Who should be joining a start-up?

By Amrita Premrajan, TimesJobs.com Bureau

If you are aspiring to work in the Indian startup ecosystem, here is a reality check on what the industry is currently expecting out of prospective candidates

Indian startup ecosystem which is picking up steam is emerging as a lucrative career option for many. But is having the proverbial 'entrepreneurial zeal' and 'fire in the belly' enough to land a job in a startup? Here is a look at what gets you closer to being the right fit in a startup ecosystem.

If you have niche skills

Indian tech and e-commerce startups are hot sectors right now. But they are not hiring in high volumes. Rather, they are looking for specialists in specific sub-domains within business functions.

An example of this is cited by Paras Chopra, CEO and founder of Wingify, an Indian tech startup. He shared that in the tech startup space currently there is a dearth of good product and marketing professionals.

"While we have a good number of engineers, the question that startups are currently trying to solve first is, 'what to build,' which is where savvy product managers and marketers can help," shared Chopra. Here, clearly the volume of hiring is not significant but the talent being scouted for has to have niche skills.

Talking about how this is an opportunity for specialists to enter e-commerce, Upasana Nath, chief recruitments officer, Zomato said," Startups and e-commerce companies are currently seeking vertical depth in candidates. This is exactly where tremendous scope lies for professionals who are specialised in niche areas and are known for their core competencies."

If you love to wear more than one hat!

In case you are expecting that like in a traditional corporate environment you would be welcomed with fixed set of job roles then a startup is not for you. If you are a digital marketer one day, the next day the situation may demand you to leverage your knowledge for say, production of a Youtube video for your brand. Basically, getting your hands dirty in different jobs would be a given. It is a high pressure environment where you would be expected to act proactively like a business stakeholder.

"What matters in a startup is how candidates can bring real value to the table by going beyond what they were hired for. While a candidate's primary responsibilities could still be intact, their willingness to add value beyond their scope is how they can become a real asset to a startup team," shared Anand Subramanian director-communications and lead-internal communications & employee engagement, Ola Cabs.

If lack of a fixed business structure doesn't bother you

A startup is in a growing phase where everything starting from business functions to products is evolving every other day, based on market needs.
Added to this, sometimes a professional working in a startup may be reporting to multiple business functions. Reason being, various teams need to be closely knit and work in tandem to create a dent in the market.

Such a dynamic work place may seem like a chaos to some, while others may view it as an immense opportunity to gain exposure. If you fall in the second category, go ahead and take a leap into the startup sphere.

In a nutshell, though working in startup environment is considered cool, it is definitely not a cake walk to survive and emerge successful in this space. But if you have a strong passion for your trade and also the caliber to tirelessly work hard, then a startup is definitely your terrain.