An inside look: How to land a job at Austin’s 15 fastest growing startups, part 2

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Published on Oct. 20, 2014

In part two of this two-part series on landing a job in Austin’s growing tech scene, Built In Austin talks with local tech companies about what it takes to get an offer letter from some of the hottest local tech companies. 

ROIKOI

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The number one thing they look for in an applicant: We want applicants who are highly curious about everything. Curiosity leads to continual learning and self-motivation, and in an environment like ROIKOI where we experiment often, these traits are a necessity to be successful and productive.
 
Hot hiring areas this year: We're looking for software engineers — ideally folks with experience with the entire web stack, but we'd also be happy to opportunistically add any especially smart individuals to the team.
 
The nitty-gritty of the hiring process:  At ROIKOI, we like to meet the candidate to chat about our company, learn about what the candidate's interests are, and to understand their skills. After that, we'll do an interview day with the candidate where they'll get to meet the entire company. If that goes well, we'll ask the candidate to do a small "take-home" project to further impress us.
 

sonarDesign, Inc

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The number one thing they look for in an applicant: Strong programming skills with graphics, audio, animation and simulation are all a very big plus. Experience in years isn’t as important as the skill and fit of our team members.
 
Hot hiring areas this year: We are currently looking for both core technology and web services developers. Our core is written in Dart, so experience in JavaScript and a willingness to push out new technology is very important. Our web services team uses mostly PHP but there’s other languages that come up from time to time.
 
The nitty-gritty of the hiring process: We’re growing quickly, but aren’t a huge company, so in addition to skills, we spend a lot of time with company culture and good personality fits. We try to start with face-to-face interviews on a small scale, and bring in more people as we move through the process. There’s time with the executives as well as the team members for interviews.
 

WP Engine

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The number one thing they look for in an applicant: Passion and drive to succeed in a hyper-growth environment. We’re moving fast and seek employees that are excited to innovate, drive the business forward, and provide an amazing customer experience.
 
Hot hiring areas this year: We’re hiring in all areas. We’ve doubled in size this year and continue to grow. Positions are available in Software Development, Sales, Account Management, Technical Support (Level 1, 2 and 3), and Marketing.
 
The nitty-gritty of the hiring process: It's simple and relatively quick. We’ll start with an initial phone conversation and then an onsite interview to meet the team so we can get to know you. Typically we’ll make a decision within 24 hours of the onsite interview.
 

Indeed

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The number one thing they look for in an applicant: We are looking for creative problem-solvers who have lots of integrity and like to have fun.
 
Hot hiring areas this year: All areas. Engineering and Sales are our number one priority at the moment, but we have openings in all functions of the business.​
 
The nitty-gritty of the hiring process:  It's hard, but worth it. We want to make sure our applicants invest in us the same way we would invest in them. Also, most applicants get to meet with multiple levels of folks working at Indeed, so one is able to get perspectives from various angles, from AE's to Directors to VP's.
 

Tastemade

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The number one thing they look for in an applicant: Cultural fit. We’re a close team — we get along well with one another and love our product (and food!). We look for like-minded individuals to join our team.
 
Hot hiring areas this year: We’re currently hiring for the following positions:  iOS Developer, Sr. Back-End Engineer, Sr. UI Designer, Web QA, Sr. Front-End Web Developer
 
The nitty-gritty of the hiring process: Being results-driven, we ask candidates to creatively solve a real-world problem as part of our interviewing process. This is the best way for us to assess their creativity, skill level and passion for software.
 

Civitas Learning

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The number one thing they look for in an applicant: We are on a mission to help colleges and universities see and use their data in meaningful ways in order to help one million more students graduate each year. We are looking for people who are mission-driven and motivated by the ability to truly take ownership of their work to put their personal stamp on it. We are building a once-in-a-generation company and that's exciting! We are looking for people with an entrepreneurial spirit who want to build Civitas Learning with us.  
 
Hot hiring areas this year: Engineering, Data Science, Data Engineering, Partnerships, Client Success, Product Management.
 
The nitty-gritty of the hiring process: We make sure our hiring process is engaging and meaningful for candidates. The road to becoming part of our team involves an initial conversation with a recruiter, a phone call with a team member, an onsite interview at our office where you ‘show us what you are made of,' and a few additional touch points in-between to make sure what we are looking for and our candidates' professional directions are in alignment.
 

CrowdTorch

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The number one thing they look for in an applicant: Actually 2 things: we hire for aptitude and attitude.  
 
Hot hiring areas this year: We’re hiring all kinds of Software Engineers (Mobile & Web App), all levels of experience.
 
The nitty-gritty of the hiring process: We like to think our hiring process isn’t too simple or too lengthy & complicated. We try to give the candidate a real idea of who we are and what we’re looking for so we can all make the best decision.
 

Mutual Mobile

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The number one thing they look for in an applicant: Passion. If you have the passion, talent and positivity will likely follow.
 
Hot hiring areas this year: What area aren't we hiring in may be a more relevant question. It has been a very good year for Mutual Mobile and we have increasing needs across the board.
 
The nitty-gritty of the hiring process: It is vital that we find a person who is passionate, talented, and blends seamlessly into our unique culture. We also feel it's equally important for a candidate to get to know us. We want to make sure both sides have the information they need to make the best decision; interviewing is a two-way street!
 

Praecipio Consulting

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The number one thing they look for in an applicant: We hire fast learners who have experience in IT and possess strong problem-solving capabilities.
 
Hot hiring areas this year:  We are hiring for Technical Consultants the rest of 2014 and will expand to additional positions opening in 2015.
 
The nitty-gritty of the hiring process: After applicants submit a resume and cover letter, we hold a series of interviews with the candidate to assess different abilities, as well as determine how the candidate would fit with our existing team.
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