Otta Blog

The Salary Transparency Champions

We've reviewed thousands of companies of all sizes to find the ones that are championing salary transparency by publishing salaries on their jobs.

Applying to jobs

Self-reflection and bias for action: how to get that job

How can you get that job? We've put together a downloadable worksheet that will help you reflect on your goals and skills, and create an action plan to find career fulfilment.

Applying to jobs

What does that job mean to you? We asked the question.

What does that job mean to you? Hear from the candidates who found meaningful work on Otta to inspire you for 2023.

Applying to jobs

The quest for career fulfilment: how to know if you’ve found that job

Whatever stage you're at in your career, we've put together a few prompts to help you assess whether you've found "that" job yet.

Our views on recruitment

8 questions to ask interviewers during economic uncertainty (and what to look out for)

Although you can’t predict exactly how a new job will turn out, you can use the interview process to get a really good feel for the health of a

Applying to jobs

Working for a fast-growth startup will accelerate your career

Lots of people will tell you joining a startup is a risk. An unknown name on your work history. A smaller team with big ambitions. But we believe working for a fast-growth startup is one of the best things you can do for your career.

Applying to jobs

High impact advice for your job search

I’ve helped 100s of candidates since starting Otta, and there are a few points that always seem to be high value, so I’ve written them down with extra detail to try and help more people.

Applying to jobs

How to prepare for a startup interview - here's what the best 10% of candidates are doing

I spoke to 40+ candidates who recently had interviews at top startups to learn more about how they prepare. I wanted to summarise some of the best preparation techniques, while also sharing my own advice.

Applying to jobs

8 qualities that startups look for when hiring

It's competitive to get a job at a startup, so it's useful to know what qualities the hiring managers are looking for.

Early Careers at Startups

Kate (Nested & Avant Arte)

Kate Tonks is currently running Business Operations at Avant Arte. After a stint in consulting, Kate joined Nested as the fourth employee. After almost three years, she left for new challenges and recently joined Avant Arte, an art discovery marketplace.

Applying to jobs

7 things to look for when choosing your next software developer role

With more and more software developer roles to choose from, we've pulled together a mini guide of the key questions to ask

Announcements

100 UK tech companies still actively hiring

If you work in tech, or want to move into this sector, it’s likely that you’ll have heard a lot about - or been personally impacted by -

100 UK tech companies still actively hiring

If you work in tech, or are looking to move into this sector, it’s likely that you’ll have heard a lot about - or been personally impacted by

100 US tech companies still actively hiring

If you work in tech, or are looking to move into this sector, it’s likely that you’ll have heard a lot about - or been personally impacted by

Otta has raised a $20m Series A

I’m delighted to announce that we’ve raised a $20m Series A led by Tiger Global Management. The team at Otta is incredibly mission-driven, and hitting this milestone after just 2 years in operation is a testament to their fantastic work.

Applying to jobs

How to write a strong Otta profile

We know how time-consuming it is to craft a great application, especially when it's for a role you are excited about. This article provides some top tips that should help you stand out.

Applying to jobs

What to expect when interviewing at a startup

Many candidates have told me they don't receive useful information alongside an interview invite. I'm sharing my experience of what to expect when interviewing at a startup so you are well prepared.

Applying to jobs

6 areas to research before interviewing at a startup

Jobs at startups are becoming increasingly competitive. Preparation for interviews is invaluable, but it can be hard to know where to start. I’ve put together 6 areas of preparation to help you focus your efforts.

Applying to jobs

How to write a stand-out cover letter when applying to a startup

I'm regularly asked by candidates whether they should write a cover letter, and what to include. I'm noting down a few recommendations that I believe will help you stand out.

Applying to jobs

How to ask interviewers great questions

It’s nearing the end of the interview and you’re asked “do you have any questions for me?”. Now is your chance to take the reins of the interview, and this part deserves some preparation too!

Applying to jobs

Evaluating a salary offer

If you've just received a job offer, congratulations! You may want to consider negotiating your salary, in which case I hope this article is useful. Even if you don't want to negotiate, my advice is to understand where the offer sits versus the market.

Otta Success Stories

Theo Barber-Bany (Site Reliability Engineer, GoCardless)

Theo Barber-Bany recently started working at fintech scale-up GoCardless as a Site Reliability Engineer, a position he found using Otta. We caught up with Theo two months into his role to chat about his experience finding and settling into his new company.

Otta Success Stories

Imogen Watson (Strategic Partnerships Account Manager, Peloton)

Imogen recently started working at sports tech scale-up Peloton as an Account Manager in the Strategic Partnerships team, a position she found using Otta. We caught up with Imogen two months into the role to chat about her experience finding and settling into her new company.

Otta Success Stories

Boaz Valkin (Product Manager at Cazoo)

After five years of working in Business Development at various startups, Boaz decided to move into Product Management. He secured his most recent role at the UK’s fastest ever Unicorn, Cazoo, via Otta.

Applying to jobs

How to think about stock options when you’ve got a job offer from a startup

It’s increasingly common for startups to offer new employees stock options (equity) as part of their compensation package. There’s a lot of misunderstanding around how options work and how you should think about their value. After reading this I hope you’ll have a better understanding.

Applying to jobs

How to get an internship at a startup

I’ve advised a lot of people on their job applications, but securing an internship requires you to be more entrepreneurial than with standard job applications. I wrote this article to provide some practical advice on securing an internship at a top startup.

Early Careers at Startups

Adit Ruparel (Property Partner, Filtered)

Adit is currently studying for an MBA at Cass Business School, having spent 5 years at two different startups. I spoke to Adit near St Paul’s to get his reflections on his career so far.

Announcements

Announcing our first investment round

Today we’re incredibly excited to announce our first round of funding, welcoming some fantastic investors.

Applying to jobs

How to choose a good startup to work for

Startups are relatively unknown, and so it's not obvious how to choose a good one to work for. The aim of this article is to provide some quick tips to help you choose.

Early Careers at Startups

Susan Zhuang (Koru Kids, Trint, Mendeley)

Susan Zhuang is currently a Product Design Lead at Koru Kids, a startup that is trying to build the world’s best childcare service. I met Susan for coffee near her offices to talk about her career so far.

Our views on recruitment

Why "Easy Apply" may be bad for job seekers

"Faster and easier" may be better in a lot of industries, for example booking an Airbnb, but I don’t think this is a trend we should be excited about in applying for jobs.

Early Careers at Startups

Matt at Monzo

Matt Jones is currently a Product Manager at Monzo. Matt studied Economics, Italian and Spanish at Sheffield University and started his career on the Future Leaders Development Programme at Barclays.

Early Careers at Startups

Anselm (iwoca & Checkout.com)

Anselm Obi is currently an Operations Manager at Checkout.com. Anselm studied Law at university and started his career at iwoca in the Sales team. During his time there, he held a variety of roles, including managing one of the Operations teams.

Early Careers at Startups

Simon (Qubit & Trussle)

Simon Younger is currently a Product Lead at Trussle. Simon studied Management at Bath university. During his studies, he had placements at Nestle, P&G and Qubit. After university, he joined Qubit.

Applying to jobs

In-depth view of London startups — analysis of hundreds of startup jobs

We’re sharing analysis of startups in London. At Otta, we are the advocates for working at fast growing technology companies early in your career. We think this is where learning opportunities and development potential are highest.

Early Careers at Startups

Sheri (Tide & Monzo)

Sheri Farsani is currently a Product Marketing Manager at Monzo. Sheri studied Law at university and started her career in management consulting. After 2 years, she joined Tide (a challenger bank for small businesses) as the second employee in the marketing team.

Early Careers at Startups

Are you bored of your graduate job?

If you’re bored of your graduate scheme then you’re in good company. A lot of people get fed up with their graduate jobs quickly. A study by the Association of Graduate Recruiters indicated that employers lose 20% of their graduate intake within a year

Early Careers at Startups

How a coffee can steer your career in the right direction

In my view, one of the most impactful things you can do when making career choices is to seek advice from relevant experienced people, this is why.

Applying to jobs

Why startups can be a perfect place for graduates

I didn’t discover how great it was to work for a startup until I moved to work for Nested after 2 years at an investment bank. In this post I explain why you should be considering startups for your first full time job.