7 Tips on What to Wear to Your Startup Interview

Erika and Judith aren't the only ones who found their jobs through StartupCVs; I did too. So, today, I'm in the slightly strange position of interviewing myself. Meta.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What’s your background?

I'm an Englishman who came to Berlin because of a coincidence, but I'm glad I did. When I was younger, even after I left uni, living abroad never even crossed my mind. And it might never have done but for a job in Berlin crossing my radar. I thought: “Why not?”. That was three years ago now.

I've done a few different things in marketing. Well, a little bit of almost everything but mostly social media, SEO and content. I like being in content now because it gives me a chance to write a bit – that's something I enjoy.‍

What do you love most about working at StartupCVs?

"It's great to have a real impact."

The companies I worked for in the past were a lot more established. It's great to join a small team and feel like I have a real impact. It's down to me to decide how we approach our content, from creation to distribution. And because I have that responsibility, I'm also learning a lot.

"The people I'm working with have really impressive experience"

The guys are also great to work with. Everyone here is serious about what we're doing, but they also know how to have a laugh. I like having that balance in the office. The people I'm working with have really impressive experience and are utterly dedicated, but they are completely laid back at the same time.

What do you love most about startups? What do you think is the biggest difference from conventional companies?

‍I don't have to wear a suit. I suppose that's a daft answer, but it's nice to be casual and feel comfortable at work. I think that also reflects the atmosphere at startups. You have a lot of different personalities and people all contribute what they're good at.

"Stuff happens a lot faster in a startup. There are fewer hoops to jump through."

Stuff happens a lot faster in a startup. There are fewer hoops to jump through, so you can implement an idea really quickly. You also have the room to try things out. It's part of the startup mentality to give new ideas a shot.

What would be your top tip for other job seekers who want to get a job at a startup?

"Go directly to startups you are interested in working for."

Go directly to startups you are interested in working for. Submit speculative applications rather than waiting for them to advertise a job. That way, you are showing the kind of initiative that you need to have in a startup. In a small team, it's up to you to manage your time and workload.

How did you find using StartupCVs?

"Who doesn't want a job to come to them?"

I got an email about StartupCVs and it just happened to be about the time I was starting to look for a job, so I signed up. It took no time at all to create my account and I really liked the idea of companies coming to me rather than the other way around. I mean, who doesn't want a job to come to them? I didn't expect StartupCVs to be the one that got in touch, though.

"They took me for a tasty curry and that sealed the deal."

As I was in China at the time, I spoke to one of the founders over Skype. Luckily he wasn't put off by teenage gamers swearing in the background and when I came back to Berlin I went to meet him and the rest of the team over lunch. They took me for a tasty curry and that sealed the deal.

If you enjoyed reading this, watch out for other articles in our We Know Startups series.If you found your job through StartupCVs and would like to share your story, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line on [email protected].

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