You wouldn’t think playing guitar in a band would be the catalyst for jumpstarting a startup career, but there’s never been a better time for job-seeking Buffalonians to combine their passions with their professional lives. That’s exactly what happened to Kaley Lynch.
Lynch, who served as a digital reporter at a local television station before joining Fret Zealot, wasn’t looking for new career opportunities when she first came across the Forge Buffalo email newsletter. Still, she subscribed, keeping her eyes peeled for any attractive future opportunities. As the newest member of the Fret Zealot team, the creative content producer combines two of her biggest passions – music and storytelling.
“I never thought a job like this would exist, but I always hoped that I would work in a music-related field, so I could combine my passion for music with my journalist instincts of storytelling. So, this is a perfect fit for me,” Lynch said.
With the combined efforts of 43North and other local visionaries in the tech space, Buffalo’s startup and tech ecosystem is quickly expanding. As the community grows, opportunities for individuals to do what they love at early-stage companies are increasing, and Forge Buffalo is well on its way to becoming the go-to resource for candidates looking to join early-stage companies. The online platform is dedicated to connecting talent with fast-growing companies and aims to make it easier for candidates like Lynch to find job opportunities and apply.
“I had been really interested in 43North, startup culture and all the really cool businesses that are popping up through that,” she said. “Fret Zealot was at the top of a Forge Buffalo email, and when I saw it, I knew it was the perfect fit for me. I’ve been playing guitar since I was 12 years old. I’m very into music and coming from a journalism role, I’ve got a lot of content production and creativity in my background.”
Looking to fill a wide range of opportunities, early-stage companies are eager to find candidates whose passions align with their mission.
“Music is at the heart of everything we do. Finding employees that know how to play an instrument is a critical part of our hiring process," said Shaun Masavage, CEO of Zealot Interactive. "Kaley's musical background and professional experience as a storyteller makes her the perfect fit for this cross-functional role and knowing that we can tap Forge Buffalo's unique and diverse network to find talented candidates like her makes us excited for future hires."
Lynch is admittedly nervous about joining an early-stage company, and she’s not alone. Many candidates are overwhelmed by the thought of joining an early-stage company and worried that they need to be “into tech” or know how to code to find a role. She is not only an example of how you can find your passion at a startup but that you don’t need a technical background to do it.
“I think there might be a little bit of hesitancy to join the startup world, just because it’s off the beaten path for some people, but you’re really taking on a role that you can grow into, which is very cool,” Lynch said. ‘The folks at Zealot actually let me write my own job description and what my role would be, which is something I’ve never had happen before. It made me feel like I was really taking control of my life trajectory.”
In addition to offering candidates a robust job board, Forge Buffalo delivers the latest job openings directly to potential candidates' inboxes every Thursday with its weekly email The Drop. All candidates need to do is sign up, open the email, find a job they like and apply. A leap that Lynch is happy she took.
“You should be willing to take that leap to go into the startup world and not let anything hold you back. This gives you the opportunity to build a business from the ground floor and really make it and your career whatever you want.”
If you’re ready to forge your path and find a job you love, visit forgebuffalo.com.