hiring, pitch, resources, skillsIf this is posted in the wrong forum please let me know and I will move it.
Background:
I am a software developer and entrepreneur who has spent the last while building my own startups. I have a degree but not much experience working for software companies (outside my own).
I have had 2 significant projects to date…
The first was a startup in a niche market which has launched and is a currently running business.
The second was a mobile software startup that has reached a bit of a standstill. However, for this project, I attended an intense 12-week startup accelerator and learned about every aspect of running a software startup. (Sales, management, marketing, hiring, investment, …). Learning all of this, and doing a lot of work, showed us that this product will take a while to be profitable.
Currently, I am moving to one of the major software markets and trying to get some work with a growing startup.
Question:
What do you think are my best options for displaying these startup skills to employers?
I will give some of my thoughts to get the brains rolling.
My thoughts:
Put in on my resume under personal projects. I don’t think it would be ok to put under professional skills because I did not get paid for them. (Thoughts?)
Creating a slideshow (pitch deck) for myself in Reveal.js to add to my complete self-marketing package. I am used to pitching my companies but why not pitch myself.
Writing some blog posts on my experiences in these programs and with startups.
Are there any other options you can think of?
I am mainly focusing on before an in-person interview because I think that if I can make it that far then I am in a great position to discuss in an intelligent manner with my experiences.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
-RB
1 - Put in on my resume under personal projects. I don’t think it would be ok to put under professional skills because I did not get paid for them. (Thoughts?)
Really now? Unless you’ve been living in an ivory tower or turning your thumbs during those times, they most assuredly are professional time rather than hobby time. So put them forward. Particularly the startup accelerator experience.
Based on the above, methinks you’re burnt out. Take a month off if you can, relax, and then search.
2 - Creating a slideshow (pitch deck) for myself in Reveal.js to add to my complete self-marketing package. I am used to pitching my companies but why not pitch myself.
Depends on what you’re after. It could be excellent. But if you’re after a management job, beware that this may end up pitching yourself as a competent developer instead. (Which can pay well and is indeed very interesting, no question about it. But food for thought if that gave you pause.)
3 - Writing some blog posts on my experiences in these programs and with startups.
That’s likely better than the Reveal.js idea if the latter remark gave you pause.
That being said, if this is your only work experience, the truth is that you’re essentially starting off from scratch, unless you’ve a mouthful of open source project involvement or if you’re able to otherwise broadcast that you’re able to work as part of a team. If you’ve been working for the past years in isolation, there’s a non-null chance that you might have picked up bad habits while working and that an observing employer will see straight through you.
Your main trump card is that you can display that you aren’t afraid of taking a risk to see a project you care about through. So play that card if and as much as you can while job hunting.
In particular, do not come into interviews with a defeated face begging “pretty please.” You’re in it because you can bring something to the table; show what you can bring to the table and show it to whoever interviews you in no uncertain terms. Stay humble and strive to show you’re a team player, but hold your ground and don’t fold at the first sign of resistance.
Further, you’ve been in a startup accelerator, so surely you’re familiar with some marketing and sales fundamentals by now. An interview is about selling yourself, so use those sales techniques during them. Also, much like a brochure in B2B sales, never forget that the purpose of your CV is to get yourself into a meeting. Expanding further on that, it’s the only brochure you’ll ever write about yourself. If you’ve experience hiring staff, make your CV work in your favor - provide exactly what you’d like to see pop out when reviewing CVs.
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