Every day, papers are filled with news about start-up organisations having received millions in funding, and how their valuations are shooting through the roof. Although not every start-up gets such large amounts of funding, the propensity to start something and be an entrepreneur is increasingly evident. The relative ease of starting a business today, as compared to a decade ago, coupled with access to technology and information, is stoking the entrepreneurial streak in many people, including management graduates.
Ironically, this is not reflected adequately when it come to placements or summer placements, where the majority wants to join established, reputed organisations. The start-ups that are preferred cannot be called start-ups, since they have been around for a while, and been well funded.
The million dollar question
So then the question is: why does no one, or at least only a very few, opt for true blue start-ups when it comes to summer or final placements?
One obvious reason is that most of these “true blue start-ups” are so caught up in establishing their businesses that they don’t have the time or inclination to go for placement visits. The other reason is that most of these operate on shoestring budgets, which are self-funded and so, cannot match the compensations provided by other established organisations. Coupled with the fact that most management students don’t consider these options worthwhile, placement opportunities with start-ups still remains an unexplored area.
However, such start-ups are not only the best learning ground for any management student but is also an excellent place to contribute meaningfully. Since most of these entrepreneurial ventures are in the early years of their existence, there is a lot of flexibility in terms of roles and what can or cannot be done. It is a golden opportunity to learn, which is incomparable with the learning you can get in an established organisation.
Here’s what you can do
If this article has created a desire in you to explore placements with a start-up, here’s the best way to go about it:
Connect with entrepreneurial forums like TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs): And take their help in connecting with start-ups who would welcome good talent.
Be open with regard to compensation: In a worst case scenario, be prepared to work for the learning experience and exposure, as long as you are not out of pocket while doing this.
You might hit jackpot: Apart from the tremendous learning opportunity and exposure it provides, a start-up job might also help you become very wealthy, if the idea takes off and gets funded. More importantly, the tag of having been a part of the creation of an organisation and/or brand is something that can never be taken away from you.
Even in a worst case scenario, you will still have learnt a lot, which will help you in your career and of course, feed the fire of entrepreneurial spirit in you.
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