Mythbusters: Start-Up Company Internships

We do it like they do on the Discovery Channel.

START-UP COMPANY INTERNSHIP MYTHS

Starting your own company can be challenging, risky, and liberating-all at the same time. Does that interest you? Are you a budding entrepreneur looking to hit it big? If you’re up for the challenge, you may want to consider an internship at a startup first. We’ve taken a look at 10 myths associated with start-up jobs and bust’em or confirm’em.

MYTH 2: All startups are in Silicon Valley.

This isn’t completely true: there are TONS of startups all around the world, and all around the US! However, the most famous place for startups is “the Valley”, and it’s for a good reason. The climate of innovation and sheer accessibility of money, tech people, and resources make the Valley a great place to go if you’d like to start or intern for a great company.

MYTH 3: If I work at a startup, I’ll get to meet the CEO.

You’ll probably meet the CEO daily. You will definitely talk to him/her. He/She will probably give you individual assignments, and you will probably think the CEO is really awesome. You might even become best friends and go bowling together A startup is pleasantly different from a large corporation- where the poor schmuck who’s your boss has less decision making power than a stalk of celery.

MYTH 4: I need to be a “coder” to work with a start-up.

While coding skills are a great asset for an aspiring entrepreneur or intern, you don’t need to know Python to be hired. Marketing, business, and depending on the company, specialists in a certain topic, are all beneficial to a startup.

MYTH 5: Startup internships are really competitive. 

Some internships are very competitive, but some companies just need interns! It also depends on the skill set that you offer-generally, there will always be a quantity of coding internships and room for developers in the startup world.

Business internships are on the whole more competitive.

MYTH 6: Working for startups gives you neither perks nor a social life.

People who work at startups have often left large companies due to a dislike of the overly formal and bureaucratic stricture. Therefore, they tend to be very friendly, informal, and enjoy speaking with interns and getting to know them. Interns can meet other startup interns through a program called “Startup Roots” and engage in company activities, like a company-wide kickball team.

MYTH 7: Startup Interns always work long hours.

If you like all night programming sessions, there’s a place for that. If you want to come into work at 10, that’s also possible. The hours are flexible, but the hard work isn’t.

Hours, in short, are however long it takes to get “it” done, whether that be shorter hours than your traditional 9-5 job, or longer hours.

MYTH 8: Startup companies don’t have a lot of money. 

It’s a range, but not at all a universal rule. It’s true that startups try to spend as little money as possible, but they can have millions of dollars in the bank. Initially, some startups live off profits from selling the owner’s  socks and shoes, but some startups make it to the stage at which they’re making large amounts of money.

MYTH 9: Startup internship opportunities are few and far between. 

We beg to differ; check out the posts already on our site! We’ve got features on interns in startups coming soon!

You can also check out our blog post on the Startup Roots program, and get some great entrepreneurial advice while you’re at it!

MYTH 10: Startups don’t have a lot of work to do; it’s all online, right?

This is definitely false. A smaller number of employees means more work for each employee. Though a startup doesn’t involve the traditional “minding the store” that Pop’s Bagels on Main Street might require, a lot of work is necessary to keep a company afloat.