There are plenty of big multinational firms looking for talent. However, there are also plenty of reasons to opt for a start-up instead.
With a tech skills gap, it’s no secret that plenty of the top countries in the world are crying out for talent.
If you’re in the right space at the right time, it could be pretty easy for you to find the perfect job.
Take the fintech sphere, for example. We recently outlined 12 of the top companies hiring in fintech right now, and that list is by no means exhaustive.
But industries such as fintech are evolving all the time, and it’s not going to just be about the big firms any more.
Looking ahead to the future of fintech – and, indeed, many other industries – taking a job at a start-up will become more and more common.
For those unsure about what it means to work at for a start-up, Siliconrepublic.com spoke to Enterprise Ireland’s senior development adviser, Billy Hanley, about the benefits an employee could enjoy.
“If you join a start-up, you can take it that you are filling a really important role in the company,” he said. “Start-ups usually have limited funds, they don’t spend money flippantly – they appoint people for roles that they see as absolutely essential to the success of that company.”
Hanley also said that potential employees at start-ups can look forward to extremely diverse work. He said on any given day in a fintech start-up, you could be responsible for coding, product development, sales pitches or negotiating with the Central Bank.
“Coming in at an early stage of the company’s genesis means you have the opportunity to influence the product and also to influence the culture of the company.”
Hanley said that those who work for start-ups could have the opportunity to gain experience and skills more quickly compared to larger entities.
The fintech start-up scene
Turning to fintech in particular, Hanley said it’s a very exciting space to be in. “There is huge variety in the range of applications and in the markets served. Banks themselves tend to move quite slowly and wouldn’t generally be regarded as technology innovators.
“There is a lot of opportunity for disruption, and start-ups are in a strong position to exploit this opportunity.”
Working at a start-up, fintech or otherwise, will be hard work. It also involves a level of uncertainty from a career perspective. “People have to go into these roles with their eyes open,” said Hanley.
“[But] particularly for graduates, these aren’t things you should be afraid of.”
For those still unsure about working for a budding brand, check out eight examples below of thriving start-ups in the fintech sphere who are currently looking for fresh talent.
RiskSystem
Based in Dublin, RiskSystem provides risk management and regulatory reporting services to investment funds via a proprietary cloud-based solution.
RiskSystem is currently looking for coders with experience in particular with Python and JavaScript. Knowledge of finance is useful but not crucial.
Fenergo
Fenergo is an award-winning provider of enterprise-wide software solutions for financial institutions. The company’s HQ is in Dublin but it has offices all over the world, including London, Sydney, Boston and Singapore.
Fenergo recently announced 200 jobs in a massive expansion, and is looking to fill technical, professional services and support roles.
Plynk
Money messaging app Plynk is based in Camden Street and was co-founded in 2015 by Charles Dowd and Clive Foley. The app enables users to send each other money within conversations.
Plynk announced 40 jobs at the beginning of October and the company is currently hiring back-end developers as well as UI and UX designers.
Assure Hedge
Assure Hedge provides currency confidence for all by offering businesses the same currency hedging tools as the multinationals use. The company is based in Dublin and London and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
In 2018, Assure Hedge will be hoping to more than double its team, hiring for a number of roles, including: Java developers, quality assurance, trading operations and security, and an infrastructure engineer.
Payslip.com
Payslip.com is a global payroll management software solution that provides centralised process control, systemised data protection and vendor management to international employers.
While based in Mayo, some roles it is hiring for may be filled in Dublin. Payslip is looking for a chief technology officer, sales manager, international payroll operations manager and marketing manager.
AQMetrics
AQMetrics is a regtech company based in Maynooth, London and New York. It is focused on delivering regulatory risk and compliance solutions for financial services firms.
The company is looking to fill a number of roles, including: DevOps engineers, software engineers, programme managers and a head of marketing.
Corlytics
Based in Dublin and London, Corlytics works with financial regulators and financial firms globally to better understand regulatory risk and to ensure better outcomes for all stakeholders.
The company is currently looking for legal analysts, risk modellers, software engineers, data scientists and client-facing analysts.
Cyber Risk Aware
Based in Dublin and Letterkenny, Cyber Risk Aware is a user-friendly security awareness platform that helps clients asses their level of human cyber risk, improve user security awareness and meet their compliance requirements.
Cyber Risk Aware is looking to recruit for roles in online marketing, inside sales, customer support and in its development team.
