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

Back to School 14 Day Get Hired Challenge – Day 1

Our Back to School 14 Day Get Hired Challenge will get you in career shape this January. Your first challenge is…

Day 1: Fill Out Your WayUp Profile

Because 1 in 3 college students who apply for a job on WayUp get hired, you’re already running with the big dogs when you sign up. But when you reach the part of the registration process where you fill out your profile, don’t rush through it. This is a critical part in the process that affects which jobs you see and which ones you don’t. Why? Because employers can add certain filters so that they only receive the types of candidates they want for the position. These filters range from types of majors to the fraternity or sorority you’re a member of (for those of you not involved in Greek life, don’t sweat it – this one is rarely used to hire students :)). The good news: you only see the jobs you’re qualified to apply for. The bad news? We had a student emailed in asking why he couldn’t see the same job that his friend on WayUp could see – the reason being that the position had a 3.5 minimum GPA filter, and he hadn’t uploaded his GPA at all. Moral to the story: don’t be that guy. The devil (by which we mean that secret, amazing job) is in the details, so fill out your profile and you’ll see more incredible career options.

Another advantage to filling out your details is that your WayUp profile is publicly searchable on Google, meaning that when employers search your name, they’re hit with a page of your amazing accomplishments at the top of search results. It’s a great way to make a first impression on an employer. Because your profile can be public (you can change this in your Account Settings), you have access to the link, which can serve as your new online resume. Copy and paste that bad boy into your email signature so that when you’re communicating with employers (hint: that’s one of our later challenges, but we digress ;)), they can easily find your accomplishments. Professional branding for the win.

Here’s a great example of Alex K, a WayUp employee and a recent grad hired on WayUp!

Check out Day 2 of the challenge.

Back to School 14 Day Get Hired Challenge

BTS 14 Day Get Hired Challenge

Going back to school in January is such a great feeling: a new year, a new semester, a chance to really start fresh. You’ve already pledged to work out and get in shape, try joining a new student group, head to the library more, even bag a couple of As in your classes. But January also marks an important time because it’s one of the biggest hiring seasons of the year. HR managers have received their new budget for the year to spend on hiring for new positions (#moneytoblow), so it’s the perfect time to ramp up your job search.

That’s why we’re putting together a 14-day challenge for you to get in career shape and get hired! We know it won’t be easy to stick it out through 2 weeks, but it will be so worth it when you get the job you want! We’ll even include a few of our best jobs along the way so that you have a chance to show off the new-and-improved you to the 7,000+ employers on our site.

Get pumped to get hired! We’re already getting warmed up. We’ll see you back here tomorrow for the next challenge!

WayUp Interviews YouTube Star Tiffany Ferguson

A film student at Loyola University with almost 60,000 YouTube subscribers, Tiffany Ferguson is an inspiration to college students who want to juggle school work and pursue their passion at the same time. “I built my channel off of being myself and being honest,” she laughs. “It’s easier to just do me anyway.”

Check out Tiffany’s amazing interview with WayUp below!

4 Ways to Take on a Project That Scares You

This article was originally published in The Huffington Post.

As a child who was never a good swimmer, I had a deep fear of drowning. Pool parties were all the rage during Houston summers, so I confronted the craze by lingering in the three-foot section, my neck stretched up to avoid breathing in chlorine, or worse, getting dumped into the deep end by one of my friends. Despite my fear, my mother was confident I could handle the water: “If someone threw you in, your instincts would kick in.”

Working at a startup means that you get thrown into the deep end a lot. As a Content Marketing Manager at WayUp, a place where we help college students get jobs, I’m frequently tasked with projects I’ve never encountered before. During meetings, this would often send me into a silent panic, counting down the minutes until I could get back to my desk and Google what just happened.

But after being wary of moments like this, I soon learned that I’m often rewarded by the results. Instead of drowning, I’m thrown in and I figure it out, accomplishing something that I thought would send me into the depths of hysteria. Now, when I’m faced with a scary new project, this is how I jump in.

Ask stupid questions

Back in college, classmates who hadn’t even read the materials would often dive boldly into the conversation. “Jumping off of his point,” they’d begin. They were full of it, but the pressure to seem like the smartest person in the room led them to act confidently, even when they had no idea what they were talking about. That kind of bluster may work in college, but it won’t help you get results for a new project.

My first month at my current job, I was put in charge of managing a daunting redesign project for our company’s blog. I was asked direct questions to which I didn’t know the answer, and I tried, unsuccessfully, to put on my best poker face and pretend like I had it under control. In my mind, if I admitted that I didn’t know how to do something, I would be letting my coworkers down.

Our CEO Liz Wessel pulled me aside one day and said that I was doing a great job, but that I needed to speak up when I didn’t know the answer. “We’re not trying to impress each other here,” she said. Since then it’s been a lot easier for me to stop assuming I should already know something and just ask the “stupid questions.” Even something as simple and direct as, “What do you mean?” goes a long way.

Learning to admit the holes in my knowledge didn’t inhibit my ability to do the job well, nor did it make me seem incapable. In fact, it helped me to learn and seek information from the right people to fill in those gaps. As a result, we went from a blog that displayed gaping black boxes in place of images (the struggle was real) to one that looks as professional as any on the internet.

Take the customer support approach

Part of my job involves managing customer support, and we have a very specific way of talking to our customers — rapid responses coupled with unwavering positivity no matter what. If a student says, “Stop emailing me and go jump off a bridge!!” (true story), then our response starts with: “Thanks for your note — so sorry these emails have been bothering you!”

My gut reaction when I’m handed my next big responsibility isn’t to be positive. It’s to text my best friend asking if there’s a secret plot to trigger my first heart attack. But complaining only makes the task harder than it should be.

Now I allow myself a few minutes to be dramatic, and then I take the customer support approach by being upbeat and getting to work. The most positive motivator is to tell myself that more responsibility is better than no responsibility. Instead of being placed on the sidelines, I would much rather be handed project-after-project, because it shows that co-workers trust me to get the job done. Even if I think they’re wrong, I work my hardest to prove them right–which, in the end, does prove them right.

Surround yourself with inspiring people

During my second job search out of college, I knew exactly what I wanted in my next office environment. I wanted to be surrounded by a team with ambition and drive that didn’t quit. I was lucky enough to find it in my current co-workers. The sales team hustles to make hundreds of calls a day, while the marketing team manages 900 campus reps and the engineering team creates a platform good enough for the world’s top companies in a matter of months.

This type of environment not only yields incredible results, but it also creates an enormous sense of accountability. When you’re handed a formidable task, you can’t say, “Sorry, this is too much.” Because there are 30 other people around you managing a task of the same magnitude and killing it. That kind of environment makes you better.

The same people that inspire me are my biggest resources when it comes to important projects. I can go up to any one of my coworkers and say, “If you have 15 minutes today, I would love to bounce some ideas off of you.” I can count on them to say yes regardless of how jam-packed their schedule looks. And because we’re in this together, I do the same for them.

Remember that it’s not about you

Of our seven work values, my favorite is, “Fight for our users.” Each company’s mission is bigger than its employees, and when you believe in it, you eventually rise above your personal fears. The late nights and long hours I have spent over a period of weeks and months don’t matter in comparison to the results. I’m building something with a team I admire and we’re changing people’s lives in the process.

It’s ok not to know the answers to everything, and it’s definitely ok to be uncertain of how to approach a project that lies outside of your experience. But when you dive in, you might just be surprised at how much you can accomplish.

WayUp’s Major Keys to Success

They never said winning was easy, but DJ Khaled isn’t afraid to win. In fact, he’s had so much success, he’s bestowing his pearls of wisdom on the world through SnapChat, leaving us all thinking,

DJ Khaled has yet to drop knowledge on the road to success for college students (for the time being), so we, here at WayUp, took the liberty of helping him out. Caution: Don’t read this if you’re one of those people who can’t handle success.

When prepping for your interview, wash yourself with Dove Soap ONLY.

#hygiene

The key to a productive job search? Breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day.

Keep it one hunnid.

Always make practical decisions and put your best foot forward – whether it’s taking an approach to school work, your job or not driving your jet ski in the dark.

If you fail a test or don’t hear back from that job interview, rid yourself of that negative energy. Don’t waste your time getting discouraged or listening to people who are trying to put you down. They can go jump in the ocean.

Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Finally, when you do make it to the top, you’ll be looking down at all of ‘em.

Thank goodness we can all rest easy, riding with DJ Khaled on the journey to more success.

Bless up. WayUp.

6 Reasons Recent Grads Should Join a Startup

To startup or to suit up?

It can be a huge risk joining a young company with an uncertain future. Some recent grads tend to pass over startups during their first real world job search because these companies aren’t as well-established as big name companies like Google or JPMorgan Chase. However, there are distinct benefits that can help recent grads grow professionally and quickly by joining a younger company. As recent grads who have worked and are currently working at the best startup ever, WayUp, where we help you get hired, we’ve laid out some of the rewards of keeping an open mind and diving into the startup world.

Relaxed dress code

Don’t want to break the bank buying (and dry cleaning) outfits from J.Crew? Join a startup and you don’t have to. You can come to work in workout clothes, in jeans or in a sweatshirt that says “Wine Don’t Whine.” Unless you’re meeting with an important client, it’s less about dressing to impress and more about the work that you put in.

More responsibility

While every startup is different, it’s rare that you’ll have a typical 9-5 day where you clock in, clock out and feel like just another cog in the wheel. Each day is different, with lots of tasks to accomplish and goals to hit, meaning that you’ll find yourself with a substantial workload while recent grads at larger companies might be doing nothing more than busy work. Sure, they’ll have the big name company on their resume, but you’ll have accomplished tasks that only people at a senior level will be responsible for. What’s a better resume booster: pushing paper or doing the real work to make things happen? Startups will give you the opportunity to be the boss at a young age.

Learn new skills fast

Along with the high level of responsibility, startup employees are often asked to dive into uncertain territory because demands are so great. The role you’re given at a startup rarely means that it’s all you’ll be doing. Whether you’re asked to take on the company’s social media strategy, make partnerships with influencers who can take your brand recognition to the next level or try your hand at customer support, you will constantly learn new skills – meaning you’ll rarely get bored. The “f*ck it, ship it” mentality of startups (meaning you get your work done and get it done fast) will also train you to hit the ground running in unfamiliar territory instead of mulling over whether or not your work is perfect–to the point that it’s unproductive. Employees who are ready and willing to take on new tasks to help the company succeed will thrive in this environment.

Accessible hierarchy

At a larger company, you’ll rarely interact with the “higher-ups” or get to see how upper management ticks. At a startup, it’s not uncommon to interact with the CEO and founders every day — even sit right across from them. This means you get a clearer idea of the company’s direction and the vision of its leaders. You can easily ask for feedback or approval from major decision-makers without worrying about the all red tape major corporations struggle with.

Young coworkers

Startup employees are often in their early 20s and 30s, including upper management. This band of youthful employees makes the office much more fun and relaxed, with an exciting environment that has cool amenities (think ping pong tables, bean bag chairs, a keg and a Swagway). When everyone’s around your age–or, at the very least, young at heart–it’s easy to make fast friends with your coworkers and it’s certainly not uncommon to hang out outside of work.

Help build a business from the ground up

As a recent grad, it’s so easy to feel like you’re lost in your life path. You’re constantly asking yourself questions like, “What’s my dream career? What should I be doing with my life?” Being a part of a startup gives you a sense of purpose because you can see a measurable impact from the work you put into an early stage company. That impact shows that you matter and in the midst of the quarter-life crisis everyone goes through, there’s nothing more comforting than knowing that.

Think a startup is the right place for you? Startups are hiring recent grads (and college students!) like you. Apply today on WayUp!

3 Interview Questions That Will Lead You to the Right Candidate

Even though WayUp makes it easy to hire qualified candidates, we know that interviewing students who haven’t had many years of experience can be a challenge. How do you know that your college age candidate will do a great job if offered the position?

Asking the right questions can reveal a lot about what a college student will contribute to your company as well as areas where the candidate may need a bit of support. As a company who has relied on students to support its branding and advertising efforts, we’ve put together a list of questions which will help you hire a student who can make a real difference at your company.

“Knowing what you know about the company and our offerings, what’s one thing we should change that would make us more successful?”

One of the assumed advantages of hiring young talent is that they can provide a fresh perspective on company practices and new ways of approaching projects – and while we have found this to be true for our company and many others, it’s important to test each candidate’s idea generation. When you ask this question, you ensure that the candidate has been paying close attention to your company (which implies that he or she is genuinely interested in the position) and that he or she is able to identify areas for improvement. Change is vital to any company’s growth and a candidate who can look critically at room for growth–and respectfully challenge and produce new ideas–is the type of candidate who can have long-term effects on your company, invigorating your employees and successfully repositioning your efforts.

“If I were to tell you to get 1,000 customers by tomorrow, how would you go about doing it?”

This is a question we ask candidates for our campus rep program – and when they’re hired, we tell them to move forward with their idea. Whatever the goal of the particular position (more content, user acquisition, higher product sales) set a high, hypothetical goal at the beginning of the question and ask the candidate to think big. The candidate’s answer will exhibit his or her creativity and work ethic, revealing just how hard he or she is willing to work to see success in the role. It’s also a great way of testing a candidate’s ability to think on his or her feet.

“What would your biggest fan say that you need to improve?”

A spin on the “What’s your greatest weakness?” query, this question allows you to get to the bottom of a fault that even your candidate’s biggest supporter wouldn’t be able to overlook. While college-age candidates are new to the workforce and are just beginning to discover their strengths and weaknesses, being self-aware at a young age shows an incredible amount of maturity. This question will allow you to evaluate their level of introspective examination. Not only that, but it can also help you to determine where the candidate may need support and training and if your company has the time and resources to meet that need.

Answers to these questions will be extremely important in determining how well the candidate will perform in the role, so make sure you’re keeping notes during the interview to accurately compare candidate’s responses. If you like what you hear, you’ll be well on your way to hiring a great candidate for the position.

Easy Ways to Afford Life After College

Why is everything so expensive?!

That’s one of the first things you realize when you step foot into the real world and the excitement of your new life after graduation wears off. College didn’t exactly prepare you for all the new and unwelcome strains on your bank account now that you’re really on your own.

Luckily, there is a way to afford life after college – and it’s not as painful as you think. Take it from those of us who chose one or two nights of pita chips and yogurt over a night out to dinner with friends (times were rough): You’re much better off learning the financial hacks that will make your life easier.

Make a budget

You can’t afford life after college without knowing your limits. Set your budget for everything you’ll need, especially during your first few months: clothing, laundry, furniture, toiletries and rent money. Use apps and budgeting tools like Mint and LearnVest to help guide your financial decisions.

Pool your graduation gifts

For those of you graduating this spring, you’ll very likely be getting tons of generous gifts from your supportive family and family friends – from cash to gift cards. Be smart about this surge in your income and take account of your assets so that you know just how much you have and how you want to spend it. Add these gifts to your budget so that you use them wisely (i.e. putting them towards things you’ll need, like a mattress or kitchen supplies, as opposed to things you want).

Bring lunch to work

Not spending money on lunch can save you a surprising amount. If you find that you’re buying $10 meals every day (not uncommon, especially in a big city), then that’s at least $200 you’re wasting for any given month. A homemade BLT is more likely to cost less than a BLT from a sandwich shop, so try to fit lunch ingredients into your grocery shopping list. And speaking of groceries…

Make a grocery list and stick to it

Yes, those Double Chocolate Milano cookies look amazing, but be strong. While treat yo self is an amazing motto to have in life, it’s probably best applied to those who have a little extra change to blow. Remember the budget you made? Make sure you stand by it and include only the necessities (and yes, this can include snacks!) on your list. If you stay on track, you’ll be less likely to make excuses that will leave you with only $10 in your bank account at the end of the month.

Offer to tutor

If you made an impressive score on your SAT or ACT, try your hand at tutoring in your spare time. This is a surprisingly lucrative part-time job, and the higher your score, the more you’ll be able to justify charging a higher rate. In fact, Kaplan is currently hiring part-time SAT tutors in Orange County, Boston, and many other locations for at least $20/hr.

Get a roommate (or two)

As one of the biggest pains plaguing a recent grad’s bank account, rent will be a lot more manageable with more people pitching in. Whether you decide to bunk with your college friends or find a new roommate on Craigslist (it’s not as scary as it sounds!), having someone to help you take on the cost of rent will give you the flexibility you need in your budget. Plus, it’ll make life after college much more fun if you have someone to commiserate with!

Seriously, go to bed

We’ve all been there: It’s 11 pm and you’re poking around on Facebook or watching your favorite TV show and then suddenly, it’s 3 am. Guess what’s happening? Lights on, outlets in use, TV running – your electricity and cable bills are going to come crashing down on you faster than the Whomping Willow in Harry Potter. How about no to the aftermath of that.

When you’re no longer being productive and your body is telling you to go to bed, cut down on your cable and electricity usage – it will not only help to decrease your bill but will eliminate the necessity to go on those 9 am and 2 pm coffee runs during work hours. Instead, save the late nights for partying on the weekends.

Being mindful about your expenses and cutting back will make your first few years out of college much easier, and it’s a great lesson to learn early on in life. Not to mention, you’ll end up saving enough now so that you can treat yo self later! Oh, perhaps the most important tip of all? Make sure you have a great job that will help fund your expenses.

This is the Worst Body Language for an Interview

You know those moments when you’re speaking with someone and the conversation is completely cordial, but you come away with the feeling that something was off? You probably received a few strange, nonverbal cues which signaled that the words being said didn’t match the vibe of the conversation: Ninety-three percent of communication is nonverbal.

As strange as it may sound, you should practice your body language cues – and not just your interview answers – before a big interview. While a firm handshake and a genuine smile will go a long way, there are a few body language habits you need to toss aside in order to connect with an employer. See if you’re exhibiting any of the behaviors below that are known for turning off your interviewer.

Crossed arms

While many of us consider crossing our arms to be a natural, relaxed pose (or something to just do with your arms), this position is often interpreted as defensive and even resistant. In a setting as intimate as a one-on-one interview, you want to make sure you open yourself up and seem accepting, ready to absorb the information and the questions that come your way.

Instead, place your hands in your lap and use a few explanatory gestures so that you won’t seem too stiff or closed off.

Avoiding eye contact

It’s tough interacting with people in a new and stressful scenario–especially if you’re shy, but failing to look an employer in the eye signals a lack of confidence and even a lack of interest. Not only that, but it’s distracting: The interviewer will be too busy wondering what’s going on just over his shoulder because your eyes are darting all over the place.

Make eye contact with your interviewer during the conversation to let him or her know that you’re intently listening (but don’t stare the interviewer down). When it’s your turn to speak, try to pretend you’re talking to a family friend: This should help you to be formal, comfortable and confident when you’re speaking.

Fidgeting

Whether you’ve got busy hands or restless legs, fidgeting is often used to calm you down in an uncomfortable situation – meaning you’re giving yourself away as nervous or out of place during your interview. In a professional world that relies heavily on the “cultural fit” of candidates, looking like you’ve got one foot out the door won’t signal that the environment – or the people – are the right match for you.

Try to be conscientious of your fidgeting habits and do what you can to minimize them: For example, if you know that you have a tendency to fiddle with jewelry, leave the large bracelets and necklaces at home when you dress for your interview.

Syncing up your body language and your verbal communication paints a consistent picture of the positive energy you want to give off during your interview. Do what you can to ensure that you come across as open, comfortable and confident so that your interviewer will easily see the best (and more natural!) version of you.

16 New Year’s Resolutions You Can Actually Keep in College

A new year, a new you – that’s what we all say every year, and yet New Year’s resolutions are famous for being broken. Since WayUp is all about helping you reach your goals (especially if those goals involve getting hired), we set up 16 awesome goals for your new 2016 game plan that can totally be accomplished. These New Year’s resolutions will not only make your life easier, but they’ll also ensure that everyone around you has a pretty great year, too.

1. Eat in the dining hall more – it’ll save you more money than you think!