Many people I know are looking for a job these days and most of them are considering start-ups in their job hunt. The trouble is that it is not obvious where to find interesting start-ups that are hiring. So heres a tip - I end up sharing this tip pretty regularly in conversations with friends, so I figured I'd also blog about it:
- Go to CrunchBase - the tech company database owned by the guys at TechCrunch
- Look for the recently-funded section (link). This shows which companies have recently gone through a successful funding round, in reverse chronological order. They update the list approx once a month
- Work your way down the start-ups in this list, check out their Careers page for openings
Why does this work?
The obvious reason is that a company that has recently obtained funding is highly likely to open new positions - one of the major reasons (and sometimes, the only reason) for a new funding round is to hire more people.
Moreover (and this is the best part), if you find a start-up you like, but it is not hiring for the position you're looking for, I suggest you apply anyway by sending email to their jobs@ list. If you really really really like the start-up, find the company's execs on LinkedIn People Search (or try their Company Search for a list of employees) and send one of them a direct message on LinkedIn. Be clear in your note that "I know you are not looking for a business development guy right now, but I am very interested in your company/product and would love to stay in touch or have a quick chat. My resume is attached."
Why do this?
Because, unlike large companies where recruiters are only hiring for specific positions, a start-up has the advantage of being flexible. Few things excite a CEO/VP of a start-up more than a resume from an amazing candidate - especially when things are looking upbeat (which they usually are after a new round of funding). If the CEO/VP does anticipate a need for your skill-set in the near future, it is possible that s/he will at least write back to you, even if its a "sorry, we're not looking right now, but i like what you did at XYZ Inc. do stay in touch". That is a pretty good outcome, considering that the company isn't currently hiring for the positions you're applying .
This is from my own experience during my job search in early 2008. I hope you find this useful.
Great advice, Shreyas! Keep blogging.
Posted by: Imran Moin | October 11, 2009 at 07:17 PM