Startup careers can be incredibly rewarding and exciting. But getting a foot in the door can be a challenge if you don’t know the secrets. Here are ten tips to help you focus your efforts.

 

1.     Attend relevant Meetups and Events.

Join Meetup groups, keep an eye on relevant startup calendars and get out there in the community. Do a search on Meetup and also check out:

- NYTM offers great demos of interesting technology products. Inside scoop: Set a calendar reminder for the ticket release times and dates or you’ll miss getting a ticket.

- TiltNYC is like a hackathon for entrepreneurial types. This event will help you understand the challenges of early stage startups.

- Reboot Workshop has creative topics on the theme “Live outside the 9-5” that will help engage you in startup thought leadership.

 

2.     Find your passion and focus your search.

Focus your search on a few companies you’re truly interested in. Try to find companies you can really fall in love with! Success at a startup depends upon your passion and belief in what the company is doing. And, by targeting your search, you can take the time to dive in deep and really understand what a few companies are doing to innovate and shake up their industries.

 

3.     Focus your social media content.

-          Google yourself. The top hits should clearly indicate to your future employer that you have great personality, depth of knowledge and focus on the employment area you’re seeking work in.

-          Be sure you have well thought out profiles on all the main sites: twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr,and  about.me.

-          Create a social-media image that represents what you bring to the table, shows you’re clever and indicates that you’re in the know.

-          Follow and interact with key startup people, especially those at the companies you’re targeting.

 

4.     Get involved.

There are tons of ways you can get involved with early stage companies. Consider joining an advisory board or just volunteering to beta test a new product. Become an early adopter!

 

5.     Hack something.

Hacks are not just for hackers nowadays. The term ‘hack’ is now used to describe clever ways of solving problems.  Checkout organizations like LifeHack to see what people are doing to innovate. Show your entrepreneurial spirit by finding a way to innovate something.

 

6.     Immerse yourself in the right reading.

Check out books like The Lean Startup, blogs like Startup Digest and follow media such as TechCrunch.

 

7.     Brush up or top off your skills.

Classes can be a great way to improve your skills and meet people in the industry. Check out the offerings at Skillshare and GA.

 

8.     Master the startup cover letter.

In a startup cover letter, you want to show personality, ability and passion. Aim to match the tone of the startup’s website or blog. And, focus on what you can offer them, rather than bragging or talking about what you want for your career. Indicate that you’re ready to throw down and contribute.

 

9.     Highlight relevant startup skills on your resume.

Here are a few quick resume tips:

- Modernize the look with a clean, website-like layout.

- Show that you’re well rounded and ready to be a hands-on contributor, not just a manager or idea generator.

-  Highlight the skills that show you can make immediate contributions.

- Demonstrate that you’re tech savvy and use all the common, modern web-based and mobile tools.

 

10.Network.

There are probably ten people you know that you could invite to a one-on-one lunch to get career advice and ask for relevant introductions. Many startup positions are filled before anyone gets a chance to write-up a job description.  So, get out there and catch-up with as many startup friends as you can!

 

Now, go forth and find a great startup job!

 

About the contributor:  is the founder of Skillfer, a tech recruitment firm with deep startup expertise.