Applying for a jobLooking to get into the startup world? Get your first grown up job or maybe just looking to move onto bigger and better things in a new job? No matter the goal, writing a great CV and cover letter is key to securing that next job Those aren’t hard rules, but following […]
Applying for a job Looking to get into the startup world? Get your first grown up job or maybe just looking to move onto bigger and better things in a new job? No matter the goal, writing a great CV and cover letter is key to securing that next job
Those aren’t hard rules, but following these guidelines is a good start.
Read the advertisement I know this sounds obvious, but a surprising amount of people don’t read the job ads they are applying for. That results in not providing enough information to the employer or applying for something you are wildly underqualified for.
Aside from understanding the job you are applying for,
reading the ad properly makes tailoring your CV/cover letter so much easier.
Startups for example might need their front-end developer to do something more
than just programming. If you only want to do programming that job might not be
for you.
Create an easy to read CV Keep it clean, keep it simple. Put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager that might have to go through 100+ CV’s that day, make finding the key information easy. This is especially important if you are applying at a startup that might have limited manpower to go through your application.
Try to focus on your strengths that are relevant to the job,
if you are applying for a back-end developer role, your summer job at a grocery
store is unlikely to help. It might however help if you are looking for a
customer facing job.
Quality > Quantity, a hiring manager would rather receive
one-page CV filled with quality than a three page one with irrelevant
information. Keep that in mind and focus on information that supports your
application.
Cover Letter The easiest way to start is by creating a generic cover letter with some background information and the hard/soft skills that apply to any job outlined. You can then use that base to create a tailored cover letter for each job you apply for.
Use the cover letter to explain how and why you are the
right person, the job ad will be asking for certain skills and attributes. You
need to show that you have what they are looking for and provide support for
your claims.
Avoid using generic keywords like hard worker, multitasker
and great team player if you can’t provide any examples to support it.
And never lie.
Follow up Sending a short follow up message one or two weeks after sending in the application reinforces your interest in the job.
When you think of a startup, what and who do you think of? Is it the cast of The Social Network? Or that one guy from your university rowing team? Perhaps you imagine a ping pong table or two. Although such characters do exist, they aren’t the majority nor the monopoly. Startups aren’t just filled […]
When you think of a startup, what and who do you think of? Is it the cast of The Social Network? Or that one guy from your university rowing team? Perhaps you imagine a ping pong table or two. Although such characters do exist, they aren’t the majority nor the monopoly.
[Startups aren’t just for the guy who watched the Wolf of Wall Street one too many times. Source: James Devaney/WireImage ]
Startups aren’t just filled with people who repeat that pen selling scene from the Wolf of Wall Street (you know what I’m talking about). In this blog post, I’m going to debunk some startup stereotypes – and confirm some too.
Stereotypes that are false
1. Startups only offer tech jobs
Some startups seem very techy, and some of them are. In fact, being tech-savvy is quite important in this day and age. Yet, like any other business, you can’t survive on tech alone to be a functioning organisation. Startups actually offer a plethora of roles – marketing, sales, human resources, operations, finance and many more. Of course, you can’t be completely illiterate in your digital skills. However, working in marketing at a tech startup won’t require you to code and working in finance doesn’t mean you need to handle the social media accounts.
Thus, don’t feel discouraged by the world of startups if you don’t think you’re the next Mark Zuckerberg (apparently he’s the Elon Musk of people over 30). Perhaps you could be the next Kris Jenner of marketing or that overzealous HR recruiter on LinkedIn.
2. Startups are full of hedge fund bros
[The crypto bro is one of the three of the holy trinity: the finance bros, the hedge fund bros and the crypo bros. Source: Twitter]
There’s nothing wrong with these bros. However, they can contribute to a sense of gatekeeping or inaccessibility in the world of startups. There are many within startups that have been helping to contribute to diversity and inclusion.
One way in which the startup world has tackled the traditional lack of diversity is through AI, as demonstrated by Talenya – which has a diversity AI to create a more level playing field.
3. Startups don’t pay well
There are startups that do pay well, and some don’t. There are a lot of startups that pay competitive salaries and industry standard. For startups that don’t, the positions they offer often require a lower threshold of experience. Thus, they are great for graduates, those wanting a career change or those with less experience to secure a job. This is also a good opportunity to plug our other latest article, how to find a job as a graduate.
There are also stock options, where the employee then has the option to buy equity at a significantly reduced price. A good guide to compensation in startups can be found here.
Stereotypes that are true
1. Startups prioritise impact over hours
At startups, there tends to be a priority of your impact or efficiency over hours. This is in comparison to *some* traditional office jobs that may require you to clock in/work certain hours even if you aren’t being productive with your time. As a result, working at a startup can provide greater autonomy with how you use your time and energy.
[This is currently you at your non-startup job. Get a grip. Source: Nickelodeon]
2. Startups have a defined culture
Startups tend to be seen to have a different culture than other office jobs. Usually, this consists of smaller teams, more of personal culture, perhaps even working closely with the CEO. There are often perks such as snacks and fancy coffee. Being valued by team members and unlimited fancy coffee? No thank you! I’d rather be exploited at a corporate job.
3. Startups provide flexibility, flat hierarchy and a real say in the business
Being a valued member of a small team? Being able to have my opinion and actions valued? Not being cut off by a C-suite structure? Gross. No wonder startups have a bad rep.
All jokes aside, the structure of most startups allow all employees to develop and improve skills. Moreover, there is a real sense of ownership as employees can single-handedly shape the business rather than be another number at a desk.
To conclude, there are stereotypes of startups that simply are not true. Startups provide many perks and challenge traditional office roles that are stuck in the ways of rigid structure, schedule and impersonal culture.
Every few months Work in Startups do an in-depth analysis to check out what the latest hiring news is amongst the top UK tech companies. In September 2021, we revelaed that they are continuing to hire at record rates post-pandemic, with a 128% increase in jobs on offer since September 2020. These companies are currently […]
Every few months Work in Startups do an in-depth analysis to check out what the latest hiring news is amongst the top UK tech companies. In September 2021, we revelaed that they are continuing to hire at record rates post-pandemic, with a 128% increase in jobs on offer since September 2020. These companies are currently making up around 5,000 vacanies within the UK, which can be viewed here!
The switch to online services that accelerated during the pandemic has been fueling the industry, creating an abundance of opportunities right across the UK. The Office of National Statistics reported almost 20,000 new tech companies had registered on Companies House during the pandemic, so the record growth in tech jobs comes at no surprise.
Which tech companies are hiring?
The UK Foodtech scene remains very well-positioned and has continued to show the largest growth in hiring. The pandemic has notably accelerated the online food delivery business, with London creating a strong foundation as a global hub for FoodTech innovation. Foodtech giants, Deliveroo (239 vacancies), Gousto (117 vacancies) and Hellofresh (41 vacancies), continue to flourish post-pandemic with huge increases in their number of vacancies compared to this time last year.
Citypantry, the UK corporate catering marketplace who were acquired by Just Eat in 2019, has seen the largest growth in number of vacancies (75 vacancies), indicating employees returning to the office and is now in full swing.
Amazon remains the highest advertiser (1,571 vacancies) amongst the top UK tech firms with their number of jobs doubling from last September.
Deliveroo is notable for a further reason, which it shares with FTSE 250 cyber security AI business Darktrace: both were among the thirty tech and consumer internet companies to list their shares on the London Stock Exchange so far this year and both raised money when doing so. They therefore have enhanced funds to drive expansion, including by recruitment. Darktrace is actively recruiting across all roles, with over 70 vacancies in the UK and over 250 globally. The growing popularity of the tech IPO has demonstrated the vital link between strength in stock markets and the real economy.
What tech jobs are in demand and where are they?
Tech vacancies have been analysed by the most popular searched job titles within the industry to indicate where the demand is. With online presence being more important than ever, it’s no surprise that SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) has seen the largest year-on-year growth, at 274% and a creation of 6,997 jobs.
Programming and Developer jobs continue to lead the way with 74,000 vacancies currently on the market. This growth has continued right through the pandemic and isn’t showing signs of slowing.
London and South West England remain to be the strongest regions with the number of tech jobs available however, Eastern England and the West Midlands have seen a similar growth (130%) since September last year, with an additional 10,000 jobs on the market between them.
In March 2021, we celebrated the milestone of hitting 1 million vacant jobs in the UK after seeing a real low last May, with just 350,700 on the market. There are now over 1.2 million jobs on the market with tech jobs making up 13% (150,000) of the total UK vacancies according to Adzuna data. Comparing this to May 2020, that is a 348% increase.
Table 1: Vacancies & Growth rate by Job type
Job Type
September 2021 vacancies
YoY % Change
SQL
31,695
146.69%
Product Manager
26,405
114.14%
Digital Marketing
17,900
127.27%
Java
16,251
124.18%
IT Support
14,813
174.62%
Web Developer
8,585
77.56%
Data Scientist
10,408
151.52%
PHP
6,907
106.30%
SEO
9,545
274.61%
Front End Developer
5,348
121.54%
Social Media Manager
4,071
133.43%
Web Designer
3,243
128.38%
Ruby
2,832
117.51%
CTO
2,381
113.93%
IT Sales
3,433
208.72%
Perl
1,212
67.17%
DBA
991
87.33%
Table 2: Tech Job Vacancies, Growth rate and Average Salary by Region
Region
September 2021 tech vacancies
YoY% change
Average advertised salary
UK wide*
147,671
142%
£60,315
London
49,145
141%
£75,085
South East England
25,298
153%
£59,722
North West England
11,588
105%
£49,430
South West England
9,843
76%
£50,222
Eastern England
8,797
135%
£49,450
West Midlands
8,943
132%
£50,222
Yorkshire And The Humber
5,389
105%
£47,411
Scotland
6,299
114%
£51,827
East Midlands
4,361
94%
£59,722
Wales
2,238
97%
£42,212
North East England
2386
114%
£43,154
Northern Ireland
1831
70%
£45,969
Vicky Vitkay, general manager at Work in Startup comments: It’s exciting to see UK tech unicorns and startups continuing to thrive. We can certainly celebrate the UK being the global capital of innovation, however efforts and focus need to go into ensuring diversity and inclusion are fulfilled within this huge ecosystem and importantly, we need to be providing more entry level job opportunities for graduates who are entering the market.
For further data, please contact vicky@workinstartups.com
Being at university during 2020 and 2021 was tough enough, but now you need to find a job. As much as your over-opinionated uncle claims you can ‘walk right up to the boss and say, “I’m your guy!”, it doesn’t really work like that anymore. So how does it work? The job process To get […]
Being at university during 2020 and 2021 was tough enough, but now you need to find a job. As much as your over-opinionated uncle claims you can ‘walk right up to the boss and say, “I’m your guy!”, it doesn’t really work like that anymore. So how does it work?
The job process
To get your foot into the door, you need a CV to send. One common misconception is that recruiters and those in HR actually read your CV. However, for many larger companies, this does not happen. In fact, many use software that pre-scan your CV. Ever got a rejection email at 2:45 am? That’s not Susan from HR – that’s their prescreen CV software.
What comes next in the job process depends on the company. You should expect at least one interview and or competency-based test along the way. Nonetheless, even finding the right job or getting your foot in the door can be the main challenge for grads. So, I’ve compiled 3 key tips below to help out my fellow grads:
Realising what skill set you already have
What is commercial awareness? Breaking down the buzzword
Reject tradition, embrace modernity
Realising what skill set you already have
As a recent graduate myself, the task of finding a paid role was daunting. Especially since I was in the mindset that I was competing with hundreds of others – those who had internships through family friends, those who didn’t go to university who now have professional work experience and so forth. Yet, what many of us don’t realise is that we already have skill sets we aren’t aware of. Employers aren’t necessarily looking for solid experience in their graduates.
If you have just graduated, you are most likely part of Gen Z. Compared to our predecessors, we’ve never not been immersed in technology.
[Unlike her, I was a whizz at WordArt and Paint by year 6]
As a graduate, you have been exposed to and used software that employers are looking for. The basics are your Outlook packages: Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc. It is a given you’ve used them, and for some, mastered them. You have probably used social media before too – you understand engagement, posts and trends. This is another skill within your digital literacy. It is worthwhile to have a think about what other specific software you might have used in the past couple of years. Maybe even give your typing speed a check to subtly flex on your CV next time.
The soft skills
In a nutshell, think of soft skills as your non-technical skills. 97% of employers said soft skills are essential, yet, 54% of the employees say they have not included soft skills in their CV. Evidently, these play a key role in your job search.
The obvious examples might be that you can display teamwork through playing on your university’s netball team. Yet, your soft skills go beyond that. You have researched for your dissertation project, showcased time management through your deadlines, perhaps enhanced your administrative skills through being part of a university executive team. The options are endless, and as long as you have evidence to back it up, you’re set up for success.
2. What is commercial awareness? Breaking down the buzzword
Now enough of the self confidence boost. You may have come to the realisation that you are a master of many skills but there are still areas you need to work on. Most importantly, everyone’s favourite buzzword: commercial awareness. However, Google-ing and grasping the definition of commercial awareness is not sufficient, putting it into praxis is.
Stalk them
Not literally, just… internet-ly. LinkedIn is a good place to check a company’s contemporary updates – some tend to have either outdated websites or websites that only cover basic updates. Knowing specific details about a company’s place in the landscape of their industry… get ready to sign that contract.
[Joe from You was clearly about that grind]
Learn the buzzwords within the buzzword
Learn the lingo of the field you’re interested in. Solely knowing about the company you are applying to can only get you so far. For instance, say you want to take on a marketing role. You’ve researched the latest company updates, work culture and CSR policy.
Yet, what comment can you give on the general landscape of the industry? As soon as you throw in an ‘SMS’ ‘Google Analytics’ and ‘SEO’ – you sound like you know what you are talking about. In fact, this little trick is great if you’re in a pinch. Sounding like you know your way around the field, understanding the basic concepts, shows a willingness to learn. Or help you fake it til you make it.
3. Reject tradition, embrace modernity
Most importantly, it is paramount to remember that for many graduates in our current climate, we might not need or have to follow the traditional path. You do not specifically need to get a summer scheme at firm x, then become a junior and then senior at the same company.
Instead, a good way to get started in your career path is to think a bit outside the box. One way in which you can do this is by working in a startup. Startups often provide internships and junior positions that don’t require tons of experience – great for grads.
Moreover, you don’t have to get into the field you want straight away if you can’t find the right opportunity. Open your horizons! To become an operations lead, a temporary customer service job will help you build transferable skills. Alternatively, you might really enjoy working at a startup, and decide you prefer the work culture it sustains rather than your original career path. It’s good to get a taste of occupations you haven’t considered before; why buy an ice cream before asking for a sample?
Extra resources: If you’re rearing to go, check out the websites/resources below:
QR-ious about the rise of QR (Quick Response) codes? These little boxes of matrix barcodes have been around for 20 years but haven’t really taken off until the pandemic struck us. They’ve been incredibly useful in preventing virus contraction and obviously, made it super convenient to order pints at the pub. In fact, QR code […]
QR-ious about the rise of QR (Quick Response) codes? These little boxes of matrix barcodes have been around for 20 years but haven’t really taken off until the pandemic struck us.
They’ve been incredibly useful in preventing virus contraction and obviously, made it super convenient to order pints at the pub. In fact, QR code downloads have soared 750% over the last 18 months, according to Bitly.
The pandemic widened the gap in the market and we’ve seen many QR startups be born out of the pandemic. According to Traxcn, there are over 100 QR code companies now.
Flowcode (who have recently worked with JLo) has been revolutionising the consumer marketing industry by building a connection between online and offline. Imagine seeing an advert for a brand you like on the Central line. A QR code could allow you to scan the barcode and be taken straight to the product, genius! While that sounds pretty cool, they don’t appear to have reached the London Underground yet (prioritise some air conditioning on the Central first please).
QR code startups don’t yo-yo around either, except Yoyo Wallet that is. A London based start-up, Yoyo Wallet concerns itself with payment and customer rewards. This start-up gives us the taste for the future of hybrid physical-digital shopping interactions.
Yet, with great QR codes comes great responsibilities. As positive as the rapid growth has been for this niche industry, potential questions might be raised on its impact on the occupation of service staff or security.
To end on a lighter note, instead of picking the red or blue pill, pick a QR code! Have a scan of the QR codes below.
Welcome to Work In Startups X Women In Tech series! For the tech industry in particular, the equal representation of women and men may still have decade’s worth of work left to go. With the tech workforce being made up of just 19% women, it bodes the question…what can we do to encourage more women […]
Welcome to Work In Startups X Women In Tech series! For the tech industry in particular, the equal representation of women and men may still have decade’s worth of work left to go. With the tech workforce being made up of just 19% women, it bodes the question…what can we do to encourage more women to enter the tech industry, but additionally, what can be done to also attract women in to more senior and leadership positions. In the second part of this series, we speak Joey Rosenburg from Women Who Code, a platform that provides services for women pursuing technology careers and a job board for companies seeking coding professionals.
Hello! I am Joey Rosenberg, Chief Leadership Officer at Women Who Code, the world’s largest community inspiring diverse women to excel in tech careers. We are working hard to create a world where women are better represented as technologists and tech leaders.
Is there one piece of advice you wish somebody gave you at the beginning of your career?
Go for it! Whatever your dream is, follow it fiercely. You will very likely be surprised by all of the opportunities that unfold if you dare to walk down the path. Also, value the small steps – they add up to greatness!
What’s your opinion on the state of the FemTech Sector currently?
FemTech is all about solving problems that matter for women. It’s a daring industry that isn’t afraid to tackle topics that have been seen as taboo. For far too long, these problems have been overlooked because decisions about which problems are deemed worthy of solving are often made by people with power, influence, and access to capital, frequently leaving women out of the conversation. Today, FemTech is on the rise. Women are boldly stepping up and speaking out about the change they want to see, and finding ways to make it happen.
What’s your opinion on the state of gender diversity within the tech industry?
The reality is that women are being left behind. Women of color are being left behind at even higher rates. When these voices are missing from the table, it’s less likely that their needs will be at the forefront of decisions made about products that shape our world. Rather than turn away from these challenges, we should be investing in every aspect of the talent pipeline to ensure that diverse women are supported to consider careers in tech, thrive while in industry, return to the industry after breaks, and excel into leadership.
Looking at the rise in Femtech companies and the importance of having women within this sector, do you think it will help accelerate a change from a male dominated tech industry?
Femtech has the potential to help women see that tech can be used to solve problems that are highly relevant to their needs, which may generate greater interest in the field. The real influencers will be those with access to resources. This is a huge market, but we are just in the early stages of seeing it’s potential. Hopefully, investors will recognize that women are uniquely positioned to drive this sector of the industry forward, and demonstrate this understanding by increasing the portion of their investment portfolios going to women-led startups in the field.
What do you think we should be doing more of to encourage more women to consider a career in tech?
We need to make tech tangible and accessible. From a young age, we should assume that anyone can be an engineer. We should be showing girls what it’s like to work in technology, giving them role models they can relate to, and sharing resources to help them develop their skills. This should be echoed from early education all the way up through to professional career services.
How have you found it best to promote and nurture women in the workplace?
Be intentional. Inclusion doesn’t happen by desire, it happens by design. Companies should be reviewing their policies and practices to ensure that bias is acknowledged and reduced at every step from hiring to career advancement. Team leaders should consider how projects are determined and allocated, ensuring that diverse teams have the opportunity to elevate the most pressing challenges that they want to solve. Finally, address bias and discrimination head on. Companies should be actively listening to and believing their employees when they say that they face discrimination, and taking tangible and visible steps to address it.
What is your advice for female entrepreneurs entering the industry?
Know your worth and believe in yourself. Your viewpoint might not be immediately amplified because it might not fit the status quo. The world needs those voices more than ever. Find a community, like Women Who Code where you can build a supportive network, keep your skills fresh, and find a sense of belonging in tech. This goes a long way to creating the staying power and resiliency you’ll need to excel in this industry.
Online dating is already a bit of a minefield. Throw a global pandemic into the equation, dating in 2021 isn’t easy. But there’s no doubt that dating apps have thrived in the past couple of years, as result. This trend isn’t likely to slow down just because COVID is coming to an end. Recognising this, […]
Weekly brief: The online dating apps shaking traditions.
Online dating is already a bit of a
minefield. Throw a global pandemic into the equation, dating in 2021 isn’t
easy. But there’s no doubt that dating apps have thrived in the past couple of
years, as result.
This trend isn’t likely to slow down
just because COVID is coming to an end. Recognising this, we look at the
newcomers entering the dating scene.
Thursday, the dating app backed by Monzo
founder Tom Blomfield, is a unique concept whereby you match, flirt and chat
during the day on a Thursday before locking in a date evening. Raising an
impressive £2.5m in funding, they’re on track to overtake the big players dominating
the dating scene.
Using real time geolocation technology,
Happn will match you with people who are
also on the app in close proximity on a daily basis. With a 100M worldwide
users and a total of £16M raised in funding, their personal take on dating sets
them apart from their competitors.
So Syncd, the dating app that matches compatible
personality types, has raised a seed round of almost £1m to grow its user base.
Founded by 2 sisters in Cornwall, they’ve used a unique algorithm, based on the
Myers-Briggs
personality test to bring people together.
The online dating market value is
expected to reach £74
million this year so whether we like it or not, these platforms are here to
stay, pandemic or no pandemic.
With the growing concerns for environmental changes and new regulations being put in place, the demand for Electric vehicles (Ev) has gained momentum globally, increasing the value of the transportation industry by 36.3% in terms of value from 2020 to 2028. To keep up with demand and with the threat of a ban on new […]
Weekly brief: The next generation of electric cars.
With the growing concerns for environmental
changes and new regulations being put in place, the demand for Electric
vehicles (Ev) has gained momentum globally, increasing the value of the
transportation industry by 36.3% in terms of value from 2020 to 2028.
To keep up with demand and with the
threat of a ban on new cars and vans that operate on fuel from 2030, UK
startups are contributing their innovative solutions to the EV sector.
Arrival are redefining the future of public
transport by developing and manufacturing zero-emissions solutions whilst
advancing their own software and material systems. They raised an impressive
£342milion in private investment back in November.
Riversimple are a UK-based hydrogen car company
specialising in personal mobility solutions whilst boasting no environmental
impact. With the only emission being water and the refueling time lasting only
minutes, Riversimple are appealing to the environmentally conscious and savvy
city consumer.
eFOLDi are turning things around in the assisted mobility sector by creating a
foldable and compact range of mobility scooters. One of the first of its kind,
eFOLDi is building an iconic smart brand for people with reduced mobility and
with a successful first round of funding, the demand is being met.
The clear 2030
deadline is driving investment into the future of mobility so it will be
interesting to see the development for the next generation of Electric
Vehicles. Maybe we will have flying cars after all!
