There’s been talk going on for years about a workplace revolution caused by generations Y, Z and even the sorry ones that don’t have a cool alphabet letter left for them. Studies say that younger generations value flexibility, work enjoyment and self-development over salary and staying at the same company. Traditional corporations are slowly trying to figure out how to adjust to these conflicting workplace attitudes of the coming generations, or if it’s even worth it. At the same time, startups seem to be more aligned with the preferences and desires that today’s youth have been said to have towards working life.

As the amount of job opportunities in startups grows, startups are also becoming a more noteworthy and common option for students taking their first steps in the working life. Whether you’re sure that you want a steady job and clear office hours, or you know your only passion is for being a startup founder, we’ve gathered some reasons why you should reconsider working at a startup.

Reason 1: You Get to Make an Impact

If you care about making an impact and want to see the results of your work, startups simply are a better way to make your mark and see how it’s clearly getting your team towards your shared goal. In bigger organizations, it might be a bit hard sometimes to grasp the mission that the company is on, but in startups it’s hard to miss the mission while working beside the founders that have devoted their lives to solve a certain problem. You’ll be able to pick the startup that works towards a goal that you care about, you’re able to affect the company’s mission or even set out on your own journey!

Reason 2: You Want Responsibility and to Maximize Your Learning

Let’s face it: startups probably aren’t your thing, if you like strict guidelines, clear roles, and someone continuously looking after your work. At a startup, you’ll be forced to have more responsibility and to wear many hats, and often you’re the only one with enough knowledge to completely understand what you’re working on, and why.

While traditional companies usually hire people to handle a particular role or job, startups are looking for people who are ready to constantly take on more responsibility, learn and grow at the same pace as the company. This can surely cause some growing pains, but it also gives you an opportunity to shape your skill set and career to be the way you want. For students that aren’t yet 100% sure about what they want to work on, startups are a great way to explore different paths fast.

Reason 3: Stronger Work Satisfaction

You can’t really say that work satisfaction is automatically stronger in startups than in traditional companies, but in startups, you mostly have yourself to blame if you’re not satisfied with your work environment. While more and more traditional companies are realizing the importance of investing in the working environment of their employees, in startups it’s mostly up to the employees to make the working environment their own. At a startup, you’re usually able to figure out and decide on your own, what are the best ways and tools for you to get your job done. You get to work on what you think matters the most, where and when it suits you best – morning meetings at the office just aren’t for everyone. Also, although being a startup stereotype, cracking open a cold one at work while surrounded by people wearing the exact same hoodie as you, might just make you feel more like being part of a weird, close-knit and passionate tribe rather than being at work.

Want to know more about where you can end up by working at startups? Read about Juhana’s experience from here!

If you’re interested in the possibilities that startups might hold for you, contact us or apply to our program! Startuplifers is a student-run internship program that seeks the best startup opportunities just for you, coaches you through applications and interviews, and even helps you with the flights and visas!