Would you rather work for a startup or an established company?
Most of us would choose the latter, but, should we?
Here are some very good reasons why you should work for startups. These reasons are not just from us, we have interviewed founders and early members of the startup teams at E27 Echelon in Singapore. And these are their responses.
Challenge yourself
Gibbon: “Our team at GIBBON believes that joining a startup goes beyond rising above challenges. In fact, we emphasise specifically on people who are able to adapt and stay resilient despite the lack of clear cut structures and a pretty tenacious and shaky future. GIBBON looks for character among all other things.”
Eunogo: “We are looking for someone that can grow everything together with us, so these specific types of people are not really looking to go for the big-name companies. We are looking for people that are very interested in the product and also believe in the company’s potential.”
Not everybody is suitable to be working for a startup, you have to be very disciplined and also have a huge passion for the company and its industry. It is going to be a very challenging journey ahead due to the uncertainties and also due to the fact that these startups are in relatively new industries. And so, if you are the type that hates stability and wants an exciting working experience, you will be suitable for a startup.
More to learn
Swememo: “The students back in Vietnam wants to work for the big-name companies and get internships there right after they graduate from school. We don’t think that it is a good choice, yes, these big-name companies do look good on their resume or portfolio, but you will just be doing very simple tasks so you do not gain so much experience. But in startup, due to its smaller scale operations, you will get to do everything.”
Cygen: “People think that going into multinational companies will help them, but they are wrong, being in a startup, you can learn processes from end to end. I was from a multinational company before I started my own company, the experience I had in a multinational company was nowhere near what I had learnt from a startup.”
Eunogo: “In startups, one person can be in charge of many different functions such as sales, management and many others. So, if you are to join a startup, you should be willing to take on such responsibilities and view it as a growth opportunity. ”
When working for multinational companies, you will be given very specific duties and very rarely will you get the opportunity to do something else. But startups present an opportunity to do anything and everything within the company itself. These opportunities allow one to develop more skill sets and have a greater understanding of the company.
Be different
Cygen: “If you have a chance to go to a startup, please go. Having a startup experience now could be more valuable for a multinational company. You can grow yourself to be more of an all-rounder after the startup experience.”
When most of your peers are working in a multinational company, take the opportunity and try out for a startup, take a look at what you can learn and how it can help you develop your existing skill sets. One thing that is guaranteed is that, your experience will be vastly different from that of your peers. And who knows, this might be the reason you will stand out in a crowded and competitive environment.
So, why not take a look at what some of the startups are offering and see if it resonates with you. Maybe this could be an eye opening experience that you will never forget.
The Ventured 