So, you want to work for a start-up, right? Why?

With 80% of our client base being defined as a start-up or scale-up, we are talking day in and day out to these companies. We understand how, no matter what industry be it MarTech, AdTech, FinTech, InsurTech and plenty of others there are certain things that are very consistent in each of these organisations. More to the point there are certain traits and therefore profiles which seem to really work and thrive in these environments and this is where as a recruiter it gets interesting.

You see the thing is that everyone, OK not everyone but a high percentage want to work for a start-up but when we ask why, well the answers just don’t reflect an understanding of truly what to expect in these environments.

It will be fun, it will be dynamic, there will be loads of opportunity for progression, there will be equity and most of all it will be exciting!! All of this is most certainly true, if you pick the right company, but there is also a very clear flip side to this. So, here’s what we see and what Founders, CEO’s, CRO’s, CMO’s and CTO’s tell us every day.

It’s crazy hard work, “you need to bleed for the business” is a term I’ve heard regularly, forget normal office hours in fact if you’re asking what the hours are, then get out of there right now you’re wrong for them and they’re wrong for you.

It’s packed full of change, lots of change all the time, every week. The direction changes, the marketing plan changes, the targets change, the personnel change, SPOILER ALERT not everyone makes it. You need to love change, embrace change and not be afraid of change.

It’s not structured, if you want loads of structured training then the start-up/scale-up community isn’t probably going to be for you. It’s not structured because the structures are being developed as the company grows. We’re back to change again I know but the wonderful thing about these companies is that they are unstructured, they’re breaking down structures in everything they do.

There’s less support, things get done but they get done by you, whether it’s a sales deck or an admin task, invariably you will end up doing it yourself. There’s not a back-office team doing stuff for you, you need to get your hands dirty!

So, of course not every start-up/scale-up is like this I know that, there are plenty out there where you’re not working crazy hours, where the structures are cemented early and there’s less change and more support. There are plenty of other exciting ventures out there which are well past this development phase and they might just suit you better.

Some advice to those who are looking at new career opportunities, you need to really think about what you’re getting into and whether it feels right for you as a person. Yes, the numbers can be dazzling in terms of investment or salary or growth but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily right for you.