Doesn't matter how pretty the pen.

Over half of recent college graduates don’t have full-time jobs. I know why.

Excellent penmanship.

Those words appeared on one of a hundred resumes I just reviewed while helping a startup client fill an open position. Excellent penmanship.

It was not the resume of a shorthand-proficient grandmother trying to get back into the workforce.

It was the resume of a recent college graduate. A college graduate who had some pretty impressive accomplishments buried lower on his resume.

A college graduate who will never get a full-time job.

Neither will most of the one hundred applicants I just reviewed. Turns out there’s a lot of excellent penmanship on resumes today. That’s not because these Millennials don’t have great backgrounds and pertinent experiences.

It’s because someone is giving college students very bad advice about what should and shouldn’t go in their resumes.

And it’s costing them jobs.

Dude, it's tiny. Pipe down.

Career Killing Resume Advice #1 – Trophies and Accolades

Almost half of the resumes I received began with a list of every achievement, every accolade, and every proud moment the job seeker had ever experienced in their entire life.

All listed before any actual, relevant, work related qualifications.

   “Doubles tennis champion 2011”
   “Graduated in only four years” (Yup, that’s real.)
   “Dean’s List”
   “Excellent penmanship”

You have excellent penmanship? Really? And tell me about your sewing skills.

I don’t know if this is a result of growing up in a time of participation trophies, or if it’s an attempt to make a resume look more human. But in journalism it’s called burying the lead.

You don’t lead a story about the once-thought-dead Elvis Presley officiating a ribbon cutting ceremony at Bob’s Pharmacy, with details about it being held after lunch, on Tuesday, on the southwest corner of the building.

The lead is that the King of Rock and Roll, rules again.

The lead in any job search is what qualifies you for this job. Not whether you’ve got a good backhand at the net.

Here’s an example. One resume I received led with these sections:

• Profile: paragraph long
• Education: including details as specific as foreign-language coursework
• In/OutSchool Activities: another 10 lines of information
• Skill: leading with “Microsoft Office proficiency” (Which BTW, should be a given, not a special mention. Yikes)

All of that information, which took up ¾ of a page, was then finally followed by work experience.

Here’s the problem; this candidate may have been the most qualified person for the job. They may have had the actual, relevant work experience I was looking for.

But I wouldn’t know that because I fell asleep somewhere around “Spanish Culture Courses.”

I don’t know who is promoting this look-at-all-my-trophies trend, but I’m guessing it’s someone’s mother. And she needs to stop it. Now.

If your resume gets read at all, it will only be read at a glance. Don’t fill that glance with information about your college dance troupe.

Yes, that’s an actual example. I swear.

A candidate actually listed the fact that she was in a college dance troupe before listing anything that remotely related to the position she was applying for.

Holy blue tights, Batman. Is that really relevant?

Huh?

Career Killing Resume Advice #2: Writer’s Blocks

Whoever decided to kill the bullets on resumes should be shot with one. Another mind-numbingly annoying, and wholly ineffective resume trend is stream of consciousness summaries.

Instead of highlighting pertinent information, job seekers have started writing one long paragraph of copy. These big blocks of text look like a journaling exercise. You know, where you write in one continuous stream until the time is up.

Only these disjointed, excruciatingly dull, blocks of copy are still written in resume speak.

One job summary I read was 173 words long. Yes, I counted the words.

I counted the words because it was less painful than reading a 173-word long paragraph of resume speak. Poking both eyes out with my own big toe would be less painful.

A couple hundred words of copy could be considered a short blog post. But most bloggers would be smart enough to break those words up into little chunks of text to make it easier to digest.

Even then, it better be damned enticing copy or no one will read it.

Resume speak—sentences usually seen in easy to skim bullets—is not damned enticing copy. Resume speak is damned boring copy.

Example:

“…customized implementation process. Additional functions include, customer performance tracking, industry analysis, assigned projects. Handle customer questions while providing customer with a clear understanding of both technical and functional aspects of the system. …”

Admit it. You couldn’t even get through those two sentences, right? Thirty-two words, and you couldn’t do it. Now imagine them in the middle of a 200-word chunk of text.

One candidate listed all past work experience in paragraph form. One job after the other, all typed out in one, impossible to read, paragraph.

Are you kidding me?

The great writers of history could not make job functions, or employment history, compelling reading. So stop laying it out like the great American novel.

No one is reading that copy. No one.

If your resume can’t be scanned so that the person hiring can find the applicable information, it won’t be scanned at all.

And here’s a hint, the person hiring wants to find the applicable information.

They want to hire someone.

They want that person to be you so that they don’t have to read another sole-crushingly boring resume.

So do them a favor and highlight the pertinent info. Don’t hide it, Where’s Waldo style, in the middle of a paragraph of text.

See, you're not the only one.

Career Killing Resume Advice #3: School, School, School

Yeah, we get it. You’ve got a diploma. Like practically every other person who applied for this job.

But unless you did something unique while you were at school, unless you started a business, or interned as Zuckerberg’s number two, details about your education belong at the end of your resume.

Yes, school and the honors you received while there are impressive. Congrats, you’re parents must be proud. But this information only belongs at the top of your resume if you’ve got absolutely nothing else to talk about.

And if you’ve got absolutely nothing else to talk about, you’re not going to get the job.

If you’ve got nothing else to talk about, stop right now and go get an internship. Go volunteer with a company if you have to. Just keep showing up until you’ve got some accomplishment to put on your resume that doesn’t involve a GPA.

And while you’re at it, take your GPA off your resume. No one cares.

One of the candidates I reviewed for my client’s company led his resume with:

“Dean’s List, Magna Cum Laude Honors, Golden Key International Honor Society, Sigma Epsilon Rho Honor Society”

Wow, impressive. Unfortunately, all I see is that this person is very, very good in structured environments with standardized systems for measuring his performance.

And that this makes him proud.

And that makes me confident that he won’t be a good fit for my startup client.

Hey, I could be wrong. But there’s nothing about the way he approached this job opening or his resume that tells me otherwise.

And that’s all I’m looking for in any of these resumes. Something that tells me why I should hire you.

I want to hire you. I really, really do. Please, just show me why I should.

I would hire the first person who lead their resume by simply saying:

“I would rock this job for these three reason: I perfected my ability to blah while working at blah, I absolutely loved doing blah and did it so well that blah, and I already have a list of ideas about how we could do blah with your brand to make it the blah.”

Done. Hired.

You want to be unique and standout when you contact a company? Try putting that at the top of your resume.

But don’t try any of these other silly new formatting trends being tossed around. They won’t get you the job.

Neither will good penmanship.

The tee in question. Really, is it that bad?

“And Kathy, please get rid of that t-shirt.”

That’s how the Skype call with my client just ended. I work with startups all over the country, so I Skype with clients a lot. This particular client seems to have some kind of phone allergy, so every conversation we have is via Skype.

Today, my client was also allergic to my t-shirt.

“Is that an old t-shirt,” he asked. Ah, I guess.

Work stuff, work stuff, blah, blah.

“Where are you going in that t-shirt?” Ah, just got back from the car wash. I plan to change later. I justified for some reason.

Work stuff, work stuff, blah, blah.

“It’s really pink, isn’t it?” Ah, yes. I think that’s what the kids call it these days.

It’s a perfect example of the difference between working in a corporate environment and working in a startup. What kind of field day would the HR department at P&G have with a boss telling an employee that they thought their clothes were ugly?

It wouldn’t be a good day for that boss.

For me, it’s a typical Wednesday.

Granted, I was wearing a t-shirt while talking to a client. And granted, I can’t actually recall buying the t-shirt, which is probably a testament to its age. But in my defense, this client tends to Skype without notice. Would it be better not to answer? No. I’m here for my clients. Even when I’m not so pretty in pink.

Was I offended? No.

Did he mean to be offensive? No.

He just didn’t like my t-shirt.

Welcome to a startup.

(Okay, so be honest….is the tee that bad?)

I'm Brennan and I make it look easy, don't I? That's cause it is.

This entrepreneur’s answers to how to get a job, keep a job and know when to run screaming from a job with a startup are so straightforward, so simple, that they make you think. Can it really be that easy?

Brennan White, co-founder of Pandemic Labs, thinks the answer is yes. As long as you’re doing things the startup way.

THE TIPS

(GET the job tip) Easy as 1-2-3
Brennan answers the age-old question – and his answer is briefs. Brief emails, that is. He has no problem with job seekers reaching out to him directly. In fact, he prefers it. But, he wants it brief. How brief? Very. Email him just this information:

1. Explain how you know him (I saw your site, heard about you on Working for Wonka, whatever.)
2. Compliment him. No, not his haircut or his sunglasses; compliment his company. (It’s not ego, there’s not an entrepreneur alive that doesn’t want to know that you love what they’re doing and want to be a part of it.)
3. Ask for the job.

It’s that simple. He says 99% of the time, he’ll respond and ask to see the goods. So have the goods good to go when you first make contact.

Feel uncomfortable contacting a founder or CEO directly? Don’t. Brennan points out that he wants people who have that kind of self-confidence.

That’s the difference between a corporate job hunt, and startup job hunt. With the startup, go straight up to the top.

(KEEP the job tip) Stand and Deliver
Brennan says a star employee is one he can trust completely to get the job done. Even when he’s not involved.

That’s not all that unlike a corporate job. Every boss wants you to deliver on the task at hand. But unlike a corporate job, Brennan wants you to use your other hand to seek out projects outside the scope of your job and get those done too.

That’s a difference between succeeding in a corporate job and a startup job. At a startup, if you see something that needs doing, you do it. If you have an idea that’ll better the company, you better it. Even if that means working in an area of the business completely unrelated to why you were hired. You just get it done. It’s that simple.

(LEAVE the job tip) Mossy Stones
I put Brennan on the spot and asked him to share a potential sign that the company might be a problem. Most entrepreneurs like to answer my “why leave the job” question by explaining how the employee might not be a fit for the culture. But that’s too easy.

Turns out Brennan’s answer is still quite simple. Startups are about growth. If there’s no growth, there’s a problem. A problem that could end with you on the end of the unemployment line.

It’s another clear difference between a startup job and a corporate job. You can work for a large company for years and never actually feel the needle move. You feel it move everyday at a startup. And if you’re not feeling it, you probably need to start feeling a new job.

THE JOBS

Pandemic Labs has some great jobs open now at every level. (Hint-no moss growing there).

• They have account executive jobs – experienced as well as entry level. No worries if you don’t have social media experience.
• They have business development positions open for a sales manager and sales people.
• And developer positions for people with 3-5 years experience, but who are willing to work with some new technology.

You can apply on their website, but really? Did you watch the first video? Why would you do that? The exact jobs are not listed on their website, so watch the video for more detail. (It’s all of five minutes. If you’re looking for a job, you’ve got the time.)

THE INSIDE SCOOP

The startup spin on the Inside the Actor’s Studio questionnaire. Just to give you a little glimpse into how this entrepreneur’s mind works. Glimpse it before you reach out to Brennan directly for a job.

Check back each week for new Three to Get Ready interviews, with new tips and more open startup jobs. Up next week – Caroline Callaway of Bolt PR.

In the meantime, if you’ve got questions for the folks at Pandemic, drop them in the comment section. They’ll be watching.

About Pandemic Labs: They’re a social media strategy and marketing company. Yes, there are lot’s of them out there, but this one was one of the first. They know their shit, though they probably wouldn’t put it that way themselves. And, they’re growing. Like gangbusters. Which kinda says it all.

I think I can. I think I can.

Two things inspired me this week. The latest viral video by someone I don’t know, but think maybe I should. And a reader who contacted me because he desperately wants a job with a startup.

And I think both will inspire you. 

For the last week, one of my readers has been emailing me about his quest to land a job at a startup. His background, from what I can see, is fairly corporate. Fairly standard. But his attitude is all startup.

He doesn’t just want a startup job. He wants a job with a specific startup. Quirky. No that’s not a reference to him, that’s the company’s name; Quirky.

If you don’t know Quirky (I didn’t) it’s a very cool, you-invent-it-here, site. People submit new product ideas and Quirky helps them come to life. Then they sell them online. And maybe elsewhere, I don’t know.

What I do know is that my reader is doing it all right. His emails are filled with language like “the company does something I whole hearted believe in” and “I left my job with [redact large corporation’s name] and all their sought after benefits because I wanted a career where I could think for myself, and my will was all that came between me and what I could achieve.”

Nice stuff. In fact, great stuff. Great, startup stuff.

The Right Stuff

He’s backing up all the right talk with all the right actions. He didn’t just apply on the company’s website; he Tweeted the CEO directly. He didn’t just send in a resume; he wrote an action plan for how he could immediately help the company. And, when he didn’t hear back right away; he FedExed his plan right to the CEO.

Way to go [redacted reader name]. Way to go.

So, in honor of [redacted reader name]’s courage to make such a major change in his life, and to do it so boldly, I’m sharing this inspirational video by [not redacted, just don’t know his name].

It’s about new beginnings, and moving forward, and good stuff like that. My favorite line:

“There’s no need to sharpen my pencils anymore, my pencils are sharp enough. Even the dull ones will make a mark.”

Enjoy.

Good luck making a mark [redacted reader name]. I know you will.

Pssst- know anyone at Quirky? Help [redacted reader name] out and send them this way. Don’t know anyone at Quirky? Why not just offer up some words of job search encouragement for [Redacted reader name] in the comments. I know he’ll appreciate it.

[Photo credit: SweetOnVeg via Flickr]

I'm Arjun, you can't ruffle me.

Startups can be chaotic places. Even more so when they grow as quickly and as successfully as ReTargeter has. But I’ll tell you what, their founder; he’s a cool cucumber.

During our interview, my very large dog (part wooly mammoth, part Muppet) walked across camera. She then walked outside and began barking at what I’m sure was a very serious, if not deadly, threat to the house. Three loud barks. Which is really all you need when you’re part wooly mammoth. Three loud barks, easily heard on camera.

And Arjun Dev Arora, founder and CEO of one of today’s hottest startups, never flinched. He. Didn’t. Miss. A. Beat.

That is the kind of startup founder you want to work for. One that’s not fazed by what’s happening on the periphery. One that can maintain focus on the task at hand. One that can leap tall buildings….wait, I took that too far.

Want to work for this founder? Great, cause he’s hiring. And he’s telling you exactly how to get a job with a startup, how to keep a job with a startup, and the signs that you should run screaming from your startup job. (Part of the Three to Get Ready video series.)

THE TIPS

(GET the job tip) “Dude, I love your company”
Arjun’s top tip for getting into a startup is to get in with the in crowd. He says to network. Attend events and conferences where you’ll meet the right people. Walk right in, sit right down, baby let your hair hang down. Okay, he didn’t exactly quote that toe-tapping ditty from the 70’s, but he did say he’d “love it” if a job seeker approached him directly with praise for his company and enthusiasm for joining the team.

TIP: Find him, find his employees, introduce yourself and your love for the company, then ask for the job.

(KEEP the job tip) Value the Value
If you’re a regular to this blog, this one should be obvious to you; share the values of the company. If you want to succeed in a startup, Arjun says to start by sharing the vision of the founder. To excel in a startup, you must chase more than a paycheck; chase the dream the team is chasing.

TIP: Understand the big picture goals, then pursue them like your job depends on it. (Cause it does.)

(LEAVE the job tip) Get Aligned
Arjun does mention that if the founder is nuts, you might want to reconsider your job choice. However, his bigger tip for knowing when to leave builds on his Values tip. If you can’t get yourself aligned with values of the startup, you’ll simply never fit in. Don’t force it, move on. (And watch out for big, fat, hairy, interview-disruptive dogs.)

TIP: Get aligned with the goals of the startup or get lost.

THE JOBS

There are half a dozen different types of jobs open now at ReTargeter; everything from Account Executives to Designers.

Some of the positions listed include mini-job description videos complete with fun background music. It’s no “walk right up, sit right down,” but it’s nice nonetheless.

THE INSIDE SCOOP

The startup spin on the Inside the Actor’s Studio questionnaire. Just to give you a little glimpse into how this entrepreneur’s mind works. Glimpse it before you approach Arjun at the next networking event.

Check back each week in April for new Three to Get Ready interviews, with new tips and more open startup jobs. Up next this week – Brennan White of Pandemic Labs.

In the meantime, impressed with what Arjun and his team are doing at ReTageter? Tell him in the comment section. (Hint- he’ll love to hear it, and could get you noticed in a “dude, I love your company” kind of way.)

About ReTargeter: In non-tech, no jargon speak, they’re a hot marketer that helps companies get seen. Everywhere. By placing a single line of code on your site, they can target past visitors (translation: people already interested in your product) and make sure your ads get in front of them, at the right time, in the right places. Cool, huh? Lot’s of other people think so too, and lot’s of them also want to work for ReTargeter. So get going and go get those jobs.

[Photo credit: Combatant Gentlemen, very cool clothes!]

Why go vanilla, when you can go startup?

Baskin Robins’ got nothing on these guys. Who wants a boring vanilla, corporate job, when you’ve got 32 flavors of startups right here? From a startup that hosts in-home lingerie parties (a la Tupperware circa 1974) to a startup whose job is to get people jobs. They’re all here.

And they’re telling you exactly how to get the job. Not just their jobs, any startup job.

Because if you want a job with a startup–and why wouldn’t you since that’s where the jobs are–you better not be using the same old, tired tactics your dad used twenty years ago. Cause you know where that will get you? Sitting on the same couch with your old, tired dad. (No offense Dad.)

So grab a big spoon and dig in, cause here’s the definitive scoop on how to get a job with a startup. (♥ Denotes a startup hiring today!)

Stalk Me

Entrepreneurs are busy. Don’t have time to go to the bathroom, busy. So if you want to get their attention, you need to get in front of them. Know where they live on-line. Attend the conferences they attend. Get in their face. Repeatedly. Sound like the beginnings of a restraining order? You’d be surprised; check out what these five entrepreneurs say about it. (And note—each one is looking to be stalked right now.)

Steven Sashen

Steven Sashen - CEO, Feel the World, Inc. ♥
Keep beating down the door until they say YES. In fact, we won’t hire anyone unless they repeatedly ask to work for us. Begging is even better. And if you don’t fit what we’re looking for, we’ll find something for you… if you ask often enough. Enthusiasm is the most important job skill that we look for. Evangelism 
is an even better one.

Caroline Callway

Caroline Callaway - President, Bolt Public Relations ♥
Follow me on Twitter and RT what you find interesting; like my company on 
Facebook and comment on interesting posts; connect with me on LinkedIn; 
leave comments on my blog; send me a handwritten note, maybe 
congratulating me on the startup or recent success; find out what 
organizations I’m a part of and attend the events; drop me emails with 
interesting articles; and personally deliver your 
resume to my office (if I have one). If I know someone is hungry for a job 
at MY start-up, not just a job, he or she is going to have a really good 
shot with all of the above.

Jay El Kaake

Jay El-Kaake - CEO, Sweet Tooth Rewards ♥
Engage the company/entrepreneur on Twitter, and make commentary about what they do (make it positive). Once the company responds to engagement, ask for a meeting over coffee. We don’t have time to go over resumes and applications. We hate it.

Brooke Braswell

Brooke Braswell - Principal, CanWeNetwork, LLC ♥
The applicant aggressively pursues me, is persistent and brief. A three line email: Hey Brooke, Saw your company on techcrunch.com, I have incredible success in x or y (or I will work with the same passion and tireless effort as you ) – can I have three minutes of your time, I don’t need much notice. Here is my linked in profile. (Tip #2: we are always hiring someone great.)

Pamela O'Hara

Pamela O’Hara - CEO, Batchbook ♥
Engage. Startups are small, fast-moving, and socially adept companies. 
Spend some time getting to know the founders or key employees on Twitter. 
If possible, go to the same events as startups and meet the founders first 
hand. Strike up conversations and build relationships. When there is an 
opening that you are a good fit for, you will already be halfway in the 
door. Engaging has the important side benefit of helping you identify startups you would want to work at. Getting along with co-workers and feeling 
the vibe of the culture is extremely important, 
so when you already know each other, even a little, it really helps.

Show, Don’t Tell

When you’re trying to get into a startup, it’s not about your resume. Forget what you’ve done in the past, and show what you can do today, for this company, in this moment. In this moment, all seven of these entrepreneurs are looking to be impressed.

Jake Cohen

Jake Cohen – Co-founder, Privy ♥
Do a funny stunt that is relevant to the business and attention getting. Example, for us (we help businesses publish and sell custom offers from their online properties), design something that says we just bought a promotion for the greatest (enter your desired job title) ever. Send it to us and make it look cool. We’ll notice and if your skills match your desired job, we’ll hire you.

Sandip Singh

Sandip Singh - Founder and CEO, Go Get Funding ♥
Solve a problem for a company that they didn’t know existed. For example, tell 
them why you believe specific changes to a landing page will improve 
conversions. If you’re a coding specialist, provide them with a snippet of 
code that fixes an unusual CSS issue you’ve spotted. By doing this you 
prove that you have a genuine interest in the company and the skills to 
solve problems straight away and on your own initiative – something all 
busy startups are looking for.

Raj Sheth

Raj Sheth – Co-founder & CEO, Recruiter Box ♥
The one thing that will make me turn my head: Tell me something about my business that I do not know. That will tell me that you will be immediately valuable in taking some load off, and making a contribution.

Alex Schiff

Alex Schiff – Co-founder & CEO, Fetchnotes ♥
My favorite hiring story thus far was when someone signed up for our beta, used our product and then emailed us a list of feedback (positive AND negative), and then mentioned he was a web developer and would love to work with us. We responded with a request to interview him that day, and now he does most of our front-end work!

Kenny Kanar

Kenny Kadar - Founder and CEO, Night Tap ♥
One tip that for gaining employment at a 
startup, is to immediately offer ideas to improve the 
company/expand the revenue stream. Startups are not looking for order 
takers who are going to do exactly what the founders want, and nothing more. 
Startups want independent thinkers who can dream outside the box and have 
the ability to take a vision and build upon it. We need people who are 
going to hit the ground running and demonstrating that you have ideas to 
immediately help the business will get a startup’s attention more than 
anything else.

Anthony Feint

Anthony Feint - Founder, Pen.io ♥
My one tip: Code speaks louder than a resume. A link to a portfolio or a Github 
profile tells me more about the candidate then any resume can.

Larry Kim

Larry Kim - Founder and CTO, WordStream ♥
The job searcher should think about the pain point of the startup and seek to fill it. This tells me that they are startup minded, ready to present their skill, and a problem solver.

Love Me (and my company)

Nothing will get you a startup job faster than being in love with the startup. Not the perfect skillset. Not the perfect references. Nothing. Prove you’re passionate about what the company is doing and they’ll be passionate about hiring you.

Ryan Woodall

Ryan Woodall, TK - Pinnacle Tutoring ♥
As the owner of two businesses, I can tell you that the biggest fear I have with employees is that they will simply not care as much about the company as I do. My recommendation is to show your willingness to commit to the project beyond a paycheck. This doesn’t simply mean saying, I’ll work overtime. On your resume and cover letter, I’m looking for some evidence that you go beyond the stated minimums of your position. Show additional projects, exceeded standards, volunteered expansion of your position. Startups are hungry, and need hungry people.

Patrick Brown

Patrick C. Brown - Founder, Occam Education ♥
Passion. Startups require passionate employees even more so than larger 
companies because the hours/responsibilities are not always justified by the salaries. Producing a mock marketing plan prior to an interview or 
volunteering services on an internship basis to demonstrate your value are 
two ways candidates distinguish themselves as *truly* passionate candidates.

Yael Levy

Yael Levey - Founder, dreamBIGLY
My one tip would be to demonstrate passion from the get-go about the problem the startup is trying to solve. The most impressive candidates are those that have applied off their own bat, many times without an open position even being advertised, and who make a strong argument for why my company and our problem needs them to come on board. If this is demonstrated up front, and I can see that the candidate understands what we are trying to achieve and is passionate about wanting to help solve that problem, then I’ll always call them in for an interview.

Bryant Quan

Bryant Quan - CEO, Slickdeals, Inc. ♥
Every single person that we have and will ever hire has to be familiar with 
our company. During our earlier years as a startup, the greatest advantage 
we had was being the pioneers in our space and if our employees didn’t 
believe in our idea, then we would not have been as successful as we are 
now. Our employees are our biggest assets and innovators and we had to know 
that we were all on the same page in terms of goals for the company and our 
users. So, my top tip for getting a job with startup is definitely knowing 
and truly believing in whatever startup it is.

Tiffany James

Tiffany James – CEO, UndercoverWear
The One Thing that would get my attention immediately is: Passion. Passion about MY Company and MY vision. Their Passion MUST equal My Passion!

Mike Astringer

Mike Astringer - Founder and CEO, Human Capital Consultants, Inc. ♥
Prove that you get the culture. Most Founders and people working in startups can see right through someone who is just talking. You have to fully commit that you want to work in a startup, that you understand both the sacrifices and potential long-term rewards and that this is what you really want in your career. You have to be willing and able to live it and express that passion to the Founder and his/her team.  Even if your technical skills are not right on target prove to the Founder that you get it, that you are the right cultural fit for a startup and that you are committed and chances are you will be successful landing a job in a startup.

Be Flexible (And look good in hats. Lot’s of hats.)

If you’re looking for a job with a clear job description, start looking somewhere else. In a startup, everyone does everything. Prove you understand that, and that you are up for the challenge.

Dana Marlowe

Dana Marlowe - Principal Partner, Accessibility Partners, LLC ♥
Flexibility is without a doubt one of the most important characteristics I 
look for when I’m looking at new employees. A lot of job seekers are 
looking to fulfill a specific niche or need in a company, but I need 
someone who can fit a bunch of roles. Within a startup, you don’t have an accounting, billing, or HR department at your disposal. I would 
highly recommend that a job seeker specifically state they’re willing to 
adapt to new roles at any whim and demonstrate their ability to wear a lot 
of hats. This goes a lot further than listing competencies with generic 
programs or other things that are nice, but not useful in a fast-paced 
startup.

Brett Brohl

Brett Brohl - CEO, Scrubadoo ♥
Candidates should always emphasize that they are eager and willing 
to help out and work in every area of the company, not just the area they 
specialize in. Our finance person always has to pitch in during marketing 
meetings etc. It’s all hands on deck for everything here. We all wear a 
lot of hats.

John Max Miller

John Max Miller – CEO, GrandSlam Alley, Inc. ♥
Vertical in talent, broad in desire. In order to get a job with a startup, you need to possess the talent needed by the startup but be willing to do anything and learn anything. Startups do NOT follow a specific path. In today’s fast-paced world, products pivot many times once they are released and an employee needs to be open minded to going with that flow of change. (And, there will be days you need to mop the floor and take out the trash.)

Jennifer Ryan

Jennifer Ryan - Professional Organizer & Motivating Force, Create New Order, Inc. ♥
The number one tip that will get my assistant his/her new job is to assure me that anything I need them to do, they will do. I need a person who can catch and throw at the same time with the positive energetic attitude a fast-growing business like mine needs. If attitude, loyalty and resiliency walks through the door, the rest is simply training.

Robert Rose

Robert G. Rose – Founder & Exec Producer, AIM Tell-A-Vision Group ♥
Here you go…it’s very, very simple. Startups are looking for people with entrepreneurial skills…the kind of person who doesn’t look at a gig as a 9-5 responsibility, but one who will pitch in and do whatever is needed; from taking out the garbage to contributing to a marketing plan to helping to write a human resource manual. Startups are chaotic and usually don’t have built-in policies and procedures, or if they do, they quickly outgrow them. They need employees 
who are flexible and willing to do whatever, whenever to make a company 
succeed and ideally treat the business as if it were their own. A person 
should have done their research and come in with ideas on how they 
specifically can contribute to a company’s success.

Shara Senderoff

Shara Senderoff – Co-founder and CEO, Intern Sushi ♥
To get noticed by a startup, you have to rise above the stack of resumes piled sky high on the hiring manager’s desk. Sure you’re a young, creative individual, ripe with ambition, fresh ideas and unseen talents—now the trick is to communicate that to employers. Startups rarely have the resources for quantity so they focus on quality; they are looking for candidates that can wear many hats so showcase your versatility and ability to problem-solve. Describe an experience where you succeeded despite all odds. Startups also hunt for creative minds, so think outside the box and present yourself in a way only you can. If you don’t, enjoy the view from the middle of the daunting pile of resumes.

Stand Out and Stand Up

Getting the entrepreneur’s attention is half the battle. The other half is proving that you ‘get it’ and are willing to do it.

Kari DePhillips

Kari DePhillips – Co-founder, The Content Factory ♥
My one tip for getting hired at a startup is this: stand out from the 
crowd, because you’re probably competing with at least a dozen other people 
for the job. I’ve seen people put images in their resumes, write quirky 
cover letters and even demonstrate their social media prowess by hounding 
us on Twitter until we finally caved in and granted an interview. If you 
don’t stand out, you’ll be lumped with everyone in the more of the same 
pile (and none of those people ever get hired).

Brennan White

Brennan White - Co-founder and Managing Director, Pandemic Labs ♥
Email the founder out of the blue. As a founder, he/she will always check 
emails (they could be incoming leads!). So send an email directly to them. 
In your email be less formal, more honest/direct/interested. Founders of 
companies are generally brutal prioritizers and will delete your email if 
it feels boilerplate or boring in the first sentence (or even in the 
overall look/size of the email). Make the email short and sweet. If you 
can, immediately make an offer of some type (Upon hiring I’ll be happy to 
help connect you with the decision makers at my last position etc). 
Alternatively, as most startups are cash-conscious, offering to prove your 
worth before being guaranteed anything will work massively in your favor.

Craig Bloem

Craig Bloem - Founder & CEO, FreeLogoService.com  ♥
Tip: Knock on the door and show ambition, passion and a get it done 
attitude. I had one intern who literally drove 45 min to the office 
knocked on the door and nicely asked if she could trouble me for 15 
minutes of my time. Obviously, it would be a problem if everyone did 
this but in a world of email and social media this young woman made an 
impression and received 15 minutes of my time.

Mike Scanlin

Mike Scanlin - CEO, Born to Sell
Explain that you know that in a startup there is nowhere to hide and 
everyone has to pull their weight. You are excited about the fact that your 
personal, individual contributions will have a direct impact on the success 
or failure of the company. And, don’t ask about the vacation policy during the interview.

Todd Davis

Todd Davis – CEO, Lifelock ♥
Demonstrate the ability to be disruptive in a previous organization. Do not try to sell yourself, but discuss more what your experience has been and what traits you have developed from it.

Justin Palmer

Justin Palmer - Founder & CEO, MedSaverCard
At startups, hiring is crucial and risky because every person matters. 
Help take the risk out of hiring you by offering your services to them for 
free or at a low-cost. If they’re a growing company and they like your 
work, odds are they’ll find a position for you very quickly.

Martha McCarthy

Martha McCarthy – Co-founder and Managing Partner, The Social Lights, LLC ♥
We recently posted a new position and are getting flooded with resumes and 
cover letters. Most of them get a mere glance, but those that have clearly 
done their homework get much more attention. Applicants that pull 
information from our tweets, blog posts, client list and case studies to 
pepper their cover letter (and demonstrate that they actually know what we 
do), in addition to why they are a great fit for our company, get to the 
keep pile (or in our case, dropbox folder). Creative email subject lines 
get bonus points!

Suki Shah

Suki Shah – Co-founder and CEO, GetHired ♥
Entrepreneurs at startups are looking for fresh perspectives — and for candidates who can quickly look at a company, determine what that company 
needs to be successful, and then do it. Even an employee with no formal 
training, but solid transferable skills, can drastically improve the 
productivity and innovation within your organization. And so, create a 
multimedia resume that fully encompasses your past work experience to help 
differentiate you from other job seekers. Apply for jobs that you are 
interested in and passionate about . . . often entrepreneurs will hear you 
out of you can talk about a specific problem that needs solving in their 
industry, and how you are the person to solve it, despite formal training.

So Here’s the Scoop

Interested in these startups? Start stalking them–right here, right now. (Cue Jesus Jones, please.) Pitch them in the comment section. Ask them questions about their startups. Or just flatter them; tell them how much you love their company. Don’t be shy. Get in their face. Get the dialogue going. I’ll make sure they see it. I can’t guarantee you a job, but I can guarantee I’ll get you noticed. And who knows what other entrepreneurs might notice you as well.

And check back over the next few weeks. I’ll be posting in-depth video interviews with a few of these hotshot entrepreneurs. Giving more info on the jobs, how to get the jobs, and other juicy stuff. Like what business buzzwords make them want to pour acid in their ears. Always good to know before sitting down for an interview.

I’ve already interviewed Arjun Dev Arora from Retargeter. (Not even on this list, but he’s hiring!) And Caroline Calloway from Bolt PR and Brennan White from Pandemic Labs listed above. Dying to learn more about one of the others? Tell me in the comment section. We’ll get it done.

So good luck. And go get ‘em!

UPDATE: 4/5/2012
One of my startup clients is looking for a “field-marketing type” person. In quotes because, like most startups, the position will encompass a lot different stuff, not all in the field and not all marketing. It’s a hot, new beverage company and their biggest presence is in CA. Though they’re authorized and will soon launch at Whole Foods and other national chains.

They’re looking for someone who can help build buzz, build a community, help develop the brand and work with the distributors. If you’ve done this before from the startup stage with a beverage, or you’ve done nothing like it at all but you think it sounds like the coolest thing ever, tell me in the comment section. Why would you be right, and where can I find out more about you? They’re a fun company and just launching so nows the time to get in!

Photo credit: Magone via Shutterstock  (Baskin Robins is a trademark of BR IP Holder LLC)

Not all dogs, er jobs, are created equal.

I saw two conflicting stories yesterday that sum up the differences between the corporate world and the startup world. One story said companies should hire on expertise alone. The other said it’s all about passion.

If you can’t guess which one of these entrepreneurs agree with, you won’t get a job at a startup.

Here are four other differences between corporate jobs and startup jobs you must understand:

1. Past vs. Future
To get a corporate job you need to prove what you’ve done in the past. You need to show that you’ve already got the goods, and you’ve already done similar work. You prove that with a strong resume full of action verbs like led, generated and exceeded.

To get a startup job, you need to prove what you can do in the future.  Unless you were employee #1 at a very hot startup, there’s nothing on your resume that will a). get the attention of a hiring entrepreneur or b). even get read. When it comes to resumes and your past experience, entrepreneurs say “blah, blah, blah.” (I kid you not, that was a quote.)

The difference: What you did in the past is yesterday’s news. To get a job at a startup, tell them what you can do tomorrow.

2. Mouth vs. Ears
Interviewing for a corporate job requires a lot of talking. You talk with the recruiter. You talk with HR departments. You talk with hiring managers and potential teammates. You talk to prove that you know what you’re talking about. You talk to get the job.

Interviewing for a startup job requires a lot of listening. Listening to the story of the business. Listening to where the idea came from and how the business has grown. Listening to how much fun has been had, and how crazy the ride has been. You listen to prove that you’re fascinated by the business.

The difference: A startup interview is not about you. It’s about the business, and your interest in the business. Prove that you’re fascinated by corking your pie hole and being completely absorbed by the story.

3. Pedigree vs. Mutts
Want a job at Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, McKinsey or Citigroup? Get your degrees in order. A college degree is a minimum requirement to entry. For the bigger, better jobs its best have an MBA. Its better to have an ivy league one.

Want a job at a startup? Start by forgetting the fact that you went to school. Entrepreneurs believe in doing, not studying. If you were the right fit for a startup, you would have spent those years starting something.

The difference: What you’ve studied is purely academic. To get a startup job, all that matters is what you can do. Hide the degree and talk about that.

4. Money vs. Cash Flow
When interviewing for a corporate job you’ll negotiate your salary. You’ll discuss things like 401K matching and vesting. You might even talk about stock and bonus plan. All these things will be sorted out, tied up neatly with a bow, and offered up for your signature.

When interviewing for a startup job you’ll talk about cash flow. In startups, cash is king and salaries are the enemy. You might be asked to take a pay cut. You may even be asked to work for free. They’re not lowballing you with their first offer expecting you to negotiate. They’re telling you what they’ve got. And if you want to work there, you should take it.

The difference: If you’re taking the job for where the job will take you financially, a corporate job is the answer. If the benefits and perks that come along with the job never crossed your mind, you’ve got the right mindset for a startup. 

Which brings us back to the experience vs. passion studies. The bottom line is this; experience won’t get you a job at a startup. Passion will. So if you’re passionate about the business, if you already know how you want to help, if, when they offer you a giant lint ball as compensation for your work, it feels like Christmas morning…then you’ve got the passion. Go get the startup job.

Have you gotten a startup job without being passionate about the company? Did you last?

Entrepreneurs, would you rather have an employee who is excited about the business or who has expertise to share?

“1,000,000 people overseas can do your job. What makes you so special?”

That sobering message ran on a Bay Area billboard in 2009. And that’s how chapter two of The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career opens.

Authors Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn co-founder) and Ben Casnocha (entrepreneur and author) might have a few readers looking for a tall building with a slippery ledge with that statement, but they don’t leave them there for long.

The Startup of You explains the cold hard fact that the business world is changing, and so must careers. To be successful in this new marketplace, the authors say you need to adapt the way you approach your career. To be successful today, your primary job must be to train and invest in yourself.

Do As I Do

They suggest that you do that by copying the strategies of successful entrepreneurs; start approaching your career like a startup business.

“With the death of traditional career paths, so goes the kind of traditional professional development previous generations enjoyed.”

Their thesis is solid. The obstacles we face in our careers are similar to the hurdles faced by startups; fierce competition, limited resources, limited information.

And, they suggest, the keys to a successful career today are just a similar; building on assets, taking the right risks, constantly improving (which they call staying in “Beta mode”).

But the over arching theme is simple - if you fail to adapt, you will fail, period. True for startups, true for your career.

Of course there’s emphasis on networking (would you expect anything less from the founder of the largest online networking vehicle?), but most of the book offers unique tips on how you can stay current, and get marketable.

Here are two of my favorites tips:

1. Accentuate the Positive

Successful startups understand their competitive advantage. For careers, this is different than knowing your skill set. This means understanding your personal unique selling proposition.

Example – Zappos. What did they sell that made the shoe website a phenomenon? Not shoes. They sold customer service. And along with it, enough shoes to warrant a company buyout price of almost a billion dollars. But first and foremost, they sold a customer experience.

The Startup of You walks you through ways to assess your competitive advantage by evaluating your assets, aspirations and values.

2. Court Serendipity

Successful startups, like successful careers, don’t follow the traditional path. “Most successful companies and careers, in fact go through many adaptations and iterations,” the book says. “They never really arrive at a fixed destination; it’s an endless journey.”

The book challenges the reader to seek out the unusual opportunities. This involves a lot of putting yourself out there, and hustling, and taking risks. Which may sound a bit zen-guru-ish at first. But it’s wrapped in great examples and ultimately is quite motivating.

Or, Don’t Do As I Do

In true entrepreneurial fashion, Hoffman and Casnocha end their book suggesting that you might want to break all the guidelines they’ve just outlined. Suggesting you “drive over the guiderails” and forge your own path. Because that’s what successful entrepreneurs do.

Another thing successful entrepreneurs do, is fully understand the framework of the box before they draw outside of it. When it comes to your career, The Startup of You wants to help you with that.

I’m giving away two copies of the book to be chosen by this random drawing generator. Winners will be drawn on April 1st.

To enter just:

• Tweet this post (be sure to add hashtag #WonkaSwag)
• Sign up below
• Leave a comment

Each one will get you one entry. Do all three – you’ve got three chances to win. In case you needed help with that math

UPDATE: DRAWING IS CLOSED. Winners have been notified.

• College curriculums were developed to meet the needs of Fortune 500 companies.
• Fortune 500 companies are responsible for a net loss of jobs over the last two decades.
• Startups generate 60 to 80 percent of all new jobs. And the top 1% of those startups generate 40 percent. Yes, I said 40 percent. Of ALL jobs.

Them’s the facts; plain and simple.

So if you’re looking for a job, you better start looking at startups. And the best way to get a job at  a startup is not by attending the best school. The best way to get a job at a startup is by bringing the best street cred.

What street cred? Startup street cred.

Bring the credibility that only comes with having worked through the early days of a startup. Prove that you ‘get it.’ Show that you know things; things that only those who’ve worked at a startup know.

That, my friends, is practically a guaranteed ticket to employment.

And a new program called Enstitute is handing out those exact golden tickets to fifteen lucky applicants.

Get Schooled – In the Real World

Enstitiute is a new two-year apprenticeship program that matches hotshot job hopefuls with hot (funded!) startups in NYC. Startups like Warby Parker, Nestio, Clickable and Shelby.tv.

The startup internship program is open to any 18-24 year old ambitious enough to apply, regardless of whether they’ve stepped foot on a college campus. (BTW – they told me if you’re over 24, and really want in, they want to hear from you too.)

Enstitute provide the basics—food, shelter, transportation. The startups provide the work experience. Experience you won’t get anywhere else. The kind that comes with guaranteed street cred.

Yes, two years sounds like a long time. Even longer when you consider that they’re startup years–which in my experience roughly equates dog years. So, in essence, you’d leave this two-year startup apprenticeship with a decade and a half of actual business experience.

Compare that to leaving college with a framed piece of paper, commencement address well wishes, and no job prospects, and there’s no question where the value lays.

Go get the experience. Learn by doing – as the folks at Enstitute say.

Here’s what else they say about how you can grab one of those 15 coveted spots:

(I cannot apologize enough to Enstitute founder Shaila Ittycharia for my horrible recording skills that block half her face!)

The idea that college is no longer preparing anyone for anything anymore isn’t new. Entrepreneurs, famous bloggers, even the New York Times has been saying it for years. But it took two entrepreneurial twentysomthings to come up with a suitable alternative.

It’s worth noting that the founders of Enstitute, Shaila Ittycheria and Kane Sarhan, both have college degrees. Shaila even has an MBA from Harvard. But they’re both fully aware of what helped them land jobs after graduation.

For Kane it was the internships he had while in college that got him his jobs. Shaila always had her sites set on working in the startup scene. And in a reversal typical of the difference between corporate America and startups, she says that her MBA was a detriment to getting that kind of job. Despite her multiple diplomas, her real cred came after she worked, for free, for startup Birchbox.

The bottom line is this, your Grandmother may think a college degree is critical to your future success, but much like the honey badger, entrepreneurs just don’t care.

And they’re the ones hiring. So why should you?

Learn more about Enstitute and the hot startups they’re working with, and then go apply before the April 30th deadline.

For more tips, check out this free ebook:
5 Tips to Get a Job, Keep a Job and Know When to Run Screaming from Job with a Startup.

What are your thoughts on dropping out now, to ensure a great career later?

Don't think you'll be wearing one of those in any of these jobs.

Looking for a new startup job? I gotcha covered!

What I don’t have are any technical chops when it comes to video. Really, you wouldn’t believe how bad some of the Three to Get Ready video interviews are that I haven’t posted yet. The content is fabulous. The tips from entrepreneurs are great. My technical skills suck.

But, since each one of these videos also mentions startup jobs open now, I don’t want to wait to get that info to you.

So here’s a list of the startup jobs that have come across my Skype in the last two weeks. Go get ‘em.

Eliptigo  (San Diego, CA)
Key Account Manager: Sales in the hospitality industry, like hotels around the beautiful beaches in SoCal, and beyond. Anyone creative enough to reach out to unique market segments to sell this very cool bike. International sales will also fall to this person. So, hmmm, beaches, hotels and international travel. Not bad, not bad.
Qualifications: Large account experience a bonus, but doesn’t have to be with these types of accounts, or selling bikes. But from what I saw, you better be a fitness buff. The company isn’t filled with weekend warriors; some of these guys have done multiple Iron Man competitions. So go work on that six pack while you work on getting this job.
Contact: jobs@ellipitgo.com

HubShout  (Rochester, NY)
SEO Marketing Sales: Again, you get it. Know SEO and PPC, want to help other companies know SEO and PPC? Here’s how you can do that! This company is an SEO reseller, and they need your help reselling.
Qualifications: Their posting says sales experience mandatory, but in the interview their founder Chad says he’s had some great hires that came from foodservice. Good waiters know how to push the specials. So you don’t have to be a total techy to get this job.
Contact: pr@hubshout.com

WordWatch (San Jose, CA)
PPC/Client Managers (multiple positions): Experience with Ad Words a plus, but could be your own personal experience on your own personal blog. Just know how it works, and how WordWatch works. And go get some work! (Training available on the job too.)
Marketing Manager/ Partnership Ninja: (they said it, not me!) Affiliate and OEM management.
Contact: jobs_sj@wordwatch.com

Jobs Featured in Three to Get Ready video series

Go listen to the entrepreneur explain exactly how to get the job first!

LaunchLeads (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Marketing Director (Not posted, but if you’re qualified hit ‘em up.)
Marketing research assistants 5+ positions, part time, perfect for college students.
Contact: http://www.launchleads.com/careers/
For the inside scoop from the founder: Want a Job? Date a Startup

LifeKraze (Chatanoga, TN)
Developer: Well-rounded, they’re working on mobile applications now, so if you’ve got that, great!
Contact: jobs@lifekraze.com
For the inside scoop from the founder: Work for a Startup, Change the World

Shelby.tv (NYC)
Front end developer: Full stack, HTML5, CSS3, ruby on rails, and other stuff that makes no sense to me.
Contact: http://blog.shelby.tv/workwithus
For the inside scoop from the founder: This Startup is Hiring A FEW GOOD MEN

SlideRocket (San Fran)
Media & communications manager
Business strategy analyst (looking for new college grads)
Social media & community manager
Web designer/developer – marketing application group
Marketing automation manager/developer
Sr. web engineer/developer
Sr. MTS-Operations engineer
Sr. Quality engineer manager
Sr. Web engineer
Sr. User experience designer
Contact: http://www.sliderocket.com/about/jobs.html
For the inside scoop from the founder: Words from the CEO (w the worst audio/video syncing you’ve ever seen. opps)

Got questions about these job? Drop ‘em in the comments and I’ll get answers.