Talent Rocket have created a free e-book full of insider tips on how to grow and stand out from the crowd. Here, Will of Talent Rocket explains why more people are looking to work in startups and why we need a renaissance of self-direction.
I believe that a defining problem of our time is the disconnection and disengagement that people feel from their work. I also believe that a compounding aspect of this problem is that too many young people are alarmingly under-informed about what it takes to pursue a career of their own design.
Since quitting my job, I’ve spent the past 12 months building an entirely new career from scratch - one that only exists because I’ve deliberately avoided every traditional job search strategy in the book. I’ve discovered not only that it’s entirely possible to proactively construct the career of your choosing, but that it’s a whole lot easier than remaining in the almighty bottleneck that is the job search game.
Generation Y - the Millennial Generation - crave the opportunity to make an impact, and attach their work to a mission they care deeply about. Startups can provide unprecedented opportunities for personal and professional growth, but initiating a startup career takes a whole lot more than firing off your CV.
The rules are different. The game has changed.
The responsibility for managing your career no longer falls upon the organisation. In a world where 50% of the work force is set to be contingent in 10 years, and people are changing job every 3 years, the new world of work demands a new era of self-direction.
Your dream job doesn’t fall into your lap.
80% of jobs are not found on job boards. Tapping into this vast, unseen world of opportunity takes initiative, and requires individuals to take full responsibility for their personal and professional progress.
Why startups?
Startups have rocketed in popularity in recent years, and as the ecosystem continues to mature, and more money is flying around, working in a startup has become a viable career path. What do startups offer that traditional corporate environments don’t? Where do I start...
1.You work with the owners.
If you feel that working for somebody else isn’t for you, don’t write it off until you’ve worked for a startup founder. The passion and energy is contagious, and everyday you’re working to fulfil a mission - not just to line the pockets of the shareholders.
2.You can make an impact.
Everything you do in a startup makes an impact. If you don’t pull your weight, the whole company suffers. By contrast, if you work hard, you can be an integral part of a sky-rocketing success.
3. It’s the perfect training for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Just being part of the startup environment is something that nobody can teach you. You have to live and breathe it. You’ll never truly know what it’s like to start a company until you’re part of one, and there’s no better way to cut your entrepreneurial teeth than to truly jump into the deep end.
The first is to give young people a tidal wave of information about the opportunities of working in startups.
The second, and perhaps the most important, is to drive home the crucial point that thriving in the 21st century world of work requires a renaissance of self-direction. Good things don’t come to those who wait, but to those who create. The typical job-search and career building strategies that graduates are taught - CVs, cover letters, jobs boards - are all but redundant. This is the age of the Self-Directed Careerist, and success has a different strategy.
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