This post is part of the series.
How the heck do you land a startup job as a non-technical person???
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been asked this I’d have like $2.65.
I want highlight one technique I call the “Proof Approach” that I’ve seen work time and time again.
When you have no prior startup experience, employers are taking a risk on you. They use your previous accomplishments and pedigree as a proxy to determine your capacity to be an effective team member.
If you created enough value at your last job to demonstrate everest potential, this might be enough to secure a gig. But many young people haven’t, and sometimes even major accomplishments aren’t enough to land a …
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This post was originally featured on Technori.com, a leading digital publication for the world’s best starters.
There are certain people out there that seem to always have amazing things come their way. NEWFLASH. It’s not a coincidence.
Your ability to attract great opportunities comes down to a simple formula:
Size and Quality of Your Network + Transparency + Perceived Ability to Create Value = Volume of Opportunities
Let’s dig in.
Network:
Your “true network” is not everyone you’ve ever met. Your true network is the group of people who’d gravitate towards helping you out given the opportunity (assuming the ask is appropriate).
The larger your true network, the larger the pool of people who might decide to send an opportunity your way. Network quality has implications …
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Between most of my college friends hating their jobs and my unconventional career path, I find myself talking to a lot of young people about career advice. The conversations take many forms, but I always come back to the same piece of advice: work for someone who is genuinely interested in your personal and professional development. But what does that look like? How can I determine whether that’s the case?
If I was graduating college today or switching industries, I’d try to work for someone that embodies the following qualities:
Relevant domain mastery:
You should work for someone who is very good at what you want to get good at. I’ve experienced the spectrum of …
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I vividly remember the final battlefield demos at TC disrupt. The strange thing is, it’s not the demos that stick out in my mind, but rather a small fraction of one charismatic founder’s time on stage. When the cohort of decorated judges asked him about his background, he jokinginly admitted he spent three years in the gallows of Wall Street. The disenchanting tone of his answer provoked a supportive response from the audience. Yeah down with Wall Street!
For the last year I’ve spent in the tech ecosystem, I feel like I see people cheering on Wall Street drop-outs as well as overtly hating on the industry wherever I go. I definitely drank this Kool-Aid when I first touched down in …
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In honor of Labor Day, I wanted to write a post about what I’ve found to be one of the most critical factors for finding satisfaction at work in my own life.
One of the things I’m most passionate about is personal development. Rarely do I receive more satisfaction than when I feel like I’m growing as a man, a son, a friend, and a professional. Within any context, learning is at the core of personal development. I’ve found that consistently learning has had the greatest correlation with my satisfaction in the workplace. Conversely, it’s when I feel bored or that my learning is restricted that I’m truly unhappy at work. With a finite period of precious time on this Earth, nothing …
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