The top 7 advantages to working for a startup
These benefits show why working at startups has become a popular career choice
Working for a startup has many advantages. It offers a completely unique career pathway that’s totally independent of and so far removed from the corporate ladder. It often places job satisfaction, flexible working models and positive company culture way above traditional corporate values. And it’s these advantages, among others, that’s made working at startups such an irresistible proposition.
So let’s check out the main benefits in a bit more detail…
1. Choice in your own career path
As a new graduate, taking the first steps on your chosen career path can be daunting; the working world is an unknown quantity. So having the freedom to try different things enables you to discover where your passion and skills lie.
Working in a startup allows you to do just that. You’ll often be encouraged to try different roles and discover what you’re best at. In the early stages of your career, this level of choice is unparalleled.
And the benefits work both ways, too. As the startup will know they’ve got someone in the right role but with a broader experience of what the company does.
2. More responsibilities and opportunities for you to grow
Startups tend to be young businesses with smaller teams. Because of this, it’s less likely that your skill set will be duplicated by one of your colleagues. It just wouldn’t be financially viable for the company to double up on skills.
That means you’ll likely be the sole specialist in your field, so you’ll have more responsibility than you would in an established business.
This will encourage you to grasp the nettle and take the lead – boosting and broadening both your hard and soft skills.
3. Proximity to industry leaders
Due to the scale of startups, you’ll probably be imbedded in a multidisciplinary team. So you’ll be working shoulder to shoulder with some of the hottest talent in their respective fields.
Furthermore, you’ll probably be hotdesking with the founder and CEO – that’s the nature of the beast. The career gains that result from this set up are plentiful. At the very least, you’ll be able to observe the entrepreneurship of an industry leader in action.
That’s probably why it’s not uncommon for startup employees to go on and found their own.
4. Measurable impact
With smaller teams getting things done, your efforts will have a greater impact than in a larger, more established business. And with greater autonomy, you’ll be able to quantify where and how your ideas have contributed to growth. That content idea generated a whole bunch of new leads and/or conversions? Great! That was all you.
Startups also tend to have flatter business structures, meaning they give equal value to ideas, regardless of experience level. This fosters an environment where you’ll feel confident to pitch that proposal you’ve been working on.
5. Turbocharged career progression
With a less crowded and more supportive platform to showcase your talents and prove your worth, startups stimulate and cultivate career growth. There is an element of risk and reward. But as a talented professional, all you’ll need is the opportunity to show what you can do and you’ll progress far quicker than you would at a corporate company.
6. Positive working conditions, positive work-life balance and positive workplace culture
It’s no secret that startups do things differently. Most don’t have strict working practices. Instead they will offer great benefits like flexible working hours, work-from-home setups and hybrid workplace models. You might even be treated to free lunches, and regular team-building and recreational activities.
It’s also more than likely that you’ll be encouraged to contribute to the workplace culture in a perpetually evolving environment. It’s far easier to fit into a culture you helped create than it is to fit into an established one.
7. Opportunities to gain experience in other areas of the business
Bringing it full circle to the first point… Indeed, you’ll be given the freedom early in your startup journey to try before you buy. But that level of opportunity won’t diminish over time – even after you’ve cut your teeth elsewhere.
Startups benefit from the input of an engaged workforce with experience in multiple areas. So they won’t ever stop encouraging it.
The Takeaway
A weakness can often be turned into a strength. And that certainly is the case for startups. They may be small in comparison to their corporate counterparts, but that’s where they gain their advantage – every benefit in the list above is linked to scale.
So, if like so many others, you want to supercharge your potential in an environment that challenges, values, gives back and provides autonomy and ownership, working for a startup is the perfect fit for you.