QUESTION: WHAT KINDS OF JOBS ARE STARTUPS LOOKING TO FILL THAT INVOLVE A LOT OF TRAVEL?
Question by: Ashley
COMMUNITY EVANGELIST
“A lot of startups need someone to represent them at conferences and other events. The best pick is often some sort of community evangelist (although the job title can vary dramatically). But no matter what job you’re initially hired for, you can make yourself a niche to travel if you look for opportunities to speak about the company and attend relevant conferences.”
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
“This doesn’t really change no matter what type of business you have. With more and more startups bootstrapping and needing to bring in their own revenue or come up with creative revenue streams, there are more startups that have a sales element to their job positions. These people are going to events, conferences, and also meeting with buyers and clients in person.”
CONVENTIONS AND TRADE SHOWS
“Startups are fragile, and usually are bootstrapping. Therefore, I would recommend looking for a unique person to represent the startup at a convention. The job must require independence, and a non-corporate stigma. They should not expect business class seating, and five star hotels with a large budget. Rather, they should be a go-getter with a passion for cutting cost and bootstrapping.”
SALES
“Startups are always looking for motivated sales reps looking to pound the pavement to drum up new business.”
CHIEF RELAXATION OFFICIER
“Kidding, but seriously, in my business sales & business development require a lot of travel. We train our team to be both hunters as well as gatherers. When it comes to closing sales from inside the office they can handle it. But when the situation or a deal calls for face-to-face interaction, we’re flexible and willing to put in that critical face-time to build the relationship & close the deal.”
BIZ DEV, COMMUNITY ENVANGELISM, AND FOUNDER.
“Biz Dev’s always going to require a bit of moving around, almost regardless of the business. Community or product evangelism tends to involve a lot of travel assuming the company has a reach into lots of cities or countries. Finally, and only sort-of-jokingly, the founder role can mean quite a lot of travel; often because you’re responsible for both of the first two!”
MARKETING & SALES ENTHUSIAST
“As an owner of a local staffing company, I have seen a huge uptick for sales and marketing enthusiasts. This has been most typical for startup companies. I have also seen trade show coordinators/representatives to assist in promotion of products at numerous trade shows and conventions. Lastly, I’ve seen demand for PR reps who are required to travel, promote, and handle social media.”
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.
