College2Startup Blog

How To Stand Out from other Startup Job Applicants

With startups, things are usually done differently. The hiring process is different, office culture isn’t the same as you’ll find at megacorps and most times the work hours are tougher. Rarely do you find startups that abide by the 9-5 rule, infact in the job description sent out at most startups, they tell you “You must have the entrepreneurial spirit and willing to make this startup your life”. For those who don’t understand, I’ll break it down:

- You must have the entrepreneurial spirit: This is where they are indirectly telling you to be ready to share the pain when the pain comes…and more often than not, the pain comes. They are also telling you to NOT be passive and NOT be a follower. Entrepreneurs are known as risk takers who see problems and go all out trying to solve them. When you work at a startup, even without being told, you are expected to sniff out problems (potential wrong turns, competitors etc) and solve them. If you can’t do this, working at a startup may not be right for you.

- You must be willing to make this startup your life: This is where they tell you in clear terms that you are not promised 100% of your nights and weekends. They are also conveying that you need to be an ambassador for the brand everywhere you go. This should be your priority! nothing else.

Now for those of us crazy enough to still want to work at a startup, finding a good startup fit is hard but getting hired is even harder. Most startup hires are based on referrals just because there really wasn’t a good way to find talent…until College2Startup came along. With several thousand people receiving the same job openings as you, how can you stand out from the crowd? How can you make sure your application makes the cut? Here are a few tips:

1.) Pay attention to the jobs we send to your inbox.

College2Startup is very particular about what jobs and what startups we accept. We make sure they have something to offer our subscribers before we send those jobs out. When you see a job you like, take the time to research them, see what the company is about, who are the founders, what reputation do those founders have etc. There’s nothing that puts an employer off more than an ignorant applicant.

2.) Answer the questions we ask you.

There is a reason why we are asking applicants for an engineering position questions like: what languages(s) do you code in? what is your github profile url? etc or we are asking a marketing applicant about SEO. We want the employer to know you better and find what your true substance is. Resumes are fine, but they don’t jump out quite as much as well crafted and creative responses to startup-specific questions like this. Take the time to answer ALL the questions and craft them properly. Grab the startup’s attention right off the bat.

3.) Take advantage of the video.

Videos are cool, infact videos are awesome. Most startups have less that 10 people working as a close group. If they are hiring, they want someone who they can relate to and who will fit the culture! They can get a better idea of that on video. Also videos go a long way (much longer), than text. It conveys a message that no one else can covey in writing. Sell your self with the video and let them know what you are all about.

4.) Follow up with the startup.

Most startups have a Twitter or Facebook presence now. After you’ve sent in your application, send the startup or the Founder a tweet, remind him/her that you’ve sent in an application throught #college2startup and you will love to be a part of the team. It shows interest and keeps you on their mind.

How have you stood out in the past?