start me up

Start Me Up

About

So far we’ve helped hundreds of undergraduates and recent graduates work remotely for the first time.

From Silicon Valley tech startups to conservation organizations in Indonesia, we offer over 20 roles in 15 sectors.

Specializing in remote startups, our programs combine in-demand skills learning (like UX and programming).

Whether you want to learn to work remotely, learn to code, or to launch your own business, we’ve got a program for you.

Reviews

Default avatar
Kim
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Kim Grosvenor

Start Me Up careers connected me with Riteband a Swedish research-based company that is creating a new music marketplace and an app.

I enjoyed my time interning as a Junior Graphic designer with Riteband and it was a great match from the get-go! Although, I came in with previous experience in design I was still able to learn so much in such a short amount of time. During the internship, I created a series of icons, social media graphics and a presentation deck. I particularly loved the creative freedom that the role allowed and they really involved me within the company even though it was fully remote. I have also since continued to work for them as a freelancer, which has been great for my CV and portfolio!

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Meeting all of the team for the first time over zoom!
Default avatar
Henry
9/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Start Me Up Remote Internship

The start me up remote internship program was a really great experience and one I would highly recommend. With all the restrictions due to COVID-19 it was an excellent way to get internship experience while unable to travel and one that has left me with lots of valuable skills especially when it comes to remote working. The activities run during your internship too provide an excellent avenue for self-growth and career discovery. Hearing talks from people all over the world doing different things and taking part in workshops to improve both your hard and soft skills was a real highlight. I would recommend this program to anyone interested in start-ups, remote working or simple looking for an internship and work experience down a less traditional avenue.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Embrace all the opportunities and experiences on the program and use them all to your advantage they provide an unparalleled look into start-ups and it is something that will always add value to whatever you do next
Default avatar
Kelly
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing opportunity!!

I participated in the Start Me Up remote internship program this past summer and worked with an organization based in Bali. I had such a great experience both with my internship program and with the Start Me Up seminars and support. I loved learning so many new skills and advancing my career in a new direction. If you are looking for an amazing opportunity to work partner with a great organization, get continued training from the program, and learn valuable skills for your career, this is for you!

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Working for an organization remotely was certainly a change for me, so learning about how to overcome the obstacles that come with that was nerve-wracking! Thankfully, the team at my internship was great and helped me through it.
Default avatar
Zara
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Start Me Up

Start Me Up is the best opportunity to take when taking steps to develop your career. The sessions that are held, the individual support and the opportunity to meet so many different people around are the world are just some of the reasons why I came back for a second year. Even though I wasn't able to go to Bali to complete my internship, the programme that was organised was still extremely engaging and interesting, and I was still able to make friends. I would recommend this program for anyone who wants to learn more about other non-traditional career paths, and also anyone who wants to travel whilst working on something.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Having to make up a product and present it was the scariest thing I had to do. What I did was think of something that I think could be improved and tried to adapt the products already around to the issue at hand.
Default avatar
Zoe
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Traveling & Tech Start-ups

This experience went way beyond my expectations. Being able to intern for a tech startup in Queensland was a once in a lifetime experience I’ll never forget.
While I interned for the startup we worked out of a lively coworking space in the city. We got to meet lots of other startups and some really interesting people. I loved going to the different events around the city (organized by the co-working space), and learning about new areas of tech while picking new skills.
Queensland itself had so much to offer, including the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Surfer’s Paradise and, of course, the Great Barrier Reef. I loved that despite being winter, it was still warm enough to go to the beach for a swim!
All in all, couldn't recommend going out to Aus to intern more, learn new entrepreneurial skills and meet some cool people.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Come with an open mind. Do everything. See everything. Meet everyone.
Make friends with people in the co-working space, learn from others further down their careers and pick up some Aussie phrases.

Programs

Displaying 1 - 3 of 3

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I had options and needed to make a quick decision about five months before my program. Ultimately, I wanted an experience that would give me skills and insight into the growing startup culture. I didn't want an experience I could get just "anywhere."

Start Me Up offers unique internships that get you out of your comfort zone. This program allowed me to network, test my skills, learn new assets vital to my understanding of startups and introduced new topics. I especially loved seeing other startups pitch their app to a crowd. It was really interesting and being in the startup culture allowed you to immerse yourself with other people from around the world with different points of view.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Everything was pretty much taken care of for me. My fees went to the program and I had to organize my dates, flights and work schedule. Start Me Up took care of everything else: accommodation, rides, round trip transportation to and from the airport, event and seminar management, finding a startup for me to work with, and the one weekend activity.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Keep in mind that the Australia program started in 2018. It's new and you should expect a few bumps in the road. However, my biggest tip is to be open minded when it comes to anything from the people you live with, the community work space, your company, and the culture. You'll take more away from your internship if you don't go in with your eyes wide shut. Don't be afraid to ask questions or try new things!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

It's a pretty typical work day of Monday through Friday 9-5. You can walk or Uber to work under your own expense. Work is at the community workspace, where you work with your founder. Most week days, there are seminars, startup pitch series, networking opportunities and small presentations you can immerse yourself in right after the work day.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I was mostly afraid of failing in the startup world. My experience was solely social media, website design, blogging, operations management and customer service. With no experience in startups, I forced myself to go in with a positive mindset that I could achieve whatever I wanted to learn. I just had to work at it every day and ask as many questions as I could. My startup loved that I asked so many questions because it kept us all on the same page.

Any tip before the trip?

Personal tip for packing: know your wardrobe and expect anything. You may have an invite to attend a gala with your founder or you may have a company activity to go on a hike. It's best to be prepared and don't be afraid to ask questions. I attended an opening event with two of my house mates and on weekends we'd do different activities. Some were nice and others were casual. The point is, make sure you bring the right attire because you don't want to network in your gym shorts.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Adisty Purcell

Job Title
Sales and Business Development
Thumbnail

Adisty approaches her role at Start Me Up with an absolute focus on nurturing and developing the skills of the interns – with an equally strong focus upon making sure their time spent away from home is as fun and fulfilling as possible! She feels fortunate to be involved with such a vibrant and growing community and is always so excited to interact with her new colleagues and interns.

What is your favorite travel memory?

I can't say I have a favorite travel memory, as every time I've traveled there's always something memorable.

One of my favorite from my recent travels was when I went to the Raja Ampat Archipelago in West Papua earlier this year. I've dreamed of going there since I was very young and it proved to be as stunning as I thought I would be. The best thing about it was how much life there was in the water and in the forest; everywhere we looked from the jetty there were sharks, big schools of fish, turtles, and even dolphins. We went for a morning trek into the jungle and saw massive rhino hornbills and birds of paradise dancing in the distance.

Raja Ampat was memorable as it reminded me of how rich Indonesia's biodiversity is and also how fragile it is.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Working for Start Me Up has allowed me to meet so many new people in the space of a few months. Our interns come from all over the world and it’s been amazing to get to know them during the course of the internship. Start Me Up has also opened up my eyes on just how vastly interesting the tech world is, and how attainable it actually is instead of being completely intimidating.

Working with a small but amazing team I get to learn more of the inner workings of the company and learn about what makes it work. The founder is also a very good team leader, making sure our job is always interesting and a great learning experience. Over the past few months I’ve honed in more confidence in my networking skills, as well as expand my knowledge on the tech start up and social enterprise world a little more every day.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

One of the interns I had supervised in the October cohort is a girl from NYC who did a blockchain internship with Start Me Up. She did such an amazing job that she was hired after her internship had finished and was asked to represent her company in a UN conference in Geneva, only a month after she left Bali.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would have a hard time choosing between Bali or Queensland, but I think it’d have to be Bali. This sort of internship opportunity would have been perfect when I was still in university as the element of travel and start up sound really incredible to me. Bali is so different from the rest of Indonesia, and I feel that an internship here would open up so much more opportunities for me to immerse more into the start-up and entrepreneurship world.

Being able to network with so many fascinating people from all over the world in a place like Canggu is also amazing - somewhere that’s both very international and innovative while still surrounded by nature and very rich culture. I would also love to do Queensland simply because of its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. Weekday working in Brisbane and weekends diving the GBR? Sign me up!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

I have never heard of anything like Start Me Up before; the fact that we offer opportunities for remote internships in really cool places such as Bali, Australia, and Thailand already makes it very unique. This is reflected by the excitement of so many of our applicants on their interviews - that there’s simply nothing else out there quite like it. Instead of completing internships in big corporate offices - our interns get to do it in a tropical co-working space working by the pool and going surfing or go for a rice field Yoga on their lunch breaks.

We have a small but very lovely team with excellent communications. I’m especially proud of my team whenever we’ve reached the end of a cohort and all the interns have had an amazing time both on their internship and their stay in Bali.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

There are many factors in being a successful company; however, with so many options, information and offers floating around online - there’s nothing more important than trust and to be reliable. A successful company needs to start by delivering great service, being innovative, focused, as well as being personal and honest. I feel that part of Start Me Up's success have been because of the personal attentions that the team give to the interns in order to ensure a good experience for them.