College Experiences That Helped a Co-Founder at Lost Abroad Succeed
Jack, a co-founder and Chief Education Officer at a technology-based startup, recommends undergraduates aiming for entry-level positions showcase "a track record of doing internships or time jobs" to demonstrate "work ethics and a sense of responsibility." The competitive rate and skill sets undergraduates offer are appealing to startups, but proving reliability is key to overcoming hiring concerns.
Entry-Level Jobs, Internships, Work Ethic, Game Design, Software Engineering
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jack (Xinkang) Du
Co-Founder, Principal Educator/Chief Education Officer, CMO
Lost Abroad (lostabroadgame.com)
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. 2009
Bachelor of Science with Honors (Master's equivalent in commonwealth countries): marine biology and quantitative genetics/marine biology, 2012; Graduate Diploma of Teaching, 2015, both are from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management, 2022
Business Management & Admin
Education
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
International Student, Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Demonstrate strong work ethic and sense of responsibility through internships or part-time jobs to alleviate hiring concerns among startups.
2. Showcase skills in software engineering, game design, graphic design, or animation, which are in high demand in technology-based startups.
3. Highlight your skills and experience to prove your capabilities and value to potential employers, especially given the competitive rates startups offer for entry-level positions.
Transcript
What would you recommend an undergraduate college student do if they wanted to enter this field?
Startups in general, and technology-based startups in particular, always need a lot of help. This includes software engineering, game design, graphic design, animation, and all those related fields.
There are an incredible number of talented people, including undergrads, who can do this kind of work. However, a major concern for startups when hiring or offering internships to undergrads is their work ethic and sense of responsibility.
Startups worry if undergraduates, who haven't formally entered the workforce, can commit to deadlines and tasks. If you have a track record of internships or part-time jobs, even if not in the exact same industry, it can suggest you can do the work and are diligent.
Most founders will definitely be open to considering candidates with such evidence. This is especially true now, as it's harder to hire coding talent or people skilled in game design and programming.
Undergrads could leverage this to their advantage if they can demonstrate their work ethic. They have many skills to offer at a competitive rate that startups would find appealing. They just need to prove they will be good workers.