Want to Get Hired? Here’s What Companies Really Look For

We’ve been hiring interns and campus reps on WayUp since just after it launched, for our own startup, Kicker, a digital news source that helps you get in the know.

We’ve spent hours looking at the WayUp site, interviewing and vetting dozens of candidates. If you’re looking for an internship here, you’d probably love to know what employers are thinking when they look at your profile.

Here’s a peek at our process, what catches our eye and who rises to the top (and doesn’t) and why.

First, do I have my morning beverage? Check. Let’s get started.

1. WayUp dashboard

The first thing we see when we log on to WayUp is, of course, our dashboard. It’s a sea of shining faces, all potential Kicker interns. Three things catch our eye right away: GPA, major, and picture.

In the application stage, there isn’t much you can do about your GPA or your major. They are what they are, but if your grades are on the low side or your major seems unrelated to the job, you may want to address that somehow in your profile. We look for signs that you’re a rockstar in other ways, not just academically.

What you do have control over is your photo—and it says a lot about you. Usually, we look past anyone who couldn’t be bothered to upload a clear pic, right side up. We can’t tell you how many sideways profile pictures we see! Or photos featuring two people (which one is you?), or pets or even the applicant in PJs! Sometimes there’s no photo at all. All of this screams lazy. You don’t need a professional headshot, but it’s easy to have a friend take a nice photo of you with a simple background. Also, WayUp offers free professional headshot sessions on some campuses! Trust us, it makes a difference.

2. Your profile

You know employers create their own questions for candidates, right? We ask applicants to answer two questions, and we zoom right in on how the candidates respond to them. We love this part of WayUp because it’s like a mini interview. If you didn’t take the time to fill in your answers—or filled them in with a basic sentence—that’s an immediate fail. Instead, we ask ourselves: Are the answers clear, insightful, enthusiastic?

Next, we often ask for related experience. If you don’t have experience, show some creativity. Like, “I don’t have direct marketing experience, but I did a great project for my school/charity that gave me this kind of experience …”  We also look at the fun facts section. It’s your chance to show us a bit of your personality.

3. Communicating

After we reach out to top candidates, we’re often surprised by what happens next. Some people carefully craft their profile but then fire off quick replies on their phones with incomplete sentences and careless errors. Others never even reply.

Please don’t do this. You’re probably applying for multiple jobs and hearing from several employers. Maybe you changed your mind or got another job. OK, but still, it’s not a good idea to respond carelessly, rudely or not at all. You never know what will happen—that other internship could fall through, you may want an introduction from us or you may meet up with us elsewhere. If you drop the ball, it’ll be awkward and embarrassing.

If you leave a good impression, you leave the door open.

4. The Interview

By this point, we usually have strong candidates. Interviewing takes a lot of time, so if we call you, we’re pretty interested.

The best candidates are prepared to discuss the company and their own background, with good examples of their work and experience, and a few questions too. Show enthusiasm and speak with insight and intelligence. Afterwards, send a quick thank-you email. Most people don’t do that anymore, so it will definitely make you stand out.

We’ve been burned before: Some very strong candidates have turned out to be flaky interns, so we ask our most promising candidates to do a small trial project to see how well they can manage the work we do. It’s also an extra chance to show your commitment—and for you to gauge whether you think it’s a good fit too.

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So there you go, a peek behind the curtain of who we hire and why. We hope this helps you in your job search. And if you remember only one thing, make it this: Enthusiasm is the secret sauce—show us enthusiasm and you’ll rise to the top!