Time to Jump Ship? 5 Signs You Need to Leave Your Job (and join a Startup!)

You’re underpaid / under-incentivised Money is definitely not the be all and end all of life…. but who’s kidding, you’ve got bills to pay. Moreover, you deserve adequate compensation for all the hard work you’ve been putting in. It’s difficult to put your all into a job when you’re not being paid adequately or your […]

Time to Jump Ship? 5 Signs You Need to Leave Your Job (and join a Startup!)

You’re underpaid / under-incentivised

Money is definitely not the be all and end all of life…. but who’s kidding, you’ve got bills to pay. Moreover, you deserve adequate compensation for all the hard work you’ve been putting in. It’s difficult to put your all into a job when you’re not being paid adequately or your salary has stagnated, particularly when you think you deserve to be paid more (and if you’re not sure, it’s fairly easy to check!). Feeling like you’re underpaid relative to peers is clearly a pretty big motivation-killer. So if you find yourself in this situation and you can’t seem to resolve the conversation through an open conversation with your manager, then nobody will blame you for looking elsewhere. Hopefully your next job will meet your salary needs, or at least give you some stock / equity options if you join a progressive startup.

You’re not learning and developing

Your daily routine has become monotonous and, despite your very best efforts to get stuck in with interesting projects, you’re not really learning anything new. When this happens, it might be time to move on. If you feel stagnant, uninspired and unmotivated, look for opportunities that will help you grow and develop. This is especially important given the changing nature of the job market. In 25 years time, experts have estimated that around 47% of current jobs won’t exist, which suggests that humans will need to be more agile and adaptable than ever before. As such, it’s important to prioritise learning and development and move on from places that don’t support your growth. Jobs in startups, where you’ll often be forced to wear many hats, can certainly offer learning opportunities if you’re willing to make the move!

Negative Team Dynamics (NTD)

Some workplaces are incredibly toxic. Is your workplace characterised by politics, lack of accountability, aggression, competition and hostility? If so, then it might be time to move on. If you feel genuinely uncomfortable, left out and are sick and tired of the poisonous vibe… then it can be difficult to get out of bed in the morning and you might lose motivation and energy. In these instances, you should talk to the HR team before you make any rash decisions. If nothing is done to address the situation… it may be time to leave for somewhere more inclusive. Unfortunately startups can be just as prone to this as larger corporates, so do your research before you join a new team!

The Ship Is Sinking

Are you on the Titanic? Have you just hit an iceberg? If so, it may be time to pack up ship (pun intended) and take the first lifeboat out of there. If your company has been going through an extended period of poor performance, poor management and poor morale, it may be time for you to leave your job. Nothing’s worse than staying at a company that’s being driven into the ground and/or that you believe has terrible prospects. Jump ship while you can and join a team that more readily inspires you!

NB: most businesses (and especially ambitious startups!) go through difficult periods, so don’t just leave at the slightest whiff of trouble. Assess whether the situation is truly dire and go from there, even if it means just reaching out to your network and seeing what jobs are available.

You’re just generally unhappy in your job

Do you go to bed every night dreading getting up in the morning? Is Sunday evening the worst part of your week because you know you have 5 days of work ahead of you? If so, you should immediately start looking for a new job. At the end of the day, your health and happiness are the most important things. Period. If your job is making you genuinely unhappy and depressed, serious changes need to be made and you can’t be complacent. Perhaps try and get to the root of your unhappiness and see if your work can make adjustments to suit your needs. This is a great first step to explore whether the situation is salvageable – just don’t suffer in silence! And do remember, it’s important to reflect back on the positives of your previous employer when you start interviewing elsewhere and have to explain your move rationale – even if it’s really got you down, try and put a positive spin on your job as no hiring manager wants to hire in someone who seems overly negative!

Early Career Spotlight: Sarah Ali at Adzuna

Early Career Spotlight: Sarah Ali at Adzuna

Here at Work in Startups, we’re on a mission to help talented jobseekers find the startup job of their dreams. To support this, we’re running a blog series shining a light on people’s early startup careers, in the hope that it will inspire jobseekers (like you!) and help talent make more informed decisions about their future. Follow us as we interview startup employees across the country and find out more about their backgrounds, motivations, current roles and future aspirations!

This week we’re interviewing Sarah Ali, Head of Government Support at Adzuna, a search engine for job advertisements that operates in 16 countries worldwide and aggregates job ads from several thousand sources. Adzuna is also Work in Startups’ parent company, which I bet you didn’t know! A former member of the Future Fifty, Adzuna is an impressive startup that has made great strides in the complex job market industry and looks set for big things.

Hi Sarah! Can you tell me a bit about your background?

I studied History at Kingston University and, like pretty much every other history major, I have done absolutely nothing with it. After uni, I got a job doing compliance at a big corporate. It was a great learning curve, but definitely not for me long term! After six months there, I started a job in operations/customer support at a startup called Hassle.com, which I loved! When the management changed, I moved to another startup called Amaliah.co.uk. Since then, I’ve worked at four other startups, the most recent being Adzuna. At Adzuna, I work on the Find A Job project as Head of Government Support. It’s a really interesting role because I learn new things on a daily basis, and I love the fact that the work is meaningful. We’re making it easier for people to find jobs and helping hundreds of thousands of people as a result.

Wow, your CV is pretty impressive! Thank you for sharing. What led you to join a startup in the first instance?

I was really disillusioned after working at a corporate. I went into it thinking that I would love the role, and corporate life in general, but it was very stiff and rigid and not at all what I expected. I definitely think corporate jobs are glamourized – you think it’s like Suits the TV show, but the reality is very different. Everything from the dress code to the amount of breaks you could take was closely monitored. It felt like being back at school during the worst years. Someone was always watching you and you weren’t given much control over your work. You were told what to do, when to do it and how to do it. I had virtually no independence and it was very difficult for me to take ownership of my work.

I joined Hassle.com in the operations/customer support division because I wanted something different – and it definitely was! The culture was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It was young, fun and the socials were amazing. Everyone got on like a house on fire. That being my first startup made me realise that I don’t want to work in a corporate ever again and startups were the place to be. I love the organised chaos of startup life! I thrive in it. There’s a lot of learning on your feet and making stuff up as you go along, which means you have a lot of autonomy over what you do and it’s fun! You’re the owner of your work.

Hassle.com was very successful and ended up being sold. All the people that made it what it was, including the co-founders, moved on, and I felt like it was time to move on to another startup as well. I wanted to bring the culture with me to other places!

I tried my hand at a number of other startups, but couldn’t quite find the culture of the first. It made me realise that each startup has a different culture and you have to adapt and find one that suits you. I landed at Adzuna by referral of an old colleague from Hassle and haven’t looked back! I love my new role as I have complete ownership of my work. Find a Job was a new project within Adzuna which gave me a lot of freedom to define processes and decide how I work. It’s a fun team and I enjoy being part of it!

So do you think you’ll always work in startups?

100%. I love the relaxed-yet-everyone-gets-stuck-in mentality and startups typically have a pretty flat hierarchy. Everyone pitches in and helps out where needed. For example, founders often help out with customer support at the weekends and during the Christmas period and the finance team often helps the marketing team and vice versa.

You also don’t mind staying late in the office because you’re with people you like and you all have the same goal: wanting the startup to thrive and succeed. That theme has run through every startup that I have worked at. When everyone is invested and wants the company to do well, this creates a better working environment and fosters cross team collaboration. After experiencing startup life, I don’t think I could go back.

What makes the Adzuna a great place to work?

A load of things. It’s a very nurturing and supportive environment. Everyone looks out for everyone and there are a tonne of learning opportunities. I’ve learnt more here than probably anywhere else and there’s still so much to learn! I’ve had a taste of product management and want to learn more and Adzuna is providing me the platform to do that. I really get along with my colleagues as well and have made some firm friends. In particular, my boss, Scott, is a great mentor and very encouraging and supportive. He’s really helping me grow and succeed.

Flexible working is another big benefit of the job! I can work from home and make up the hours if I have a doctor’s appointment or something. I definitely wouldn’t get this flexibility at a corporate. The work is also super interesting and all of my colleagues are very switched on and intelligent, which provides a big daily source of motivation.

What does the future hold?

Now that I have had a taste of product management, I feel like that is the next step for me. Given the responsibilities I have gained here, my current role is a good starting point. The ambition that Adzuna has and the development plans we have in place here will help me fulfill this career change. There is also still loads more to learn at Adzuna and in my current role so I plan on being here for a long time! Unless they kick me out of course… or change significantly…

Do you have any advice for young, startup obsessed jobseekers when they’re just leaving school? What about people leaving University?

Personally (and this isn’t for everyone), if I had the choice again I wouldn’t go to university. I feel I’ve actually learned a lot more from working than from my experience at Kingston. This is of course partly because of the degree I did and the course I did and don’t get me wrong, university is definitely a great option for some, but it’s not for everyone and you can thrive in a career without a degree. When I left university, I had over £40,000 of debt, and could have spent those four years getting stuck in at a startup and working my way up the ranks – whilst earning money!

As for people leaving university and looking at startups, I would say definitely apply for startups where you are passionate about the product and feel the culture is a right fit for you. Do your research – is the company aligned with your beliefs and core values?

Once you’ve started working at a startup, volunteer and get stuck in. If there are opportunities within your job to work in all areas and/or shadow other teams – do it! It will help you figure out what you want to do in the long-term. Also, take advantage of all the opportunities and courses that they are offering you to further develop, grow and learn. I’m sure you’ll become a pro in something that I bet you had no idea even existed before joining a startup, like Zoho or Zendesk.

If you could write a letter to your 18 year old self – what would you say?

As I’ve mentioned above – forget uni and get into a startup ASAP. You’ll thrive more in this environment! Follow your instincts and don’t give in to parental pressures of going to university. If it’s not for you, then it’s not for you. Also, keep doing you because you’re awesome, even at 18.

Inspired by Sarah and/or want to share your story? Email us at contact@workinstartups.com or reach out via Twitter – we’d love to hear from you!

5 Tips For Getting Your Startup Off The Ground

5 Tips For Getting Your Startup Off The Ground

Starting a business is not easy! In fact, it’s darn right difficult, especially if it’s your first crack at founding a startup or if you don’t have much money / support to start with. There’s a reason 90% of startups fail… but you don’t have to be part of that club. Assuming you already have a great idea that you’re passionate about and think has the potential to make it big, here are 5 tips for getting your startup off the ground!

Save, save, save!

I cannot stress this enough. There’s a reason the average age of a successful startup founder is 45. They not only have the experience, but also (often) the savings to help their business succeed. The first few years of founding a startup can be pretty rough: you often make little to no money, struggle to secure funding and face the hurdles of developing an MVP. If you have savings, you can bootstrap something together and rest a little easier knowing that you have something to fall back on if things don’t quite work out. Alleviating the stress of “how can I afford next month’s rent?” will be seriously helpful when you’ll be stressed enough already with the startup!

Ask your friends and family for help

Your friends and family love you and trust you, and can provide a great deal of emotional and financial support during your startup journey. In the US, the second biggest source of seed funding, after personal savings and credit, is friends and family. So don’t be afraid to ask your loved ones for investment, a loan, or if they’re feeling especially generous… a gift! This can help you get the ball rolling and develop an MVP, and give you some great pitch practice when you run your business plan past them (which you definitely should be doing!).

On the emotional support side, founding a startup is tough and you’ll face challenges on a daily basis. It’s therefore super helpful to have a strong support system that you know you can rely on when the going gets tough. It also makes small (or big!) victories that much sweeter when you have people to celebrate with.

Cultivate resilience

Founding a startup is intensely rewarding… but it can also be extremely draining. You have a lot on your plate, likely work around the clock and encounter setbacks and failures on a daily basis. Those that persevere through it all are the ones that succeed.

But how, you may ask, can I cultivate resilience? Firstly, try and be as adaptable and flexible as you can to changing situations. You can plan for the future… but ultimately a lot of it is unpredictable. Whatever comes your way, tackle it with optimism and hardwork and you’ll do just fine. Secondly, be purposeful and mindful. Resilient people have clear goals, motivations and directions. These enable you to devise effective solutions during times of crisis.

Network!!

Networking is crucial. Reach out to any entrepreneurs you know, experts in the industry, financiers, people at the same stage in their startup journey as you, and anyone else you think could be useful! Talk to as many people as possible (without becoming that annoying, needy friend of course) and soak up their advice and feedback on your startup story to date. They’ll be great to bounce ideas off, and might even introduce you to potential investors and employees… which is invaluable. While ensuring you stay respectful and polite, don’t be afraid to send people emails, message them on Linkedin and attend startup conferences. The startup scene in London is incredibly welcoming and nurturing and can help you get started. People want you to succeed!

Have a bullet-proof business plan

If you want to secure venture funding, which can often be crucial for your startup’s success, you’ll need to develop a bullet-proof business plan.

Investors want to (1) understand how you plan to operate your business and (2) determine your projected growth rates and how they stand to gain by getting involved. They can’t do either of these things if you don’t have a developed business plan.

They want to see a clear overview of your business – the nuts and bolts who you are and what your startup mission is / will be. They also want to see some rational market analysis, including detailed research on your competitors, how you are positioned within this space, and your target audience. Additionally, you should definitely outline your organisational structure, mission and values, as well as how you plan on managing your company.

Perhaps the most important part of your business plan, however, is your financials. Do your best to construct a 3 to 5 year financial model, and make sure your predictions are realistic and not overinflated. Outline, if you can, when you think you’ll be profitable and how.

On a personal level, a clearly defined business plan will give you direction and a road-map to success. It will help you navigate challenges and seize opportunities!

Startup To Watch: Antler

Startup To Watch: Antler

Here at Work In Startups, we’re on a mission to champion the best and most exciting startups in the UK. To support this, we’re starting a new blog series highlighting some of the most innovative and fast-growing startups around. Follow us as we interview startup founders and employees across the country and find out more about their goals and ambitions, what the future holds and (for all you startup jobseekers out there looking for the inside scoop) what they look for in a prospective employee.

This week, we’re interviewing Antoine Poirson, a Partner at Antler – a startup generator and early-stage VC that enables the world’s most exceptional people to build global businesses from the ground up. Antler is expanding fast across the globe, building a startup community and on the hunt for prospective founders!

Hi Antoine! What would you say Antler’s mission is?

To enable highly talented individuals to get started on the entrepreneurial route or their next startup journey. We believe that there are three barriers to successful entrepreneurship: (1) building the right founding team, (2) figuring out the right idea and validating it and (3) accessing capital. We break these barriers to entrepreneurship and as a result help entrepreneurs succeed and build more solid businesses.

We provide our prospective founders with a pretty structured 6 month startup generator program. In the first 10 weeks, founders will need to be on location in our offices as this is when teams are formed and ideas and businesses are created and built. By carefully selecting a diverse group of people for our programs, we help budding entrepreneurs find the right co-founder with complementary skills and different experiences to their own. We then help them mature their ideas to the point that they become investable. Finally, we provide the capital and invest early on. Alongside our hands on support and strong network, this capital helps founders build an MVP, develop their product/service offering, and get their company to a Seed stage. Beyond this, we help them raise more capital from external investors.

You guys have grown a lot over the past few years! What’s next for Antler in the UK and globally?

We’ve officially set up and launched the first cohort of budding co-founders and we’re recruiting for the next London cohort, which is starting in February 2020. Every 6 months we look for a new cohort of 80 to 100 exceptional people and around 15-20 startups are born from this.

We also plan to expand our reach, geographically, outside of the capital. London has been our primary UK focus so far for our recruitment activities, but we want to explore other regions such as Manchester, Leeds, Bristol and Edinburgh. Not only is there huge potential there, but we want to build a stronger network within the UK startup community. This is very important to us.

We’re also going to focus on developing our current investments. We have a lot of prominent angels and top VCs in our network, which is really helpful for the entrepreneurs joining the Antler community. Expect to see our startups growing fast and further developing their business proposition.

Outside of the UK meanwhile, Antler is expanding! We’re currently live in 8 locations across the globe and will be launching in 5 more in 2020 so people can apply to join in other regions too (Singapore, New York, Amsterdam, Oslo, Stockholm, Sydney, Nairobi). We are building a global Antler community where founders can leverage a worldwide network of investors and advisers.

You’re looking for aspiring entrepreneurs to join your startup generator programme, why should they apply?

They should apply if they are looking to build a high potential startup in the near future with a strong co-founding team. If they want to work with the most driven, successful and ambitious individuals as co-founders and work on something that has the potential to scale globally, then our startup generator program is for them! The support, funding and global network our founders receive when they join the Antler community should be a core motivation for prospective applicants.

What do you look for in prospective founders?

We like to work with aspiring entrepreneurs that have experience: on average our founders have 8-10 years working experience. We also look for proof: proof of greatness, proof of perseverance and proof of drive. We want people who are self-starters and don’t need to be pushed to deliver something. They should always be on their toes and constantly think of ways to do things better, bigger and faster.

We also look for people with a “spike”. In other words, something that they’re exceptionally good at. This could be a technical skill, deep sector knowledge, or even a soft skill. It’s something that puts them in the top 2% of the talent pool and really makes them special.

We look for tech profiles (full-stack developers, data scientists etc.) as well as business profiles (industry experts, serial entrepreneurs, operations or marketing experts etc.).

You’ve worked internationally in startups. Do you have any advice for those thinking about taking the startup leap but currently unsure about leaving the corporate world?

Just get started, it’s as simple as that. If you are currently in a job and thinking about starting a business, it seems very risky and bold. What I have observed is that you face a bit of a paralysis. You constantly think that if you get started in 6 months rather than today, you’ll have more savings and be more prepared. However, it actually doesn’t bring much value to wait. The earlier you start the more you will achieve in the future and the more likely it is that you will reach your goals. So I would encourage everyone to get started as soon as possible.

Secondly, a lot of people think that they don’t have the right idea, but the idea is almost immaterial if they find the right team. I cannot stress enough how important your founding partners are to your success. Ideas are fairly common, but what isn’t normal is when a team is able to execute on that idea. This is what separates the successful startups from the ones that fail.

And…. Antler is hiring on Work in Startups!

Tech Co-Founder

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