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Benefits of Working for a Startup
The graduation season is bearing down. Soon, the job boards will burst to life with eager graduates with all of the skills, and next to none of the experience. Competition for working in big name companies is steep because who wouldn’t want to be aligned with a group that comes with stocks, a cushy paycheck, and prestige? The reality is, there are so many reasons to seek employment with startup groups instead!
1. You’ll have more opportunities and responsibility. While a smaller startup company won’t have the budget to pay you as well as a long-established firm, what you’ll get back in experience will be worth gold in the long run. On a smaller team, everyone has to wear several hats and perform all sorts of necessary tasks to keep costs down and make sure everyone is pulling their weight. As time goes by, you will perform fewer tasks, but be held accountable for excelling at the ones you still do.
2. That said, your successes (and shortcomings) will be amplified. With fewer people in your workplace, everyone just knows everyone else’s business. That’s what happens and there’s no avoiding it. In a larger corporation, a mistake is easily overlooked or credit can be passed down or snatched up at a given moment. In a smaller group, when you succeed, you will be lavished with praise and recognition. However, that also means that if an error comes back to you, you WILL be held accountable. On the other side of that same coin, that means that you will be more motivated to pay attention to small details and making sure the job gets done right the first time. You won’t dare grown complacent and will actually learn to work harder and hold yourself to a higher standard.
3. You’ll learn from and be mentored by real pioneers and innovators! The person who started the company did so because they have a vision and a drive. Imagine picking their brain! They are natural leaders, problem solvers, they think in the abstract and aren’t afraid to take risks! Can you imagine just being in the presence of that sort of greatness every day? And eventually, some of that greatness may rub off on you.
4. You’ll learn valuable financial tips and tricks. When you have to tighten your belt and cut back on personal expenses (that $50 a month gym membership can wait), you become more responsible with your finances. Special occasions where you actually go out on the town or treat yourself feel even better. You’ll learn to recognize the monetary but also intrinsic value of hard work because every day, you’ll see your efforts reflect in your bank account. It’ll be slow at first, but you’ll have some insight into what true pride of ownership feels like. You’ll appreciate others who are self-sustainable like you and you’ll forge better relationships from that.
5. You’ll be a part of a dynamic atmosphere. Startup companies feel like small, professional families. You will grow incredibly close to the people you work with because you are all driven by one common goal and one common vision: to see the mission of the company come to life. And to do that together feels incredibly empowering! In this kind of a work culture, you never have to struggle with bureaucracy, red tape, or the feeling that someone is constantly looking over your shoulder.
6. Your strengths will be valued in a way they might not be in a big company. The skills and talents that only YOU can contribute will be put to the test, practiced, improved and valued for their impact.
Later down the line, sure your pay might increase, and you’ll soon be managing others instead of being managed. But we have to talk before we fly. Getting in on the ground floor of a startup company is the way of the future!
Motivated Mentality is Mostly in the Mind
It’s the start of a new week, and while the weather is finally on the upswing again, that doesn’t stop us from thinking that once again the weekend is a long way away. That said, how do you stay motivated when all seems lost? There are only so many quotes you can read, only so many cheerful little desk ornaments you can buy, only so many cheerful co-workers with the pasted-on smiles you can take.
The answer, young paduan, lies within you.
With your mind in the right place, you can motivate yourself easily and carry those tools for success and positivity every day. The best part is, because these tools are all metaphorical, they don’t clutter your desk!
First, make a personal commitment to yourself. Relax: we’re not asking you to put a ring on it. Just make a promise to yourself that you’ll do the absolute best you can and stick to it! By promising yourself to follow through, you’re promising not to disappoint yourself. We are our biggest critics, and we all know how it feels to fall short. Commit yourself to never feeling that way again and day by day, it’ll get easier to follow through. People will look to you as someone who is determined and focused and that, in turn, will get you the respect and recognition you deserve. Instead of working with gaining respect in mind, work with the purpose of being motivated.
As cheesy as it sounds, remind yourself of your strong points. Remember way back when you applied for the job and you were asked in the interview “What do you feel are your strengths?” Hopefully, you didn’t just blurt out the first cliche that came to mind. Instead, focus on something that actually makes you stand out from the rest of the workplace. Every day when you look at yourself in the mirror or the reflective edge of your desktop computer, remind yourself of why you’re so awesome. The validation will come after you tell yourself the same thing over and over. It’s like brainwashing, but the socially acceptable kind: the kind that will result in confidence.
Think of yourself as unstoppable. Use it as your code word,…heck, use it as a password! Reminding yourself that you can overcome challenges will make you believe that you can do anything you want and that no matter how unmotivated you may feel, you have it within yourself to see things through.
Finally, reward yourself! Give yourself the praise and reward you deserve. Your efforts should go rewarded, even if you just take yourself out for a treat or buy a little gift for yourself. People who work themselves to the bone but forget to reward their efforts often burn out and lose motivation. Like a mouse receiving a piece of cheese for pushing a button, motivation is a learned behavior. You have to subconsciously learn that you’ll get something out of following through with your plans and working harder than before.
Keep upping your game this week and see how you feel. We bet you’ll feel pretty good and even more motivated to come back to work the next week!
Something Rotten in Your Office
Something is seriously wrong…with the economy. If this is news to you, it’s time to wake up and pay attention! Income inequality (especially among social classes and genders) unchecked political influence and too-rigid views of capitalism drive an economy into stagnation. Dambisa Moyo has studied economic patterns and suggests a new, more flexible view of capitalism and progress to help the country’s economy. Progress is possible, but only with change!