There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
The first finance professor I had said this every class…and he was right. There is no such thing as a free lunch and if you are young, motivated and determined you probably know the saying.
I get a few undergrads and recent grads that contact me and ask for advice on how to break into the startup world. I tell them to create a LinkedIn profile, network, join Twitter, follow those in the industries they are interested in and get involved. I also suggest they read Bijan Sabet’s blog post on ‘How to join a startup?’
A few follow my advice but most want a free lunch. “Is your company hiring? Put a good word in for me”. I will go out of my way to help someone but I will not back you if you have not showed me that you are motivated and willing to do whatever it takes. I tell this to some of my closest friends and I tell them what worked for me.
It took me over a year of continually following up with my current boss before he gave me a shot as an unpaid intern. I was fully employed so I had to work during my lunch break, at night and on the weekends. I busted my ass for three months before I was offered a fulltime spot on the team and I have loved every moment since.
Be proactive.
