Why Young Business Graduates Must Consider Working at a Startup

Amazon, Facebook, Instagram were all startups at one point. Startups have become increasingly popular thanks to their ability to innovate and disrupt industries. Most of the new technologies we use every day are a result of a startup’s innovation. 

Startups aim to reach unicorn status, meaning it has to attain a market value of one billion USD or more. The USA has among the highest valued unicorns globally, which is why many business graduates pursue a career in startups in the US. 

Business graduates bring a unique set of skills and expertise to the table, making them a sought-after option among startups. 

If you are wondering why to work at startups, look at these points that elaborate on why choosing to pursue a career in the startup arena is an excellent choice for you!

Top Reasons to Work at Startups 

There are many benefits to working for startups. The following points will help you understand them better: 

1. It offers immense scope for growth

Startups offer a lot more freedom than large companies and organizations. You can express your ideas more freely and openly in a startup than in a large organization. You also get more opportunities to participate in the different aspects of the business, which you couldn’t have accessed otherwise.

You also get a lot more autonomy in a startup, allowing you to use your skills and expertise more extensively. This way, you can develop business skills and learn about your industry more effectively. 

As a business graduate, getting the opportunity to handle multiple responsibilities will allow you to enhance your business acumen and become a sought-after MBA professional. Startups look for MBA graduates to help them handle the backend operations of their organization. 

When you begin your career in a startup, you gain valuable experience as you juggle multiple responsibilities, which will further enhance your growth substantially. The unique challenges of a startup require you to stay innovative and think on your feet, allowing you to develop strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. 

Many MBA graduates prefer startups over big companies because they get to set their own success parameters and choose how to work on them. You can aim for the stars!. 

Read: When is the right time for me to get an MBA

2. Startup experience is great for your Resume

When you work in a startup, you’ll have to function as a versatile professional. You’ll handle much more responsibilities than you would have in a niche role of a large company. Not just that, you’ll face real-world business challenges on a daily basis. Naturally, as you have more industry exposure, your practical skills improve tremendously. 

Many companies look for candidates that can showcase a deep understanding of business and their industry. Professionals with startup experience would certainly stand out here because they already possess the know-how of tackling business problems. 

You can highlight your projects and cases on your resume to showcase your potential to recruiters. It will considerably spice up your resume, making you a more appealing candidate for high-end job profiles in top-tier companies.

3. You understand the inner workings of a business

Another great advantage of working at a startup is you will have the opportunity to learn about the ins and outs of a business. 

In a large company, you are an employee of one of the many departments present in it. On the other hand, in a startup, you are only a handful of people managing multiple teams and departments at once.

In a startup, you are generally closer to the inner workings of the company. Startup founders tend to involve all team members while making important decisions, which is something you can’t expect in a large company. 

You will be directly involved in the various processes of your company. From interacting with vendors to helping other departments create plans, you will get the opportunity to do things you couldn’t have done in a large enterprise. 

4. You develop industry-relevant soft skills 

Soft skills are vital for every professional, irrespective of the industry. You can function optimally within a professional setting only when you have the right set of hard and soft skills. No wonder why recruiters are always on the lookout for professionals possessing a diverse range of soft skills.

After all, soft skills are what sets great candidates apart from others. However, developing soft skills is pretty challenging since you learn most of them on the go, such as leadership, teamwork, management, negotiation, and communication skills.

This is where startups provide you with an edge. When you work in a startup, you learn and practice different soft skills as you interact with team members, clients, partners, vendors, etc. Due to the small size of a startup, you will work with a close-knit team of fellow professionals to solve business challenges, create actionable strategies, develop products, and set short and long-term goals.

You will have to demonstrate leadership qualities when you work with junior members and even train new recruits. Startups offer a ton of growth opportunities that help you become a versatile and well-versed business professional. 

Also Read: Decision making skillset every MBA students must know

How to stand out from your peers?

Working with a startup can help you tremendously in kick-starting your career and enhance your expertise. However, if you want to bring business management expertise to the table, it would be best to go to them with an MBA degree in hand.

Startups prefer MBA graduates as they have an advanced understanding of different business concepts that can help the company combat multiple business problems at once. Moreover, with an MBA, you can easily get a senior role in your startup and ensure that you get the most out of your career. 

Startups offer a ton of career opportunities. In 2020 alone, startups created more than three million jobs!

If you want to be a sought-after candidate among startups, you should get the latest MBA which teaches you in-demand skills and helps you stand out. For example, at upGrad, we offer a Global MBA program in partnership with Deakin Business School. 

The course lasts for two years and gives you dual credentials (MBA from DBS and PGPM from IMT). Deakin Business School is among Australia’s top B-schools and has AACSB and EQUIS accreditation.

The program teaches you many business schools, including Design Thinking, Leadership, International Business, Strategic Thinking & Planning Abilities, Developing High Performing Organisations, etc. It’s an online program, so you need not leave your job to continue your education. You will study directly from industry experts during the program through videos, live sessions, and assignments. 

You only need to have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% marks and at least three years of full-time relevant work experience. The program offers 40+ live sessions, 20+ expert sessions, and a six-week capstone project. You can find out more about the program here: MBA (Global) with Deakin Business School. 

Conclusion

By now, we hope it’s much clearer to you why working at startups is one of the best career decisions for recent business graduates. 

A startup culture will usually expose you to the inner workings of the industry, allowing you to develop a better familiarity with your field.

Don’t forget that you will also get plenty of networking opportunities – you will meet industry leaders, entrepreneurs, visionaries, and fellow peers. Connecting with such inspired people will help broaden your field of knowledge and vision.