1. Visit
evisors.com
to browse all mentors who
can help you with:
• Informational Interviews
• Resumes & Cover Letters
• Mock Interviews
…and more!
Hosted by: Career Advisors on Demand..com/webinars
2. Interviewing at a Startup
featuring:
Melissa Enbar
Director of Recruiting at
Hosted by:
Caitlin Quan
Evisors Marketing & Operations Associate
Hosted by: Career Advisors on Demand..com/webinars
3. Agenda
• What its like to work at a startup
• Finding the startup that is right for you
• Securing the Interview
• Preparing for the Interview
• Staying in touch
Hosted by: Career Advisors on Demand..com/webinars
8. What startup is right for you?
Look for companies that recently raised
series A, B, or C round financing. Research
VC Funds.
Hosted by: Career Advisors on Demand..com/webinars
9. Inside a Startup Recruiter’s World
• Birchbox Stats:
– 30 Open Jobs
– Over 200 applicants in one day
– 14,000 Applications in 2012
– Operations Associate Role: 2,551 Applicants
over 6 months
– We search for people online – so get online!
Hosted by: Career Advisors on Demand..com/webinars
11. Get in front of the right people via
Events, Panels, & Incubators
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
12. Make your interest about the
employer
Lori called Cheryl Sandberg about a job at Facebook:
• Lori: "I want to talk with you about coming to work
with you at Facebook. So I thought about calling you
and telling you all the things I'm good at and all the
things I like to do. But I figured that everyone is doing
that. So instead I want to know what's your biggest
problem and how can I solve it?"
• Sandberg: hired her. Why? "I'd hired thousands of
people up to that point in my career, but no one had
ever said anything like that. I had never said anything
like that. Job searches are always about the job
searcher, but not in Lori's case."
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
13. Help your application standout from
the crowd
http://www.sliderocket.com/blog/2011/09/how-i-landed-my-dream-job-
with-a-presume/
http://pinterest.com/JeanneHwang/jeanne-for-pinterest/
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
14. Write a Great Cover Letter
• What makes you unique?
• Explain your interest in the company
• Explain your interest in the role
• Why are you right for this job?
• Mention Relocation Plans
• Visa Details
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
15. Use Social Media to Connect
“@racheljo Love what you are doing w/
@BirchboxMan Just applied
for the Community Associate pos. Hoping to
add a fresh voice to the team!”
“DREAM job! community associate at
@birchbox. :) http://t.co/wq0PZg5x #hireme”
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
16. Don’ts
• Don’t expect a reply if you contact the
founders directly without an introduction
• Don’t email the Customer Service account
• Don’t apply without a cover letter
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
17. Prepare for your interview
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
18. Be Prepared to Answer…
• Why do you want to work at a startup?
• Why do you want to work at THIS startup?
• What is it about this business that excites
you?
• What do you want to do day-to-day?
• How do you problem solve?
• How do you get things done?
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
20. Research the Company
• Most founders and employees are active
in social media – what are they writing
about?
• What is the dress code?
• Read the Press
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
32. Questions & Answers
Question 1:
Do you welcome inquiries about improving
resumes from candidates who did not qualify
for the position?
Hosted by:See the answer at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
33. Questions & Answers
Question 2:
When is it appropriate to mention
compensation to unpaid interns?
Hosted by:See the answer at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
34. Questions & Answers
Question 3:
How do you motivate people in the early
stages of a startup?
Hosted by:See the answer at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
35. Questions & Answers
Question 4:
What is the biggest mistake people make
during a startup interview as it relate to a
corporate interview?
Hosted by:See the answer at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
36. Questions & Answers
Question 5:
Does Birchbox hire those who are
passionate for the company’s products vs. e-
commerce?
Hosted by:See the answer at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
37. Questions & Answers
Question 6:
How do you convey you are willing to accept
a lower compensation level when your
resume says otherwise?
Hosted by:See the answer at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
38. Questions & Answers
Question 7:
When using social media, where is the line
between an active vs. inappropriate
applicant?
Hosted by:See the answer at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
39. Questions & Answers
Question 8:
What are the 3 main factors used to
determine whether the applicant is suitable
for the job?
Hosted by:See the answer at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
40. Questions & Answers
Question 9:
Do you have people who stop by the office
for informational interviews?
Hosted by:See the answer at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
41. Get the latest updates on upcoming
webinars by following us:
Register for live webinars and view all our recordings at:
www.evisors.com/webinars
facebook.com/Evisors
twitter.com/Evisors
pinterest.com/Evisors
linkedin.com/company/Evisors
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/69
Editor's Notes
Resource constrained and never enough hours in the dayBe willing to do anything including making coffee, taking out trash, building desks….
You need to be flexibleBe willing to pick up wherever help is neededProcesses will regularly change and you have to be ok with that
Be excited about the company – passionate about what they are doingBuilding Process, Fast Paced, Focus on getting results and aking things happen
Saying you want to work at a startup is like working at a big companyCompanies that raised money are growing fast and will have the best opportunities – also have funding which provides stabilityWhat industry, what function, what do you want to do day to day?
30 different jobs very busy juggling many roles – be specific – don’t just say your name when you callLinkedIn profile with key wordsEmail address available onlineAbout Me PageIndustry events and Applicable Meetup Events
Now that you know what startups you want to go after, you have to get in front of the right people and get yourself noticedFigure out what you can do for the company and express that via cover letterWhat makes you unique section of application
We get so many applicants from eventsCapital Factory – TexasOklahoma City, New Mexico, Birmingham Alabama,
Don’t just explain your accomplishments, help the employer understand what you can do for themBe good at one thing – pick one thing and get amazing at it rather than be pretty good at everything
Use the company product to show interestBe flexible
Are you an athlete, have you travelled the world, do you make jewelry in your free time, are you an expert at something?
Comment on blogsTweet at us
Consider your interview a test – think about the obvious questions and write out answers to themUse the job description to guide you – what do they need you to do?Read carefully about the culture – many companies you can find out about the values by listening to the founders and following press
Think about the differences in working at a startup and be able to talk about why you We look for Attributes, not specific experience. We want curious people who have a history of success and leadership.Typical Jobs: Sales, Marketing, Customer service
People who ask good questions and make good assumptions.People who are willing to work hard and want to build things.People who are proactive and can measure resultsAre you organized, can you handle a lot of different functions
Be ready to talk about it up front and to talk about what you currently makeIf transitioning be ready to make an adjustmentEquity – details at the end of the process
Startups usually have awesome perks – at birchbox we have tons of food, monthly mixers, drinks every Friday, workout classes, haircuts, manicures, lunch and learns Benefit of having an impact, ownership of your work, insight into the company’s strategyFun Events – Running club, Tough Mudder, Cycle for Survival, Volunteer work
Startups look for curious people who are going to questionsAsk about how work gets done, Ask about the environment, Ask about the long term goals of the company, Ask about the teamIf you are selling find out about how you get leads
When yousee an intresting article or exciting event, reaching outThere are a small number of jobs available at an early stage startup – if you fall in love with the startup, touch base with them every few months to see what they have available. CHECK THE JOB BOARD FIRST
Confidence is so important! Before doing any of this, you need to believe you can get the job
