Jump starting your career at Denver Startup Week

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Denver Startup Week, the largest free event of its kind in the world, is back again in 2018. Outside of this being a fantastic event for entrepreneurs, it provides an opportunity for thousands of Colorado job seekers to find their dream company to work for.

My experience with Denver Startup Week dates back to my college days where I was encouraged by a friend to attend the event. Not knowing what to expect, I picked out a couple of sessions I thought would be interesting. These sessions and the conversations I had with the presenters quickly turned my curiosity into a lasting passion for the startup scene.

After graduating from college, and interning at a startup, I knew that I wanted to work for one. Fortunately, Denver Startup Week was back and for the first time would be hosting a job fair as part of the week’s activities.

After applying for jobs for nearly six months, I was no novice when it came to job fairs. I arrived at the Denver Startup Week job fair in a pair of nice slacks, a shirt and tie, and 20 copies of my resume in hand (printed on the finest paper, of course).

It took me all of 30 seconds to realize that this job fair was far different from your conventional job fair. One company’s booth was staffed by people wearing socks and no shoes. Upon entry, attendees were handed drink tickets, which was definitely a first for me at a job fair.

After making my way through the fair, I found myself at the Xero booth. Within minutes, I had applied for one of their inside sales roles, and the rest, as they say, was history. Within a couple weeks, my career with Xero was off, and by the time I hit my one year anniversary I had transitioned out of the sales team and into my current role on the marketing team.

My connection with Denver Startup Week would not end there. In my current role, I am now responsible for coordinating Xero’s involvement with the event as a track sponsor and host of the Denver Startup Week Bash. This opportunity has enabled me to work hand-in-hand with the event organizers.

I am able to see how truly passionate they are, and the amount of time and effort that goes into running an event of this scale. Their thoughtfulness and tireless preparation saw Denver Startup Week host nearly 19,000 attendees from 48 states last year. Thanks to their continued efforts to make this event truly great, I now have a job I love, working for a brand I truly believe in, where I am able to give back to the event that started it all.

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