87% of Tech Startups Hiring This Year

87% of Tech Startups Hiring This Year

If you're in the market for a new job and can't seem to find any openings, you might want to consider applying to a tech startup.

According to a recent study by Silicon Valley Bank, about 87% of tech startups plan to hire new staffers this year. This may seem like a lot, and that's because it is. In fact, the number is up significantly from 14% four years ago.

Software companies will be doing the most hiring this year, with about 90% planning to ramp up the size of their workforces, the study indicates.

The study was conducted among 750 startup executives in the U.S. and 125 in the UK.

"Tech companies are a bright spot in the economy worldwide, which is evident from the significant number of startups in the U.S. and the UK that expect to grow and hire this year," said Greg Becker, president and CEO of Silicon Valley Bank. "There is a lot of opportunity to put people to work at startups, which is particularly welcomed news since jobs in general are recovering slowly. Investments in STEM education and policies that support tech businesses will help people take advantage of jobs, and benefit economic growth overall."

Candidates with STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) and general business skills are especially in high demand. About 82% of those surveyed in the U.S. and 77% in the UK said they are looking for people with these skills.

But at the same time, nine in 10 of these companies said it was "challenging" to find employees to fit their needs. Interestingly, candidates with these skills are most easily found in Texas and Washington state, the study said. Meanwhile, 69% of startups in the UK said it was hard to find qualified engineers to join their teams.

The report also includes some interesting tidbits about the startup industry in general. For example, only 22% of startups have one or more women on their founding team.

BONUS: Innovative Resume Designs

7 Ingenious Resume Designs That Will Make You Rethink Your CV

1. Be Multidimensional

Meghan Molino's resume pops out for many reasons: Not only does it have a 3D feel but it also reveals the multiple dimensions of her personality.

"I'm a very visual person, and I wanted a resume that honed in on how I prefer to digest data and that also showcased my own creativity. I'm an out-of-the-box thinker. I didn't want a standard resume that on first glance makes you look like everyone else," said Molino, who is a product launch specialist.

Molino had Hagan Blount (whose resume is slide seven in this gallery) redesign her resume to further establish her online identity as a creative professional. "I love my current job, so I'm not necessarily on the market for something new."

Despite not actively looking for a new employer, Molino has created buzz around her skills. "What's been fascinating is to see who has approached me since publicizing this resume. It's a sort of vetting document. Corporate America may not 'get it,' but companies that embrace individuality and want their employees to be impactful,

2. There's an App for That (Resume)

João Dornellas, a designer for YDreams, created this iPad app resume to show off his portfolio. It has been downloaded more than 2,200 times.curious and take risks — they've loved it."

3. Make the Most of Facebook

In need of a job, Claudio Nader turned his Facebook profile into what he dubs the first "FacebookCV," a curriculum vitae on his profile.

The FacebookCV landed him a gig as social media assistant and content editor for a web marketing agency in Milan, he said in a blog post.

If you'd like to mimic his efforts, check out the FacebookCV tutorial he wrote.

4. Match the Design With Your Style

Jonathan Cropper has always felt that the standard text-driven resume needed a refresh.

"Resume design is a classic branding error. Institutional conformity in a design-driven world is a recipe for failure," said Cropper, a communications and branding expert.

Cropper wanted to give his resume a "futuristic, militaristic precision tone" to match his work style. (Hagan Blount, whose resume is slide seven in this gallery, designed the resume.)

"The map and SMS and QR codes on that document also communicate that I have a global and digital mindset," he added.

5. Get Inspired

This Twitter-inspired resume comes to us from Rouyer Arnaud of France.

Although the design of the site resembles Twitter, Arnaud said all of the code was rewritten from scratch. When you click on a tweet, more information pops up on the right panel. Give it a go here.

"Who said resumes and CVs all have to be boring and official and unfunny? I'm too creative for that! I'll make a resume that looks like a Twitter account," Arnaud wrote in a tweet on his resume website.

6. Add Subtle Flair

Saidur Hossain added tags to his resume [PDF link].

It's a subtle, fun addition for a web designer's resume.

7. Visualize Everything

Hagan Blount's infographic resume is packed with visuals: a map, a chart, QR codes and logos.

"Jon (from slide four in this gallery) actually inspired me to create the resume," Blount said. "I'd seen the 'creative resume' posts from graphic designers but not from people looking for jobs outside that field.

"Jon showed me some of those resumes and postulated that they would become the de facto standard. I agreed and made one over the course of the next few days, and Jon was my first client. I sent it to a few friends on Facebook, and when I saw the massive amount of hits I had [on] my site the next day, I started pushing it harder and it ended up being published all over the world."