“Can you help me find a job in VC?”

 About 18 months ago, I was cold called by a young, ambitious MBA student who wanted some advice and guidance on something very very difficult to do: breaking into the venture capital business. Relative to huge demand, there are very few entry level VC positions available in the Washington, DC region.

Since his initial cold call, I have met him a few times at various events around town. I had not heard from him in several months until today when, in response to an email announcement my company sent out, he responded that he was still seeking my help in landing a VC job.

I emailed him my response:

Here’s how I may help, with some (free) advice:

YOU have to HELP you. The buck stops with you!

You have to create true value for your customers and constituents (boss, coworkers, investors, friends, etc).

You must give 110% every single hour of every single day, and MAKE SURE all of this is recognized.

Network like a machine. You should be out every night going to 2-3 events per, and genuinely HELPING others – Thats how you build YOUR brand!

Work 80 hours per week. There’s no substitute for hard work.

In this market, the ideal job does not come to you.
YOU have to attack and make it happen.
And the tools you need are contacts, credibility and expertise, all of which you will develop by following the advice above.

Pursue your dream and never give up!! It may take a month, year, or 10 years, but the persistent person ALWAYS wins…eventually!!

All the best,
Tien

That’s advice I would give to my kids, the students I work with at Georgetown or Maryland, and anyone looking to land any kind of job, especially a high-demand job.

Bottom line: you have to help yourself, and there are no shortcuts. Buckle up because the road will be long and bumpy,

I welcome your thoughts and comments. Thanks!

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