I am sure that the obvious is visiable, if the product is good and the management is unique, experienced and well backed, then success is around the corner. I was fortunate enough to get in with a start up company offering a new product in investing, business was good, the only thing that derailed the sucess of the business was the state's FTC, refusing to allow such trades even though they had proven to be successful.

Start ups can be great stepping stones to even greater careers and opportunities. You mention that you have been unemployed for almost a year. Working, even in short sprints can often be better to a recruiter than being unemployed for long stretches. Look at the start ups. Do they have plans and I say plans because they should have projections for one year, three years and five years. How many employees and what is the length of the oldest employee not including the founders. If the majority of employees that started with the company are still there, that is a good indicator that they have been making payroll, and that there is a high level of job satisfaction. Funding: is this a Kickstarter, personal money, bank loans, etc? It is perfectly okay to ask how a company got its start up funding and if it is turning a profit. Start ups can be fun and turn into lucrative opportunities, however as you mentioned there are horror stories on the other end. However, if you ask the right questions, you can probably get a feel for their stability. Even if you take a job at a start up and it fails, I can guarantee you will get some valuable skills (wearing multiple hats) and your reasoning for leaving will be understood and you'll be making some money. Win-win-win

To make a logical, fact-based, decision, you need to know information that you are not likely to get unless it is a VC backed venture: who are the real owners, what is the capitalization; who has the money to fund growth, and it goes on.

But there are some things that are knowable, and if you are going to sell them you have to know: Is there a need for the products being sold? How much competition is there? Are the products better, and how are they better? Has the founder been doing the sales? What is the company's reputation in the community?

Pick a product that has leverage; that is that can be built upon and become part of a career path. This often means really figuring out what industry you want to end up in.

I have founded three start-up's and sold them a few years later. Working for a start can be rewarding and exciting, but remember that over half of start-ups fail within 5 years.

Good luck

The company I work for leased out space to a start up for over 3 years. In that time I have been in a front row seat for the show of growth this company has had. A friend who works for that company started out when they were extremely small and now he is talking to the heads of large, powerful corporations! For him it was worth it. Some people have not had as much good fortune. Research the product they offer, is the market up and coming or one that is viable or are they just riding the bandwagon of growth in an industry and trying to get rich quick. The answers to those kinds of questions will tell you whether or not the company is worth working for. Good luck!

I've been where you are about five years ago,and was do to,having to sue the company I worked for to fix my shoulder that had popped out of socket,and they kept telling me nothing was wrong,and to go back to work ?? Big mistake,that just made It way,way worse,and I finally told them I am going to the doctor,I can't stand the pain anymore.My point Is,because of that no one would hire me,so I really struggled.My advise to you Is If you get a sales job,since you're just starting out,make sure that,either theres a salary,or salary plus commision.I jave over 20years experiance In sales,but also at the same time construction work.so when sales were down,I would have something else to fall back on.Just some thoughtfull advise,good luck...

Johnathan, like everything else you have to investigate the company and in most cases, if you keep emotion out of the equation, your gut will guide you. Every argument is true, but think at one time Apple, Google, Facebook, and others were startups. It is a gamble but so is life, if you do not have that spirit stay OUT of startups.

At one point in time, Microsoft and Apple were start-ups. Knowing where they are now, do YOU think it would've been 'worth it' to join forces with either of them?

How you view that observation is your answer.

There is no 'guarantee'. Not with any company, not in life. There is no such thing as 'security', only varying degrees of risk.

im willing to work to further my life to learn all i can learn to accomplish the best i can for my employer. i am willing to find out about the job oppertunities that is offered other peoples in put is not important to me, only the skills and requirements of me of doing a great job for my employor. although i have never worked i am willing to learn and to see how far the job will take me in life to a job is not just a stepping stone or a start its to make a living and hopefully to make the business extend to benefit my employer/company or business extand and make me grow as a person

I'm in the same situation can't seem to find a job I have allot of experience to offer the killer is I have an associates degree and that's not good enough all kinds of certificate master license in air condition & refrigeration and I can't find a freaking job, it's killing me!

Are the start-ups pre-revenue? If so, how are the start ups being funded? If the pre-rev start up is funded by venture capital you are probably safe to work for them. If the start up is 'self funded" run like hell. Self-funded start ups invariably are overly optimistic about their chances for success and have therefore underestimated the costs. When they run out of money because they can't or won't acknowledge the real costs, they will fire you.