Everyone has a friend that works at a startup and envies them. Startups are awesome! You get free coffee, unlimited fruit snacks, and the ability to wear jeans everyday, but beyond the perks there are a lot of great career benefits as well.

Responsibility. When you’re one of five employees, everything you do is a necessity. Unlike a large company where you may just be there to shred paper, when you’re at a startup you’re taken seriously and given projects that are actually important.

Learning. You will learn everything there is to know about building a company. You will see your bosses fail, win, and hit lots of bumps along the way.

Opportunity. With a small team, you’re going to get to know everyone (if you don’t, then you’re doing it wrong). This is great because you will gain contacts, and since you’ve been there from the start, there is a greater chance that you may be brought on for a full-time position once the company begins to grow.

Fun. Whether you’re attending a tech happy hour, or jamming to the new Beyonce album while coding, fun and play is a major part of the startup environment.

 If you read this and thought, yes! Where do I find a position? — Then you’re in luck. Three of the current AlphaLab companies are looking for full-time interns.

SitWith – is looking for an intern with development experience in iOS, as well as web development.

Easely – is looking for talented software engineers.

Nebulus – is looking for a developer (extra points if you’re a musician).

We will be posting more about the companies, and even more ways that you can get involved to help them. Until then, be sure to stay tuned in on Facebook and Twitter for more fun ways for you to interact with this talented group.