An interview is always something we are looking at with a certain degree of anxiety and interviewing for a startup is no exception. While large companies and corporations may have a well-defined recruitment process, a rigorous candidate screening and a seasoned HR department in the hectic world of startups recruitment goes down a little bit differently.
So here’s what to expect when you are interviewing for a startup:
Your personality fit matters
Working in a startup means you will be working with a small team where communication and transparency is everything. In other words you will be spending a lot of time working with the same people so getting along with everybody from the stat and being naturally integrated in the company’s culture is crucial. When it comes to startups there is a much higher standard when it comes to personality fit than skills, so being genuine, ready to learn and flexible will get you a lot further than an impeccable skill sheet.
The heart is where the company is
While you might be tempted to focus solely on the value you can bring from a specific role and consider that having detailed knowledge about it might suffice, with a startup it simply won’t. Why? Compared to large companies, startups are condensed and focused on what the company can do as a whole, meaning that you have to have an overview of your overall contribution to the success of the company.
Are you prepared for the unexpected?
Don’t expect to hear standard questions like ”Where do you see yourself in 5 years” or expect to be taken through all the steps of a standard interview. The one question that matters when you are interviewing for a startup is “What can you do for us?”, a question that not only forces you to go outside your comfort zone but makes you realistically asses yourself and how you will fit in the company. The beauty of working in a startup environment is that your will be constantly challenged and all your skills will be put to work so don’t be afraid to say what you are best at and what you would like to do.
Passion matters
When going to interview for a startup make sure you are passionate about what you are going to do and about the product/service the company offers. Most of the times the interviewer will also be the Ceo of the founder of the startup and they are ready to involve you and entrust you with their brainchild so make sure you are genuinely interested and excited about getting on board.
All in all, being yourself and realistically assessing what you want and what value you can bring to the startup, can be a game changer when being interviewed. A startup interview might not be conventional but approaching it with confidence, enthusiasm and real interest for the company could land you the position of your dreams at a hot startup and skyrocket your professional development.
Don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith and make a career change we are putting all the resources necessary at your disposal, join us on www.workinstartups.com and apply to openings at the hottest tech startups!