Getting a job in a new venture company.

[rm446]

Hello, I'm a mechanical engineer graduate with a little over a year of real world job experience. This first job has been rather disappointing for me so I've been giving my long term career goals much more thought. I originally thought I'd want to get a Ph.D and perhaps do research but what turned me off to that was how far all the research was from turning into a new product or invention.

After some thinking I realized that actually creating a new innovation is what motivated me to be an engineer in the first place and so I want to make it my long term career goal to become an important part of a start up company or new venture, something in the aeronautical or green energy industry (preferably both, like airborne wind).

So my question is, does anyone have any advice on how to get in with a new venture company? Should I perhaps pursue more education (either in the form of a Ph.D or second M.S.) or would that be unnecessary? I currently don't live near any urban center but would be willing to move to one if I could get a good job like this (personally leaning towards the SF Bay area/silicone valley). Really I have no idea where to start, any feedback at all in regards to this would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Choppy]

The first step would be to locate companies that seem to be doing something close to what you're interested in. If they aren't currently hiring, ask if you can do a job shadow for a couple of days to learn about the field. That will help you to determine what you need to get involved.

 

[twofish-quant]

So my question is, does anyone have any advice on how to get in with a new venture company?

Find a headhunter or technology recruiter that is located in an area with large numbers of start-ups (i.e. Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Research Triangle).

Should I perhaps pursue more education (either in the form of a Ph.D or second M.S.) or would that be unnecessary?

Too much education makes you less attactive to people that run startups. One thing about startups is that startups have a mentality from a large company that can be very, very good or very, very bad.

 

[TMFKAN64]

Too much education makes you less attactive to people that run startups.

I disagree with this. It's all a matter of what you can bring to the table in terms of performance. More education is a plus, as long as you don't think it entitles you to go home at 5PM. :-)

One thing about startups is that startups have a mentality from a large company that can be very, very good or very, very bad.

This is certainly true. I've always loved the startup mentality and I can't stand working for a large company, but you might find it the other way around.

As for finding a position... I agree, check into headhunters who work up in startup-intensive areas. I can't speak for the rest of the country, but things are definitely starting to heat up a bit in Silicon Valley after a relatively quiet period.