There’s a neat line in the Facebook movie, The Social Network, that says something like Harvard students don’t seek a job, they create a job in reference to the fact that so many graduates go on to start their own venture. And while not all computer science graduates and those from related disciplines, either fresh from University or already in work, can be expected to found their own startup, joining one is the next best thing.
However it’s here where the London startup community faces a particular challenge: how to compete with the brain-drain caused by the Capital city’s financial sector and by other corporations who have chosen London as their European headquarters or have a major presence here, including Internet companies like Google and Microsoft. That’s something that a new event called Silicon Milkroundabout hopes to help remedy.
Acting as a recruitment fair and a chance for engineers and developers to meet the likes of SongKick, Mind Candy, Skimlimks, Huddle and around 25 other startups to hear about the “opportunities and benefits of working for innovative, entrepreneurial businesses”, it takes place on Sunday 15th May, 2 – 6pm at Bar Music Hall, Shoreditch.
One of the issues contributing to London’s startup brain drain is as simple as awareness, says Ian Hogarth, CEO co-founder of Songkick. Many graduates and those already in work aren’t even aware of the many London startups that exist and the career opportunities that these companies present. Silicon Milkroundabout should go someway to address this.
Event details
Date: Sunday 15th May, 2011
Time: 2 – 6pm
Location: Bar Music Hall, 134 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3AR
Who’s going to be there: 30 of London’s top technology startups, offering more than 100 jobs (companies include Songkick, Mind Candy, GroupSpaces, Editd, Skimlinks, Playfire, Ly.st, 7digital, Huddle, OneFineStay, Fizzback, Keynoir, and Smarkets).
If you are a software developer or current undergraduate interested in attending: register at siliconmilkroundabout.com