Dear Adviser,
I've been reading a lot about IT professionals in the US getting into e-commerce startups and making a killing with the IPOs. I'm a programmer with five years' experience and am interested in such opportunities. How difficult would it be to join one of these US startups? Are there any such opportunities closer to home?
Startup Hunter
Dear Startup Hunter,
The difficulty in making a killing with IPO's is identifying which startup, whether it's in the US or New Zealand, is going to develop the next "killer-app".
Venture capitalists who specialise in investing in such companies are equally not able to pick the next Microsoft in advance.
Startup companies tend to be small, but sometimes are spun-off from larger organisations. So it's more a matter of being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.
But unless you are a skilled and hardworking IT professional, with up-to-date knowledge of technology, and vision, you are unlikely to be in that place.
Readers with career questions can have them answered in this column by IT recruitment specialists. This month Auckland-based Itec Recruitment answers your queries. Send questions via Kirstin Mills with "Dear Adviser" in the subject line.