According to a report by Prudential Financial, about one in four Americans are preparing to search for new job opportunities in the coming months. And with more people navigating our new post-COVID hybrid lifestyle, executives at innovative companies are rushing to develop tech and build tools that can help simplify everyday life and keep employees productive while avoiding burning out. What does this mean for your job search? Startup opportunities are knocking, and you don’t have to be a techie with previous coding or engineering experience to open the door. As these companies scale up, they need salespeople, HR practitioners, marketing gurus, and various other roles to round out their teams.

If you’re thinking about changing jobs in the coming months, here are a few reasons why now is the right time to switch to a startup job:

Prince Harry Joined A Startup. Why You Should, Too.

Workplace flexibility

While the emergence of remote work as a legitimate workplace strategy has forced many employees to rethink their work situations, flexible working arrangements are not new to the startup world. Without the constrictions of corporate policies or tangles of bureaucracy, startup companies are able to offer a variety of options and can move quickly to fit employee’s needs. Looking to work alternate hours, work from home while until school is out, or a hybrid schedule that fits your new normal? You’re more likely to find it at a startup.

Escape from burnout

Regardless of job type or industry, workers from across the world are dealing with the lingering effects of pandemic job burnout. And while some organizations have emphasized the importance of maintaining a work-life balance, it may not be enough to keep employees in their current role. If you’re feeling overburdened, overwhelmed, or unsatisfied with your current position, an opportunity with a startup company could be the answer to your burnout prayers.

Pursue your passion

Per Recruiterbox, 88 percent of employees don’t have a passion for what they do. If you’re not in that passionate 12 percent, you likely realized that life is too short to work at a job you hate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jumping to a startup offers you the chance to find your passion and pursue it. In fact, for most startups, passion is a basic necessity of employment. When you’re working for a company that’s new to the market, has smaller budgets and asking you to put in long hours, passion is what keeps you coming back.

Accelerate your career

Startups can grow fast and offer employees the opportunity to grow at an accelerated pace as well. Don’t believe us? Kangrootime’s Vice President of Operations and Finance, David Gonzalez, is one of the many examples of how a startup can fast-track your experience and your career.

Invest in yourself

Jumping from one organization to another could pay off—literally! According to a pre-pandemic Bloomberg report, employees who chose to switch jobs enjoyed average compensation growth of 5.3%. Companies know that with qualified talent in such high demand, they’ll have to pay a premium to secure your services. If you’re a high-potential candidate looking to join a startup, you may even have the chance to secure equity in the company—thereby increasing your potential earning opportunities.

What are you waiting for?

Looking to make yourself stand out to the companies searching for talent? Create a free profile on the Forge Buffalo site and upload your current resume.

Interested in more career opportunities? Visit the Viaduct job board today! You can also view additional startup opportunities at Forge Buffalo’s job board.

Have a virtual job interview coming up? We’ve got you covered! Here are some valuable tips to remember when you’re preparing for and participating in an online video interview with a potential employer.

Before the interview…

Test your technology

Is your interview being conducted via Skype? Microsoft Teams? Zoom? There are many videoconferencing options to work with—so find out which one your interviewer prefers before using that technology to perform a test run with a friend. Make sure your video is clear, your audio quality is crisp, and your internet connection is stable.

Clean your space

Make sure that your space is tidy, quiet, and has good lighting. As a general rule of thumb, your light source should come from overheard or behind the camera. Lighting should never come from directly behind you, so don’t sit with your back against an open window—otherwise, it will give you a shadowy, distorted look.

Print your resume

Have your resume, the job description for the position you’ll be talking about, and a list of questions to ask your interviewer right in front of you for easy access. Printing these out to use as reference points during your conversation will be helpful for the interview.

Look your best

Just because you’re off-site doesn’t mean you can’t look your best! Dress for a video interview as you would for a face-to-face interview. Be sure you’re looking professionally from head to toe.

Eliminate distractions

Be sure to schedule your interview at a time you know your space will be quiet. For working parents, it makes sense to plan your conversation during your child’s nap time or while they are taking virtual courses. Silence your cell phone and disable the notifications on your computer. Finally, do your best to eliminate background noise like your television volume, barking dogs, or outdoor traffic.

During your interview…

Focus on your body language

Prioritize good posture to make sure you are not slouching over your desk. Sit on the front half of your chair to avoid the appearance of leaning back casually. Smile and nod when appropriate to indicate that you are listening and fully engaged during the conversation. 

Look at the camera

It may be your instinct to look at the image of yourself or your interviewer, but looking straight into the camera is the equivalent of maintaining eye contact, which shows your interviewer that you are engaged. 

Pro tip: Adjust the window in your browser so the images are as close to your camera as possible. This will ensure that your eyes are always looking directly at the camera.

Manage your time

Video interviews are often shorter than in person, so it is important to answer questions very clearly and concisely without rambling. When it’s time to conclude the interview, wrap up by thanking the interviewers and inquiring about what the timeline will look like. 

After the interview…

Follow up

Always follow up with an email to your interviewers that thanks them for their time. And don’t forget to convey your interest in the role and excitement about the next steps in the hiring process. By showing your passion, you’ll be well on your way to landing an awesome new opportunity! 

Preparing for a big interview? Tom Hausler’s got your back. As a seasoned recruitment pro at Viaduct, he’s seen it all when it comes to candidate interviews and wants to share some advice to help job seekers maximize their interview success. Whether your conversation is conducted in person or via videoconference, here are eight tips to crush your interview and land that new job:

Learn more job interview dos and don’ts.

Research the company

You’ve secured an interview at a new company. Congrats! But don’t celebrate for too long—now, the real work begins. Researching the organization and learning more about its products or service lines will help you to gain a better understanding of its purpose. Utilize sites like LinkedIn to learn more about your interviewer. Review the company’s mission and values to ensure they align with your own. By doing your “homework” before the interview, your interview responses will demonstrate your interest in the role while highlighting your sense of preparation and professionalism.

Practice and prepare

Yes, practice does make perfect—especially when it comes to interviews. Before your conversation, look up common interview questions online and rehearse your responses. You can even record yourself while doing so to listen to the tone and speed of your voice while getting a sense of how your body language comes across. These video recordings can help you make subtle—but significant—adjustments to improve your interview performance. 

Arrive on time

This one should be a given—but you’d be surprised at how many job candidates still show up late for an interview. I always tell interviewees to show up at least 10 minutes before their scheduled in-person interview. And for candidates whose interview is being conducted virtually, be sure to confirm well in advance that your computer, laptop, or tablet can integrate with the organization’s videoconferencing platform of choice. 

Build a rapport with your interviewer

Connecting with your interviewer is an important part of the interview. But I often see candidates try too hard to build a rapport with the person they’re meeting with. Instead of trying to be someone you’re not, show off your genuine self. Interviewers are trying to get a feel for whether candidates could fit within their teams or organizations, so don’t try to put on a facade. By researching your interviewer and their professional background, you may discover some things that you have in common—which can help you to better connect with them during your interview.   

Be a storyteller

Rather than simply regurgitating the important information that’s on your resume, don’t be afraid to tell stories about your professional journey. Give your interviewer an indication of your desires, passions, and career aspirations. Provide examples of successes and failures and what you learned from them. Describe your role when involved in projects or large-scale deliverables. Opening up about your past experience will help to make your interview more memorable and separate you from the rest of the pack.

Get out in front of any potential “red flags”

Due to business disruption caused by the pandemic, it’s not uncommon to find employment gaps on some candidates’ resumes. While these holes may have been causes for concern in previous years, they’re much more widely accepted now. If you have employment gaps on your resume, be sure to explain them. And if you left one position shortly after accepting another offer with a different company, you can discuss the transition, too. It’s always best to educate your interviewer on your employment history. Don’t leave any room for assumptions!

Come armed with end-of-interview questions

It’s always a good idea for candidates to have a list of questions to draw from at the end of an interview. Posing interesting and insightful questions to your interviewer can further highlight your interest in the role and curiosity to learn more about the opportunity. I advise candidates to ask questions like, “Tell me about your experience at XYZ Company. What’s your favorite part about working here? How have you felt connected to the organizational culture?” Not only do these questions make your interview more conversational, but they enable you to pick up bits and pieces about what to expect if you are offered—and accept—the position.

Send an email or handwritten thank-you note

This is a classy gesture that is often overlooked by candidates. In my experience, handwritten notes are often best received by interviewers. But because many employees are currently working from home, an email message will suffice. In your note, be sure to thank the interviewer for their time. Try to connect back to a topic that you touched on in your conversation. And of course, affirm your interest in the position.

Summary

Throughout my recruiting career, I’ve witnessed thousands of candidate interviews. The ultimate secret to success? Confidence. If you’re confident heading into your interview, you’ll be sure to impress your interviewer. Don’t second-guess any of your answers or try to do too much during the conversation. By staying true to yourself, positive results will follow!

Interested in getting your feet wet with a startup? Browse the latest job openings on our Forge Buffalo job board here.

Looking for more insight from recruitment professionals on how to maximize your interview performance? Check out this latest E-Book from the Acara Solutions team.

This post was authored by Tom Hausler, Talent Manager at Viaduct.

If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, you probably seen a lot of chatter surrounding the royal family. After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s departure from England, the couple chose to settle in California—a hotbed for startup activity.

In recent weeks, it was announced that Harry will shed his royal duties and take up a new set of responsibilities. The Duke of Sussex has formally announced his plans to join a coaching and mental health startup called BetterUp Inc. as chief impact officer.

While Prince Harry’s decision to join BetterUp is an intriguing one, it ultimately raises the question: what are the advantages of joining a startup? Here are a list of reasons why taking a job at a startup could present an exceptional opportunity in your professional career.

Learn about four tips for getting involved in a startup.

Change and adaptability

Are you seeking a degree of ambiguity in your day-to-day role? Do you crave a position where no two days are ever the same? By choosing to work for a startup, you’ll be exposed to this unique working environment. Startup employees are no strangers to change; rather, they face evolving circumstances on a daily basis. Learning how to be flexible and adapt to change on the fly are important skills that can be developed through exposure within a startup.

Unique company culture

Startup organizations pride themselves on a special kind of workplace culture. Instead of dealing with the rigid organizational hierarchy commonly found in corporate office environments, most startups feature a horizontal operational structure—one that is driven by open lines of communication, free-flowing creativity, and a hands-on approach to problem solving. If established correctly, startups can give their employees a voice and facilitate a positive, engaging, and employee-first culture.

Don’t know whether to work at a startup or for a corporation? These tips will help evaluate which option is best suited for you.

Broadening your knowledge

With limited resources in the early stages of funding, startups don’t have access to an abundance of cash, which makes hiring employees difficult. Thus, startups normally retain teams that are smaller in size—which is critically important for your growth and development as a professional. Regardless of the role that you are hired for, chances are that you will find yourself contributing to the success of the organization in a variety of different areas. From marketing and communications to operations and customer service, most startup employees regularly contribute to departments that are outside their areas of expertise. This approach helps to construct teams with multi-faceted and well-rounded levels of experience.

Working toward a common goal

Based on the importance of teamwork and fluidity within startup operations, it makes sense why their teams are often more unified and goal-oriented than those within larger corporations. As employees contribute value to several different areas within a startup, this involvement keeps all parties within the organization apprised of daily happenings within the company. But most of all, the intrinsic nature of startups helps to cultivate a team-first environment. No matter their position or level of experience, startup employees understand that they all play a role in fostering the organization’s success.

Summary

Working for a startup organization presents a bevy of opportunity for individuals of all different backgrounds. Whether you are a college graduate or a worldwide celebrity, joining the startup ranks is a suitable employment option for anyone willing to work hard for the betterment of their company. The lessons learned from exposure to a startup environment are invaluable to professional growth and development and be carried with you throughout your career. If Prince Harry is trying it, so should you!  

This blog was written by Viaduct Managing Director Pete Petrella.

Rebranding effort reflects Viaduct’s evolution and mission to help startups succeed.

Viaduct, a leading provider of talent acquisition services for startups and emerging high-growth companies, announced the completion of its rebranding effort. Sporting a sleek logo, new-and-improved tagline, and vibrant website, Viaduct’s updated brand image will enhance the organization’s ability to find and place talent for the startups and emerging high-growth customers they represent. 

“Our Viaduct team is excited to formally unveil our rebranding effort through our new logo, tagline, and website,” said Pete Petrella, Managing Director of Viaduct. “With a growing list of emerging companies making their presence felt in the market, the demand for quality talent has never been greater. Viaduct’s improved identity demonstrates our dedication and commitment to bridging the gap between startups and their greatest asset: people.”

To better align with its fellow Aleron brands, Viaduct’s logo was remodeled and given a bolder, more dynamic look to reflect the positivity common within startups and emerging businesses. While the traditional yellow and gray hues remained constant, the company’s logo is now more polished and sophisticated. The Viaduct tagline was revamped to better delineate the company’s overarching business goal, while its website was revitalized to more accurately convey the business’ array of talent services.

“In recent years, Viaduct has become a primary player in helping startups to acquire talent,” said Scott Stenclik, CEO of Viaduct. “We expect to maintain our momentum—and this new brand identity will help us as we continue to expand throughout the northeastern and midwestern United States, along with the southern Ontario region, in the years ahead.”

Viaduct’s new user-friendly site includes attractive options for both emerging startups and job seekers. Companies can browse Viaduct’s line of talent services—including contingent staffing, direct placement, executive recruiting, and total talent solutions—while growing acclimated to the Viaduct line of partnerships with dedicated startup organizations, incubators, accelerators, and venture capital firms. In addition, users can gain a greater understanding of the startup world by reading Viaduct’s blog and utilizing resources found within the site. Catering to interested job seekers, the site enables ease of access when uploading resumes, applying for positions, and forging instant connections with dozens of emerging companies and startup partners. 

One of the most pivotal challenges for any startup or high-growth company is finding and hiring the right talent. Even in today’s talent-driven market, discovering exceptional candidates that align with your organization’s mission, vision, and values can be difficult to do. As your startup is beginning to scale, finding the right talent that can support your organization’s upward growth is critical to overall success.

So how can your startup engage premier talent? What are the keys to discovering candidates that can boost your performance and elevate your organization? Here are some ways that startups can scale and hire quickly:

Adjust your way of thinking

Rather than pigeon-holing talent into traditional roles like CFO, COO, or CMO, why not think about these individuals a bit differently? In the early stages of developing your team, it may make more sense to sort your talent into different categories, such as:

If you’re an entrepreneur looking to start your business, first think about which one of these functions best fits the role that you will play in the organization. This will help to more effectively find the types of talent that you will need to support your company.

Be mindful of the attention economy

Studies show that 60% of applicants lose interest in working for an organization during the hiring process. Don’t force your talent to wait for you. If your recruitment timeline is too lengthy, your hiring results will likely be more negative than positive. Remember: we currently live in the attention economy, where candidates are being engaged by dozens of different companies and employment opportunities. Be aggressive by going out and gaining the attention of the talent marketplace.

Use SMS and messenger tools

Sending text messages and leaving voicemails will enable startups to separate themselves from the competition. Messaging apps like Facebook Messenger have nearly 15 times the monthly active audience than job sites like LinkedIn. And while emails are typically answered within 72 hours, candidates usually respond to text messages in about three minutes. Through voicemail messages, prospective employers can put a more personal touch on the recruitment process. Utilizing these forms of communication can generate instant results during your talent search.

Conduct skill-based testing or behavioral assessments

Interviews can be stressful for the candidate and the employer. With a limited amount of time to get to know the individual, you’ll want to maximize the questions that are asked during the interview process while also allowing time for the candidate to talk and ask queries of their own. That’s why it may be useful to have a candidate take a skill-based test or behavioral assessment to better understand the candidate’s on-the-job competencies and mental makeup.

Develop a competitive compensation strategy

Early on in the life of your startup, it may be difficult to part with precious equity in order to entice talent to join your team. That’s why it is crucial to develop guidelines for compensating your first employees. While you may be forced to use equity as a form of compensation, do so prudently. Our team at Viaduct can walk your organization through different formulas and approaches that will help to dictate the amount of equity that employees are eligible to receive. By striking a proper balance between a base salary and equity, your recruiting efforts will be more fruitful, while your organization will be set up for long-term success.

Summary

I often give entrepreneurs the following advice: your company is only as strong as your team. Your people are not just individuals working in your business—they are your business. By finding and hiring the right people, your startup will be able to more effectively secure funding and be driven toward attaining exceptional results.

By Pete Petrella, Managing Director

Are you craving some quality in-office interaction? Do you find yourself itching for a sense of workplace normalcy? Is your mind desperate for a return to the way things used to be?

Unfortunately, it may be several more months before these dreams turn into reality—and we all need to properly prepare ourselves for the uncertain road that lies ahead. Although our collective patience for the work-from-home environment may be wearing thin, it’s pivotal that our organizations maintain buy-in throughout the remainder of this remote work model. To keep workplaces motivated and on track—even in a remote setting—leaders must skillfully demonstrate strength and sincerity.

If you find yourself in a leadership or management position, you understand that leading within the virtual workplace isn’t always easy. That’s why we’ve composed the following tips on effective leadership to help you set the right example for your team.

The importance of trust and accountability

In any industry, the success of a team is contingent upon the strength of its relationships. To that end, it’s imperative that leaders establish a sense of mutual trust among their team members. Despite the inability of managers to physically monitor their employees’ work habits, these leaders must have confidence in their teams to perform at a high level—even while working from home. An absence of trust can lead to the disintegration of relationships—or even the complete destruction of teams.   

The need for consistent feedback

According to a recent report published by Gallup, 47-percent of employees stated that they received feedback from their manager “a few times a year” or less. In today’s workplace, that kind of assessment cadence isn’t going to cut it. Employees—particularly those from younger generations—crave performance feedback. If you haven’t implemented a plan to offer routine evaluations for your team members, perhaps it’s time to get started. By sharing personalized feedback with your employees, you’ll help to drive performance improvements and optimal workplace results.

The value of daily or weekly check-ins

It should come as no surprise that some leaders do a poor job of making themselves available to their teams. In our virtual world, it has become common for managers to jump from one conference call to the next with limited downtime. If that’s the case for you, it’s time to reassess these meetings and determine which ones are actually meaningful. Removing these unproductive video calls and replacing them with daily or weekly check-ins with team members is critical to maintaining employee engagement and motivation. Better yet, these one-on-one conversations can help to build personal relationships between a leader and his/her team. 

The significance of the “golden rule”

Despite being a relatively simple principle, leaders must do their best to adhere to the “golden rule.” Even though many of us learned about this rule in our kindergarten class, don’t let its clichéd nature distract you from the truth—by treating others with kindness and respect, you’ll cultivate a workplace culture that’s conducive to success. Rather than micromanaging your employees and directing their every move, allow your teams to do what they do best. By providing sensible amounts of freedom and autonomy, leaders will observe a positive difference in overall work quality and performance.

Summary

While the ability to work from home comes with its fair share of amenities, it’s evident that many workers are excited at the thought of returning to the office. Until that day arrives, however, leaders must remain diligent—particularly with their communication strategies—when managing their teams. By following these leadership tips, your organization will benefit from your stronger and more convincing influence during this time of need.

By Pete Petrella, Managing Director

Interested in learning more about Pete? Connect with him on LinkedIn. Is your team looking to hire additional resources? Viaduct can help you to scale appropriately. Check out our options for full-time employees and contingent workers.

We all know that finding a new job can be strenuous and frustrating. But did you know that seemingly harmless mistakes made by job seekers often make landing a new position even more difficult?

In my role as a recruiter, I speak with dozens of hiring managers on a weekly basis. These individuals are experts at dissecting resumes and making inferences about candidates based on what they find within these important documents. While resumes can be used to boost a candidate’s chances of landing a new position, they can prove to be major progress inhibitors in the job search.

Here are five key points that hiring managers are looking for when examining your resume:

1. Be sure that your resume and LinkedIn profile align

Upon receiving a candidate’s resume, many hiring managers will head straight to LinkedIn to explore their professional profile. My advice to candidates is to ensure that your resume and LinkedIn profile are properly lined up. For example, check to make sure that your timelines and dates of employment are the same on both sources. An abundance of discrepancies between your LinkedIn and your resume isn’t a great look, so keep both of them consistent.

2. Pay attention to the details

While your resume may have an awesome look and feel to it, the devil is in the details. Hiring managers will raise a red flag when they observe spelling or grammatical mistakes on a candidate’s resume—especially when that candidate is being considered for a customer-facing role. Be sure that your punctuation is consistent, your tenses are matched, and your capitalization is appropriate. Run a quick spell check before finalizing your document, or leverage free writing assistance tools like Grammarly to improve your work.

3. Provide ample insight into previous employment

Rather than simply listing your position titles and employers, be sure to provide the hiring manager with adequate detail around your prior career moves. Do your work transitions make sense? Were you making vertical moves to advance your professional growth? What types of new responsibilities did you take on? These are all questions that hiring managers will be pondering upon picking up your resume, so be sure you have enough information to tell a positive and promising story.

4. Sell yourself with specific data and accomplishments

Your resume is a perfect opportunity to sell yourself and showcase your talents. However, I advise my candidates to do so strategically and quantitatively. If you’re in a sales position, be sure to highlight some of your top sales numbers from previous years. If you have quarterly or annual quotas that you reached, make sure that you thoroughly describe them. If there are important projects that you’ve contributed to, provide detailed information about the work that you completed. Ultimately, it’s hard to sell yourself on a piece of paper if you’re neglecting to mention this specific data, so be sure to provide these important performance metrics!

5. Find the right length

Regardless of how qualified you are as a candidate, no hiring manager wants to read a four-page essay about your gobs of professional experience. When it comes to your resume, be succinct and concise. Take a step back and ask yourself: “What points do I really want to convey?” If your resume is lacking direction or purpose, the hiring manager will be able to sniff this out instantly. Don’t be overly concerned about limiting your resume to one page, as doing so may eliminate some important details about your previous employment history. Rather, focus on prioritizing a few primary themes that you want your resume to display. This will be critical in bolstering your job-seeking success.

Summary

I often reinforce the following point to my candidates: your resume is a reflection of you. Make sure the document represents not just who you are and what you’ve accomplished, but what you are seeking in the future. By following my five tips, your resume will be blowing hiring managers away and you’ll be fast-tracking your job-seeking success!  

Interested in working for a startup? Check out our job board.

As the weather starts to change and fall foliage begins to emerge, it’s clear that the end of the year is quickly drawing near. Have you been displaced from your previous position due to the coronavirus pandemic? Are you in search of a new role to get you back on your feet? As companies begin hiring before the start of Q1 2021, our team at Viaduct is here to lend a hand and boost your job-seeking success. By using these top 7 tips, we’ll help you end the year on a high note. 

1. Begin targeting specific companies

Have you ever heard the saying, “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today”? The same can be said about your job search! By composing with a list of organizations that match up with your career aspirations and align with your skills and abilities, you’ll be able to more easily make initial introductions. Getting in touch with key HR or TA stakeholders at each company will enable you to explore employment opportunities once they become available. Doing your part to establish strong relationships with organizational employees will pay dividends down the road.

2. Leverage recruiters and their networks

If you find yourself out of work and looking for a new position, recruiters can quickly become your best friend. Making inroads with local recruitment specialists will help you to expand your reach and allow you to consider a wider array of suitable job positions. Whether you’re sending a personalized message to a recruiter on LinkedIn or emailing them a copy of your resume, forming these early connections can be pivotal to the success of your job search.

3. Devote time to improving up your resume and LinkedIn page

To make sure your application stands out from the rest of the pack, sprucing up your resume and LinkedIn profiles is a must. Instead of simply listing your job title, provide ample detail around your previous professional experience and on-the-job responsibilities. Your goal should be to clearly express what you’re looking for in your next opportunity so that talent acquisition professionals and recruiters can more easily match your profile to available jobs. By leveraging an orderly resume and a descriptive LinkedIn page, you’ll instantly improve your odds of landing a position that aligns with your interests. 

4. Be open to exploratory conversations

I’ll let you in on a little secret: recruiters love talking with potential candidates. If you’re contacted by a recruitment specialist, never turn down the opportunity to speak with them. These exploratory conversations will help you to develop a relationship with talent acquisition experts while giving you a sense of the types of opportunities that are available on the market. Remember: you never know how a recruiter can help you down the road!

5. Brush up on your interview skills

We all know that practice makes perfect, especially when it comes to interviewing. To shore up on your interview skills, devote ample time to researching common interview questions online. The most important part? Rehearse your responses to them out loud. You can even conduct a mock interview Q&A with a friend or family member to further prepare yourself for what lies ahead.

6. Be flexible

As you explore the employment market in search of your next job, don’t limit yourself by focusing on opportunities in one particular position or department. Even though you might not be in the same role as before, that doesn’t mean you can’t make an impact on behalf of your new organization. The more open you are to accepting new opportunities, the more successful your job search will ultimately be.

7. Be patient

Right now, talent acquisition teams—like many other departments—are understaffed and overworked. Both HR professionals and TA specialists have been bombarded with applications from job candidates just like you. Be patient with these recruiters, even if they don’t follow-up with you on a daily basis. By consistently badgering these key decision-makers, you could ultimately end up hindering your chances of finding a new opportunity.

Summary

I hope that these tips can work to your advantage as you scour the job market for your next employment opportunity. Don’t grow discouraged if things fail to move as quickly as you’d like—the holidays always prove to be a hectic time of the year for most organizations, even without the prevalence of an ongoing pandemic. My ultimate advice to you is to set realistic expectations and remain confident in yourself and your abilities. With a positive mindset, anything is possible!

As many companies have finalized their moves to the Queen City in recent months, the Western New York startup community has continued to attract great startups and emerging businesses to our ecosystem. If you’re on the hunt for a new job, there’s never been a better time to get involved with growth organizations like these.  

Pete Petrella, Managing Director of Viaduct, is here to offer guidance to improve your job search. Here are his four tips to get your foot in the door with a Buffalo startup: 

Startups are always looking for an extra pair of hands and some expertise. Offering to lend a helping one is a great place to start. Whether it’s entering data, researching a particular topic, or creating an infographic in Photoshop, there are always tasks that need to be completed. While these may seem like menial chores, take a step back and consider the value they add to any startup. Your willingness to take on these smaller tasks will allow company leaders to focus more on profitable business opportunities. By showing reliability and dependability, you’re demonstrating your worth. If you claim to be a team player, now is the perfect time to prove it.  

As our world continues to evolve, workers have no choice but to prepare for the future. Think about your talents and examine your abilities. Are there skills that you lack or areas in which you can improve? Ultimately, candidates need to think about how they can make themselves more marketable. Take part in one of the 13,000 courses available on LinkedIn Learning to brush up on your skills. Sign up for virtual workshops and online webinars to learn from industry leaders and business professionals. Look into local opportunities like the Tech Buffalo initiative to take advantage of their training programs on coding and programming. By becoming more proficient in unfamiliar areas, you can repackage yourself to stay ahead of your competition and bring more to the table during your job search. Your mentality of continual self-improvement will only benefit your professional development in the long run. 

Despite COVID-19’s impact on the region, the Buffalo startup ecosystem remains alive and well. If you want to discover more about different startups in the area, join the WNY Startup Community channel on Slack. This network of more than a thousand people helps to aggregate Buffalo’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and raise awareness in support of local events. In recent weeks, groups like the Open Coffee Club have shifted their meetings to a virtual setting. Joining these online conversations is another great way to acquaint yourself with leaders and contributors to the startup community.  

Before engaging with any startup, learn more about the organization and its mission. Find out if the company has raised recent funding. Spend time researching awards or recognition that the startup has received. Explore LinkedIn to discover more about the company’s executive leadership and their backgrounds. Understanding what a startup does will ultimately help you to better convey why you’re interested in getting involved in the company. Showing that you have done your research will reflect favorably on your sense of preparation. From there, come up with a list of ways to prove how you can help to better the organization. Sell yourself, your experience, and your skillset. But remember: it’s not just about what the startup can do for you – it’s about what you can do for the startup.   

By Pete Petrella, Managing Director

If you are interested in viewing a list of current job openings at Western New York startups, click here to launch the page on our Viaduct website. You can also browse Forge Buffalo’s startup job board here.     

For more job-seeking tips and insights on the Buffalo startup community, connect with me on LinkedIn. 

Be sure to stay in tune with all things Viaduct on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.