Working At Stash

Working At Stash Below is an article originally written by Jeremy Quittner at PowerToFly Partner Stash, and published on May 26, 2017. Go to Stashs page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn mora.Ive written about small business, startups, and financial technology companies for most of my career as a journalist. And now Im working for Stash.So how on earth did I get here? The answer is pretty simple.The media industry is shrinking. After working for years as a writer for some of the best-known magazines in the U.S., I decided it was time to take my skills elsewhere and try something new.It seemed to me that startups, and particularly fintech startups like Stash, represent growth. Globally such companies pulled in $17 billion in venture capital in 2016, an 11% increase compared to 2015, as Forbes reports. Stash is one of these companies, and its own organic growthits closing in on three quarters of a million customerssince launching has been impressive.Stashs missionhel ping consumers without a lot of money or experience with investing learn sensible ways to put money into the marketsappealed to me. I also thought working at Stash developing content for investing customers, would be a good way for me to put my skills as a journalist to work, while learning first-hand how fintech companies scale.Notes on my first week working at StashBefore starting, I had a flash of panic that my new job might resemble scenes from Dan Lyons book Disrupted, with me feeling stupidly out of place in a frat house atmosphere of beer pong and nerf fights and bouncy ball chairs.Happily this has not turned out to be the case.It could be the companys mature atmosphere reflects its roots in the highly regulated financial services space. More likely, its an indication of the company founders experience Both Brandon Krieg and Ed Robinson had either started other companies or had previous careers in finance before launching Stash.About the only hat-tip to Silicon Valley-esque c ulture seems to be the kitchen stocked lavishly with snacks and a dedicated pump for cold brew coffeethat belastung detail never ceases to impress me.The majority of Stashs employees may be younger than me and many of my journalism colleagues, but theyre really smart and motivated, and they take what theyre doing extremely seriously. Their sense of excitement about building a company focused on something new in Fintech is palpable from the moment you walk in the door.Growth and ideasAnd because the company is still small, it doesnt have the rigid hierarchy customarily found at big enterprises. The company executives work alongside everyone else, and they circulate around throughout the day, checking in and asking plenty of questions. Everyones focused on increasing the rapid growth of the company, and employees are encouraged to share and test out new ideas on a daily basis.In the course of my first few days, my colleagues have pulled me into marketing meetings that introduced me to new concepts about how content can be linked to customers, while others have asked me for input on naming soon-to-launch investment products. Engineers have asked for feedback on the latest features theyve designed to improve the app.Most of this is novel to me. In fact, Im in an entirely new world. And thats exactly where I want to be.Im grateful for all Ive learned, writing about startups and entrepreneurship for publications at some of the largest media enterprises in the world. Now Im really excited to help a small company with a great idea grow into something really big. One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construct ion workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows t hat diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectiv ely. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.