Here's why you should work with a startup at least once in your career

When you're just out of college and have a job offer from a well-known MNC, deciding to join a startup will certainly raise eyebrows. At the same time, the initial years of your career are crucial as one has the leeway to explore new interests, take risks, build something from the ground up, drive an impact and even make a few mistakes.

The last one and a half years have proved that Indian startups are more financially resilient than most would’ve thought. When faced with challenges like remote work settings, digital collaborations and massive industry disruptions, their ability to be agile and adapt to the new settings fast have been impressive. In fact, amidst the pandemic, India's startup sector registered a strong headcount growth — employing around 14 percent more employees in 2020 compared to 2019.

Read on to know how BHIVE, one of the most recognised coworking startups in Bengaluru, is a great place to begin your career.

Why startups are worth it

While it's true that at the beginning of your career, you'll most probably be drawn to MNCs due to the high salaries and perks that they might offer you, startups offer you the ground reality that can teach you valuable life lessons. Learning trumps salary, and the skills you invest today in a startup will reap better earnings in the future.

While MNCs provide a broader and process-driven work environment, you tend to become just a small part of huge teams and it gets challenging to make a mark for yourself and measure your personal growth. On the other hand, working in a startup instils a sense of ownership in you and it's easier to measure the daily impact of your work on the organisation's larger goal.

Startups provide an empowering environment for candidates as they have more freedom to experiment, take ownership and explore alternative routes to achieve goals more efficiently. You're also not confined to a hard and fast job description, as the environment allows you to integrate with job roles that aren't necessarily your expertise.

Without being trapped in a cubicle, interacting with the same team on the same floor everyday, startups like BHIVE let you get a taste of different roles, enabling you to decide the direction of your career in the long run. Moreover, you get ample opportunities to meet new people and grow your network outside the company.

And most importantly, you get to interact directly with CEOs, founders and mentors who will share the nuances of leading a team and what it takes to build a company from scratch.

"A startup may seem chaotic at times, but the right person will pave the way for procedures with their out-of-the-box thinking. In a startup, you could speed up your learning curve exponentially. Consider a startup like a rough sea. In the long run, the struggle to manoeuvre one’s way through the choppy waters makes great sailors," says Shesh Rao Paplikar, Founder and CEO, BHIVE.

The work culture that drives the BHIVE team

Starting with just three individuals, over the past 10 months, BHIVE has grown to become a team of around 70 people.

The startup has certain founding principles that they operate on. For starters, put people first, focus on building a long-lasting relationship, take ownership, be result-oriented, develop a passion for best-in-class customer experience and think big.

They have multiple teams such as accounts and legal, marketing, sales, human resources and the founders' office. Its flat hierarchy ensures that employees get to work in versatile roles and can directly approach the top management for important decisions, work closely in negotiating and brokering deals.

BHIVE's leadership believes that a high level of autonomy helps individuals learn while they experiment. It also imparts a sense of responsibility and accountability which in turn leads to a sense of intrinsic motivation.

You can join as a marketing resource, but you will get the opportunity to branch out and get the experience of working in other fields like sales, real estate procurement, finance or any such typical or non-typical department.

Vinay Karnad started his career as a senior sales manager at BHIVE and within three years, he went on to become its Chief Business Officer. He says, "I love the culture of hustling that comes with the fast-paced environment at BHIVE. People here are easy to work and deal with. Every employee has a sense of ownership, which ensures growth not just for the employee but also the company."

When it comes to deciding long-term goals, BHIVE takes it one quarter at a time. The startup sports a casual organisational culture, where even small successes are celebrated and are a good reason to hit the bar! One thing they're hell-bent on is connecting casually once a week- be it on a trip, a hike or a party.

As the startup scales, it requires a team of enthusiastic individuals who are committed to its mission, highly motivated, hungry for success, can shoulder responsibility and are eager to learn and experiment. The decision to join a startup isn’t always an easy one, but if you’re willing to accept the risks and take the plunge, it can be a fulfilling journey and worth the hustle.

Check out career opportunities at BHIVE Workspace and BHIVE Fund.