The truth is, I was thrown into a start-up having no idea about not only how the recruitment industry in general worked, but how start-ups differed to larger, more established organisations. I’ll admit that it was a bit of a shock at first (more on that later), but it didn’t take long for me to find my groove and realise this way of working was perfectly suited to me.

The first thing that struck me about joining a start-up was just how close-knit everyone in the team was. The first start-up I joined had a team of 7, which quickly dwindled down to 2, before sitting at 4 for the remainder of the time I was there. The first few months in this team of 7 was probably the best time I have ever had at work. I was learning about the world of recruitment in an awesome environment and at a ferocious pace, while getting paid to hang out with people who I would naturally gravitate towards anyway. I looked forward going to work every day and it was clear that one of the large benefits of small teams was just how easy it is to handpick staff that are going to gel and work well together. We engaged in team bonding, would go out for drinks after work and would catch up in the weekends. I felt these were people I could trust and we all knew we were in it together. The success of the business was on us and we would pull together to help each other out. Unfortunately, as can often be the case with new businesses, things came crashing down to Earth on the back of some questionable leadership decisions and over the course of 4 months, I had to say goodbye to some people I would genuinely consider life-long friends.

So, there is both the first positive and negative of joining a start-up. The nature of small businesses means teams can be created that share a number of common interests and values and it’s inevitable that you will grow close with those around you. Unfortunately small businesses are always going to be volatile while they fight for market share, and watching your friends be made redundant is never fun.

Another key consideration to make when it comes to getting into the start-up mind-set; throw any idea of a job description out of the window! The people that typically tend to struggle in a small business are those that aren’t willing to get stuck in to areas outside of their immediate responsibility. My ‘role’ was to find quality candidates for the consultants in the business, but it wasn’t unusual for me to help design our stand at a trade show, or pick up mail from the post office – even help the director pick out sneakers that “all the kids are wearing”. My point is, being in a start-up means you are responsible for the success of the business, not just your own role. For a lot of people, that’s a big challenge to get their head around and isn’t suitable for everyone.

Like the flexibility in job descriptions, working in a start-up often sees a lot of flexibility in the hours you work. Getting a business off the ground and in the minds of decision makers is tough and requires a lot of work, but there are also the days in summer where you may finish at 3pm to have a beer down the road. I can recall the times where we would have to stay behind until about 8pm every now and again finishing off proposals for clients, but because we truly felt we were a team, we would be happy to help each other out and just made a night of it. That to me was the essence of working in a start-up, we were a team and together we could handle most challenges.

Perhaps the thing I enjoyed most about working in my first start-up (and why I decided to join another!) was the amount you can learn compared to a role in a larger organisation. In a start-up there is no deadwood and simply nowhere to hide. If you aren’t performing, it becomes abundantly clear to everyone due to the nature of the flat management structure. On the flip side, this flat management structure means you have unlimited access to the brains division behind the business. Even by just watching how the senior guys work, you can learn so much- not just about the industry you are working in, but also how business in general works and what it takes to succeed. I feel I learned more about business in the first 6 months of working in a start-up, than I did from my 4 years at university. I learned about accounting, managing relationships, managing staff, business development – you name it! And I learned all this through osmosis and being able to talk to the director, whose desk was right next to mine.

While working in a start-up isn’t for everyone, I have to say I am a big advocate and I think everyone can gain a huge amount from working in one at some stage in their career. The flexibility in both time and role means no two days are ever the same and the amount you learn is simply second to none. People warned me that once you work for a start-up you will never be able to go back to a big corporation. I assumed that meant they felt I wouldn’t be able to adjust to the rigors of a less flexible environment – but I see now it’s because I simply wouldn’t want to! If you are thinking about taking the plunge, do your research on the company director/s and see if they have a track record of success. If all checks out, jump in head first.