The Best Startup Companies to Work For

The Best Startup Companies to Work ForThe Best Startup Companies to Work ForWhich are the best startup companies to work for? There are so many startups out there, youll need to decide what youre interested in and what type of company to focus on. The startup space moves at a fast pace, and there are always plenty of new options to consider. If youre looking for a challenging and rewarding growth experience, then astartup job might be for you. You can start by identifying startups that match your career goals and interests. Most startups begin small, so youll find many location-dependent opportunities. Youll also find remote opportunities if you have in-demand skills that translate seamlessly to a remote work environment. Because working for a startup can involve a lot of your time and energy, its important to look for opportunities that are a match for your interests as well as for your skills. Its much more fun working long hours when its doing something you enjoy for a company tha t you believe has a shot at success. Be Ready to Take a Risk Keep in mind that working for a startup can be risky.Forbes reports that about 60% of startups fail. That failure rate isnt all about funding. ACB Insights studystates that the main reason (42% of the time) that startups fail is because there isnt a market need for their products or services. Running out of money (29%)is second on the list, followed by not having the right team (23%) on board. Anyone of those things can happen, so be prepared to take the risk that the job might not work out and be ready to move on. In addition, if youre looking for stability and a long-term tenure with your next employer, the startup environment might not be the one for you. Turnover is high among tech companies, withBusiness Insider reporting employee tenureranging from 1.8 years (Uber) to 2.5 years (Facebook). Thats not necessarily negative, though. Employers probably wont be surprised iftheyseeyoure back on the job marketafterworkin g in tech roles like these, and you canavoid being considered a job hopper. What You Can Expect at a Startup You can also expect a different work environment andcompany culturethan if you were working at a company thats been aroundforalongtime. Thats what can make working for a startup fun and exciting. You will be part of building something new, and the kompetenz is there for being part of a successful organization from the ground floor.You may need to work evenings and weekends to help make that happen.Its important to be flexible andreadyfor a challenge.The pay may not be great at first, but you may be offered stock options or future compensation. Before you start exploring opportunities, review thepros and cons of working at a startup. Where to Find Startups to Work For How can you find the best startup companies to work for? Whats best is different for everyone and depends on your priorities. Some people might want to work for a companythathas received a lot of funding others might care more about working with female founders or about how innovative or impactful the product is. For some job seekers, the perks and the pay are most important. LinkedIn has a Top Companies list that focuses on the50 top startup companiesin the United States. The top five for 2018 include Lyft, Halo Top Creamery, Coinbase, Noodle.ai, and Bird. Some of the list is comprised of tech companies, but others are from outside the tech space. Other information resources include Business Insider, which evaluated startups by technology, partnerships, leadership, and funding to generate alist of 44 enterprise startupsto consider. Forbes, too, has a list ofstartups you should watch for 2019, as well as alistofstartupsthat have been analyzed by researching company track records, evaluating geschftliches miteinander plans, and talking to founders, investors, customers, and competitors. Use these lists to make your own list of potential companies to work for, then learn as much as yo u can about each company before you decide to apply. Research and Evaluate Options Youre probably not going to be able to figure out if a startup is going to be the next Airbnb or Uber, but you can research the startups youd like to workforto discover if they could be a viable opportunity for your next career move. Start by finding out everything you can about the company. What is it trying to accomplish, and where does it fit in the marketplace? What is the competition like? Are they hiring or would you need to come on board as an investor or partner? Tools for Researching Startups Start withCrunchbase, which is the industry-standard report on startups. Youll be able to search by company, people, funding rounds, and acquisitions. Look at funding rounds to see which startups are getting investments. This could be a good indicator of a startups viability. Then approach it from the flipside. What new products are out there? Who is creating them?Product Huntis a good website to see up-and-coming products. In many cases,these are coming from startupsthatare actively doing business. Also take a look atlists of the best new apps(like Fast Companys, for example), or PCMags list of the25 Best Productivity Apps for 2019. Growth Industries for Startups Check the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for information on the industries with the top projected growth to get a sense of where the company might fit in. For example, health care and professional and business serviceslead the list for 2016 - 2026 growth. You can review thefastest growing industries and the industries with the most projected new jobs, as well as theoccupations with the highest percentage change in employment. Dig into the data to get specific information about the industries youre interested in, because the general statistics dont tell the entire story. For example, the BLS reports a 5% increase in jobs for taxi drivers, chauffeurs, and ride-share drivers. However, the growing demand for rid e-share services is expected to increase job growth for self-employed workers by 40% from 2016 to 2026. Data wont tell you everything, however. When youre evaluating the facts you gather, remember that many successful startups are disruptors- forward-thinking, aggressive organizations that quickly transform industries and the nature of how business is done (heres the complete list of 50 industry disruptorsyou need to know when youre seeking work at an innovative, high-profile startup). Some startups can be brilliant and game changers others might not make it. The ones that are successful often offer brand-new technologies and services, so research data may be scarce until the new venture grows andbeginsto generate a significant market presence. Check Social Media Finally, you can discover a lot about a company from social media and the web. Whats the latest buzz? Is this the next best thing or is it going to be a bust? Follow the company on every social media channel it has. Che ck Google for the latest news. Do you have any LinkedIn contacts or university alumni contacts at the company? Connect with them to see what inside information you can find. Doing so will help youchoosethebest startups to target during your new job search.