Kema Christian-Taylor, Author at Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog

So Tell Me About Yourself: How to Answer

“So tell me about yourself,” your interviewer says.

It’s difficult to pinpoint what kind of response you should give for this prompt. After all, your concise, well-formatted, grammar-error-free resume is right there.

Let’s pretend you just wrote an autobiography about yourself. Now you’ve gone ahead and lost the book and have to summarize the last couple of chapters in just 4 sentences. What would you say? Now, tack on one sentence at the end that describes why you’re sitting in the interview. Viola! That’s your answer.

Here’s an easy guide to one way to answer the question:

I’m originally from <place> and now I study <major / minors> at <school>. I chose the major because <reason>, and while I’ve really enjoyed studying this, there’s also lots of other things I do when I’m not in class, such as <X, Y and Z>. Because of my passion in <X>, I’ve come to realize that I really want to learn more about the field of <industry>, and that’s why I’m now looking to work at a company like <company name>.

If you really feel comfortable, you can also end with a “personal catchphrase,” which states what you bring to the table. For example, “I’m someone who always tries to think of a solution before worrying about the challenge.” A personal catchphrase like this clearly states what you bring to the table before you dive in deeper, telling your interviewer the story that backs up that phrase.

Once you have your answer nailed down, practice it in the mirror with a timer several times. It will make you feel much more comfortable!

Your response to this question can actually be fun and will impress your interviewer, which will distinguish you from the majority of the candidates fumbling over their answers, so practice your story and your catchphrase to make sure they reflect the thoughtfulness and detail you have put into your response, and then you’ll be ready for any interviewer who wants to know about you!

Here are some examples of people answering the question, “Tell me about yourself”:

Marketing & Design Jobs for College Students in San Francisco

San Francisco: home of the Golden Gate bridge, Full House, and innovative companies like DropBox, AirBnB, Twitter, and Reddit. It has the highest quality of living of any US city — not to mention, unbelievable weather. It’s no wonder that thousands of college students flock to this city to try their hand at the variety of student jobs available in one of the most cosmopolitan and exciting places in the US.

Since someone’s got to get that California sunshine, we decided this week we would shout out all the awesome jobs for college students in San Francisco below.

Content Marketing & Demand Generation Assistant at Infor

As the third largest provider of enterprise applications and services, Infor creates industry-specific web applications for over 70,000 customers in 194 countries, including companies like Bank of America, Gap, L.L. Bean and Nissan. As a Content Marketing & Demand Generation Assistant, you will research content and pitch new ideas, monitor Google Adwords and other marketing campaigns, and review all marketing materials, including white papers, case studies, videos, and podcasts.

To apply, you must be at least a sophomore and you must have at least a 3.0 GPA. Students studying English, Marketing, and Journalism are preferred as candidates. The position pays a competitive compensation.

Graphic Design Intern at Greenlight VR

If you love turning data into eye-catching, easy-to-understand designs, or if you’ve got a thing for virtual reality, then you have to apply for this job. Greenlight VR creates and disseminates business insights to the Virtual Reality industry. Their research has been trusted by Google, Intel, and many other companies.

Greenlight VR is looking for a Graphic Design Intern who can take industry data and research the company and transform it into engaging and visually appealing infographics. If you’re pursuing a graphic design-related degree and you have Photoshop and Illustrator skills, then you’re the candidate Greenlight VR is looking for!

Marketing & Partnerships Intern ($15/hr) for VetPronto

An on demand house call veterinary service, VetPronto provides convenient and high-quality care for your pets! The company has been featured in TechCrunch, Fast Company, and TIME. VetPronto is hiring a Marketing & Partnerships Intern who will help brainstorm creative ways to reach pet owners in the SF Bay Area. You will also help to maintain partnerships with pet groomers, pet stores, tech companies, and more.

To apply, you must be an organized self-starter with a ton of creative energy. The position pays $15/hr, but VetPronto is open to paying based on performance, which could increase your pay!

If you’re dying to get some surf and sand in this year, these student jobs are your chance. Work in one of the most innovative and fun places in the country: apply to these jobs for college students in San Francisco before they close!

5 Common First Job Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

You may be a rookie, but you don’t have to act like one.

It’s rarely smooth sailing when you enter into a new role — especially your first entry-level job. While no one expects you to be a prodigy the second you walk into the office, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aware of what not to do when you start a new job.

So, how you can set yourself apart from the squad of newbies? Simple: by avoiding the 5 common first job mistakes recent grads make below.

1. Not asking questions

It’s easy to feel like you’re annoying your coworkers or your boss by asking a ton of questions, so you may try to sit at your computer with your head down, silently wondering what the heck you should be doing.

Don’t. You’re not expected to know everything right off the bat, so you should ask as many questions as possible so that you learn quickly. This will help you to get to a point where you can do your job, for the most part, on your own. It will also show your boss that you want to get every detail possible so that you can turn in great work.

2. Waiting for tasks to be handed to you

If there’s a dull moment during your first job, and you’re waiting for someone to hand you your next assignment, you’re losing valuable time that you could be using to make your mark on the company.

Be proactive. Get up, walk across the hall and ask your boss if there’s anything he or she needs help with. If you’re not being useful in your first job, then you’ll have trouble establishing yourself as an indispensable member of your team.

3. Acting like the mistake you just made didn’t happen

It’s ok to make mistakes, but one mistake you should never make is failing to own up when you fumble. Ask yourself what looks better – cowering at your desk until someone confronts you about your error or going up to your boss and saying that you made a mistake and you’ll do everything you can to fix it?

Always, always take ownership of your actions and be prepared to work as hard as you can to minimize the consequences of your mistake.

4. Leaving early when there’s work to be done

The bare minimum isn’t going to cut it when you’re first starting off. If your hours are 9-5, stay until 5:30 or later if you haven’t finished everything you want to accomplish for the day. Establish yourself as someone who is a hard worker dedicated to a job well done — even if it means putting in extra time to finish.

5. Failing to get to know your coworkers

Because you are part of a team, you should make an effort to get to know your coworkers: How do they contribute to the company’s growth, and how can your role support their own? These are going to be the people with whom you’ll be spending 40+ hours a week, so it’s important to start off on the right foot and build a positive and supportive network with your team.

Take time your first week to schedule 15-minute coffee catchups with members of your team. Be prepared to ask them about their role, their experience with the company and how they see the company moving forward in the future. This will allow you to build valuable connections early on and maybe even make a few friends (or at the very least, people who can show you the ropes!).

Hit the ground running in your first entry-level job by avoiding these common first job mistakes. There will be growing pains even if you do everything you can to be the best at your job, but it’s important to be resilient and have a positive attitude. That way, you’ll exceed both your boss’s and your coworker’s expectations, and you’ll make it a lot easier for yourself as you navigate the ins and outs of your new role.

4 Employees Who Irritate Their Boss

Are you getting under your boss’s skin?

Workplace tension happens all the time, but some disagreements are a little more one-sided than others. If that’s the case, it may be time to reassess how much you’re contributing to workplace issues, but how do you know if you’re really the one to blame?

You’re about to find out. Below are the types of employees that leave their bosses thinking, Can you just not?

1. The Slacker

What is he good for? Absolutely nothing. Shoot him an email asking about an outstanding item he should’ve completed last week, and he’ll tell you he’s on it, and then he goes out for a 2-hour lunch with his buddies.

This is a simple fix: If you’re at work, do your work. If you’re not excited about your job, find another entry-level job. Being a slacker only hurts you: Your job will be in jeopardy, and you’ll lose the very people who could have provided great professional references for you when you start your job search again.

2. The Gossip

This is not a reality TV show: You are here to make friends (or at least, professional connections).

Spreading rumors about someone’s work ethic or whether or not somebody is about to quit or get fired is not the way to build a strong-knit team. While you may think that you’re building a support network amongst your co-workers by telling them what you overheard, you need to think about just how much you trust them…and if you’d feel comfortable having that gossip come back to upper management.

Employers tend to like a drama-free environment – so try to stay positive and keep the workplace gossip to a minimum. That way you won’t incriminate yourself when it comes to who-said-what.

3. The One Who Makes Excuses

No one is safe from blame when it comes to this employee. He didn’t send you a report on time? His computer crashed, he didn’t have wifi for 6 hours and Sarah never responded to his email with what he needed. He didn’t make it to the meeting on time? His unemployed roommate kept him up all night with his loud music and on top of that, his morning train was delayed.

Employers don’t need someone who makes excuses: They need someone who is reliable in the first place, and then, because mistakes happen, takes ownership of what went wrong. Take responsibility for your own actions and work hard to improve when you fumble. This will set you up for success instead of immaturely pointing the finger at your problems.

4. The One Who Does Just Enough to Get By

Come it at 9 am, clock out at 5 pm. This employee does exactly what is asked of him and nothing more. He isn’t willing to go above and beyond, whether that means staying late to finish up a project, offering to help out a struggling team member or coming up with helpful suggestions for the company’s products and services.

True story: The employees who do just enough to get by rarely get promoted. It’s the employees who are constantly thinking about how they can do their job better or how their contributions can help the company, who will see real rewards from their hard work.

If you’ve realized that you’re one of these employees, stop. It’s time to be more conscientious about how you behave in the workplace, and get rid of the habits that aren’t doing you, or anyone else, any favors. Meet with your boss to discuss ways you can improve your work ethic and your behaviors, then fix the problem fast. Your relationship with your work and your boss will become a lot more positive because of it!

Get Hired for a Full-Time Job Before Your Senior Year

Sit back, relax and actually enjoy your senior year.

Instead of worrying about getting hired before your last year in college is over, you can focus on hanging out with friends, picking your favorite professors for classes and crossing off everything on your to-do-before-graduation list. Why? Because Venture for America has posted a paid full-time Fellowship that allows juniors to apply one year in advance for an entry-level opportunity.

As a company that empowers recent grads to become the country’s leading entrepreneurs, Venture for America trains its fellows to make a positive disruption in the startup world. This two-year fellowship trains, recruits and places ambitious college graduates in startups in emerging cities, including Baltimore, Detroit, New Orleans and Miami, in order to test and hone their entrepreneurial skills. Not only will you receive top quality job placement, but you’ll also be a part of the VFA network, which will give you access to fellow entrepreneurs, advisors and investors who can provide you with support as you make your way through the startup world and eventually begin a business venture of your own. It’s an incredible career-building opportunity that’s perfect for startup-minded juniors who are ready to jump-start their professional lives.

To apply, you must have a GPA of 3.0 or above, and you must be a self-starter who is excited to get experience building a young company from the ground up! Get hired full-time before your senior year on WayUp!

Canada Sends a Message to the U.S: Free College Tuition for Low-Income Students

What if there was nothing standing between you and a great college education?

For lower-income Canadian students, free college tuition is now a reality. The Canadian government recently introduced the Ontario Student Grant into its 2016-2017 budget, which completely covers college tuition for students from families with incomes of $50,000 or less.

“Before, we were really penalizing low-income and marginalized students, forcing them to take on loans and to pay interest and effectively paying more for their education than students who could afford it up front,” said Ontario spokesman Rajean Hoilett. Now low-income students will be able to benefit from their education instead of being burdened by it.

This sends a message that hits home for many Americans, who are deep in $1.3 trillion of student debt. It’s a major issue that has left ambitious students in pursuit of a higher education overwhelmed and restricted both in their choice about which college to attend and which career path to choose. The cost of college tuition and student debt is a major issue discussed by presidential candidates during the 2016 campaign, especially proposals like Hillary Clinton’s College Compact and Bernie Sanders’ College for All Act.

Let’s hope the current leaders and future leaders of our country have heard the message loud and clear: It’s time for some serious change in America’s education policy. Education should be a right, not a privilege — and the federal government shouldn’t profit from young, forward-thinking students trying to get their degree.

But hey, if they won’t listen, can we move to Canada??

Get Paid $30/hr to Talk to High Schoolers

Make some serious pocket change and help make a difference in the lives of aspiring high schoolers.

1:1 is a peer-to-peer information app that is “bridging the gap between students who are fortunate to have a great network of well-connected friends and family and those who are not so fortunate.” They’ve posted almost twenty $30/hr jobs for college students to become 1:1 Student Advisors. Student hires will sign up, create an account, and mentor high schoolers eager to attend their university, whether through admissions and application advice or by talking to high schoolers about academics and life on campus. The company also allows students flexibility to set their own price for their time. On average, students make $30-40/hr.

To apply, you must be energetic, have excellent communications skills, and you should have access to an iPhone as the app is only available in iOS. There are positions open for students at Wash U, Vanderbilt, Caltech, Duke, MIT, the University of Chicago and many more schools. You will see the job in your dashboard if you’re qualified to apply, so sign up for these $30/hr jobs for college students before the positions fill up!

3 Reasons an Employer Would Rescind a Job Offer

“Congrats on getting a job offer…but we’ve changed our minds.”

That’s probably the last scenario a job seeker wants to be in – and the way to avoid it is knowing that honesty is the best policy. That’s what we learned when we asked WayUp’s Talent Acquisition Manager, Julie, a former recruiter for Blackstone, Chanel, J. Crew and Ogilvy, what would cause an employer to rescind a job offer. More often than not, candidates who withheld or distorted important details about their candidacy during the job search ended up having their job offer withdrawn.

We’ve put together a short list of things to avoid during your job search so that when you finally get the offer you want, it sticks.

Lying about your previous salary — or your desired salary.

If you’ve been employed before, employers will ask about your salary to get a sense of your expectations. “You don’t have to provide your salary history, that is your business, however if you do, it better be 100% accurate,” Julie says. “I can’t tell you how many offers got pulled because a candidate exaggerated their bonuses or rounded up.” Employers can conduct a background check, and if you sign away your rights to allow it, employers can find your real salary through documents like your W-2. In addition to that, Julie says that many large companies — especially financial firms — require candidates to fill out details about salary history and personal background before beginning the interviewing process. “The hiring managers will refer back to these forms during the time that an offer is being created, and it doesn’t look good to provide inconsistent information,” Julie adds.

Another thing that rubs employers the wrong way? Going back on your initial salary ask. “It’s completely normal to negotiate a little, especially if the potential employer hasn’t discussed your salary expectations with you before,” Julie says. “However, this should be done before any offer is presented. The candidate that I was working with told the hiring manager and everyone that she interviewed with that she was comfortable with one salary, but when she got more than she asked for, she went back to them and asked for $9k more. The company then told me to pull the offer, as they felt that the way she handled the situation was a bad reflection on her character.”

Be honest about your salary expectations from the beginning so that you don’t burn any professional bridges.

Not being transparent about your former work situation.

As scary as it is to tell your interviewer that you were laid off or fired in your previous position, it’s better to let the employer know what really happened rather than lying and pretending you left on your own terms. Employers can conduct reference checks from your former employer that may lead to that information being revealed.

“You don’t need to divulge reasons for leaving if interviewers don’t ask, but if they do, be honest and give a reason why the position was not the best fit– then spin it to be a positive about what you’re looking for in your next role,” Julie recommends. “And never bad mouth the prior employer.”

Lying about graduating college.

Unless you’re a graduating senior, it’s never OK to lead an employer on about your credentials – especially considering the fact that employers may ask you to start as soon as possible. “It’s very common for students to have one or two more classes that they need to take to finish a degree because some credits didn’t transfer or some other reason, but they will still say that they have received their Bachelor’s Degree. Almost all companies do education verifications before they make an offer to a candidate,” Julie says. “In cases where candidates have been upfront with me (their recruiter) or the company in the interview and quickly divulged the minor situation, there has never been an issue.”

Just as job-seekers want an honest representation of the company and the role, employers want a candidate who is truly the best fit for the position, so make sure to be upfront and give the employer an accurate depiction of who you are as a person and a professional– that way, when you do receive an offer, it won’t be temporary.

4 Things College Students Don’t Know About BNY Mellon

BNY Mellon is a great place for finance-minded students looking to get their foot in the door of the world’s sixth largest investment management firm, where assets like stocks, bonds, and more are bought and sold to generate income for clients.

The global investments company has over $1.7 trillion in assets under management, and as a well-renowned, well-respected company that has received accolades from all over the world – including being named one of the world’s 50 safest banks by Global Finance — it’s a not-too-shabby name to have on your resume.

While there is plenty of public information about a bank with over 200 years of history, there are a few facts you might not know about which make BNY Mellon a great place to work and a great company to target during your job search.

1. BNY Mellon is pretty crazy about college students.

Right now on WayUp, BNY Mellon is exclusively hiring college students and recent grads for 3 summer internships–Asset Servicing Summer Associate Program, Client Services Delivery Intern, and Software Engineering Intern— and an entry-level position as a Software Engineering Employee.

Each program also offers robust training resources and networking opportunities so that you can learn from experienced professionals who can support and guide your career.

2. In 2015, BNY Mellon was crowned the top company for women in technology.

In a world where tech is still very much a “boy’s club,” BNY Mellon has racked up quite a few industry awards, the most notable of which came from the Anita Borg Institute, a nonprofit that promotes women in technology. The award was given to display that BNY Mellon has “demonstrated an exemplary commitment to advancing women in technical roles and creating a culture where they can thrive.”

3. On average, interns are paid $17.51/hr.

Considering the fact that most jobs for college students pay $5-10/hr, BNY Mellon knows how to compensate its young candidates.

4. Even if you have a low GPA, BNY Mellon wants you to put it on your resume.

While your GPA doesn’t always come up during the job search, we spoke to a recruiter at BNY Mellon who said that “Honesty is the best policy.” BNY Mellon recruiters would much rather see the full picture of your resume (and your performance) rather than “assuming the worst” and wondering why certain information has been left out of your application.

Start your career in investment management — apply on WayUp today!

Types of College Jobs You Should Have Freshman to Senior Year

Conducting your job search during college can be confusing, chaotic and a little last-minute — but it doesn’t have to be.

WayUp spoke with former campus recruiter for Venmo and the Head of University Partnerships at WayUp, Liane Hajduch, to get advice on the types of jobs you should target for all four years of college. We came up with a job search trajectory that will help you plan out your career path well before you walk on stage to receive your diploma. If you’ve been confused about whether or not you’re too old to take a counselor role at the camp you’ve been attending since you were 11…well, this timeline will help.

Freshman Year

Welcome to college, froshies. As you register for classes, dodge the Freshman 15, bond with your roommates over dining hall food and sign up for more student groups than even Hermione and her time turner could handle, the last thing on your mind is getting a job. The good news is that that’s OK. You can give yourself time your first semester to get accustomed to the sights and sounds of college life before diving into potential job interests.

If you don’t know what you want to do during your freshman year, that’s normal. Liane recommends being flexible when you begin your first college job search: “There are tons of opportunities out there, all of which can help you prepare for an awesome internship the following few years. Don’t stress about the specific job or industry – whatever you do, you will learn valuable and marketable skills that will translate into all of your future jobs and internships.” If you want to take that camp counselor role, that’s fine – as long as it allows you to develop the necessary skills (leadership, teamwork, etc.) you’ll need to position yourself for a sophomore year job.

Liane also recommends trying virtual jobs, which will allow you to gain experience and make money without the stress of commuting from school to work. An added advantage? Virtual jobs are “often more flexible in what class years they hire,” says Liane.

Sophomore Year

By sophomore year, you’ve gotten the hang of college (kind of). You know the social landscape of campus, you have an idea of which classes to take and which ones to avoid and you definitely know which friends you probably shouldn’t bring to the library with you when you need to buckle down. This is the year that many college students choose their major, so you’re probably starting to think about your interests and where you want them to take you — both in college and beyond.

“While you should continue to be flexible, more and more formal internship programs are hiring sophomores each year,” Liane says. “So spend some time thinking about the jobs you’re interested in and the industry you want to be in. It is never too early to start networking. Even if you cannot find your dream internship, there are a lot of one-time gigs and shadow opportunities out there that are just as meaningful and impressive as formal intern programs.”

Junior Year

Junior year has no chill. It’s internship season and the competition can get intense.

“I cannot stress it enough: The process starts early!” Liane insists. “Many top companies use their junior year internship program as their main pipeline for full-time hiring the following year, so you’ll really have a leg up if you spend time looking for awesome junior year internships.”

Look for opportunities that are reflective of your interests and will challenge you – employers want to see that you have a genuine passion and that you’re able to take your responsibilities and turn them into measurable results. Seeking out internships like that will put you in a great position to receive a full-time offer or get a similar offer from a company impressed by your junior year internship.

Senior Year

There’s a certain sense of freedom that comes with your senior year: Whereas freshman year, you’d planned your first-day-of-school outfit a week in advance and arrived to class 15 minutes early, you now regularly roll into lecture 10 minutes late in sweatpants — that is, if you grace the professor with your presence at all. ;)

While senior year – and especially senior spring – is a crazy exciting time, which we here at WayUp deeply miss, it’s also overwhelming. You’re an emotional ball of nostalgia, FOMO and panic — especially panic if your summer internship didn’t lead to a full-time offer.

“Most students aren’t lucky enough to receive a full-time offer before the summer is up,” Liane says. “And most employers cannot even extend offers until much closer to your graduation date.” She recommends continuing networking: “Things open up all the time, and you want to be the first person a recruiter thinks of when that opening pops up.” Check out our tips on getting hired your senior year.

It’s not easy navigating college and your career path, but luckily you have tons of resources in college that will help you along the way. Schedule a meeting with your career center, connect with alumni in your desired industry to get answers to your questions and of course, apply to the thousands of college jobs open to freshmen, sophomores, juniors and graduating seniors on WayUp.

NICE!