If your students are interested in working for a startup (versus starting their own) but aren’t sure where to direct them, these tips and resources will help you. There are many opportunities to tap into the Techstars talent network and discover the perfect startup job opportunity.
Find a Mission that Inspires
If you know many entrepreneurs, you’ve probably noticed that they tend to have one thing in common - they’re crazy passionate about whatever it is they are building. When your students are looking for a job at a startup, please encourage them to take the time to look for a company mission and vision that genuinely speaks to them.
Capitalize on the Breadth vs. Depth Phase
Startups often grow by hiring generalists early on when functions and roles aren’t quite ready to specialize yet. At this stage, passion, grit, and ambition can trump years of experience on a resume. Encourage your students to take advantage of that openness to broader skill sets by targeting companies that are still early in their growth roughly (between 5-30 employees).
Gain Experience Through Techstars Community Programs
Startup Week and Startup Weekend are both programs run by volunteer community leaders. Students have ideally participated in one or both of these programs on campus through their LaunchPad involvement. That makes them a perfect candidate to help host a local event. While the focus of these events is not necessarily job-placement, they provide an abundance of opportunities to network with local startups who undoubtedly have open positions. (Bonus idea: Another way to stay informed about startup job opportunities is to sign up for the nearest Startup Digest. Though primarily focused on events, several of these curated emails regularly include job postings.)
Tap Into Your Local LaunchPad Network
A referral is still one of the best ways to find a job, especially at a startup because many founders make their first hires through personal networks. Leverage the connections you’ve made on social media with startups on behalf of the LaunchPad network when your students are looking for new opportunities. A genuine, thoughtfully written email introduction to your student often goes a long way in getting that intro coffee with the CEO. Remember, once you send that, it is critical that students follow-up promptly. They should consider ‘Reply-ing All’ with why the company and its vision speaks to them, as well as what it is that they can bring to the table.
If your student has an idea of what he or she is looking for, but not a specific company or role, consider asking a couple of your connections to coffee to introduce your student. He/she should be prepared to speak about the type of experiences that interest them. At the very least, this will help them get comfortable having an “ask” conversation.
Use the Techstars Job Board
One of the best places to start when looking for a new opportunity is the Techstars portfolio company job board at jobs.techstars.com. This page compiles every open position at every Techstars’ portfolio company and allows anyone to search and filter through them. (Currently, there are nearly 3,500 jobs!)
Your students can also use this UNIQUE LAUNCHPAD-ONLY LINK to create a Job Board profile. Profiles created from this link will have a unique tag that indicates they are LaunchPad-associated, adding an extra layer of credibility. This tag will also enable hiring startup founders to find this profile more easily.
Vouch for Students in the Techstars Talent Network
Beyond ‘Launchpad-tagged’ profiles on our Techstars Jobs Board, we also have the Techstars Talent Network (utilizing the Monday platform). The Talent Network a referral-based tool for finding and recommending talent. Soon LaunchPad Campus Directors will be able to use this tool to recommend the best students for Techstars job opportunities. LaunchPad student founders looking to build their teams can also utilize this tool to find talent. Those interested simply need to reach out to talent@techstars.com and request access for their LaunchPad startup.
Consider Techstars Accelerator Associate Opportunities
One of the best opportunities for someone with limited work experience but a passion for the startup industry, is to be a Techstars Accelerator Associate.
Accelerator Associates work closely with the 50+ accelerator team and 500+ early-stage startup companies each year. These important Techstars team members to ensure that founders get the most out of our accelerator programs and have all that they need to succeed in a challenging, fast-paced environment. Associates have the opportunity to get to know the best entrepreneurs, tech experts, and investors in the city, up close and personally. Historically, many associates end up being employed by one of the accelerator teams or by someone they met during the three months of the program. (Some also get inspired to go on to build their own companies!)
Whether through event participation or leveraging digital tools to access the Techstars and LaunchPad network, there are many ways to help your students find a startup job opportunity. The most important step though is to get started!
