The following is an excerpt from my book How to Escape Teaching: A Guide For Those Who Want Out.
Startups
If you are an early career with energy and an adventurous spirit you could do well in a startup.
Usually working for a startup will mean lower than industry average pay but you may receive company shares. The good news is that “lower than industry average pay” is still most likely higher than average teacher pay. The bonus is that if the company is successful, the shares could be worth significantly more in the future and you have a fast track into career advancement.
Because of the business model, startups often raise money and go on hiring sprees.
Good help is hard to find and as a teacher with a strong skill set you can probably find a place for yourself in the company so long as you are flexible. Even if you don’t intend to stay in the company for a long time this is the perfect way to diversify your resume with experience outside of teaching and break into new territory to expand your horizons.
The best advice I’ve seen about getting a job at a startup is from Tyler Swartz in his Jan 15, 2021 tweet thread.
I will quote it here:
Pro Tip: Best way to find a job at a startup…Hint: it doesn’t start with a job
board…
Go to @crunchbase and set up a filter for the following:
1. Amount raised: $5M - $10M
2. Announced on: today - 3 days ago
3. Headquarters location: your preference
4. Investor Name: @Accel, @Greycroftvc, @Sequoia @a16z, etc...
When a company raises money… they are going to use the capital to build out
their team. It isn’t rocket science!
When successful venture firms with track records like, @Accel, @Greycroftvc,
@Sequoia, @a16z sink money into a startup. Their chance of success increases
astronomically.
Filtering for recent fundraising allows you to get a pulse for when a company is
going to add positions to their job board (if they haven’t already)
If you see a company that piques your interest here is your order of operations:
1. Check for any job postings that meet your criteria. (If there isn’t a job listing for
you now… it’s all good).
2. Linkedin, do you have a 1st degree connection to the company?
3. Linkedin pt 2, go to the companies Linkedin page and look at the People tab.
Do you have any strong 2nd degree connections to any investors or employees
that work at the company?
If yes, ask your connection if they feel comfortable introducing you.
4. If step 1 - 3 fail, there is still a glimmer of hope. This is step 4 because I
consider it 4th down… and longgg.
Find one of the founders on Linkedin and send them a note congratulating them
on the recent fundraising.
Mention you have been following the company and you are interested in learning
more about open opportunities.
Why does this work for small seed - series A startups?
A few reasons…
1. When you’re the founder of a small startup… praise does not come often.
When someone from the outside world recognizes your accomplishments it feels
good!
2. Hiring is f****ing hard… believe it or not… Most startups don’t have an endless
pipeline of candidates.
Having someone interested in your product come inbound should hopefully
constitute a conversation.
The best part about this approach…
You can save your query and check it every morning. If there are no new funding
events that day... don’t sweat it.
Check back tomorrow or expand your search by playing with the funding amount
filter.
A follow on couple of thoughts here...
THE BEST WAY IN is via Referral. It is an auto first conversation. Then it is up to
you to navigate the interview process.
APPLYING BLIND is harder than 4th and long. It's like trying to kick a 65 yard
game winning field goal.
The chances of you landing an intro convo are sooo slim.
Work for a referral before sending your application in. It will increase your
chances 10 fold.
This is solid advice and it’s a bit off the beaten path which is where you will find the
most opportunity.