Read these tips from Cosmo on how to get jobs at Etsy and Kickstarter

This tweet from the CEO of Kickstarter caught our eye:

.@Cosmopolitan on how to get hired at @Kickstarter http://t.co/HdY9BwEoYE

— Yancey Strickler (@ystrickler) July 31, 2014

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Cosmopolitan magazine on the innovation economy? Turns out, it’s not so much about tech as it is about careers.

In fact, the magazine’s website has its own Career vertical, much of which consists of profiles of successful women in enviable jobs (TV hosts, boutique owners, prominent bloggers). But Cosmo also has a few profiles of companies, and how they hire.*

In fact, Kickstarter isn’t the only prominent local tech firm with such a write up. Etsy has one two.

Here are some takeaways from each story:

Tips for getting in at Kickstarter, from the company’s human resources director, Shannon Ferguson.

• Events are partly a recruiting tool for the company. If you want a leg up on the competition, it’s good to have met someone there. Ferguson suggests the Twitter feed to find out about opportunities to be seen.
• You should probably get what crowdfunding is and what kind of mission the company sees itself as fulfilling before you show up for an interview. This post may help, as will this one.
• Show what you can do, not what pieces of paper you have. “Degrees are mostly irrelevant,” Ferguson says. She also says that if you have a cool skill (she mentions someone who’d worked as butcher), you should definitely make sure to mention it. We heard a rumor that Kickstarter was looking for people good at karate (no we didn’t).
• Ferguson: “A few people who are now senior employees here didn’t get interviews because of their résumés. They took action by meeting people on the team, sending letters in the mail in addition to emailing, and interacting with the founders using social media. They really extended their reach to make sure our team saw them and knew how enthused they were about Kickstarter.”
• The questions you ask can make you stand out, especially if they show an interest in the work.
• Thank you cards or emails matter “100 million percent” (emphasis added). Fun or creative applications will be well received. Ferguson wants links to you stuff.

Tips for getting in at Etsy, from in-house recruiter Brittany Finlay. 

• Etsy makes a lot of news. Candidates should come in familiar with some of it, the maker movement and what the company is working to achieve.
• If you’ve got an Etsy shop, it will get you bonus points, but it doesn’t cinch your application. Similarly, creative applications with crafty hacks are appreciated, but the company is still looking for the skill set first and foremost.
• Finlay likes very specific questions during the interview about skills, the job, the company’s style and follow-up.
• The company is looking for people who are excited about working for Etsy, so show it by preparing, following up, asking good questions and showing familiarity.
• Degrees matter but experience and skills really matter. If you find out a position you are applying for has a test, that test is very important. Your GPA matters not at all.
• Whatever happens, Etsy will get back to you about your application.
• The best way to stand out is to have a relationship with someone who is on staff.

*If you’re looking for work or are a recruiter looking for ideas, check out our post on the Brooklyn hiring scene.