How to Get Hired at Venture for America

By Jack Wise, 2015 VFA Fellow

Starting your own thing. Being your own boss.

Creating and growing something that has a real impact on the world is no easy task and often requires developing an extensive set of skills. Some of these skills, you can master through an online course or teaching yourself.  Others – like raising money or growing a team – are very difficult to attain within the boundaries of most entry-level jobs.  As someone who would love to start his own thing – and hopefully many things, someday – I was lucky to find a starting point by becoming a Venture for America Fellow.

Venture for America is designed to empower recent college grads with the distinctive skills and experiences needed to one day start their own ventures. It pulls together a network of the nation’s brightest aspiring entrepreneurs, and pairs them with promising startups and accomplished mentors. If you dive in head-first, the VFA fellowship can without a doubt equip you with the skills to one day start your own venture.

Here are 7 of the skills that I see as especially valuable.

1. Getting something off the ground

This is what it’s all about! Going from an idea to a living, breathing business.

VFA Fellows are constantly exposed to great examples of how to successfully launch a business, such as the mentors you work under on a daily basis, the fellows who go on to start their own ventures, and the successful entrepreneurs who speak at VFA training camp. VFA also provides special support for helping you start your own business: its network of growing entrepreneurs represents a host of potential co-founders and business partners, and fellows have access to the VFA Accelerator, which is a four-month program where fellows live together and work on their businesses under the guidance of mentors.

2. Communicating effectively

Whether you’re pitching to a potential customer or investor, or discussing with family and friends, clear communication is everything when it comes to helping others understand your concept.

You’ll pick-up communication skills in any job, but startups are unique in that they’re constantly evolving and force you to engage with a wide range of people with vastly different stakes and agendas. Because interactions are insistently changing, you’re continually pushed to keep your words relevant, digestible, and compelling, and this process accelerates your growth as a communicator.

3. Raising money

More often than not, entrepreneurs and activists need to raise finances to fuel and support their endeavors.

By working at a startup, you get first-hand exposure to the fundraising process: from developing relationships with potential investors, to creating and presenting pitch-decks, to setting and hitting proof points for follow-up fundraising rounds. Also, whenever you decide to make the jump and start something on your own, as a VFA fellow, you have access to the VFA Innovation fund, which funds side-projects, and the VFA Seed Fund, which funds fellow-founded companies from a pool of over $100K.

4. Growing a team

As an entrepreneur, you’re not just growing your business – you’re growing other people’s careers.

Some VFA fellows begin their fellowship as their company’s first hire and end having seen over 50 positions filled under them. Some join larger teams, and see what it’s like once a startup has “figured it out.” This type of growth is an incomparable opportunity to learn about hiring, expectation management, and internal communication.

5. Solving problems creatively

If your idea is truly unique, you’ll face challenges that have never been confronted by others, and in turn, you will be forced to take risks and try new solutions.

Often times, VFA fellows are given leeway to implement creative solutions that add real value to their companies – this could take the form of fixing a bug in your product, improving your customer acquisition process, or even discovering an entirely new source of revenue.

6. Managing priorities

Entrepreneurs always have way more work than they can possibly handle, so to make good use of your time, you need to master the art of prioritization.

In many entry-level positions at larger organizations, you’re funneled into a specific role and rarely have insight into the entire company’s operations. The VFA experience is usually much different – you could have the chance to touch every part of your company and take on a variety of responsibilities. This teaches you to continually reevaluate how to best spend your time and effort.

7. Relying on a support system

Entrepreneurship is a tough road to go down alone. You’ll fail often, and there will be times when you question yourself and your business. A support system can help.

VFA offers its fellows a tight-knit support system of like-minded people. We’re all driven by a shared passion for entrepreneurship and we’re there for each other whenever someone wants to vet an idea or talk through a challenge.

These are a few of the many reasons why I’m grateful to be the first junior hire at a rapidly growing apartment search startup in Philadelphia called VeryApt. Thanks to VFA, I’m being mentored daily by a talented and experienced team hailing from some of the world’s best tech companies, consulting firms, and hedge funds. I’m getting exposure to every part of the company and getting a front-row seat to the complex decision-making processes that define and angle our always-evolving business. I’ve also watched my peers start their own ventures through the VFA accelerator, create jobs, and reach hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.