

Ask HN: Is a side business good or bad when job searching? - redruffedlemur

I&#x27;m graduating soon, and will be looking for a job as a junior developer, ideally at a startup or a small-ish company. I&#x27;m also trying to start a two-man bootstrapped business on the side, which I expect will remain an evenings-and-weekends thing for at least a few years.<p>When applying for jobs in startups, should I tell them that I have another business? On the one hand, it&#x27;s business experience, and shows I can work independently. On the other, employers might think that I&#x27;d put less energy into my work for them, have divided loyalties, or be more likely to quit. What do startup founders (and HR people at late-stage startups) usually think of employees who have profitable side projects?<p>(In case it matters - we&#x27;re selling a customized physical product, and my partner will do the building, shipping and customer support, while I&#x27;ll do the website and marketing. My partner works another job part-time, and might quit once we&#x27;re ramen-profitable. We&#x27;ve discussed that I&#x27;ll have less time to devote to the business than he will, and we&#x27;re both ok with that.)
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byoung2
I had a recruiter advise me to remove side businesses from my resume if they
are ongoing, or put an end date on them because companies will be suspicious
that you're working on them during business hours or that you'll leave if the
side business takes off. I ignored her advice because I wanted to be honest
about the side business (an outsourcing company that took very little of my
time aside from billing customers and paying contractors). I got that job, and
several others with no problem. Several of the companies that hired me also
hired my outsourcing company for projects as well.

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redruffedlemur
Thanks for telling me about your experience, this really helps me know what to
expect. Thanks!

