This article hooked me with the headline. Why? Because I'm a millennial. I work at a start up. Most of the employees here at Peerview Data are millennials. On the flip side of this, when I used to do freelance work I worked for a center whose main goal was to help entrepreneurs in the area thrive by aiding them in their business plans and so on. I've been a part of both sides: the blossoming entrepreneurs and the thriving start ups.
But seeing as our office is surrounded by start ups and millennials alike, I wanter to get some insight from those around me on what exactly the appeal of working for a start up as a millennial is. For many of us, working with the start ups that we currently work for was our first or one of our very first jobs. So what made us choose to work (and stay) at a start up?
A popular answer that I heard while interviewing my peers in our building was that, in contrast to corporate organizations many of us have worked with in the past, when you're at a start up, you're treated like a real person. Your personal life, family life, and life events that you cannot control (like last minute doctor's visits or waking up to a surprise burst pipe), are all part of a balancing act that one conducts alongside their work life. Start up bosses understand that and offer flexibility in return.
Not to mention, in a start up culture, your voice is heard in a way that allows you to make change without being required to wear all of the hats. We all agreed that it is easier to implement change without the weight of the stress that each decision made could make or break you as an entrepreneur, and that you also aren't required to jump through hoops in order to be heard, or worse: micromanaged by managers at a corporation.
Startups seem to be the best of both worlds in a lot of ways for millennials in our area (and there are plenty popping up each year). What are some of your favorite parts of working for a startup?