Working for a startup company has been one of the most rewarding and interesting experiences of my life. I currently work for a startup tech company and I went into it with very little experience or knowledge about the role and I have learned so much during the process. I had no idea what to expect at all. And as a fresh college graduate, I just wanted to learn as much as possible, a place of employment and I wanted to start making some money with the degree I worked so hard to get. And by the grace of God, I found the perfect environment for me and I am very happy with my decision. I’ve enjoyed my startup experience so far and there are many pros and cons.

Pros:

Environment:

One thing I have really enjoyed is that the work environment is very relaxed. I never feel uncomfortable. The office is set up with a lot of couches and lounge areas and it makes it very easy to get my work done. I don’t have to show up to work in a blazer and pencil skirt which is wonderful because I wasn’t gonna do that anyway. And luckily, I work somewhere where all the employees get along. Since there are not a lot of employees (about 50-60) I have had the opportunity to really get to know everyone else. There are a lot of team building activities, outings, contests, prizes and things so I get along with my coworkers really well.

Opportunities:

Another thing I like is that there are a lot of opportunities for growth. Small startups are also growing and learning so often times they want to hear ideas and suggestions from their employee’s. At the company I work at, I have found that they give a lot of free will to try new Things and experiment with new ideas and strategies within each role. And it is easier to promote and expand careers with the current employees in a setting that is smaller.

Access:

Additionally, at a startup, you have access to every aspect of the company, and you can interact with anyone at almost any time. From the CEO to sales, to engineers and customer support. If you are interested in seeing the different aspects of how a business is run and how it expands from the ground up working for a small startup is a great opportunity to get a better understanding.

Visibility:

What I like the most is that You are not just a number, for the most part, you can actually be seen. At Bigger companies there are so many employees that it’s almost like being another body in a sea of people and you feel very easily disposable. But at a startup with less people you can capitalize on your individuality and your ideas can be seen and utilized.

Cons:

Constant Change:

As much as I do enjoy working at a startup and I would recommend it to anybody. There are a few things to take into consideration. First and probably most importantly, from my experience, things change a lot and they change very quickly. You have to be able to adapt to process changes very fast. The changes are not always discussed beforehand so you might be doing something one way one day and the next day a new software is implemented, or a new procedure needs to be followed and it’s important to be able to go with it and adjust.

Hours and more:

Another thing to take into consideration is that startups might require slightly longer working hours and they may not pay as much as larger corporate companies that have been around longer and have more funding. But even that varies depending on what position you work in, what experience you want to create for yourself and what impact you want to leave that will make your ultimate decision.

Personally, I love it and I think it’s the perfect environment for anybody looking to kick off their career. This is technically my first “real job” and I genuinely feel very happy and blessed to be there. Working a 9-5 job is very different from being a full-time student and the adjustment takes some getting used to, but the experience is worth it. It also helps that I have great management and a very supportive team. I’m always able to get help and ask for help whenever I need it. And the product is really cool!

Thus, there are a lot of things to take into consideration when deciding whether or not to work for a startup but I definitely think it is all worth it.