a real account of what it's like to work at a startup

Working at a Startup is a bit like going on a roller coaster, you expect ups and downs but you don’t know when they will strike. Things move fast and with impact. From the beginning, you will be entrusted with responsibilities and work in a team of global thinkers. Like in any Startup, no one day is the same. But be certain that you will not be bored. You will sit together and connect with teams around the world and share achievements, challenges, and learnings on a regular basis.

What makes a new company special is not the buildings it inhabits but the humans inside the walls. This is about the people who are in the team, like Celia, that shapes a company. They hide behind their screens and visit offices and co-working spaces all over the world. The glue that holds it all together is the values that the company shares, and not the wifi password that they all connect to.

Some would describe Celia as somewhat of a team mascot. She floats around, traveling to countless countries, and inspires others to join the team. Being an adventurous kid, she gets to embrace her travel bug in her role as Talent Acquisition Manager. Since joining the Startup over a year ago she has been to countless cities around Europe, including Barcelona, Paris, and Berlin.

Being a non-conformist Celia always knew the traditional corporate world was not for her. Anyone who knows her, and herself included cannot picture her dressed in a power suit and tie combo. She’s more of a ‘jeans and t-shirt’ type of gill. This is why she was welcomed into the exciting world of Startups with open arms.

Described by those who sit next to her as bubbly and adventurous, Celia is never bored and always looks for new challenges. Each day she puts her finger muscles to the test when answering emails, replying to messages, filling out feedback, and debriefing with the rest of the People Operations Team.

Celia is an identical twin and hails from the French-speaking part of Brussels. She has lived in Sevilla, Lausanne, Barcelona, New York, and now calls Berlin home for the last year and a half. She lives in the present but you can usually find her in the kitchen munching on an avocado while sipping her coconut latte. She dreams of warm sunny places and long walks on the beach. All while her hands are wrapped around an ice-cold margarita! Being conscious of the rising tides and sea temperatures Celia likes to do her bit for mother nature by biking to work and always using a refillable stainless steel water bottle. #nomoreplastic

Celia is also an amazing multitasker with a great gut instinct (maybe it’s the vegan lifestyle). On any given day she leads the entire talent process for all the European Recruiting platforms. She speaks English, French, Spanish, and a little German and Portuguese. I’m developing a bit of a girl crush as we speak.

It’s no surprise that being at a Startup meant accumulating a lot of responsibilities, very fast. She went from screening CV’s to taking ownership of the whole talent process in under six months. She travels to career fairs and events to find the hidden gems of people that make up the work-family. Maybe she’s actually superwoman undercover?

Forming relationships can be hard. Luckily, Celia has mastered the building blocks. Like a game of human Tetris, she matches the right person to the right role and makes sure that all the pieces of the puzzle are solved before sending out that new employee contract. She forms connections not just with humans and cute office dogs but also with institutions. An important part of her job is connecting with people.

“I build relationships with the most prestigious Universities in Europe as well as the presidents of the Student Clubs from those Universities,” says Celia.

Looking to the future, Celia is convinced that being part of such a motivated and optimistic team is just the first step to world domination! Just joking, she believes it’s key to"reaching our long term goal and it’s already expanding so fast that I can’t even imagine how impactful the next step will be!”

Celia is a massive foodie by heart and is always the person to know the best places to eat and drink in any city. By learning about Celia’s experiences she hopes that this opens others up to the possibility of working for a Startup.