Durkin’s Getting Hired at a Startup Series (2 of 10): The Importance of Warm Showers

January 18th, 2012

#2. Find a warm connection you know within the company you’d like to work at.

I love warm showers. I love them way more than cold showers. Cold showers are miserable. They make me uncomfortable.

The next time you’re getting ready for an interview. Remember. Warm is always better than cold.

I will never, ever, ever apply to a job in which I am going in cold. And by “cold” I mean not knowing someone within the company. Going into interviews “cold” is putting yourself at a significant disadvantage. It’s uncomfortable. And it doesn’t allow you to appear larger than life.

Think about this for a minute. I am responsible for all hiring at my startup. We’re at 21 employees right now and will be at 25 within two months. If we hit our goals, we’ll be at over 50 employees by end of year. I have 25+ positions to fill in my company over the next twelve months (and if we KILL it, even more). I lean heavily on my fellow employees to source candidates. So much so that over 100% of our hires have come DIRECTLY from our own employees. Think about that. 100+%. Not 50%. Not 75%. Not 90%. Not 95%. Not 98%. Not 99%. 100%. 100-freakin-percent. Not one hire we have hired has come in through a job listing alone. Not a single one. And if I were a betting man, I would bet that not a single one will come in through anything but a warm intro for the next 25 employees we hire.

Many startups in Boston are very, very similar. Why? Because they are constantly recruiting top talent and constantly in “team building” mode. If I find someone I want to hire, and if now is not the right time for whatever reason, my view is that at some point down the road, I will get that person. We will make it happen.

SO. Mr. / Mrs. “send my resume to anyone and everyone at startup companies in Boston / NYC / the Valley,” do you think you’re spending your time the right way? I think you can tell what my viewpoint is. But, instead of just pointing out what I think, here’s what you should do tactically to find a mutual connection:

1. Go onto Linkedin and sync your Likedin account with your Gmail account. Do this once every month. Many, many people forget to do this often. And it’s really important. Why? Because it will show you the ouple hundred new connections you have as a result of past inbound emails from new people in Gmail.

2. Now, go to the Team page of the business you are interviewing at. Take each existing team members’ name and type them into the Linkedin search box in the top right. One at a time. And go to the “How You’re Connected to X” box in the right column. Recognize any names?

3. Call up the people you know recognize, and get some info on that employee. Then, ask for an introduction to that person if they rock. Tell him/her that you are going to be applying (and hopefully interviewing) at their company and you’d love to talk to him/her about what their company is like on the inside.

If a fellow employee can vouch for you, or if a mutual connection of yours who is an awesome person can vouch for you, make sure they get that chance to do so. Do you have a friend who knows the most recent hire at the company who is right out of school? Do you have a friend who knows the CEO well? Whoever.

The reason this shit is important?!?! You will not only get inside information that will help you learn about whether or not the position and company are good fits for you, but I’m sure that person would happily voice how good you really are to the company looking to hire you (if you impress them).

Next time you apply to that job, remember: WARM SHOWERS. It will make you feel way more comfortable and it will help you close the deal.