I have recently read an article by Mark Suster (the 2x entrepreneur who has gone to the Dark Side of VC) on bothsidesofthetable where he said he was often asked by people about how they could get into VC. His response was always “there is no easy path”. Suster believes that getting into venture capital is rather a combination of luck, relationships and timing. He adds that, most of the times, these jobs aren’t even publicized.
Regarding the successful candidate, Mark Suster states that there is no “exact” specification that could be given to anybody. In his opinion, the successful candidate could come from a wide variety of backgrounds. However, he also mentions that, at the highest level, what they are looking for is a ”really intelligent, digitally native, financially numerate and interested in startups” individual. This person should have graduated from a top university with very good grades and test scores.Would you match this description?
Why should the suitable candidate be an excellent graduate, a truly exceptional individual? It is, according to Suster, because they get flooded with an enormous volume of emails from potential candidates, most of them showing discipline and intelligence, also having worked for a reputable firm or having done something innovative or, at least, very interesting in a startup company. There need to be some filters for the extremely large number of candidates who want to work in venture capital firms.
What other features are valuable and would increase your chances to start a career in venture capital? Well, Suster is very clear about the age of candidates, stating that they should have graduated only 2 years before the recruitment period. He adds that professionals having graduated 7 years before are also considered, but people with 10+ years experience are not fit for the role.
Other important features of prospective VC professionals are the readiness, the willingness and the ability ”to debate tech”. That means they should be able to speculate on the future of social media, digital television or mobile computing. People with strong interest in the financial services practice area are also welcome, Suster says.
You can find out more information about the features of the ideal candidate on http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/.
