Job Security in Startup-land

When I started my job at Manifold, my parents warned me about taking a potentially unstable job. Leaving a stable job at Cvent to go work for a Series A startup seemed like a big risk.

I've worked at Manifold for almost a year now and in that time many people have asked me if I ever worry about losing my job. My response is always: Yes, but I don't really worry about that. Let me tell you why.

Startup employees have the lowest job security in the tech industry.

For many people, taking a job at a startup is risky. Startups are notorious for having high turnover rates, and more often than not, they go out of business before becoming profitable. Startup employees have the lowest job security in the tech industry. But job security isn't as important as you might think, especially when compared with the experience that comes with working at a startup.

Instead of job security, I like to focus on career security. What's the difference? Job security is how likely you are to keep your current job. Career security is how likely you are to find a new job.

So what has working for a startup done for my career security? At Manifold, we're working on some of the toughest unsolved problems in the cloud software industry. Getting the chance to work on these problems has allowed me to refine and expand my skills far beyond the average frontend developer. I get to work with cutting edge technologies like Web Components and GraphQL on a daily basis. Beyond that, I've been able to explore new skillsets: agile coaching, interviewing, product and design, partnership management, and more.

Working for a startup might be risky in the short-term, but it will lead to far more opportunities in the long-term.

These are all things that I would not have been exposed to this early in my career, or ever, working at a larger, more stable company. Having had these experiences, I'm far more employable than the average frontend developer. Working for a startup might be risky in the short-term, but it will lead to far more opportunities in the long-term.