I landed my dream job in VC after offering to set up payroll for free

• Neal Mintz beat out over 500 applicants to land his dream job at Wischoff Ventures.
• Mintz said that during the hiring process, he offered to set up the firm’s payroll for free.
• Mintz says he believes people who want to succeed as VCs need to be prepared to go all-in.

This essay as stated is based on a conversation with Neal Mintz26 years old, a senior associate at Wischoff Ventures. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider verified his education and employment history.

I have wanted to pursue a career in the venture capital ecosystem since I was in college.

While pursuing my undergraduate degree at Washington University’s Olin Business School, I spent two summers living and working in Tel Aviv, which has an incredible startup ecosystem.

It was difficult to get into venture capital straight out of college. Instead, I started my consulting career with Ernst & Young, where I spent two years in their digital strategy consulting practice.

At EY, I worked with clients that included Fortune 500 companies. I did everything I could to align my interests with my work, but I recognized that it would be harder to transition into an investor role as I became older.

That’s when I knew I had to start looking elsewhere.

After EY, I landed a role at a venture studio working with start-ups. There I learned how to perform due diligence on early stage business opportunities.

Then I moved on to Ground Up Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. I was the only employee there apart from the four fund partners, so I had to learn quickly on the job.

After almost two years at Ground Up Ventures, I wanted to try working at another fund to see if there was room for upward mobility.

That’s how I ended up in my current job at Wischoff Ventures, a firm founded by a woman whose work I admired – Nichole Wischoff.

I went through three weeks of interviews and pulled out all the stops

I wanted to work for Nichole because I knew that as the fund’s first full-time hire, I would have the opportunity to work directly with her and learn the ropes.

Competition for the role was intense and Nichole said we beat over 500 applicants to be hired.

The interview process took about three weeks, including three one-hour calls and one in-person meeting. In addition to interviews, Nichole asked me to consider some due diligence and startup investment opportunities.

Throughout the process, I did everything I could to show Nichole that I knew how to do this job and that she wouldn’t have to hold my hand.

At one point, Nichole mentioned that she would need to set up a payroll provider for her first hire. Even though I was still in the interview process at the time, I offered to do it for her for free.

People think I’m a try-hard, but that’s what it takes

Some people criticized my approach to securing the job at Wischoff Ventures.

I admit that the prospect of putting in so much effort to get a job can be daunting. But we must remember that venture capital is a highly competitive industry. The interview process shows what working in venture capital is really like.

If you want to succeed as a junior investor, you’re going to get a lot of rejection from founders all the time. If you want to thrive, you need to think creatively about how to get in front of founders. Additionally, you need to do your due diligence and research if you want to reach a deal.

Even after spending dozens of hours with a prospect, you might get rejected, but that’s how deals work. So, for better or for worse, there are so few roles in this industry. And you’ll have to go above and beyond if you want to make your mark.

I offered to set up Nichole’s payroll because I wanted her to know that I was willing to do whatever it took. So whether it’s implementing a customer relationship management system or planning happy hour, I’m all over it.

Getting into venture capital is a long game. It took me five years of my career to get in the door. But while the journey may sound intimidating, it is possible for anyone who is excited and committed to what they are doing.