Quote: (06-16-2015 12:45 PM)ElMexicano Wrote:
Hi gents,
I am about to collect my severance package in July from a large multinational here in Barcelona, I have been reading a lot about startups and I decided it may be the way to go.
I am tired of rigid cultures, processes and even being a high senior-level manager, I always seem to have 16- 17 people above me in the organizational chart.
I have loads of experience with managing hundreds of people, driving large complex global projects, but even with all of my experience and skills I don't know where to start.
I have seen only a couple of websites?
Any advice is gladly received.
If you want to work for a startup there is only one website you need:
Angel List -
http://www.angel.co
I've never received so many interview offers passively in my life as I have from Angel List. It got to the point where I had to turn off notifications because it was starting to be a hassle, clogging up my inbox.
You were just working in Barcelona but your username is El Mexicano, so I'm going to assume that you are a Mexican national (correct me if I'm wrong). If I were you I'd work in the US.
Main startup hubs in the US are SFBA, NY, LA, Seattle, Austin, and Boulder.
If I were starting from scratch I'd go work for a company like Rocket Internet, Uber, or Airbnb (or Google, Facebook, Linkedin, etc) for a year or two to establish yourself in a new country and build a network in the tech space in general. I am assuming you are totally fluent in Spanish and English, so the US is a good bet for you. You have a natural competitive advantage in the US market given your work experience and ability to apply yourself in the two most important languages in the Americas.
Once you establish yourself for 1-3 years, get some experience and build a network, you can take off on your own and launch a startup later on.
There are a lot of startups that have the need for bilingual Spanish speakers (I would bet Airbnb, Uber, Taskrabbit, and Homejoy all fit this profile).
Thus, if I were you, I'd do the following:
1. Update your Linkedin profile to fit a startup jobseeker's profile
2. Create an Angel List profile and get as many followers as you can, follow as many people as you can who you know who are also on Angel List
3. Compile a list of all the startups you are interested in working for
4. Compile a list of all the positions you think you are interested in that you also have a competitive advantage for - you should leverage your bilingual background to the maximum degree possible
5. For each of those companies, find the people who would be at your level or one ranking above your level, ideally Latinos or people who are Spanish speaking who you'd be working with, and get in touch with them on Linkedin. Ask them what it's like to work there and humblebrag a bit about your background in Barcelona and any management experience you have. Ideally this will turn into referrals for you.
6. Line up interviews over the phone and then in person. If I had your background and seeking startup employment in the US, I'd target SFBA, LA, NYC in that order.
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