Top tips: Interviewing with a start up
- Added:
- Aug 02, 2010
If you’re in digital, or if you want to get into digital, there will come a time when you will interview with a start-up. It’s as inevitable as night follows day, just about. Suzanne Morrow at Dog Digital, explains what to look out for ahead of the crucial interview.
There are a whole load of very specific interview questions you should ask a starter company. These questions aren’t just your chance to make yourself sound smart, well prepared and enthusiastic; they’re an opportunity to find out whether the company you’re interviewing with are as financially stable as possible, have a clear sense of direction and a distinct marketing message.
The first BIG question you should ask is about the money.
How much financial backing do they have? If they are VC-funded how long before they make a profit? What’s their deadline for getting out of the red? Or, if you’re feeling brave, simply ask how much money they have in the bank.
Cash is the fuel of every start-up. Burn Rate, otherwise known as the how fast a company is burning through its shareholder capital, indicates how financially healthy a company is. If the shareholder capital is exhausted the company will have to start either have to start making a profit, refuel (find more funding), or shut down.
Start-ups are known for their volatility. The majority are cash-rich and money-poor, often at the wrong times. Others get it all and go on to live the digital dream. Knowing a company’s 2, 5 or even 10 year plan is invaluable. Just to put your mind at ease, if nothing else.
Before your interview researching your interviewer ahead of time is a no-brainer. It’s hugely important to gauge where the expertise of your potential new boss lies, if they’ve ever had any entrepreneurial success in the past. Bonus if it’s a match to this venture. If not, that’s where the gamble comes in.
With start-ups the real pay back relates to potential progression. A working environment that sees you having to mix-up your skills, act as Marketing Manager one minute and Production Coordinator the next, means that you get to try out parts of the business you wouldn’t otherwise have had any connection with. Your skills will not only be appreciated but they’ll be downright essential. And that can only be a good thing, right?
Working for a small organisation also has other benefits. The company interviewing you may be a working out of a box room at the moment but they might be just lucky enough to “roll a seven”, and you could find yourself in a very cushy position. What started out as a 3-person tin pot operation could end up being the next HotUKDeals.com, lastminute.com or Wordpress. You, being one of the first in the door, could reap the rewards of a swift promotion as profits roll in and the business expands overseas. Never mind those soaring stock options.
In general, with interview questions you should be aiming to ask as many questions as possible, basically until they ask you to get the hell out of there.
By Suzanne Morrow
Senior Copywriter
Dog Digital
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