Set yourself up for career success at Denver Startup Week

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Next week, Denver Startup Week returns and our team in Denver is gearing up to celebrate all things entrepreneurial. After all, this is the event that hosted nearly 17,000 people throughout 417 programs and events last year to celebrate Denver’s thriving tech ecosystem and culture of innovation.

Denver Startup Week is one of the top events in Colorado for entrepreneurs to learn how to accelerate their business and it’s also a great place for job seekers to meet new people and learn about companies that are hiring in Denver. This was something I encountered first hand at Denver Startup Week last year.

At the time, I was between jobs working with Peak Beverage, which happened to be catering events at Denver Startup Week. One of the events I worked was at the Xero office. I hadn’t heard of Xero before, so I started chatting with the team and mentioned I previously worked as a Salesforce administrator and was looking for a similar position in my next role. Soon, I was introduced to the manager of sales operations and was encouraged to check out an open position on his team. I applied for the position and shortly after interviewing, received an offer to join the Xero team in Denver as a sales operations analyst. I’ve been in my position for nearly one year and am thrilled I got my start at Denver Startup Week.

While it can be challenging navigating your job search, Denver Startup Week is an ideal event to hear from team members and learn about companies you might want to work for. Here are some tips to make the most of your time at Denver Startup week:

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. With an updated resume and elevator pitch, you’ll be ready to go for Denver Startup Week. If you’re early on in your job search, you’ll know it’s a numbers game to ensure you can get your foot in the door. Don’t be afraid to approach companies you’ve never heard of or strike up a conversation with someone you heard speak on a panel. As I saw last year, you never know where these conversations might lead you!

Focus your job search on the position, rather than industry. As I was job searching, I knew that I wanted a position that was Salesforce-related. This was something I brought up with companies and it helped me find positions to apply for that were best suited to my background. I would have never imagined myself working at a company with such a big focus on accounting, but the role with Xero was a perfect fit and I haven’t looked back.

People are everything. Throughout the interview process, I was drawn to Xero’s company culture, energy and the team. Xero has a work hard, play hard environment and I know my team will challenge me, but also have my back. It’s also the type of environment where I enjoy working with my coworkers and we go out of our way to hang out together outside the office. You’ll instantly get a sense of the people and company culture a team values as you talk to people at Denver Startup Week. Then, it’s up to you to determine if it’s the type of environment you can see yourself working in.

This year at Denver Startup Week, Xero is hosting and participating in the following events. The events are free to attend, so we hope to see you there!

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