how do do i find a job with a startup in silicon valley?

Question

I have an MBA from University of Baltimore and I am living in NJ

Answer 1

Do you know which Silicon Valley startups you might want to work for? If not, you need to put together a list of "possibilities" and then start trying to get their attention.

Finding Silicon Valley startup possibilities:

1. I'd start with a search for Silicon Valley venture capital companies (startups with a VC firm behind them usually - not always - have a better chance of survival). Often, they'll have a list of companies in their "portfolio" of investments and press releases on their Websites about the companies that they are investing in.
   * Menlo Ventures is one Silicon Valley VC firm I've heard of - http://www.menloventures.com/
   * Yahoo has a list of VC firms, but it is not limited to Silicon Valley - http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Finance_and_Investment/Financing/Corporate_Financing/Venture_Capital/

2. Then, I'd search the Web using the names of the "possibilities" to see what I find. If they are a few years old, well-funded, and growing, they may even have Websites with jobs posted on them.

3. Check the online Silicon Valley business press to see who they are writing about. That should give you the names of more "possibilities" to add to your list.

4. See if Yahoo Finance has information on your "possibilities" - stock analysis, company officer names, press releases and other news, analyst reports, etc.

Your best bet to get a job at a startup - once you've identified the startups that interest you and have a good chance of survival - is to try to network your way into the company. I'd check Websites like Ziggs.com, JigSaw.com, and even ZoomInfo.com to see if you can find the companies listed there and identify contacts for you.

You can also check out the usual suspects - CraigsList.org and Indeed.com.

In case you aren't sure of the geography involved (which you'll need to know to use both Craig's List and Indeed), here's the Wikipedia definition - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_valley

Last but not least, check out "How to Get a Job at a Silicon Valley Startup" for both leads and the good and bad aspects of working for a startup. http://www.andreas.com/vcjobs.html

If you have a place to live in NJ, stay there until you have found a job in Silicon Valley. According to Forbes, it's a tough job market out there right now, so don't invest in moving there unless you've got a job. You'll be spending your money - maybe - on plane tickets and hotel rooms, but you'll still have a home and people you know around you.

Good luck!