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Why more graduates should consider the startup route

It’s Graduate Week on Bdaily, and we want to take a closer look at the relationship between SMEs and graduates. James King is MD and founder of Find Invest Grow (FIG), a venture capital firm,focusing on the student and recent graduate demographic. Here he looks at why more graduates should consider the startup route.

With the ability to revitalise markets with innovative businesses and createnew jobs, the valuable role startups play in the British economy is undeniable.What’s more, in an increasingly sparse and competitive job market, they alsooffer a host of opportunities for graduates, looking for an alternative route of employment.

People who start their own business have a different outlook to those who havenever gone off to create something of their own. Entrepreneurs are defined byseeing a problem and thinking of an original way of addressing it. Because oftheir innovative nature, they are some of the best people from which to learn.They approach problems differently, constantly find solutions and are driven tomake the most out of their time and work.

Start-ups are also uniquely positioned to develop a more well-rounded workforce as employees get exposure to considerably more of the business than at a larger firm. While those in a more-structured, corporate position are generally stuck with their main task and don’t get to branch out into other areas, there is an ‘all hands on deck’ approach at a start-up, so whether it’s marketing, finance or operations management, it’s likely you’d be involved in them all.

The multi-skilled CV is attractive for prospective employers and when you can gain so much at a start-up, the potential they provide for development opportunities cannot be under estimated. Through your work, you’ll also bemore connected to the network of customers, vendors, VCs, and advisors that surround the start-up, which will be beneficial throughout your career.

Perhaps, however, the most important reason to work for a start-up is having an actual impact on the business that you work for, influencing it in a significant manner. Through your work, you have the ability to shape the success or failure of the company.

Of course working in a start-up isn’t for everyone. Some people thrive working intensively with a small team, while others make an impact in a larger firm. Whatever the preference, graduates should be made aware of the opportunities they both can offer to make informed decisions as they embark on their careers.

Remember to check out our graduate week articles: If you want to see more articles from Graduate Week, take a look at these links: Clegg makes a visit to a Teesside graduate business; Bringing graduates into a small business; Don’t play job market odds, change the game; Graduate X: The truth behind the graduate scheme; Mike Hill talks graduate careers; Having a graduate on board; Bdaily speaks to CIHE chief David Docherty; the graduate hotseat; and a path for digital graduates.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by James King .