Wondering how to land that dream job in an exciting startup that you always wanted so much? Well, the process of getting hired by a startup is a little different than it is in any established small business or a corporate, i.e. startups prefer hiring people who can help them take the business to the next level in short time. For this very reason, they look for people who can take initiative, take responsibility, work autonomously and thus actively contribute towards the growth.
So, if you are looking to grow your career with a startup and have come across some job opportunities, you must prepare yourself before applying for a job. There are many resume lessons through the history that you can learn from, but this article will discuss the core points to focus on when applying for a job in a startup and how to win this job position.
1- Prepare a Convincing Resume
The easiest way to make your resume look as good as it can
is by using a pre-made template that was created by a team of professionals.
Some really great resume templates can be found on Novoresume.com
– here you’ll find many different kinds of templates. You can browse and choose
between functional, modern, simple, creative, basic, professional, college, and
executive styles.
As you can see, templates are made for very different people working in very different fields. Here you’ll find an option both for a creative work position and a really professional choice. There’s even a professional template for college students that don’t have many experiences yet and are looking for a part-time side job.
2- Get Inspired Before You Start Creating The Resume
Before starting filling up your resume, take a break and get
inspired. An easy way to do it is to simply browse the web a little. You’ll find
many great examples, but you’ll have to decide yourself what fits your field
and experience and what doesn’t. This will help you get inspired in both ways.
You will find some amazing inspiration for the design and format but you might also find some inspiration on what you could and should mention on your resume. Some things might win you the job position but they might not pop into your head at the right time.
For your reference here are some ideas:
- How can you contribute to take the startup to the next level.
- Your particular skills that startup is in dire need of.
- Statistics from your past job or college project that show your expertise, i.e. sales growth, user acquisition etc.
3- Choose The Right Fonts And Colors
This might seem like a very small issue but it might cost
you the job position you were dreaming about. How can this be? It’s very simple
– the hiring specialist reviews a lot of resume each and every day. So it needs
to be easy to find the most important information on your resume. If you use
fonts that are hard to read it is very likely that the specialist won’t even
waist his time to try and read the resume. So don’t try to be too fancy when
choosing fonts. Just stay simple and use the classical ones. For example, you
could use The Calibri, Times New Roman, and other often used fonts.
The same thing applies to the choice of colors – the colors
of fonts and the entire design. It’s okay to use a few different colors to
highlight the most important information, but try to avoid very bright and
vibrant colors.
4- Carefully Choose What Information Is Worth To Be On Your Resume
Rethink if every job experience is worth to land on your
resume. Only leave the information that is truly important and has something in
common with the job position you want to land.
For example, if you want to work in the marketing field,
maybe you should leave out the information about how you were working as a
translator in your study years. Unless you want to become a marketing
specialist in a translating company. Or if you want to become a financial
consultant, the information how you worked as a graphic designer while
freelancing won’t be very interesting for your future employer.
Also, if you have some work experiences that were very short
or could be more of a disadvantage than an advantage to you, then leave them
out as well.
5- Always Write a Motivational Letter
If you really want the job, then you will have to do more
work in order to succeed – having the perfect resume might not always be
enough. Another thing that you could and should do is write a motivational
letter. You will find some great examples on how to do it browsing Google.
Something you should definitely do is read more about the
company and apply your experiences and advantages to their specific field. Show
your future employer that you are the perfect candidate for this position.
Also, if you are a real expert of that specific field, you could even offer
some advice to the company. Many companies are looking forward to hiring a person who can contribute to business
growth.