Author: Kema Christian-Taylor

7 Reasons Your Resume Annoys Employers

Your resume is often your first impression when it comes to the job search. Unfortunately, employers spend an average of 6 seconds reviewing it, which means that you have a limited amount of time to catch their interest…or completely turn them off. Here are 7 issues that will very likely cause employers to throw your resume out instead of giving you the chance you deserve.

1. Your resume has typos.

Spelling is rough, but when you’re applying for jobs, you have to think carefully about how you’re coming across as a candidate. If your resume is riddled with typos, it’s a direct signal that you don’t pay close attention to your work — especially during a time when it counts, like the job search.

We recommend reading your resume over multiple times– even reading it out loud to yourself–then sending it to a friend or a family member to review. Trust us, the extra care you put in will pay off when an employer reaches out to schedule an interview.

2. Your resume is multiple pages long.

Like the 500 page textbook in your government class, no one is going to read this. Efficiency and succinctness are of high value in the workplace, so you can show this off by being concise in your resume — keep it short and sweet, explaining everything you’ve accomplished in one page.

3. Your resume includes company-specific or school-specific jargon.

You started the XYRMK club on campus? That’s impressive…but what is it? Employers should never be confused when looking over your resume, especially when it comes to the items that set you apart from other candidates. Make sure that everything from acronyms to jargon is well-explained so that employers can focus on your incredible experience instead of trying to decode it; one line or bullet point should do the trick!

4. Lots of responsibilities, no results.

Employers love that you handled a lot of different tasks in previous internships or in student groups on campus- it shows that you were trusted and viewed as someone who could handle high priority demands. However, anyone can be given a lot of responsibilities – the differentiator is the people who go above and beyond, turning ordinary tasks into impressive results. Whether you helped to increase your fraternity or sorority’s membership or brought in hundreds of signups by marketing a brand on your campus, those are the results that should be listed on your resume so that employers have an idea of what you can do for their company. We suggest listing results in percentage form.

5. You included an all-too-personal personal email.

Your primary contact info reads iluvcatz4eva@gmail.com? Hard pass.

If employers can’t take you seriously, they won’t hire you – it’s as simple as that. Be sure to create a new personal email with your first and last name to play it safe. You can also use your .edu email address.

6. Your resume is poorly formatted.

Your section headers are all over the place – left aligned, centered, right aligned. Your experience section looks like a novel with heavy blocks of texts, and with all the different fonts and font sizes, your resume looks like an experiment gone horribly wrong.

Go back through your resume and make sure that the layout is consistent: from your experience to your skills & interests. Use ONE, standard font (like Arial or Times New Roman…avoid fonts like Comic Sans at all costs). Always, always include bullet points when explaining your job responsibilities and accomplishments – no more than 3 or 4 for each job is typically a good rule of thumb.

7. Your GPA is below a 3.0.

You should absolutely be proud of the work and the grades you’ve gotten in college — it’s an incredibly tough and challenging environment. Unfortunately, hiring companies don’t know you or your backstory: For many employers, a GPA below a 3.0 is a reason to move on to the next resume without reading any of your awesome accomplishments.

The solution? You’re better off not listing it so that the employer can focus on your many other accomplishments. (But if an employer specifically asks – be honest!)

Remember, when an employer comes across your resume, you want them to realize that you’re detail-oriented and diligent, ambitious and accomplished, so if you found any of these mistakes in your resume, it’s time to go back to the drawing board to make some edits.

Dos and Don’ts of Headshot Hair and Makeup

On the #WayUp Tour, we visited 25 universities to give students like you a free, professional headshot in order to impress the 6,000 employers on our site. We know that figuring out the right hairstyle and the right makeup is a hassle–especially for your professional headshot!–which is why we spoke with beauty agency MG Hair and Makeup to get a few tips on how to prepare for your picture perfect moment. 

First impressions count. You wouldn’t hand in a resume that is torn and crumpled with coffee stains: the same goes for your professional headshot. If your headshot looks like you would rather be hanging out with your friends than working at a job, that’s the message that employers will receive. After all, if you can’t take the few extra minutes to put effort into how you look for your headshot, what type of effort will you put into the job?

If you want a job, you need to look like you want it – like you took the time to prepare for it. While WayUp believes you are beautiful WITHOUT makeup–as your natural self–if you want to wear makeup, here are a few dos and don’ts for your professional headshot:

WOMEN


dos and don'ts of headshot hair and makeupDo emphasize your eyes – they should be the main focus of your headshot. You want your eyes to stand out but not in the “smokey eye” or “winged liner” way. Line the top of your eye with black or dark brown eyeliner. Draw this very close to the lash line.

Don’t use glitter or too much shimmer in eyeshadows. The same goes for color. Use neutral shades. Leave the purples and greens for your girls’ night out.

Do use concealer. No one is perfect, so conceal areas that need correcting. Dab concealer under your eye and blend it in with a sponge or your finger. Just be gentle with this area as it is a thin layer of skin. Be sure to also cover blemishes and set these areas with powder. Powder your nose, forehead and chin as well to cut the shine down.

Do add a neutral lip color like a mauve or berry shade. You want some color to your
lips to liven up your face a little. However, this is not the time for lots of gloss or a nude lip.

Don’t do a bright pink or red lip. You don’t want your lips to be the first thing people see when looking at your headshot.

Do style your hair. Your hair should frame your face. No ponytails or buns. No trendy warrior knots on the top of your head. Blow out your hair for some volume, smooth out the frizz and pay attention to the front especially.

A few more don’ts include no major contouring, no thick or super defined brows and no braids. Save the contouring and other trendy makeup looks for Instagram or hanging out with your friends. Brows that are too thick or defined look painted on in pictures, and braids tend to look juvenile in headshots.

MEN


Do comb and style your hair. Product is your friend – especially for those stubborn cowlicks or hairs that don’t want to lie down.

Don’t just roll out of bed. You want to look awake and ready to be productive–not like you are ready to go back to sleep after this. Oh, and newsflash? Makeup is not just for women. Cover dark undereye circles or blemishes with concealer and some powder. You don’t need a lot, but it will help to keep the focus on you as a whole instead of your dark circles or blemishes.

Do groom your brows. Tweeze the ones in the middle – no unibrows. Brush your brows up and outwards to avoid the mad scientist look. You should also groom your facial hair. Keep it neat and low or none at all.

Do use lip balm. Your lips should not be chapped or flaky. If you have chapped lips, start a few days in advance to get your lips in shape. Don’t wait until the day you are getting your headshot.

An extra bonus? MGHM came to WayUp HQ and shot a video for guys and for girls the dos and don’ts of a professional headshot. Don’t forget to RSVP for the #WayUpTour!

Coolest Companies Hiring on WayUp

We’ve said before that we offer the best opportunities for students and recent grads, but we’ll let the positions below speak for themselves. These big-name companies are looking for college students and recent grads like you; these jobs will not only give you invaluable experience but also won’t look too shabby on your resume. Check out the opportunities below, and keep in mind that we’re a fast-paced marketplace, so these jobs will get taken down quickly!

Disney

Dreams really do come true – and yes, that applies to your career as well. Disney posted 8 different internships in fields ranging from engineering to marketing to the culinary arts. Check out this one for a Disney College Program Candidate, where hires will be interning for 4-7 months in the Walt Disney World Resorts, working the front-lines to see the operations of a Fortune-500 company.

Yahoo!

Yahoo! just launched the Livetext app, an innovative app featuring live video text without sound They’re looking for Campus Ambassadors who will drive the brand forward and rapidly increase user acquisition. The best part? For every new user that you recruit to sign up and use the app, you receive $5 – a huge wallet-booster, especially for the most ambitious students. The position has the perfect combination of experience to show off on your resume: working with a multinational technology company to build a young brand from the ground up.

Kaplan

From SATs & ACTs to GREs & MCATs, this empire of all things education prep has posted 20 part-time tutor positions in cities like New York, Houston, Atlanta, and Chicago. You will be motivating other students to get to where they want to go and pass their standardized tests with flying colors. Kaplan also pays well, offering their tutors rates from $20-22/hr with additional payment for out-of-class work like answering student emails and preparing lesson plans.

Appnexus

The world’s leading independent ad tech platform, Appnexus sees over 100 billion impressions, processes over 170 terabytes of data, and over 5 million queries per second–per day. They’re looking for a Software Engineer, Dev Ops, who will manage the design and execution of improvements to the platform. The company is known to pay extremely well, with averages for this entry-level role at around $100k according to Glassdoor.

Interested in more opportunities like this? Apply on WayUp today!

The Sleeping Position That Could Be Affecting Your Success

Getting a good night’s rest before a big test or job interview has a positive effect on your mood and productivity — but it’s not the only contributing factor when it comes to how you’re feeling the next morning. Turns out, the way you’re sleeping is equally important.

Amy Cuddy, renowned body language expert and Harvard business professor, has researched the way our sleeping positions affect our outlook the next morning. She told The New York Times that people who sleep in the fetal position (lying on the side with your arms and legs curled up) feel 40% less optimistic and powerful than people who sleep with their arms and legs extended. “If you wake up in a fetal position, you’re waking up on the wrong side of the bed,” Cuddy says.

Uh-oh. That’s not the best way to take on any day – whether in the workplace or in the classroom.

For those of us who like to curl up at night (seriously, who doesn’t curl up when winter rolls around?), your fate isn’t set in stone. Cuddy recommends stretching your arms and legs out when you wake up, taking up as much space as possible and holding that position for a few minutes before you start your day.

Now you’re ready to take on the world! If you are preparing for that job interview, take a look at a few foods you should eat beforehand to blow your interviewer away.

How to Get Hired on WayUp

Did you know that 1 in 3 students who apply for a job on WayUp get hired? While signing up for an account is a great first step, there are a few simple ways that you can set yourself up for success during your job search. Based on our findings, here are the 5 best ways to grab an employer’s attention and get hired quickly on WayUp.

1. Upload a professional headshot

Presentation matters: It’s as simple as that.  Your professional headshot shows employers that you are putting your best foot forward during your job search and want to ensure that you’re being taken seriously as a candidate. While it’s not necessary to be dressed to the nines, you should put extra effort into your outfit and your appearance for your headshot. A good rule of thumb: no sweats and no club attire.

Upload your professional headshot on your WayUp profile, and employers will be able to see you as you are: a future professional.

2. Add details to your profile

When employers post a job on WayUp, they add filters like major, GPA and hobbies in order to receive the types of applicants they want. That’s why it’s important to add as many details as possible to your profile–from extracurriculars to related classwork. By doing so, you’ll increase the number of jobs you see in your dashboard.

Your WayUp profile is your online professional profile, and employers have told us how much they love being able to see your accomplishments in an easy-to-access link. We recommend including the link to your public profile in the signature of your email to show off your achievements in all future communications!

3. Be proactive

When you see a job on WayUp that interests you, apply immediately. Employers tend to put a cap on the number of applicants they receive – as a result, a job will stay open on our site for a median of 52 hours – less than 3 days!

Don’t wait to apply – you could be missing out on an opportunity that will boost your resume (and your wallet!). Sign up for our weekly job notification emails to really stay on top of your job search.

4. Maximize your chances

Always apply to more than one job – it will ensure that become more comfortable with the job search and it will increase your chances of getting hired!

Not to mention that because 1 in 3 students who apply for a job on WayUp get hired, you’ve already maximized your chances of getting a job just by using WayUp!

5. Be responsive

If you follow the steps above, an employer will inevitably reach out to you over email or by phone.  When this happens, respond in a timely manner (no more than 24 hours!) so that you show the employer that you have a vested interest in the position – and secure your first interview as quickly as possible!

You should also make sure to communicate with an employer like you would with a professor – that means including a greeting, avoiding slang and having full, grammatically correct sentences.

Still not convinced? Check out our favorite testimonials from students hired on WayUp!

Want to Be a Front-End Developer? 3 Soft Skills to Acquire Now

Looking for a front-end developer job? Abroad Intellect Capital is looking for a Front-End Engineer, SkopeNow is looking for a QA Front End Developer, and Quottly is looking Junior Developer ($10-$13/hr).

As a front-end developer, you’ll create and manage the design and development of user-facing code. To do this, you’ll need to know a few basic, but indispensable languages: HTML, CSS and JavaScript, to name a few, but beyond the technical skills, there are certain soft skills and qualities you’ll need to acquire in order to truly be successful in an engineering job.

Be obsessive about solving problems.
Writing software of any sort is a never-ending string of problems you have to troubleshoot. It’s a lot of trial and error to get to the right solution. It can be especially frustrating if you’re receiving an inbox full of emails from users who don’t give you a lot of details – like, “The site isn’t working – can you help?” You have to have a lot of patience and be excited by the prospect of taking on a new challenge–and with that, comes thoroughness. Conduct multiple tests across a variety of browsers and devices after you deploy a fix to make sure you’ve solved the issue for your users.

Have an eye for design and interactions.
You don’t have to be a designer, but you will be interacting with designers, clients and the product team. You’ll need to be a visual person for two reasons (if not more): 1) to interpret the wireframes and mockups you’re given (these will be the bare bones of what you’ll create) and 2 to put yourself in the user’s shoes, envisioning their experience when they visit your site or app. Ultimately, it’s your job to take creativity and turn it into usability.

Be an aggressive learner.
At WayUp, we like to say, “Be the master of your craft, but know you’re not the master.” It’s our way of saying that you should strive to be the best, but know that you can always learn more. In tech, everything is always changing at a rapid pace – including code languages, so whether you’re taking ongoing coding classes or reading up on the latest trends on your own time, don’t stop learning: It’s important to stay on top in this industry.

Apply on WayUp for jobs for college students and get hired!

6 College Experiences Employers Love

Despite what some students think, college isn’t just a place to put your blinders on, do your coursework and get a shiny new degree before landing your dream job fresh out of school. In fact, in a competitive job market, having a degree is only the first step in launching your career. Instead, employers today are looking for well-rounded candidates with a selection of fundamental, transferable skills.

The good news? College provides the perfect opportunity to acquire and develop the abilities employers are looking for. Here’s how:

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From making your classes work for you to going above and beyond with summer internships, there are plenty of opportunities to gain experience prior to graduating. Think ahead and consider which ones might be the best options for you. Trust us, it’s worth the time and effort—no one ever regrets getting an edge over the competition.

Top photo credit: Startup Stock Photos

3 Habits of Students Who Have It All Together

We all know students like this. They participate in 1,000 extracurriculars, take some of the toughest classes and volunteer in their free time and they already have an internship lined up for next summer…all while somehow managing to have a social life. How do they do it?

People aren’t always born with the trait of balancing everything at once – many of the habits that have become routine to them had to be learned and acquired, so if you want to emulate these students, you can. Here are 3 habits that will help you manage everything on your plate without breaking a sweat.

They purposely put themselves in high-pressure situations.

Newsflash: These students know they’re signing up for a lot. They know there will come a time when they have a big game, a final paper and a presentation for their internship in a single week. Even so, they aren’t deterred by a challenge. They test their limits by putting themselves in high-pressure situations, getting comfortable with a high amount of demands and learning how to work smart. The end result? They typically come out stronger because they discover exactly just how much they can achieve.

Note that this does NOT mean you should try to stress yourself out – there’s a huge difference between challenging yourself and going overboard. What it does mean is that you never know what you can accomplish if you don’t push yourself.

They’re highly active.

As in, one of these students literally just whizzed past you during a morning run through campus. No matter how hectic their schedules get, these students always set aside time to exercise because it’s vital to their well-being.

Not only does physical activity reduce stress and produce endorphins that will give you a positive outlook on life, it also gives you additional brain power. Studies have shown that exercising causes memory retention – perfect for staying on top of your game in class, especially if you have midterms and finals coming up.

They know when to buckle down – and do it often.

Yes, you’ll see these students out on a Saturday night on campus. What you might not know is that you’ll also find them in the library at 3 pm on a Wednesday in between classes. They know there’s a long to-do list, and instead of wasting time complaining about it, they set aside time to get it done. Think about all the times you’ve put together a schedule or a to-do list for yourself…and an hour later, you’d only sort-of checked off your first item. These students stick to their guns – what they set out to accomplish will be accomplished.

They also don’t kid themselves – they know that having Facebook open in another tab is only going to distract them, so they do whatever they can to practice self-restraint and focus – whether that means anything from turning their phones off to using sites like Cold Turkey to temporarily lock themselves out of social media.

Ultimately, these students take success into their own hands, making the decision every day to practice discipline and stay on their game. Once you begin practicing these 3 habits – to the point that they just become part of your routine – you’ll be set up for success both in college and when you start your career.

Introverts v. Extroverts: What to Know When Hiring and Managing Students

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Disclaimer: Not everyone falls neatly into one category or the other when it comes to introversion and extroversion. While these tactics hold true for many, it’s important to get to know your candidate or hire to see what will work best.

We all fall somewhere on the introvert/extrovert scale, and while most of us display a variety of tendencies from both ends of the scale, we generally fall a little more towards one side.

Now, this orientation doesn’t necessarily mean a potential hire will be better for one position over another. Here at WayUp, we’ve seen that identifying and understanding how introverts and extroverts operate—how they work on projects, interact with other team members and brainstorm new ideas—helps you strategically hire and manage the most effective students. Here’s what we’ve learned.

Introverts

Hiring

Introverts may lack the effortless energy and easy social rapport that extroverts enjoy, sometimes coming off as shy, awkward, quiet or unsure during interviews. Introverts work best when they have time to process things in order to formulate ideas—as such, they might seem unprepared or stumble during the rapid-fire approach of a traditional job interview.

But this doesn’t mean they aren’t a great fit for your company. If you suspect a candidate of being an introvert, follow up the interview with a few additional interview questions by email. Assess how your candidate responds once they’ve had a little time to think and thoughtfully formulate their answers before making any decisions.

Managing

Though introverts may seem unassuming or shy, we can guarantee there’s a lot going on beneath the surface. In fact, introverted employees are often quiet exactly because they’re busy coming up with plans, solutions and ideas. They like to come up with a finished product before speaking, so giving them uninterrupted time and space to process—whether that means a private workspace or letting them work from home—is crucial.

Some other tips for managing introverts? Provide them with the time and agenda for a meeting in advance to allow them to come equipped with ideas. Use email to communicate, as it allows for time to think and come up with thoughtful responses. Finally, introverts recharge by being alone, so do them a favor by giving them the chance to break away from the office extroverts for a short while. We love Susan Cain’s TED Talk about how powerful introverts can be and how to celebrate and encourage them in a world that often prizes more outspoken extroverts.

Extroverts

Hiring

Extroverts are energized by interacting with and being around people. They’re likely to make a good impression during the interview process, as they’re often socially at ease and happy to talk about themselves. Sometimes, however, extroverts have a tendency to formulate thoughts aloud, which can come off as unfocused. For the most part, they are often frank about their opinions, feelings and ideas, so you’re likely to get a good feeling for whether the candidate is a good fit based on his or her answers and body language.

A great way to ensure that an extrovert isn’t all talk is to administer a test to properly assess the potential hire’s skill—have your applicant draft some tweets if it’s a social media position or edit a short paragraph if writing and editing skills are important in the job. This turns the situation into one that’s more objective, allowing you to evaluate the person in ways that aren’t simply based on personality.

Managing

Unlike introverts, extroverts work best in teams where they can bounce ideas around, get feedback and interact with others. They develop their ideas by talking about them, so group settings and open-concept offices work well for them. On top of this, they tend to be excellent multitaskers, thriving on being busy while being able to switch effortlessly from task to task. In fact, extroverts do best when they have a variety of tasks and projects to do to keep their day interesting. Manage your extroverts by giving them plenty of face time in order for them to develop their ideas aloud, providing variety in their work and encouraging teamwork.

Ultimately, understanding a team’s personality types and how they interact is the key to a harmonious and effective workforce. An ability to spot introverts and extroverts, along with a solid grasp of how they work, can be instrumental in hiring, managing and maintaining smooth professional relationships with your student employees.

Want more reasons for why student hires are the way to go? Here are four.

Top photo credit: racorn/Shutterstock

3 Easy Ways to Make Money Fast

As a college student, you have to deal with the cost of tuition, room & board, registration and textbook fees…the list goes on. With such extensive expenses, you can always use some extra pocket change: The trouble is that having a job during the school year isn’t easy – it takes a lot of preparation to get a job, much less complete the work involved. 

The good news is that on WayUp, we have one-time jobs that allow students to focus on their school work, but still make a quick buck (or 50) on the side. Here are the best and fastest ways to make money on our site.

Test an app

User experience is an extremely important part of any website, service or app, so it’s no surprise that beta testers are in high demand when an app is close to being released, and when the target audience is college students like you, companies are willing to pay for your feedback.

WayUp receives one-time jobs like this each week because getting outside input is so important to a company’s growth – and the applicant quota fills up fast! Keep checking your Jobs & Internships dashboard, and make sure you’re signed up for our weekly job notifications emails so that you don’t miss out on making some extra cash.

Staff an event

Whether you’re taking photos or helping to check in attendees, you can easily make money in a single day by helping to make sure an event runs smoothly. We’ve seen offerings ranging from $50 to over $100 per event.

WayUp is hiring one-time photographers and event staff for the WayUp Tour, and we’re paying $60 per day for you to help students as they get a free, professional headshot. We’ve posted several jobs near the schools we’ll be visiting. Check out this Event Staff position for students near Brandeis University.

Research

Whether you’re participating in a psychology study, answering survey questions or even administering the survey yourself, you can get paid by contributing to research findings. Take a look at this Survey Administrator gig – all you need to do is distribute a series of questions to your fellow classmates, and you’ll receive $50.

Looking for other easy ways to make money? Sign up for WayUp, and check out all our one-time offerings.