Hire a Fellow
We’re on the hunt for promising companies with great leaders and teams who need talented employees to take their businesses to the next level.
Strong startups depend on great talent. Build your team with VFA Fellows.
Hiring a Venture For America Fellow isn’t just about adding a new team member, it’s about bringing in a motivated, entrepreneurially-minded individual who can help drive innovation and contribute to the long-term success and growth of your startup.
Fellows also bring a range of skills that can complement an existing team or serve as building blocks for a growing staff. They’re eager to work in dynamic, high-growth environments and can quickly adapt to your evolving needs. Fellows are primed to become future leaders and hiring them can be an investment in the long-term leadership and success of your organization. Are you ready? Now, it’s your turn to join more than 950 startups, high growth companies, and entrepreneurial support organizations that have hired our talented Fellows to scale their businesses.
Why Hire With Us?
Hire vetted startup talent ready to make an impact.
We are the leading entrepreneurial fellowship where young builders and doers come to launch their entrepreneurial careers.
We are the leading entrepreneurial fellowship where young builders and doers come to launch their entrepreneurial careers.
- VFA recruits and selects the best early-career talent from across the country who exhibit strong self-awareness, leadership, and problem solving.
- We have a rigorous selection process where, on average, only 17% of applicants are admitted into our program.
- 100% of Fellows have a four-year or advanced degree and more than 50% of our most recent Fellows have at least one to three years of post-graduate professional experience.
Hiring with VFA is an affordable and scalable talent solution.
Fellows are pre-vetted so you save time screening out hundreds of unqualified applicants. And whether you need one hire or 10, our network of early- and mid-career talent can help your company grow.
Fellows are pre-vetted so you save time screening out hundreds of unqualified applicants. And whether you need one hire or 10, our network of early- and mid-career talent can help your company grow.
- VFA’s hiring fee is, on average, less than traditional recruiter fees. These savings are even more pronounced when you hire from our Alumni network.
- We provide hands-on support with publishing your profile on our exclusive job board, developing job descriptions, posting your role(s), and finding qualified candidates.
- We serve as a trusted intermediary between you and our candidates.
Our community is diverse in background and experience, and will help your company outpace the competition.
Diverse teams are more productive, successful, and innovative. Additionally, companies that are committed to diversity and inclusion efforts better attract and retain top talent, especially Millennial and Gen Z employees.
Diverse teams are more productive, successful, and innovative. Additionally, companies that are committed to diversity and inclusion efforts better attract and retain top talent, especially Millennial and Gen Z employees.
- Fellows represent hundreds of majors and a variety of professional backgrounds, making them well-rounded for the complexities of a small business.
- Our cohorts of Fellows are increasingly diverse in measures of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual identity. In these areas of representation, we outpace the tech industry as a whole.
- VFA is committed to ensuring our program provides opportunities for historically-excluded groups to begin their careers as entrepreneurs.
We provide ongoing training and development, and lifelong access to a robust network of peers and advisors.
Fellows and Alumni receive access to ongoing training and development – through experiences like peer career and community groups – and join a lifelong network of peers and trusted advisors.
Fellows and Alumni receive access to ongoing training and development – through experiences like peer career and community groups – and join a lifelong network of peers and trusted advisors.
- Our newest Fellows receive professional career coaching to ensure they’re the best job seekers possible during the hiring process.
- Throughout the two-year Fellowship and beyond, we provide opportunities for our community to grow professionally and entrepreneurially.
- The majority of Fellows and Alumni live and work in 13 active VFA cities and seven other Alumni hubs, allowing them to tap into an expansive network to easily adjust to a new city or job.
Connect
Connect is our one-stop online community and private job portal for highly-vetted Fellows. Our Fellows are ready to take the next step in their careers and this is your chance to connect with them.
Here, you’ll find five helpful and necessary steps for Company Partners.
Get in Touch with VFA
Sign the Hiring Agreement
Log on to Connect
Create a Company Profile and Add Job Opportunities
Get ready to Connect
What to Expect
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How You’ll Hire
How You’ll Hire
Connect and Job Fairs
Using Connect, our online community and private job search portal, you’ll be able to reach out directly to Fellows who might be the right fit for your company. They’ll also be able to reach out to you and pitch you on their skills.
Once you’ve found the right person, you’ll hire a Fellow as a full-time salaried employee of your company, just like your other employees, and they’ll start work after Training Camp.
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What You’ll Pay Your Fellow
What You’ll Pay Your Fellow
Salary and Benefits
We require our Company Partners to pay Fellows competitively for the role. The salary you offer should be in line with the market rate for both the role and the city where you operate.
In addition to salary, we also require that Fellows be offered full benefits, in line with other full-time employees. Offering equity is not required but is encouraged.
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What You’ll Pay VFA
What You’ll Pay VFA
Placement Fee
In exchange for the effort we invest upfront in recruiting, selecting, coaching, and training our Fellows, we require a small placement fee per Fellow hired. These fees help offset the $30,000 it costs us per Fellow to run our program.
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How You’ll Work With Your Fellow
How You’ll Work With Your Fellow
Coaching and Development
Our program works because we believe in our Fellows’ ability to learn and grow in their roles. We expect our Company Partners to invest time and effort in Fellows’ professional development by providing mentorship, feedback, and regular performance reviews.
Testimonials
Darcy Howe, Founder & Managing Director, KCRise Fund
Darcy Howe, Founder & Managing Director, KCRise Fund
Edi Demaj, Co-Founder, KODE Labs
Danielle Deavens '18, Co-Founder and COO, Bold Xchange
Jessi Wilcox '18, Vice President of Impact, LaunchCode
Brendan Rice '14, CEO, Wodify
