After graduation you have a dilemma, you have a choice to make. On one hand is a high-paying entry level position at a reputable company. On the other hand is a job offer from a small start-up. You’ve seen their product, believe in their mission, and like their approach, but aren’t sure you want to take on the risk of working at a start-up. You’re leaning toward that corporate job and good pay with nice benefits. The smart choice. Or is it?

Overall, corporate positions tend to have narrower roles: If you’re a manager, you manage. If you’re a business analyst, you create reports. A start-up role can help you gain skills and insight into multiple positions and in the long run—a dynamic job with a variety of responsibilities. Start-ups can make you more efficient than you’ve ever been, and they can help you expand your responsibility and knowledge and learn how any business, despite challenges, can effectively get off the ground.
Here are some of the reasons why you should work for the start-up companies.

Getting recognition: Working for a larger company pretty much means your work will likely go unrecognised for the majority of the time. This is especially true if you’re in an entry-level position. On the other hand, working for a start-up means you’ll receive instant recognition because everybody, including the company itself, is working in an entry-level position. In other words, the work you do at a start-up is helping to build the company, which means you and your work won’t go unnoticed. 

You’ll be given more opportunities: Most start-up jobs won’t pay as well as some of the bigger corporate and business jobs. You may be worth more than a start-up is able to pay. But working at a start-up offers a different type of reward. Skills attained and opportunities got. The experience you will get would be much more than the rupees you will lose.

Bonding with co-workers: Most start-ups start small, which will give you enough room to get to know everyone on a personal level. A start-up company will get everyone involved on the Goals and Mission. This type of environment cultivates a team spirit, creating a bond with every person from the founders to the new employees.

Do a lot of different things: Working at a start-up will allow you to try on a lot of different things maybe somethings that you never liked or thought you were not good at. At the end you will feel comfortable in a lot of different areas and gaining insights into a lot more.

Making more money:  A start-up company comes with a small budget, which means you’ll likely to be paid less. But it’s more likely that you may have future financial opportunities. Many start-ups offer a stake in the company’s shares and incentives to increase your salary. If you work hard and contribute your skills and knowledge to a start-up, it’ll likely result in a larger salary down the line, which can be something that’s hard to come by in the corporate world. 

Shape the Culture Around you: Entering a larger organisation usually means that you’ll be stepping into a predetermined culture, set with existing practices, customs and values. Joining a start-up, on the other hand, often means that you can directly contribute to the creation and growth of the business culture, offering ideas and practices that can help shape the working philosophy of the company.

Starting your Own Venture: Joining a start-up gives you the opportunity to start learning what it takes to be your own boss. You get opportunities and knowledge on how to take charge of your own venture someday. You get to learn how to set goals, execute strategies, take your product to market and implement strong business operations. You can also be required to take on other, more administrative business tasks, which can actually equip you with great business know-how.

Penny wise and economical: Working at start-up probably will mean that money is tight. The company will always be thinking of ways to do more with less. No extravagance, no frills, no free lunches. Everyone will be contributing and doing their part towards the savings which will result in the profits. This monetary responsibility will undoubtedly blend into your own life as well, and you’ll end up finding new ways to find fulfilment other than burning the money you earn. In the start-up world, it’s all about creating more and consuming less.

Ownership, and self-sustainability: Working at a start-up also means that you and your small team are the only people responsible for your success. At a start-up, that natural wish to be self-sustainable is magnified and multiplied, triggering the do-or-die attitude that is often the difference between success and failure. Once you’ve created something of your own, something tangible and whole, something you can touch, feel, or use, you really begin to appreciate personal ownership. Working at a start-up product that you helped bring into existence, instils the value of that ownership and gives you pride in your work.

Start-ups can equip you with invaluable hands-on tools and experience, growing your skills, knowledge and even responsibilities rapidly and that’s something difficult to come by in a medium or larger-sized organisation. Instead, you’ll probably discover a joy in creating and doing, rather than consuming. You’ll find happiness in being part of a team that is trying to make other people’s lives easier, more fun, and more manageable. Your entire life will take on a meaning of creation, and you’ll be more energised, both physically and mentally. The key start-up lesson is to never underestimate the power of working for a start-up organisation.

Manu Anand
Director Alpha Mindz, Goa
Email: manu@alphamindz.com