Early career opportunities vary from summer internships and externships to entry-level positions. When exploring possibilities in the beginning of your career, rotational programs offer a unique opportunity to gain diverse experiences and to learn how to work with multiple teams – all within one company.

Synchrony, a Fortune 200 financial services company, inspires career growth from day one. Synchrony is at the heart of many U.S. financial transactions that are made every day and is committed to providing hands-on experiences for its early career talent. The company has a robust early career development program that aims to identify, attract and develop the company’s future leaders.

Synchrony’s driving force is to be essential to people’s everyday lives by making it easier for the tens of millions of people who rely on us to access their essential needs and everyday wants with consumer financing that works for them – from their first credit card to a lifetime of flexibility. The company is recognized in the industry as a top employer, recently named by Fortune as one of the nation’s top five best companies to work for.

The Business Leadership Program

One of the programs that makes Synchrony stand out is its Business Leadership Program (BLP). These early career development programs are designed to accelerate the careers of tomorrow’s leaders.

The summer internship program is a 10-week program for rising juniors and first-year HR graduate students. As a BLP intern, you will work on projects and participate in meaningful work in your desired field while experiencing the support of the team, mentors, and Synchrony’s award-winning culture. If you are interested in the summer internship program, learn more here.

The Full-Time BLP program is a two-year, rotational program for graduating university seniors designed to facilitate your career growth across three different disciplines. If you’re still undecided on what you want to pursue professionally, a rotational program could be a great opportunity for you to explore after graduation.

The Synchrony BLP program has more than 10 different tracks, from sales and relationship management, finance, data analytics, and other areas across the business. The program includes community service, networking and social events.

The BLP program helps transition graduates into the working world by offering experiences similar to what students had with student clubs and organizations. The participant-led committees include Development, Wellness, Recruiting, and Engagement, providing real-world opportunities for new grads to grow in their communication, planning, and leadership skills.

Beyond the leadership development gained through the committees, the BLP program also helps accelerate individuals into positions of leadership.

Creating a Fast Track for Leadership

One of the top appeals of the BLP program is how it offers early career candidates access to leaders within the organization and helps to advance opportunities for leadership for themselves personally.

Due to the nature of the program, you gain diverse work experiences across multiple teams and practice areas and are steps ahead of your peers as it relates to career growth.

Wyatt Craig, SVP Digital Finance – PayPal, who was in the first cohort of the BLP rotational program shared that the biggest differentiator is the support from leadership. Leaders and mentors help you define what you want to do in your career and suggest experiences to help you achieve your goals.

The investment from leaders continues long after the program ends. Wyatt mentioned the value of the alumni network, which provides mentorship to BLP participants. To help recent graduates transition into the corporate world, these alumni provide guidance on what a career path post-BLP could look like.

Synchrony continues to invest in its employees and offers ongoing learning opportunities, including tuition benefits, which was essential for Wyatt when he decided to pursue post-grad education.

Cultivating a Culture of Flexibility and Well-Being

Through its people-centric culture, Synchrony co-designs programs and initiatives together with employees. The company offers flexible work options, allowing employees to work from home, in the office, or both in a hybrid work environment while redesigning its workspaces to encourage meaningful connections.

Josh Mugabe, a HRBP BLP, described the company’s emphasis on flexibility and choice.

Josh also shares how purposeful engagement provides valuable ways early in your career to meet and interact with people in the office. The Synchrony “hubs” or workspaces also provide a collaborative atmosphere to build relationships.

Synchrony also prioritizes employee well-being in the workplaces, providing comprehensive wellness programs and benefits. For example, the company provides a psychologist onsite and employees can have up to 12 sessions per year at no cost to them personally. The program was built with everyone in mind, including interns.

Angela King, Sales & Relationship Management BLP, was the first BLP to lead the BLP’s Wellness committee.

Initiatives include physical activities like intramural sports, the Brooklyn marathon and ice skating in Bryant Park as well as stress reduction and wellness programs including a cooking class, financial literacy, and virtual monthly conversations.

Gaining Real-World Career Skills

Angela shared how fast the two years went by and how much she accomplished and grew during that time. She learned about Synchrony and business acumen and increased her confidence, gained insight into her own strengths and weaknesses, and developed leadership skills.

A rotational program offers tangible work experience that could help you solidify the direction for your career. The program dedicates time for you to explore your interests and learn from different roles and leaders. As you consider possibilities for your life after graduation, we encourage you to look into Synchrony’s rotational program. If you don’t have plans to graduate yet, then you can learn more about the summer 10-week internship program.

You can learn more about the company here. If you’re interested in starting your career at Synchrony, visit us here to find out more about the internship program, the rotational program, and other early-career opportunities.

The post Inspiring Career Growth at Synchrony appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

You’ve found the dream job or internship. Whether or not you know someone at the company, it’s in your best interest to invest time in connecting with folks working there; it could be a difference maker in landing a new career opportunity. 

Chiara, a recruiter for Capital One’s Students & Grads Programs, is here to help you connect and build relationships by sharing her three tips for networking. 

Take a strategic approach

It’s absolutely crucial to do your research! You want to connect with someone through a common interest or a mutual colleague or friend. Of course, LinkedIn can be a great place to start, but consider finding people through other platforms.

Capital One’s Business Resource Groups (BRG)—voluntary, associate-led groups for cultural celebration, community service and professional development—are great ways to expand your network. Many BRGs sponsor and attend career fairs and student conferences, so be on the lookout for them! 

National organizations and societies are also great for meeting people. Connect with groups that share your identity or professional interest, like the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Rewriting the Code—both of which are Capital One partners. The groups are like your secret weapon for networking, finding resources and getting tailor-made support for your academic and/or professional journey.

Have a plan

First things first: Use the “S.E.E.” method when meeting someone. That stands for smile, eye contact and enthusiasm. The S.E.E. method can help set the stage for a great conversation prior to giving your elevator pitch. 

As for the elevator pitch, think of it as being three parts. Say what you do, what makes you unique and either how you can help them or how they can help you. Practice your pitch beforehand to ensure it flows smoothly and feels natural.  

As that initial conversation is wrapping up, be sure to get their contact info so you can send a personalized thank you email or LinkedIn message referencing something specific from the conversation. Lastly, follow up with them periodically, whether it’s sharing relevant articles, inviting them to events or simply checking in to see how they’re doing. 

Be authentic

Remember, being yourself is the key to building meaningful connections. 

Don’t try to impress by pretending to be someone you’re not. It can be easy to get caught up in the job or internship search and force yourself to pursue an opportunity that doesn’t feel true to you. You should be building relationships that last beyond one meeting. It’s easier for someone to mentor you or be your advocate when they truly know you and your passions.

People are more likely to remember and connect with the real you.

Head over to Capital One’s profile to learn more about the company and browse open roles, upcoming events, and more.

The post A Capital One recruiter’s 3 networking tips for students appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses for the past 50 years. TCS believes innovation and collective knowledge can transform the future with greater purpose.

TCS employs over 600,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants from 150+ nationalities with operations in 50+ countries. Diversity is a value of TCS as evidenced by the fact that it’s one of the world’s largest employers of women in the IT industry.

Notably, in North America, TCS was recently recognized as:

• The #1 Top Employer in the U.S. by the Top Employers Institute
• One of the 50 most community-minded companies in the U.S. by Points of Light
• One of Fortune Magazine World’s Most Admired Companies^TM list, a global barometer of corporate reputation, for the second straight year

Working for the Greater Good

TCS believes in building greater futures by making its communities its priority and by connecting people to opportunities in the digital economy. In line with the values of its parent company, The Tata Group, TCS’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts are driven toward initiatives that contribute to the creation of a fairer and more equitable world for all.

With its proactive stance on climate change and award-winning work with communities across the world, TCS has earned it a place in leading sustainability indices such as the MSCI Global Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index.

Globally, efforts include helping marginalized individuals and communities with literacy, education, employment and mentoring for entrepreneurial endeavors. In North America, these CSR efforts are specifically designed to help advance education equity, close the STEM skills gap, and prepare students for the future global workforce.

Two programs that engage with youth and support potential leaders in the IT space are the career readiness program (goIT) and the professional development program (Ignite My Future).

Digital Innovation and Career Readiness (goIT)

TCS’ flagship, no-cost digital innovation and career readiness program, Go Innovate Together (goIT), equips K-12 students all over the world with the skills, confidence and mindset to pursue careers in STEM. 

goIT provides resources and training programs for teachers but primarily focuses on opportunities for students to learn about problem solving and design thinking while developing their sense of global citizenship. The program inspires participants to use their new skills to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges because all goIT challenges and program culminations are tied to the U.N.’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. 

WayUp spoke with Kevin Lee, a previous co-op student turned full-time software engineer. Kevin found TCS to be an exciting and innovative environment, especially in the Internet of Things (IoT) field. He heard about goIT through a mentor during his internship and was excited to volunteer to teach elementary, middle, and high school students during a goIT Summer Camp. The three-day camp was integrated with TCS’ Bringing Life to Things IoT lab for the second consecutive year, and students learned where and how IoT can be used to generate positive changes in their communities.

By volunteering with the program, Kevin most enjoyed seeing students increase their understanding of technology’s potential and explore new interests in tech through the program’s culminating projects and presentations. These programs are valuable for students to learn new skills and evaluate different aspects of technology as they explore career possibilities for their future.

The summer camp experience is special to all TCS employee volunteers, but it is especially meaningful to those, like Kevin, who work in the Milford office outside of Cincinnati where the goIT program was born. It began as an innovative idea for a one-time summer camp in 2009 and has since grown into a year-round global program, operating in 42 countries. Over the last year alone, goIT touched the lives of more than 1 million students and 20K educators. Student innovations addressed issues as diverse as water quality, hunger, education, equality, poverty and climate change.

Teacher Professional Development (Ignite My Future)

Launched in 2017, TCS’ Ignite My Future is TCS’ pioneering effort to empower educators around the world though a unique approach that integrates computational thinking into core subjects like math, science, literacy, social studies, and the arts. Computational thinking is a future-ready skill that prepares students to tackle problems by building their confidence to work with big, complex issues.

Ignite My Future’s program content is developed and managed by a team of former educators, so it is a teachers-helping-teachers initiative that adds meaning to K-12 classrooms all over the world. As a teacher professional development program that provides training and resources to teachers looking to expand their capacity for bringing computational thinking into their classrooms, the program provides teachers and their classes with formal training sessions, exciting lesson plans, virtual field trips and Family STEM Night implementations. 

Recently, the program launched “Tech Trends for Teachers” which tackles tech knowledge and awareness from a different perspective. Like many of its in-classroom initiatives, Tech Trends for Teachers is driven by TCS employee volunteers.

WayUp spoke with Software Engineer John Trimble about his experience at TCS. In addition to his role helping lead the IoT and digital engineering lab in Cincinnati, he is also a frequent volunteer for various CSR initiatives. Recently, he contributed both to the experience of students attending the goIT summer camp and to teachers who turn to TCS for their own professional development through Ignite My Future.

Tech Trends for Teachers engages TCS employees in providing K-12 teachers with the opportunity to learn about — and share — tech innovations that will change the way the next generation will live and work. John also mentioned how this type of volunteerism gives a chance to highlight their own leadership, which is fulfilling.

“It’s Part of Our Ethos:” Purpose Matters

The fact that TCS’ culture of purpose is deeply embedded across all geographies, departments and customer service units is clear in conversations with TCSers who can describe the company’s legacy of community purpose in detail. In conversations with TCS employees, they happily declare that contributing to social and environmental good is part of the company’s ethos.

In 2023 alone, TCS employees volunteered across the globe and generously gave more than 5 million hours of service or, as “TCSers” refer to it, of HOPE. In North America, employee activities included supporting programs like goIT and Ignite My Future, as well as sorting, packaging, and delivering sustenance to people facing food insecurity through food banks. Additionally, employees plant trees, mentor refugees, give blood and volunteer for disaster response and recovery activities.

In response to employees’ interest in receiving corporate support for volunteering on their own or in more coordinated efforts, TCS created an app for finding curated opportunities based on employee location. The app, called myPurpose, is one of the ways TCS supports employees looking to live their purpose both at work and after work.

When asked about the company’s culture of purpose, John emphasized the fact that giving back is important to all TCS employees.

Kevin was initially exposed to CSR initiatives during his internship, and his engagement continued after joining the company full-time. In highlighting the variety of opportunities available, he said, “I really appreciate all the creative programs that allow people to make a difference even virtually. It helps us expand our impact and removes a lot of boundaries.”

Opportunities for a Career with Impact

John and Kevin both graduated from the University of Cincinnati (UC), each earning a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering. They were both first drawn to TCS because of UC’s co-op program, which involved several semesters of full-time work. After interning with TCS, they decided to join the company full-time after graduation.

Kevin shared how the internship experience helped make his transition into TCS as a full-time employee more seamless. Upon graduating facing a challenging job market affected by the impacts of Covid-19, he appreciated how TCS was able to hire him and give him opportunities to contribute to others in his community at the time. Even more, he valued the career opportunities he would gain by joining the company.

John was specifically drawn to the company’s IoT lab and the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology, which made him excited to join one of the biggest tech companies in the world.

The internship program at TCS provides students with real-world experience and meaningful projects, equipping them with the skills to launch their careers in technology, IoT, engineering, and more. Additionally, interns can gain insight into the company culture, the team dynamics and projects, and the day-to-day work itself.

Whether through the internship or as full-time employees, TCS creates opportunities to engage with work that makes an impact. From specific CSR initiatives and programs to an overall culture of philanthropy, TCS provides an educational and purposeful environment to start or build your career.

For more information about career opportunities within TCS, check out their page on WayUp here.

The post Want a Career that Matters? Discover Tata Consultancy Services and its Corporate Social Responsibility Leadership appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Taking a leap and joining an internship can come with many unknowns – Will I meet people and make friends? What is the company culture like? What type of projects will I work on?

At Tata Consultancy Services, a leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, the campus recruitment team understands these pre-joining nerves and have created a thoughtful engaging program to ease the transition from school into a professional work environment.

To develop emerging young leaders within the IT industry, TCS created a robust internship program that offers students meaningful work experience in a real-world setting. The ‘TCS Early Careers’ program allows interns the opportunity to contribute to real technology projects handled by industry professionals within various TCS business units and gain hands-on experience through problem solving, and critical thinking skills. Spanning across 10-12 weeks, the program is ideal for students currently enrolled in a computer science and/or other TCS relevant STEM academic program

About ‘TCS Early Careers’ Program

TCS values the student’s experience and learning. The program is structured into 5 distinct phases intended to guide the students seamlessly through the experience and gain the exposure that is intended. With the guidance of the TCS campus team at every step of the process, each student has access to a business mentor and a buddy who are integrally involved in the internship process and interact regularly with the students.

Phase 1
The initial phase, prior to joining, has connect sessions planned at regular intervals with the campus team and the mentors to ensure readiness to get started with TCS. To alleviate some of the nerves before starting the internship, the TCS team hosts virtual sessions to go through any questions upcoming interns might have on onboarding and what to expect on the internship. The week before the internship starts, interns receive a welcome kit full of TCS swag and instructions on what to expect on Day 1!

Phase 2 and 3
To help ease the transition into the corporate world, the second and third phase focuses on ‘getting a fast start’ for the interns. The interns are welcomed with an orientation on their first day where they attend workshops, featuring sessions about TCS and its business, information on how to access their equipment tools, connect with their mentors/buddies and other insightful talks from senior leadership. During the weeklong orientation, TCS interns will also hear from Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) leaders and are encouraged to join these groups to start networking and seamlessly assimilate into the TCS culture.

Phase 4
The fourth phase is about delivering clarity on the role and helping the interns succeed in the project. Interns meet with their assigned teams and start working on projects and some of the interns have the opportunity to directly work with TCS customers. While working on projects, interns are mentored by subject matter experts to gain applicable leadership and technology skills to help jumpstart their careers. All of this happens organically through the collaborative company culture and meaningful project experience.

Phase 5
The last phase is all about ‘Celebrating the success’ of completing the internships. With a formal graduation ceremony, the interns have the opportunity to showcase their experience to the TCS Leadership team and share/hear about success stories from other interns.

Life as an Intern

To gain an insight into the TCS intern experience, WayUp spoke with previous interns Karan Sathiayan and Hrithik Reddy. Karan, a data scientist intern and current full-time employee, shared that as an intern he was given a lot of responsibility which made him feel valued as a part of the team. Karan shared that the highlight of the internship was when he presented a demo in front of a large group of TCS employees at an internal seminar that his manager organized.

To gain another perspective, WayUp spoke with Hrithik Reddy who interned at TCS but his role was quite different from a typical technology internship. He focused on projects supporting the Global Sports Sponsorship team and helped the team with sponsorship research and how to boost TCS marketability through sports. Hrithik supported the team’s efforts working towards TCS sponsorships for the TCS NYC Marathon (title sponsor), Boston Marathon, Chicago Marathon, TCS Jaguar Racing, and other events.

Hrithik spoke highly of the team environment and company culture, especially in his contributions as an intern. He described the engaging atmosphere and how his input was considered by the team, which helped him feel valuable and like he had already been working for the company for years.

Mentorship and Professional Development Opportunities

As a part of the Internship program, interns are assigned a mentor and a buddy to meet with weekly throughout the entire duration of the internship. Interns are also introduced to an internal communication tool to communicate with their peers and receive real-time feedback from their buddies, mentors, and senior leadership. This intentional approach to provide relational support at the company helps to equip interns with networking, interpersonal, and teambuilding skills – all of which are vital to their long-term success.

Karan Sathiayan, a data scientist who very recently joined TCS full-time, praised the company culture and their value of mentorship and continued education. TCS not only offers outside training through Linkedin Learning, but also has their own internal platform called iEvolve where employees can gain training on anything from technical skills to leadership and soft skills.

Karan also elaborated how these TCS trainings are vital to standing out during the interview process.

TCS Micro Internships

In collaboration with The Forage, Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Group have created three virtual Micro Internships which are open to all students and professionals who are looking to grow their skills. TCS and Tata Group have created three Micro Internships which simulates real world projects and allows you to get experience in areas such as Data Visualization, Cybersecurity, and Sustainability. These Micro Internships are self-paced typically taking 3-5 hours to complete and can be conducted fully virtually. These Micro Internships are free and are open to everyone. You can navigate to the three Tata Micro Internships by clicking on the following link here.

An internship with TCS is a valuable experience that can guide you on your career path and prepare you with hands-on experience for a full-time career after graduation. If you’re interested in IT or software engineering, be sure to check out their internship programs and other career opportunities within the company.

For more information about the company, check out TCS’s page on WayUp here. For more specific information about the internship program, view here.

About TCS

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses for the past 50 years. TCS believes innovation and collective knowledge can transform the future with greater purpose.

TCS has over 601,000 of the world’s best trained consultants from 150+ nationalities with operations in 55 countries. Diversity is a value of TCS as evidenced by how the company is one of the world’s largest employers of women – over 160,000 women employees – making up over 36% of the global workforce. Notably, TCS was recently awarded the #1 Top Employer in the U.S. award by Top Employers Institute and was also awarded Top 100 internship program by WayUp in 2022 and 2023.

The post How ‘Early Careers’ at Tata Consultancy Services Prepares You for a Career with Impact appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Capital One’s Analyst Internship Program (AIP) is the launchpad for a satisfying career in business or data analytics. 

During the 10-week program, students can expect to complete meaningful work like building data visualization tools in AWS, performing campaign analysis on marketing plans and optimizing machine learning products. They’ll level up their business, problem solving and coding skills and, along the way, build relationships they can turn to for support beyond the internship.

Three AIP alumni, now working full-time at Capital One, share how their internship helped them launch their analyst careers successfully. 

How Campbell completed real work that advanced financial inclusion

Campbell experienced a diverse mix of analyst responsibilities while completing her two Capital One internships. 

In her first summer, she worked on a marketing campaign identifying which Capital One Auto Finance tools would best help customers increase their savings. In her second internship, Campbell worked with the Digital Customer Experience Innovation Team to analyze customer feedback and address how Capital One could optimize Auto Navigator, a tool customers use to pre-qualify for auto loans, explore financing options and search for vehicles in their preferred price range. 

During her internships, Campbell analyzed the effectiveness of email marketing, used coding and worked on data within the cloud. She identified customer motivations, built customer personas and presented her insights to senior leaders. 

“I came away with firm examples of how I drove a project forward as an intern,” Campbell said. “I can point to decisions that I brought to the table. It was pretty incredible to have those contributions. I knew I wanted to come back.” 

Campbell was excited when she realized how much her internship prepared her for a full-time position through the Analyst Development Program (ADP), an 18-month experience where recent grads cycle through two positions with two teams. Currently, she’s a business analyst with the Financial Services Strategy team. 

“Yes, you’re learning how to be an analyst, but in the eyes of your coworkers, you already are because you’re doing the work,” Campbell said. “That gives you so much confidence at the start of your career.”

 How Solomon developed tech and financial skills to launch his career

Solomon was looking for an internship where he could merge a new experience working in tech with his studies in management and entrepreneurship. He found that perfect blend through the AIP.

As a business analyst intern, Solomon worked on a machine learning team where he built a dashboard for small business clients. While Solomon researched how to create the dashboard, he took the opportunity to expand some of his tech and business acumen. It was then that he learned the programming languages Python and SQL, explored how to use data visualization tools and learned to effectively pitch ideas. 

“Tech is the future for the financial industry, and Capital One knows that,” Solomon said. “So I appreciated learning these programming and product manager skills to make me a better analyst.” 

Now, Solomon uses the tech knowledge he developed as an intern for his full-time role with the ADP. As a business analyst on the Credit Card Innovation team, he assesses data, customer feedback and the latest technology to determine how to better protect Capital One’s card portfolios. 

“If you’re interested in the intersection of technology and finance, Capital One is the place to be,” Solomon said. “With the internship, you get to work on real problems and learn new skills in an exciting and supporting environment.” 

 How Fozi built a supportive network to help him grow

As a data analyst intern with Capital One’s Servicing Data Strategy team, Fozi worked on predictive modeling to determine the likelihood a customer would close their Capital One card account. 

While the work required a heavy amount of data analysis, Fozi knew he could do a better job if he incorporated machine learning. After discussing with his manager, they introduced Fozi to several data analysts and machine learning engineers who had experience and could help. Fozi’s new connections helped him infuse a machine learning model into the project so it would need less manual data entry to succeed long-term. 

“Doing the work is one thing, but knowing how to build relationships and ask your network for help and guidance was a valuable skill I learned,” Fozi said. 

In his current full-time role as a data analyst through the ADP, Fozi supports various Card teams by designing and maintaining data structures for campaigns. Rarely does a week go by where he doesn’t reach out to someone he met during his internship—whether a former manager, colleague or another intern—for everything from advice on building a strategy plan to getting other data analysts’ best practices. 

“Capital One’s culture makes it so easy to build connections,” Fozi said. “I’ve realized that community building is how I’ve found success. That network I started building as an intern still provides me guidance and support.”

Head over to Capital One’s profile to learn more about the company and browse open roles, upcoming events, and more.

The post From interns to analysts with Capital One’s Analyst Internship Program appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

When you’re preparing to start your career, few decisions carry as much weight as where you go to school, what you study, and who you choose to work for after graduation. Among these choices, choosing the right employer requires some of the highest consideration.

Aside from company culture, compensation packages, and job specifics, there is an incredibly important requirement everyone should look for: an environment that fosters personal growth and professional development. 

AeroVironment (AV), a technology company specializing in the design and manufacturing of unmanned aircraft systems, is dedicated to empowering and promoting their employees and ensuring they thrive in their roles. This has led AV to attract and retain some of the top talent in aeronautics and engineering.

In our conversations with three different team members who went from interns to full-time at AeroVironment, we learned about everything the company does to nurture their staff’s professional growth and the reasons why they have been so successful in building their careers with the company.

Experiences That Go Beyond the Books

Whether it’s putting a helicopter on Mars or creating satellites that bring Wi-Fi to remote parts of the world, AeroVironment interns and employees get to work on some of the most fascinating projects in aeronautical engineering. One of the main allures of doing this kind of work, especially from an intern level, is the confidence, insight, impact, and knowledge you get from it.

After just one summer with AeroVironment, Savanna found herself far ahead of her classmates at The Georgia Institute of Technology. While that confidence and additional knowledge helped make her school year a little easier, Savanna was also able to use that insight beyond the books when she returned to AV the following year as well.

Forged by Fire

Another interesting detail about these experiences is that there is an abundance of new concepts or ideas – even for some of the most seasoned team members. This often leads to group problem-solving and a communal, forged-by-fire environment where collaboration and ingenuity thrive.

As many students have come to know, formal training programs can get old fast. Not only that, the new Gen Z workforce is demanding that employers offer more than archaic training protocols. At AeroVironment, you are thrown into real aero and mechanical engineering scenarios with tenured professionals all working towards a common goal. This kind of boots-on-the-ground environment is exactly what creates people who know how to problem-solve, get things done, and make an impact on the world.

Challenges That Lead to Growth

One thing Chase mentioned is that a lot is learned “from the experience of doing, and sometimes failing.” In other words, employees at AeroVironment acquire skills and enhance their abilities not only by getting things right but also by embracing the lessons from their mistakes.

This perspective on learning from your mistakes allows him to see it as a valuable tool for personal growth and development, which further emphasizes why AeroVironment is such an ideal place for young professionals to grow their careers. 

It is incredibly difficult to test new limits and try new things when you’re afraid of making mistakes, especially at work. AeroVironment has created an environment that doesn’t look down on employees for their mistakes but instead uses it as a building block  to learn and grow from. This is what makes AV an ideal employer for someone looking to break into the industry and grow their skills from the bottom up.

Friendly Environments That Foster Growth

One of the best parts of starting a job is all the new people you meet and the connections you make. While everyone has different preferences regarding the degrees of coworker relationships, everyone can agree that being friendly and amicable with colleagues is much more enjoyable.

AeroVironment is a place full of individuals who are really passionate about the work they do and the industry they’re in. After my conversations with a few employees, one thing I also noticed is that they were just as passionate about helping one another succeed. This being the case, it makes it really easy for everyone to get along. 

One of the main benefits of this comradery is the effect it has on the work employees do with one another and the results that come of it.

At AeroVironment, there are no outsiders. The team-oriented culture and the all-for-one mentality enable employees at every level to truly give their best effort.

If you’re looking to get your start at a company that wants to see you succeed and gives you the tools to do it, consider checking out some of the open roles at AeroVironment. The projects they work on are impactful, the positions they have are lucrative, and their culture is unbeatable.

The post Why Young Professionals Are Going to AeroVironment to Launch Their Careers appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

So you’ve nearly got your degree and you’re ready to make waves in the world of marketing, advertising, business or sales. You’re familiar with concepts like market segmentation and you can break down the pillars of supply chain management and you’ve watched movies like The Wolf of Wall Street and The Social Network more times than you can remember.

What you don’t learn in school or movies, however, is what moves to make as you attempt to breach the world of business and how to make a career for yourself. What we mean by “moves” are the decisions you make regarding the way you present yourself, how you choose to grow and learn, and the mindset you carry with you into your endeavors. 

With so much to keep in mind when making this major leap into the professional world, it can become difficult to choose what advice to follow and what to ignore. Instead of leaving it up to AI software and chatbots, we decided to host a virtual event with some real-life employees about what their marketing, advertising, business, and sales departments look for in a candidate. 

In our Job Search 101 virtual event, we spoke with Kalina Popova, a Campus Manager at Dell, Madison Ahmadi, a Talent Acquisition Partner at Expedia, Jennifer Voss, the Director of Early Careers Talent Acquisition at Visa, and Tangela Woodley, a Talent Acquisition, Marketing, & Digital Early Careers Manager at L’Oréal. In our conversations, the panelists reveal the tips and tricks needed to succeed in the world of marketing, advertising, business, and sales.

Don’t Limit Yourself

One of the great things about the marketing and business industry is the variety of roles that exist within it. You could be a copywriter making taglines, a graphic designer creating brand logos, an account manager closing deals and finding new clients, and a whole lot more. 

This being the case, it is critical to keep an open mind when you’re trying to decide what kind of role best fits you. In our conversations with experts, Tangela Woodley from L’Oréal sheds some light on just how many different opportunities exist within their marketing department.

From analytics to creative, the world of marketing has opportunities for people interested in all kinds of things, especially at L’Oréal. So when you’re preparing to make your foray into the marketing, business, advertising and sales world, it’s important that you don’t pigeonhole yourself into one subcategory or another!

Follow the 5 Dimensions of Potential

While every company and its employee expectations are bound to be different, L’Oréal has a specific set of criteria that candidates can keep in mind wherever they apply. L’Oréal calls it the five dimensions of potential and with these rules, you can better your chances of succeeding in the world of business.

Whether it’s learning agility or your judgment and decision-making skills, L’Oréal’s Five Dimensions of Potential would apply to numerous top-tier companies and what they’re looking for in employees.

Leaders > Participants

As a company that specializes in helping early-career candidates and college students find jobs, we have seen young professionals make a lot of mistakes. One of the big ones we’ve seen them make is signing up for a club or organization just to get it on your resume.

It doesn’t take much to sign up for a group and show up to a couple of meetings. What does take some effort is actively contributing to these groups and taking on leadership or executive roles. This is something to keep in mind when you mention your involvement in groups and extracurriculars in your applications.

Our suggestion is to be proactive. When you join a group, don’t just be a bystander! Make sure you’re participating and doing things that give you stuff to talk about later on when you start applying for jobs. If you have an idea, speak up! If you feel inspired to take on a position.

You Gotta Have Grit

A lot of people outside the marketing and sales industries perceive it as this glamorous world with photo shoots, hot-shot business people, and high-profile deals. What you don’t see are the challenges and obstacles that marketing professionals face on a daily basis.

Any marketing veteran you meet is likely to have just as many stories about unhappy clients and discouraging rejections as they are to have stories about massive wins and incredibly successful campaigns. And that’s just a part of the business.

This being the case, it is critical that anyone trying to enter the marketing, business, and sales worlds develops a tough chin and plenty of grit.

While Kalina’s anecdote relates to sales, the same thing goes with marketing, advertising, and business. What if you pitch a marketing campaign to a client and they don’t like it? Or propose a solution to your boss that he chops down? Having the grit to face this type of rejection and come back stronger is what will make you successful in the long run.

Take Advantage of Resources

One thing that every one of our panelists in our recent Job Search 101 virtual event agreed upon is the importance of utilizing the resources at your disposal. If you go to college, whether it’s community or Ivy League, chances are there is a career office working to connect the student body with potential employers.

In these offices, work has been done to establish relationships. All you need to do is take advantage of it.

These types of resources are oftentimes free and extremely beneficial, so there really isn’t any reason not to take advantage of them.

Looking for another free resource you can use to score the job of your dreams? Create your account with WayUp and start browsing open roles today or head over to our blog for more career tips and job-search advice! Watch the full session here. 

The post Insider Tips for Marketing, Business, Sales, and Advertising Professionals appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

When you’re deciding where to start your career, you may want to work for a company that doesn’t just believe in diversity and inclusion (D&I) but supports it as well.

Northwestern Mutual believes in having a diverse workforce that benefits the company, its employees, and local communities.

We spoke to employees at Northwestern Mutual to learn about how the company has built strong diversity initiatives, and what this means for employees, clients, and communities alike, including how Northwestern Mutual intends to keep the needle moving.

Diversity Enables the Company to Reach More Clients

According to Northwestern Mutual, “the best client service and financial industry leadership starts with creating a diverse team and an inspiring, inclusive workplace where everyone can be, and do, their best every day.” A diverse workforce is what will help them deliver the financial solutions their clients need.

Having diverse advisors on your team enables the company to increase its reach, influence, and appeal to a wider range of customers.

While it could be comforting talking to someone who has a similar background to you, representation matters. It can lead to impactful business relationships and work environments.

Ability to Bring Your True Authentic Self to Work

Everybody still wants to bring their authentic selves to work. This means no matter what race, ethnicity, sexual preference, or demographic you represent you feel confident in showing your colleagues, boss or manager, and the customers you work with who you truly are.

Shannon Redmon, Director of Recruiting at Northwestern Mutual, discussed why being accepted and supported at work is important to him.

Through learning sessions and coaching programs about allyship and inclusive culture, the D&I council, and employee resource groups, Northwestern Mutual fosters a place where Shannon can be his true self. As a result, he feels proud of the work he is doing and the company it is for.

Supporting Diversity in the Community

There is no end to the lengths Northwestern Mutual will go to ensure they are championing diversity and creating a company where employees can truly be themselves and reach their goals.

In fact, Northwestern Mutual has made several monetary contributions to communities and entities outside of their organization emphasizing their desire to create a truly diverse world. Here are just a few of their charitable acts:

• $26M invested in under-served neighborhoods
• $20M invested in startup companies founded by women 
• $6M in grants for nonprofits nationwide
• $1.6M to strengthen education and career opportunities

Why Northwestern Mutual?

Whether it’s their initiatives, the resources they provide, or the direct contributions they make, Northwestern Mutual is a place fostering diverse minds while encouraging representation.

There are people just like you who need help planning and reaching their financial goals, will you be the one to get them there? Head over to Northwestern Mutual’s company profile to learn more about the company and for information on open roles!

Northwestern Mutual Financial Representatives are Independent Contractors whose income is based solely on production.

Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with the titles “Financial Advisor” or “Wealth Management Advisor” are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide advisory services.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM) and its subsidiaries in Milwaukee, WI.

The post Learn How Northwestern Mutual is Championing Diversity in the Finance Industry appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Those who take on athletics and extracurriculars in college are individuals with incredible drive who become intensely motivated by their passions and their desire to pursue them. Over the years, Northwestern Mutual has come to understand that these types of people thrive and find success as financial representatives. 

Whether it’s their desire to make a lasting impact or the ability to have a flexible schedule, there are several reasons why athletes and people involved in nonscholastic activities do so well as financial representatives.

Recently, we interviewed a couple of college financial representative interns who are also involved with athletics and extracurriculars to understand why the job is so perfect for people like them.

Complimentary Skills and Characteristics

While athletes tend to have incredible amounts of drive and motivation, those involved in Greek life and clubs are typically very people-oriented. These traits are particularly beneficial to have as a financial representative because of the self-starter attitude and the communication skills that are essential to the job!

Phillip Li, a varsity baseball player at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, provides his team with quick hands as an infield baseman in addition to holding down a .429 slugging average this past season. During this time, he also helped a couple plan their retirement. 

Phillip went on to discuss how the drive he has towards training for a successful season was similar to the efforts he put forward with his clients. He visualized his goal, put together a “game plan,” worked with his teammate (senior partner), and saw the objective through to completion.

Picking Out Your Own Schedule

As most students know, especially those involved in athletics, college schedules can get really busy. Academics and social life already take up a large percentage of your time but when you start committing to athletics and nonscholastic activities it often seems impossible to do anything else.

Northwestern Mutual’s college financial representative intern role is unique because it is built to accommodate the hectic lives of college students with busy schedules. Take Jack Thompson for example, a Division 3 lacrosse player at Union College. In our conversation with Jack, he spoke to us about how his mentors at Northwestern Mutual worked with him to make sure his professional life was fitting well with his college life.

Maybe you have a big test coming up, practice, or a week-long lacrosse tournament in Austin as Jack did. As a financial representative intern at Northwestern Mutual, there is no need to fret. Northwestern Mutual understands that you have other things going on in your life. This being the case, Northwestern Mutual consults with you to find a balance that works for everyone. 

Real Game Time Experience

If you are on a team, you don’t want to be sitting on the bench. The same goes professionally when you’re working at a job! But in order to get game time ready, you need to practice.

When you’re just getting started as a financial representative, a senior representative will have you shadow them on real client calls, gradually getting you more and more involved. The work you do is the same as if you were a full-time financial representative, but you have the support and mentorship from leaders along the way. 

After a few times, the training wheels come off and you will be on your own making financial recommendations for clients!

While there is a short shadow period during which you learn the ropes with a senior employee, this only lasts for a little while until you’re on the field getting real experience with real clients.

Ambitious Minds Thrive Here

One trait a lot of athletes and those involved in extracurriculars have that makes them particularly successful at Northwestern Mutual is their ambition. Whether it’s waking up early for practice or just the internal desire to grow and better yourself, these types of people are made for the college financial representative intern position.

In our conversation with Sayawni Lassiter, a Division 1 Women’s College basketball player at the University of Rhode Island and college financial representative intern, she recounted how she connected with her recruiter and how he expressed that ambition is a key ingredient in being successful as a financial representative.

If you’re a current college student and want to start experiencing real-life work as a financial professional, take a look at Northwestern Mutual’s industry-leading college financial representative intern position.

Northwestern Mutual Financial Representatives are Independent Contractors whose income is based solely on production.

Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with the titles “Financial Advisor” or “Wealth Management Advisor” are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide advisory services.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM) and its subsidiaries in Milwaukee, WI.

The post Flexibility, Growth, and Competitive Pay Awaits at Northwestern Mutual’s Industry-Leading Internship appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

When first starting out, you’re going to want to look for an employer that enables you to perform and gives you the tools you need to grow. For Chesdin, a product manager at Capital One, these were the very same elements he noticed when he was introduced to the company.

Over a cup of coffee with a Capital One associate, Chesdin learned about our Management Rotation Program (MRP), where recent grads gain business acumen and leadership skills by working with two separate teams, each for a one-year stint. Chesdin—who wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to do with his career—was intrigued by the opportunity to try two different jobs with the same company. 

He successfully applied to the MRP and started in 2020. 

“Capital One brought me in and hired what they’ve deemed is a good person with a lot of potential,” said Chesdin, now a product manager. “This place will help you grow and build a solid foundation for an incredible career.”

Finding career direction

Chesdin was nervous to start his first rotation as a project manager and analyst for a cybersecurity team. He had no tech background and was afraid of making mistakes.

His team and manager quickly squashed those fears. They explained their work to Chesdin and were always available for simple and complex questions. Chesdin grew confident enough in the position to help the team plan and mobilize an education program to help Capital One customers improve their cyber security. 

“There’s a culture here where people want to put you in a situation where you can be great,” Chesdin said. “People respond well when you show a willingness to learn.”

During Chesdin’s second year with the MRP, he worked as a product manager for a software engineering team that handles a messaging platform for texting and emailing customers. He helped manage projects that improved the quality of messages to customers’ phones.

He realized—through his time in the second program rotation—that he wanted to continue working on products that help with customer care. So when Chesdin’s time with the MRP ended in 2022, he accepted a position as a product manager for a Capital One team that manages the platform our agents use when speaking to customers.

“In two years, I figured out some things I did and didn’t like. Both of which are so helpful,” Chesdin said. “It was a big accomplishment for me to finish the MRP and have such a clear idea of what direction to take for my career.”

Investment for the future

Chesdin has continued learning well past graduating from the MRP in 2022.

He regularly sets up Meet & Greets—casual conversations with colleagues across Capital One—to learn about people’s careers and job fields. He blocked off work time to study for and earn certifications in Amazon Web Services and product management. 

Chesdin also volunteered at a Capital One diversity, inclusion and belonging summit, where he answered questions from high school students and shared how he has found a fulfilling career at the company.

“Anytime I had a class, a certification I wanted to study for, or any type of learning, my managers and team were all in on me doing it,” Chesdin said. “I haven’t found just a job, but a career. It’s exactly what I was looking for as a student.”

Head over to Capital One’s profile to learn more about the company and browse open roles, upcoming events, and more.

The post Building a Career at Capital One appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

As you will begin to notice in your job-hunting adventures, no two application processes are the same. When you’re preparing to apply to more than one company it is important to adjust your strategy accordingly.

Application processes tend to vary by company, industry, and job level. It could be difficult to know how to make these adjustments as an entry level applicant. One question that’s often asked from candidates is: What are recruiters looking for and how can you impress them?

At our Job Searching event in January, we invited a panel of industry experts to answer these questions as it pertains to the world of Software Engineering. In our discussion with Tony Burdett, Global University Relations Leader at the NCR Corporation, Heidy Garcia, Early Careers Recruiter at Expedia Group, Iona AlGhafli, TRACK Hiring and Onboarding Lead at General Motors, and Lei Young, Emerging Talent Strategist at Dell Technologies, we learn what it takes to get a job offer at their companies.

Resume Storytelling

When it comes to putting together your resume, it’s best not to overthink things. In our recent virtual event, Tony Burdett spoke about how “your resume is kind of like the story of who you are.” He emphasizes prospective candidates to concentrate on the top half of their resumes and really make an effort to make that part shine. If you are someone without much experience to write about, here is what Burdett suggests.

In addition to your engineering-related experiences, you’ll also want to list all the languages, skills, and tools you’ve worked with and be able to relate that knowledge back to your experience. Are you comfortable with JavaScript and list that as a skill on your resume? Then you must be able to talk about where you learned it and where you’ve applied it as well. As Tony Burdett said, it’s all about the “storytelling” aspect of your resume and how well you can discuss your capabilities and the experiences where they’ve come into play.

Research the Company You’re Applying To

When you’re first starting your career, you are going to be very eager to find a job. This being the case, you might make the mistake of applying to multiple companies at once without looking into them.

While this might seem like you’re saving time, in the end, recruiters can tell if you want a job for a paycheck or because you’re actually passionate about the position. For Iona AlGhafli of General Motors, she believes that what interests potential employees about a company is one of the most important questions that will be asked in an interview. It’s at this time when the recruiter can really get a good understanding of whether or not the candidate is actually passionate about the opportunity.

If you’re applying for a software engineering position, it is critical that you arm yourself with knowledge regarding that department and the recent applications or projects they’ve worked on. Maybe there is a developer whose work you admire or maybe there is a software they work on that no other company is working with. Whatever the case may be, just make sure you have concrete examples to reference during the application process.

Make Use of Every Opportunity to Meet & Learn

The companies our panelists work for (Dell Technologies, General Motors, the NCR Corporation, Expedia Group) are always giving potential candidates a chance to meet and learn a little more about them. In addition to virtual events hosted right here on WayUp, these companies are oftentimes frequenting college campuses for career fairs, info sessions, and more.

Every recruiter we’ve spoken with encourages students and prospective employees to find and attend as many of these events as possible. On the one hand, it gives you an opportunity to meet with recruiters face to face and make your first impression. On the other, it also gives you an opportunity to see if the company is a good fit for you and gives you something to talk about when you’re interviewing.

Whether it’s to get a leg up on the interview and application process or to see if you like an employer, company-sponsored events are incredibly conducive to getting a job that fits you.

Communication is Everything

Before, during, and after the application process, it is important to communicate in a very professional manner. The first thing you want to make sure you’re doing is being responsive. Whether it’s to schedule your interview or to thank the recruiter for their time, communicating promptly will show them that you are engaged and highly interested in the position. 

Tony Burdett recommends that applicants think of who they’re talking to as “people that might be potential networking contacts for the future” and to always leave the door open. 

After an interview, it’s best practice to reach out and thank the hiring manager and/or person you spoke with. However, only reach out once! We know how stressful it can be waiting to find out whether you got a job or not. Don’t let this stress cause you to trouble the recruiter with repeated emails asking about the status of your application as this could make things go south.

How to Negotiate an Offer

If an offer is made, there are four things you can do. You can accept, deny, negotiate, or ask for more time to consider. While those first two options are straightforward, it’s when you negotiate or ask for more time that you need to choose your words wisely.

When you negotiate, it’s best to have another offer to use as leverage. Otherwise, you need to explain the reasons why you think you’re entitled to more money, whether that has to do with your experience or what you’re going to contribute to the company.

According to Iona AlGhafli, candidates should attach the offer they’re asking to match to their negotiation email. AlGhafli states that it’s important to “own the process” and not to beat around the bush or be indirect. 

In the case that you want some more time to make your decision on an offer, it is best to ask the recruiter how long you have rather than decide for yourself.

Don’t Stress Yourself Out

One of the last pieces of advice we got from our panelists, and this is something they unanimously agreed on, is not to let the application process stress you out. While it can be a nerve-racking endeavor, try to look at it with excitement instead of dread! It might seem like it at the time, but this is not the biggest decision in your life. Job opportunities will come and go, but the right one always finds you eventually!

One way to increase your chances of finding that perfect match is by keeping up with us on WayUp. Whether it’s our virtual events, blogs, or job boards, we’re here to help you get that offer. Stay tuned for more career tips and ways to land the job of your dreams!

The post What Are Software Engineering Recruiters Looking For on Applications? appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

There is nothing that compares to an energetic, engaged, and sociable office environment. A place that feels like a second home, where you know everybody, where you can put your best foot forward, and where you can grow and thrive with a group of diverse minds who aren’t just your colleagues but your friends too.

We’re happy to say that such an office exists in the heart of Minneapolis. KPMG Minneapolis has built a culture and community that goes far beyond an office space. In our conversations with employees from the Minneapolis office, both new and old, we discovered what makes their office perfect for those who want more than a run-of-the-mill office experience.

Collective Problem-Solving

A very common worry that a lot of entry-level employees or early career professionals come across is what to do when faced with obstacles. As is the case with any new job, challenges will arise, so this is very natural.

When we spoke with Reece English, a former intern and current Tax Associate at KPMG, he mentioned that having a bunch of fellow colleagues in the same position as him was incredibly helpful. For example, one day Reece was having an issue with a platform he was using at his desk. After firing off a question to a fellow colleague, instead of replying in the chat, she stopped what she was doing and went over to Reece’s desk and walked him through it.

Whether it’s asking a fellow intern for a ride to work or getting a managing partner to look over a review you did, everyone at KPMG seeks to support one another whenever possible.

Social Life

In our conversations with employees from KPMG, we discovered that they cultivate a culture that values socializing and employee interaction. Pizza days, taco Tuesdays, morning coffee and donuts, and happy hours are incredibly common at the KPMG Minneapolis office. These events help build camaraderie and meaningful bonds between employees.

The Minneapolis office even has a basketball team and kickball team. While the basketball team is company-wide, the kickball team is exclusively for interns and gives them the chance to compete in a tournament against the other Big Four accounting firms. KPMG won in 2021 but lost in 2022 so they are hoping for a big comeback next year.

Lastly, the training at the KPMG Lakehouse in Orlando also underscores the firm’s dedication to building a well-connected community. Every year, all KPMG professionals, from intern to partner, head down to the training and innovation center to upskill, socialize, and get to know one another better. Fit with a gym, social venues, and tons of other amenities, the experience at Lakehouse goes to show the firm’s dedication to creating fun and lasting bonds between employees.

Real Experience with Clients

The KPMG Minneapolis office is located in close proximity to clients, many of which are Fortune 500 companies. In fact, Minnesota is home to over fifteen Fortune 500 companies, most of which are audit, tax and/or advisory clients of the Minneapolis office. What this means is interns and associates get the chance to interact and work directly with clients on a regular basis.

Whether it’s through coffee chats, boardroom meetings, or onsite engagements, employees get the chance to work directly with these clients as they help influence business decisions in real-time! For Lilli Denison, that meant no day was the same.

This communal aspect, paired with the client engagement that even interns get to partake in, made Lilli realize that employees at the Minneapolis office would always be exposed to new, exciting, and meaningful work.

A Supportive Network

Another one of the most alluring aspects of the KPMG Minneapolis office is the bottomless support network provided by fellow colleagues and partners. In our conversation with James Powell, the office managing partner in Minneapolis, he spoke about the “pass it forward” mentality that exists throughout the organization.

James emphasized how there is a “whole network of people who, yes, have a job to do, but at the same time also find it very important to make sure that the people around them are successful.” James went on to say how much of a proud culture the KPMG Minneapolis office has and how that pride reverberates off the behavior of employees helping one another. This pride stems from their devotion to helping fellow colleagues and lifting each other up whenever possible.

At KPMG, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been with the company for a day or a decade, everyone is treated the same and given the same opportunities to grow and succeed.

Make the Minneapolis Leap

People choose to stay at KPMG for a variety of reasons. Some include the ones we mentioned earlier, but many of them are discovered by the employees themselves. Whether it’s the support system, the social life, or the paths to success that are paved for each and every employee, the KPMG Minneapolis office is the destination where early career professionals go to thrive.

Learn more about the internships and open roles that KPMG is looking to fill at their Minneapolis office and locations across the country here and begin your road to success!

The information contained herein is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.

© 2023 KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved.

The KPMG name and logo are trademarks used under license by the independent member firms of the KPMG global organization.

The post Day in the Life: Working at One of the Biggest Accounting Firms in the US appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Working with a variety of different people to unlock their financial, personal, and professional goals, the work of a Financial Representative is vast and unbounded. Given that there are so many different options and ways to build your financial health, representatives have the ability to use tools and resources to help design plans for their clients. 

But what does that actually look like? To find out, we spoke with Josh Chandler, a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual, about why he loves working as a  financial representative. 

Despite being at an intern level, Josh has already been given several opportunities to drive his career forward. In our conversation with him, we learn a little bit more about what working at Northwestern Mutual as a financial representative is like and how he became so successful early on in his career. 

Impacting Your Clients

When I first asked Josh what it was about financial consulting and planning that interested him, he shared an anecdote about a family member who he wished had help from a financial representative. 

Today, Josh is inspired to help other people reach financial wellness because of the story his family member went through. For him, working with people from all different walks of life is what really makes him feel fulfilled. 

Although blue-collar folks are Josh’s favorite clients to work with, they only represent a  portion of the clients that representatives get to work with. Maybe you want to help out single moms, maybe you want to work with athletes, or maybe you want to work with people like yourself who just got their first job!  

The beauty of being a financial representative is getting to build your own portfolio and working with the people whose lives you truly get to make a difference in. 

Celebrating Wins

Another rewarding part of being a financial representative is that you get to enjoy celebrating the success of your clients every single day. The work you’re doing with these people is very real and impacts their lives in very meaningful ways. What you’re doing might help someone buy a new car, pay off debt, or even send their child to college! These are all milestones that you get to celebrate with your client. 

I analyzed my clients’ assets, their income, and their goals, and I was able to make sure that they’re aligned and working in synergy. Today, whenever they reach a new goal or check one off the bucket list, that’s a goal checked off for me too. I get to live through my clients and whenever they achieve something it’s also an accomplishment for me.

Josh Chandler, Financial Advisor

It is clear that financial representatives have a really big impact on people’s lives and well-being. This means on any given day, you could be helping someone reach their goals that wouldn’t have been possible without you! It works like this that makes the day-to-day of a financial representative so fulfilling.  

Interns Do the Same Things as Full-Time Representatives

By the end of my conversation with Josh, I had to ask him again if he was still an intern because it hardly seemed that way. Josh had his own office, tons of clients, and was continuing to build his career in profound ways. 

However, a good portion of his success can be attributed to the fact that Northwestern  Mutual gives interns the chance to work as full-time representatives right from Day 1  and work with people who inspire them to succeed. Senior advisors help guide in the beginning and along the way as needed, but the role is still very autonomous. 

Interns do pretty much the exact same things that a full-time advisor does which I think is phenomenal. This is why the internship is second to none because you can test drive the career in the same fashion as a full-time advisor.

Josh Chandler, Financial Advisor

The financial representative internship at Northwestern Mutual is hardly an internship at all. Take Josh Chandler’s story as proof that you can have a limitless impact on the clients you serve while building a business for yourself, but not by yourself. 

Northwestern Mutual is looking for more people to join their internship program and start experiencing what life working as a financial representative is really like! Check out their WayUp profile for more information on jobs, news, and the company itself. 

Northwestern Mutual Financial Representatives are Independent Contractors whose income is based solely on production. 

Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with the titles “Financial Advisor” or “Wealth  Management Advisor” are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide advisory services. 

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM) and its subsidiaries in  Milwaukee, WI.

The post Why You’ll Love Working as a Financial Representative at Northwestern Mutual appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

There are a lot of things to consider as you determine what you want out of a job. In addition to role, salary, and location, one thing that might take high priority on your list is inclusivity and belonging. In other words, being welcomed, wanted, and represented at the company you’re working for.

Depending on who you are and what background you come from, your sense of belonging will be determined by a number of different factors. At Insight Partners, a New York-based global private equity and venture capital firm, they’ve made it a priority to find out what these factors are and how to properly embed them within their company.

Recently, we spoke with Insight’s Dhanya Madhusudan, Director of DE&I Community at the firm, and Isabelle Rodriguez, Senior Manager of Campus Recruiting, to learn more about these diversity and inclusivity initiatives at the 28-year-old investment firm.

In our conversation, we discovered that Insight’s employee resource groups, recruiting efforts, CEO ScaleUp Pledge, and Vision Capital fund are just a few of the ways they promote diversity and inclusion within their firm and the software startups they invest in.

Employee Resource Groups

At Insight Partners, employee resource groups (ERGs) are an integral part of company culture and employee benefits. Currently, Insight Partners has Black@Insight and OUTsight ERGs which focus on the empowerment, continued education, and advancement of Black and LGBTQIA+ individuals, respectively.

As a member of these ERGs, or non-members who are interested in learning more, you can attend monthly meetings, educational series, and panels to discover what it takes to grow and thrive as a young professional. Additionally, a mentorship program is rolled out in which employees can learn from those who have been embedded in the industry and company for a while.

Campus Recruiting

One of the most direct ways to expand representation at a company is through recruiting efforts. Insight’s campus recruiting efforts, led by Isabelle Rodriguez, intend to not only recruit individuals from diverse backgrounds but retain them as well. One of the ways they do this is through immersive learning experiences, including the Inclusion by Insight Diversity Summit.

This diversity summit is a two-day event in which top-tier candidates from minority backgrounds are invited to learn and grow their skills. The goal of the summit is to learn about Insight Partners and venture capital and private equity spaces, but also to grow professional skills in a number of ways. An example of this is when they partnered with Great on The Job, a company that leads workshops on perfecting your pitch, owning your brand, mock interviews, and more.

But what’s most commendable about Insight’s recruiting efforts is the end goal they are striving for.

CEO ScaleUp Pledge

Among Insight’s various DEI initiatives is the firm’s bold CEO ScaleUp Pledge, which Insight’s portfolio company CEOs sign to commit to prioritize DE&I at the executive level and drive tangible change in their workforce. Working alongside the CEOs and their companies, Insight helps them build an inclusive workforce that is representative of various genders, races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, ages, socio-economic statuses, religions, physical abilities, and more.

Those companies that do sign the pledge aren’t only given the resources needed to make these strides, but they are also held accountable by the firm through progress reports. By both implementing and measuring progress on DEI initiatives, Insight Partners intends on making a difference across the many industries and sectors that the firm invests in.

Vision Capital Fund

Insight’s Vision Capital 2020 Fund is putting their money where their mouth is, so to speak. Insight believes that underrepresented fund managers have access to differentiated perspectives, networks, and deal flow capable of driving strong fund performance. The Vision Capital Funds are governed by Insight’s senior leadership and leverage Insight’s network, experience, and operational expertise to support fund managers’ investment and operating efforts.

For Insight Partners, it isn’t enough to make strides just inside their own workforce and portfolio. While the firm’s ERGs, diversity recruiting efforts and ScaleUp Pledge cultivate internal change, the Vision Capital 2020 Fund looks to make change outside of the company.

To learn more about Insight Partners, the work they do, and the sectors they’re impacting, check out their WayUp company profile. There you’ll find information on everything from job opportunities to more groundbreaking efforts that are changing the private equity and venture capital space as we know it.

The post How Insight Partners Is Championing Diversity in the VC & Private Equity Space appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

It’s time to boil down your college experience into a one-page document that sells who you are to a stranger. Where do you list your major? How do you summarize your invigorating internship or great part-time job? What kind of file should my resume be?

We know it can be intimidating putting together your resume. Thankfully, Nyla Walker and Olutoyin Asubiojo, recruiters for our Students & Grads programs, are here to help. Check out their answers to five common resume questions that will help you build a career with real impact.

Q: Should I make my resume one page?

Nyla: Yes. Recruiters only look at resumes for about six seconds, so we need to find your information quickly. You’ll eventually get to a point in your career where you can have a longer resume but stick to one page while you’re a student or recent grad.

Q: How should I organize my resume?

Olutoyin: Put your school, major and graduation date at the top of your resume so we can figure out which of our programs best match your skills and start date. You can also add relevant coursework, research and academic honors.

Your jobs, internships and leadership roles should come next—in chronological order—giving us a glimpse at your relevant experience. Finally, you can have a separate section toward the bottom of your resume for extracurriculars like sports, volunteering and hobbies. 

Q: How do I describe my experiences?

Nyla: Use vivid descriptions, ranges or scales that show off your achievements, contributions and key results. Go deeper than listing a job description. Share how you improved parts of the company you worked for, and make connections between the job you want and the job you have. 

If you’re a cashier, tell us you’re a mathematician extraordinaire and share how you can solve problems quickly. Maybe you worked in retail and organized a sales event. That’s project management. You’ll find ways to tweak your resume for each opportunity you’re applying for.

Q: How should I format my resume?

Olutoyin: Save it as a PDF. This guarantees your resume format will look the same on different computers.

Q: Where can I get help preparing my resume and application?

Olutoyin: Visit our events page for information on workshops about resume building, explaining your career journey, interview preparation and more. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

The post Capital One Recruiters’ 5 Resume Tips for Students appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

While there is a lot of excitement that comes with your first job or internship, there can also be a level of uncertainty that can make you nervous about the upcoming milestone. Given that these are first-time experiences for a lot of people, it is natural not to know exactly what to do and what not to do in these new professional settings.

At WayUp, we help thousands of young professionals land their first job so we are no strangers to the missteps and errors made during these early days. To help make sure you don’t make the same mistakes some of us did, we interviewed a few WayUp and Yello employees to highlight some things to avoid doing in your first job or internship.

Cramming Doesn’t Cut It

Something many of you will learn going into your first job or internship is that the habits that worked in college don’t always work in the professional world. One particular habit that doesn’t cut it anymore, is cramming. 

While a college course often only lasts for a couple of months, a job will hopefully go on for much longer than that. This being the case, it becomes even more important to take the necessary time needed to complete your work. If not, you might end up in a nightmare situation like Jimmy did. 

One way to avoid this is by setting completion goals for yourself. Instead of having one deadline, have multiple, with each one coordinating to a certain percentage of your upcoming task.

Don’t Take on Too Much Work

Another important thing to keep in mind is not to take on too much work. Although you may be eager to show your new employer how much you’re capable of doing, keep in mind that your responsibilities may take some time to get comfortable with.

While it can sometimes be advantageous to overachieve in your work, it is wise not to aim too high when you’re just starting a new job. In the aforementioned situation, Carter tried to take on too much and his work ended up suffering for it in the form of sore arms, likely impacting future shifts, and a messy uniform which most likely made him seem unprofessional. 

Instead of biting off more than you can chew, start observing what other people are doing and maybe take the time to ask some more senior members how they manage time. This way, you can start grasping and comprehending what it takes to get more done in your position.

Stay In Your Lane

This next hazard to avoid is very specific and has to do with the interview process. Applications and interviews can be incredibly stressful with lots of anticipation. However, you never want that stress and anxiety to lead what this person did

In this situation, this individual likely came off as both uninformed and probably a little bothersome. Not only did they make themselves look bad, but unfortunately, they also brought Luis down with them! 

As Luis mentioned, the best way to find updates about your application is to go through your HR recruiter or the hiring manager for the role. Check out this blog to find more great ways to follow up after an interview!

Don’t Ignore Your Sleep

When you’re starting your first internship or job, you’re likely going to have to get used to a new schedule. This means that you’re going to have to start valuing your sleep a lot more and getting a more refined schedule. If not, you might end up falling asleep in a meeting like Jess did during her first big internship in NYC.

This incident is nothing short of a horror story and clearly has remained a lesson with Jess throughout her professional life. At times, it can be very hard to stick to a tight sleeping schedule, especially if you have other things going on in your life like school or family obligations. 

Our recommendation to you is to rid yourself of the unnecessary things that consume your time. That means no more back-to-back Netflix episodes, no post-dinner espressos, and definitely no scrolling endlessly on social media when you’re in bed!

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions

Our last piece of advice when it comes to things to avoid in your first job or internship is something that you should keep in mind throughout the entirety of your professional career and not just when you’re first starting out. While some situations vary, asking questions will always be beneficial – especially when you’re just starting to familiarize yourself with a new role.

The intern in this situation was likely feeling pressure not to come off as needy or uninformed. Instead of clarifying what she was supposed to do and the deliverable that was required, she went ahead with what she thought was expected and ended up making more work for herself in the end. 

As you make your way through your first professional experience, there very well might be mistakes you make that are specific and unique. The most important thing to keep in mind is not to let yourself get discouraged by those shortcomings and instead make it a learning experience that you improve from.

For more career insights and professional development tips, make sure you keep up with the WayUp blog!

The post 5 Things to Avoid in Your First Job or Internship appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Over the past few years, the work-from-home industry has undergone incredible growth with numerous companies shifting to partly or fully remote operations. With this change, a lot of opportunities have opened up for college students looking for part-time jobs and individuals looking for side hustles. However, the rise of all these opportunities has also led to a crowded job market that has left job seekers directionless looking for the right fit.

As a company that helps thousands of young professionals find jobs, we’ve been able to identify the makings of great remote job opportunities. During our search, we came across Appen, a machine intelligence company, and its Yukon Raters program.

As a Search Engine Evaluator within Appen’s Yukon Raters program, you are responsible for rating the quality of web pages and the relevance of search results. Undertaking any number of tasks such as rating automated voices, determining what topics are central and secondary to what a given web page is about, and more, being a Yukon Rater allows you to work at any time and from anywhere you have a computer with internet access

Recently, we spoke with a few former Yukon Raters who were recently promoted within the company to Quality Analysts. In our conversations with them, we learned that the flexibility, the engaging material, the impact of their work, and their ability to grow professionally at the company all contributed to Yukon Raters being the perfect part-time, work-from-home job.

Set Your Own Schedule

As a college student or professional looking for a part-time gig, being able to set your own schedule is a very rare, but sought-after feature. At Appen, you are able to work at any time of day on any day of the week! The work is always there so you can log in and log off when you choose.

While there is a minimum amount of hours you must work, you are still able to complete tasks on your own schedule.

There’s so much that opened up for me because the work is literally there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I was able to take a last-minute trip in 2017 to Japan because the schedule was so flexible. Another instance was when my mother had some health problems and I was able to travel in order to provide care for my family without missing work. I have worked in hospitals, restaurants, and even in a car. For me, it’s just allowed me to really do what I want while earning a living.

Laura James, Quality Analyst*

Chelsea Mitchell, another long-time Yukon Rater turned Quality Analyst, said the flexibility of her schedule allowed her to pursue another job at the same time.

The hours were very flexible. You could work as much as you want as long as you don’t go over a certain amount of hours each week. You could even work in the middle of the night from 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM if you wanted. It was great because I was able to have my other job with the set schedule and then just work around that. I could work on the weekends, I could work three days a week, I could work five days a week, just as long as I met the minimum and didn’t go over the maximum.

Chelsea Mitchell, Quality Analyst

The ability to manage your own time as a Yukon Rater gives people the freedom to pursue other goals in life, both professional and personal.

Learn About Interesting Stuff

Another thing that makes the Yukon Rater position so sought after is the fact that the material you’re looking into is engaging and oftentimes never the same. Due to the nature of the job, having to examine different websites and different types of content, you are exposed to a wide expanse of information. This keeps the job fresh and new!

I think it’s a job where it’s really difficult to get bored. We’re researching different types of information and content that you get to learn about through the process of rating. You get to learn about all different kinds of topics whether it’s cultural things, current events, or cool science stuff. So I think that that helps to keep it really interesting.

Elizabeth Parker, Quality Analyst*

For Elizabeth, she was really interested in politics. So for her, getting paid to read about topics that she finds interesting has been more than ideal!

It wasn’t really a boring job at all and I was always learning something. There was a lot of diversity in the tasks that we would get in our queues every day. You never kind of knew what you’re gonna be working on so it was really cool in that regard.

Susan Garret, Quality Analyst*

While the work the Yukon Raters were doing was enjoyable and engaging, it was just as much impactful to the digital world and the billions of users who occupy it.

You’re Making the Digital World a Better Place

The main goal of the Yukon Rater is to make searching the web a better experience. While this has to do with assessing the accuracy and relativity of web pages and search results, it also has to do with making sure no offensive or harmful material is present. 

For example, this might have to do with a Yukon Rater flagging a children’s YouTube video because it has inappropriate content in it or a rater flagging a blog for containing offensive language. 

One responsibility of ours has to do with offensive-type tasks. One of the big things was trying to weed out upsetting or offensive videos on YouTube. We would also examine videos and pages to make sure there was no porn or racist material which is really important. It’s a rewarding job because I did think we were making a difference. Everyone wants to have a pleasant internet browsing experience and we are helping facilitate that.

Laura James, Quality Analyst*

The Internet is a place full of endless information and opportunity, but it also has some shady and dark places. Luckily, there are people like Laura and the rest of the Yukon Raters keeping the website clean and free of offensive material.

We’re definitely helping to make search a better experience for users and that’s something to take a lot of pride in. Everybody uses search, so it’s exciting to be a part of what’s making that better.

Susan Garret, Quality Analyst*

Ability to Grow Within the Company

During your work as a Yukon Rater, you get the opportunity to grow your skills in a number of ways. Whether it’s research skills, data and analytics muscles, communication abilities, or general knowledge, being a Yukon Rater is just as good for your resume as it is for conversation at a dinner party.

However, Appen and their Yukon Raters program also help you grow your professional career as well. All of the Appen employees we spoke with were former Yukon Raters that are now full-time with Appen working as Quality Analysts who, in addition to other job functions, oversee the raters.

While Appen wants their employees to enjoy the liberties of their incredibly flexible and lucrative Yukon Raters job, they also want to encourage and enable employees to grow within the company. While Raters are invited to become Quality Analysts, they are also encouraged to reach out to management if interested in the position. More often than not, management will give you the tools you need to make it to that level!

So if you’re looking for a part-time, work-from-home job that allows you to work when you want, learn about interesting topics, make an impact on the world, and grow yourself professionally, be sure to check out Appen and their Yukon Raters program.

Start browsing open roles at Appen today!

*Names of employees have been changed*

The post The Ideal Side Hustle You Can Do Where You Want, When You Want appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

The private equity and venture capital space is one of the most exciting and dynamic industries to work in. So much so, that job descriptions often fall short of capturing the incredible opportunities and fulfilling work that professionals get to do.

This being the case, those who want to pursue a career in PE and VC don’t always have a clear picture of what it looks like. To shed some light on what a career in investing entails, we spoke with a pair of former analysts and current associates at global software investor Insight Partners about their day-to-day work. Insight Partners invests in high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries

Sourcing

Analysts are responsible for identifying new investment opportunities in the form of businesses and products, or what’s known in the industry as “sourcing.” At Insight Partners, analysts look to source promising companies in a variety of software subsectors such as FinTech, HealthTech, cybersecurity and more.

Simply put, sourcing is the active process of identifying and evaluating potential investment prospects. The actual undertaking of that can consist of anything from market research and referrals to outreach and pitching. What’s so enjoyable about this part of the job is the excitement surrounding the discovery of a new business or opportunity that no one has come across before!

Talking to Founders

A big part of sourcing is talking to founders and executives. As an analyst, you’re given the opportunity to speak directly with these founders as they share what oftentimes is their life work, and something they have built from the ground up. In addition, being able to speak with some of the smartest subject matter experts across a variety of industries and sectors presents analysts with a massive opportunity to grow and learn about different technologies and domains.

Zack went on to say how thought-provoking it is to listen to someone sharing the most interesting things that they know—things that might have taken them years to find out, test, or hypothesize. For Zack, having access to that kind of information and learning more about the world are what he really loved about being an analyst. 

Becoming a Market Expert

Although talking to founders is a crucial aspect of being an analyst, it is just one of many levers pulled on the track to becoming a market expert. Analysts also need to be well-versed and informed on particular markets in order to evaluate the potential of a business. While much of this is done by individual research, the analysts at Insight Partners have the opportunity to learn from those around them, which makes for an incredible culture of learning and development for all.

For Ana Hugener, the Onsite Diligence & Growth Strategy team and the broader Insight Onsite team were two of the biggest influences to her becoming a market expert. The Insight Onsite team is made up of 140+ operational experts who work side-by-side with Insight’s portfolio companies in the key functional areas of a software company, including talent, sales, marketing, product, engineering and strategy. Onsite’s different Centers of Excellence mirror these company functions.

These Centers of Excellence allow analysts the opportunity to grow in a variety of fields while also setting themselves up for future opportunities.

Diligence

While becoming a market expert is crucial for sourcing, it is equally as important for conducting diligence. The end-to-end diligence for new investment opportunities can consist of talking to founders about what they are building, telling them about Insight Partners, learning about markets, and more. Whether that’s looking at the model, the customer data, the competitive landscape or talking to customers, analysts at even the most junior level are given the opportunity to get involved.

In our conversations with Ana and Zack, one thing they made clear about diligence is how much Insight allows entry-level and junior-level employees to get involved. Right from the get-go, analysts are making lasting impacts and contributions to the firm and their portfolio companies.

Meaningful Work with Meaningful Companies

Whether it’s sourcing, diligence, or portfolio work, one of the most gratifying aspects of working as an analyst at Insight Partners is the opportunity to do meaningful work with companies that make a difference. 

After meeting with these successful analysts, it became clear that the software and technology industry is an incredibly fascinating and ever-expanding industry. This being the case, there is no shortage of interesting companies to work with.

For Zack, his favorite portfolio company that he’s worked with sells software to pharmaceutical companies to help with clinical trials. The software allows the companies to simulate parts of the clinical trial process so that they can get FDA approval for drugs faster. For Zack, this meant he was helping a company that might be responsible for getting life-saving medications and drugs to market faster. This was an incredibly fulfilling opportunity in his day-to-day work as an analyst.

For Ana, her favorite companies to work with were startups that were early on in their growth journey. Ana claimed that these companies are so interesting to work with because of all the questions that still need to be answered and the opportunity to have a real impact on the success of a business. For Ana, growing something from these early stages is what made the analyst role so appealing for her.

Whether it’s sourcing, talking to founders, becoming a market expert, doing diligence, or making meaningful impacts on businesses, the work of an analyst at Insight Partners is an unbounded position with infinite potential. If you’re interested in a role where you can launch your career in private equity and venture capital, check out some of Insight Partners’ open roles today.

The post Day in The Life of an Investment and Diligence Growth Strategy Analyst at Insight Partners appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

When you think of an ideal internship, what comes to mind? Do you think of a sprawling office space in a big city? Maybe you imagine rooms filled with massive whiteboards and colleagues sharing ideas and making moves? Or maybe, you think of an ideal internship as a place where everyone is friends as much as they are colleagues with a fantastic work-life culture?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then the Boston-based e-commerce marketing automation platform, Klaviyo, may be the place for you. Their summer engineering internship is a dynamic opportunity for aspiring engineers to find their footing in the industry and get a taste of the local tech scene in the Northeast. 

We decided to sit down with a couple of Klaviyo engineers, one of whom started as an intern, to find out what it is that makes the program so special. In our conversations with them, we discovered that the hands-on work, vibrant office space, and incredible culture at Klaviyo helped make their internship experience memorable, and their work today as engineers so satisfying.

Building Real World Applications

Everyone we spoke to at Klaviyo agreed that part of what makes Klaviyo’s engineering internship unique is that interns get to work on things that have real business applications and problem-solutions for the company. Klaviyo’s goal for their interns is that by the end of the summer, they will have a project they worked on where they can really see their contributions taking hold.

Maya Nigrin, a former intern and now senior software engineer, recounted how these very real engineering endeavors and projects made her feel like she was progressing in her career.

Maya went on to share that never felt like she was being treated like an intern or somebody that didn’t know what they were doing. The fact that she was trusted to write code, do a good job, and take on difficult projects gave her the confidence needed to grow herself both as an engineer and early career professional.

A Vibrant Office Space

One of the biggest headlines over the past few years at Klaviyo is without a doubt the arrival of their downtown Boston office. With multiple floors fitted with everything from coffee, beer, and snack bars, a large outdoor balcony/terrace, open format workspaces, and even arcade games, ping pong, and shuffleboard, there is little that the sprawling office space doesn’t offer.

In our conversation with Dmitry Mamyrin, a veteran engineer with tons of experience in the industry, he remarked on how much he enjoyed the layout and overall aesthetic of the space.

Definitely not a bad view to have while writing some code or working on a project!

Keeping a Level Head

For Dmitry Mamyrin, it was the way in which his fellow colleagues dealt with high-intensity situations that made him admire the culture so much. Referring to a problem he and his team were addressing, Dmitry remarked that “everyone was so cool-headed during the event.” It made him realize how much he wanted to be a part of a culture with people who, “think critically and seriously, but don’t freak out and continue the process when out-of-the-ordinary events occur.” From our conversations with Dmitry and Maya we could tell that they are impassioned engineers who work alongside a cohort of similarly passionate colleagues who love what they do and the customers they do it for.

As Klaviyo continues to grow, so too does its summer engineering internship and the opportunity it affords everyone who participates in it. For more information on Klaviyo and internship application details head over to their company profile today!

The post How Two Engineers Found Success with Klaviyo and Their Boston-Based Experience appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for your whole life. In addition to weddings, having kids, and graduating, your first job is one of the biggest life milestones. With so much pressure on that first job, or “first grown-up job” as some people call it, there are a lot of things to keep in mind.

You want to impress your boss and co-workers, you want to learn and grow, you want to get along with everyone, and you want to put your best foot forward. With so much to consider it can be helpful to have a list of tips to keep handy for your very first day.

To find out what early career professionals can do to crush their first job, we hosted a Job Searching 101 event with 5 experts from top-quality organizations across the globe such as Jerome Warfield, Senior Recruiter, University Relations at Lumen Technology, Oscar Cid del Prado, Senior Consulting Campus Recruiter with RSM US, Jamilla Smith, Diversity Recruiter at Bloomberg, and Annie Roden, Lead Recruiter, University Relations & Talent Acquisition at Lumen. In our conversations, they highlighted tips for crushing your first job that include everything from how to dress for your big debut to setting goals.

Dress to Impress

College is now over and unfortunately, sweatpants and hoodies will no longer fly as your daily attire. Depending on the company you work for and the industry you’re a part of, the dress code may vary. The best things you can do is one, ask your hiring manager what the dress code is, and two, observe your fellow coworkers and try to wear something that is in a similar class.

What you wear and how you present yourself will shed light on how much you value your job, position at the company, and yourself. Coming in with messy hair, a stained shirt, or otherwise unpresentable makes people think you don’t really care about putting in the effort, even if you do. A safe choice is always a pair of chinos/dress/pants and a casual collared or button-down shirt for guys, and a dress, black pants, and a nice top for girls.

Be Yourself

You’ve heard it time and time again – be yourself. This is a rule that needs to be followed right from the interview and going into the job. Yes, you want to present yourself professionally and as a serious candidate but that doesn’t mean you need to be a robot with no personality!

During the interview, if the timing is appropriate or your interviewer asks you, don’t be afraid to talk about yourself outside the scope of professional work. Who knows if you might even have something in common with the person you’re interviewing that might push your name to the top of the pile! 

When you actually start your first job, it is important to carry the same attitude and personality you had into your work life. Most people can tell when someone isn’t being authentic and just saying what they think people want to hear. Don’t be a yes person, don’t try to suck up, and don’t be someone you’re not! You’re going to be working with these people every single day, so why wouldn’t you want to bring your true authentic self while also having fun and enjoying every day at the office?

Learn how to Converse Professionally

One thing that a lot of people fail to do when transitioning from college to the professional world is learning how to converse professionally. Chances are you’ve spent enough time around friends and family that you’ve developed a relaxed and more carefree style of dialect. While there is nothing wrong with that, you need to know how to switch it on and off when speaking with someone professionally.

That means no slang, doing away with calling people “dude” or “man,” developing an advanced vocabulary but not an excessive one, and working on your body language! For example, slouching, pacing, and fidgeting are all things that will make you seem less professional in a conversation.

Confidence is Key

Right from day one, you need to exude as much confidence as you can carry. First jobs can be scary given that they are new environments with work that might be a little unfamiliar. What you need to do when things are looking a little uncertain is remind yourself that there is a reason why you got the job you did! Your employer saw your potential and now you need to also.

If you aren’t confident your work may suffer, your manager or senior leader might not consider you for other opportunities, and you won’t feel satisfied with what you’re doing. Imposter syndrome isn’t rare, especially for first jobs, so if you’re ever not feeling confident in yourself it’s important to identify the reasons why and either reach out to your peers or mentor for advice and try to grow your skills!

Additionally, it is important not to get too overconfident. While it’s important to be sure of what you’re saying, you need to stay humble and portray a mentality that is willing to learn.

Set Goals for Yourself

Last but not least, one of the most important things you need to do in your first job is set goals for yourself. This is the beginning of your career! When you set goals for yourself over a 6-month, 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year timeframe you allow yourself to be challenged and motivated to grow. 

Maybe you want to land a spot on that project you’ve been eyeing. Maybe you want to get to 6 figures by the time you turn 30. Or maybe you even want to become your boss’ boss! As you observe your goals over time, you will become better enabled to identify the necessary steps to accomplish them. With no goals, you won’t have any way to measure how well you’re doing. So if performance is important to you, objectives must be made!

A few ways to set objectives for yourself include making connections and asking people how they got to where they are. When you identify what people to do to get where they are you become better enabled to get there yourself.

Your first job is an incredibly exciting and momentous occasion. What you need to do going into that experience is take all the happiness and excitement from securing employment and using it as momentum to crush your job! Chances are other people have experienced the same hurdles and hesitations that you’re going through – like us! Another thing that might happen is you realize that a job is not right for you. And that’s ok! More often than not, your first job won’t be your last. So don’t be afraid to hold your wants and needs to a high degree!

Using the tips in this guide will ensure that you are making the best impression possible and doing all you can to grow yourself professionally and personally. So when that first job arrives, and it will, make sure you are prepared to do your very best!

Stay tuned to the WayUp community page to stay on top of all career advice and job searching tips.

The post Industry Experts Reveal 5 Keys to Success In Your First Job appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

From LEGO® and iPads to some of the most complex engineering products in the world, Hari Annamraju has always been interested in the way things are built. For someone like Hari, it was never enough to stand on the sidelines as a student or an impassioned fan. He wanted to live the engineering life and every aspect of it.

Luckily for Hari, fortune found its way to introduce him to T-Mobile and the company’s revolutionary aspirations in developing and emerging technology. Although he started his career with T-Mobile as an intern, he is now working as an IoT Product Manager Intern spearheading some of the bravest innovations in engineering.

Given Hari’s incredible three years with T-Mobile, we were eager to chat with him about why he chose to pursue the internship, what he’s learned since being there, and what he hopes to do with his experiences.

From chasing what he’s passionate about and getting second-to-none exposure to growing as a leader and making lifelong friends, this is Hari’s story as a T-Mobile intern.

Pursuing a Meaningful Passion

One thing Hari reiterated during our interview is that passion is one of the most important things someone can have. It was clear that he was brimming with plenty himself.

The year was 2020 and the gloom of quarantine was just beginning to break the horizon. But in these dark times, something became illuminated to Hari. He noticed that this was a time when everyone wanted to be connected and people were craving human interaction more than ever. 

When he finally came across T-Mobile, a light went off in his head. What better time to join a company connecting people across the country than now?

With his ambitions in engineering coming to a head with a new-found pursuit of preserving human connection, Hari dove headfirst into T-Mobile’s emerging technologies internship.

Second-to-none Experiences

In the three years that Hari interned at T-Mobile, he got the opportunity to work on projects that directly impacted his fellow employees as well as innovators and developers across the world.

The first project Hari worked on was a development called Employee Connect. The question for the project was posed; how can we transform the way all 75,000 employees at T-Mobile work on a day-to-day basis?

The answer was fearless: create software that helps employees align with corporate goals, mature in their careers, and align with one another to create seamless execution on projects and help employees see direct results that make them feel valued for their work.

From leading scrums to flexing programming muscles that he never knew existed, Hari’s first project as a T-Mobile intern was eye-opening. It dunked him into the deep end of the pool and gave him an experience that welcomed him to the engineering industry with a splash.

Although I was already impressed hearing about the two summers that Hari spent working on Employee Connect, it was when he started talking about a platform that would change the way developers build products that made me sit up in my chair.

Offering both a software development toolkit and a hardware development board, DevEdge empowers developers to create the next generation of IoT products while using the Power of T-Mobile’s network. Whether you’d like to control a fleet of drones or you’re creating a mobile Bike-theft defense system, DevEdge helps designers get it done. And Hari was there to make sure that happened.

But hands-on practical experience wasn’t all that Hari would gain during his time as a T-Mobile intern.

What Does It Mean to Be a Leader?

Another alluring feature of T-Mobile’s internships is that they aren’t just building future engineers, they’re building future leaders. For Hari, not a single summer went by where he didn’t find himself growing as a leader and sharpening his abilities to inspire direction.

His first taste of leadership with T-Mobile was as a scrum master and in his contributions to the Employee Connect project. Some of this work even included him advising his senior colleagues and offering suggestions on workload management.

It was clear that in the three years he spent at T-Mobile, Hari turned himself into someone people could really follow and take note of. In describing what it means to be a leader, Hari said that it’s not necessarily about directing people, but more so influencing their decisions. 

The key phrasing here, to “influence someone’s decision” rather than telling them what to do, is what separates Hari apart from other young leaders. Staying humbled enough to win his peers’ respect but intelligent and adept enough to grab the reins when needed.

While his leadership position may have been chiseled during his time in the UofMagenta program, it was when he worked as an IoT Engineering Intern in Washington state this past summer that his ability to lead really came to life. 

Sitting in a boardroom with four of his fellow interns, looking over a view of the Seattle cityscape, Hari and his team were charged with creating a new product using their DevEdge platform. Their own “startup” as Hari referred to it with a chuckle and a grin.

Who would be there to lead that team, none other than Hari Annamraju?

Friendships, Networking, and an Uplifting Community

When Hari spoke about the friendships he forged during his time at T-Mobile, it was hard not to see the company as a thriving social community as much as it was a national powerhouse in communication and tech.

He reflected upon one of the first colleagues he befriended, someone he would chat with often on topics ranging from highly complex engineering concepts like remote controlling full-sized vehicles and fighting wildfires with 5G to banter about the Oscars.

What was also touching about Hari’s first year at T-Mobile was the farewell he got at the end of the summer. After writing a goodbye/thank you message on the company’s messaging app, Hari was delighted to receive several reactions, comments, and responses from fellow colleagues letting him know that the feeling was very much mutual.

It’s clear that the culture at T-Mobile is all-for-one and one-for-all, if not through Hari’s early experiences than through his recent exploits as well.

This idea was underscored, emphasized, and by all means, punctuated by Hari’s recent interaction with a Director at the 5G Hub at T-Mobile – a division looked at as the company’s Excalibur in the world of interconnectivity.

The conversation seemed like two friends swapping ideas in their neighborhood garage. In reality, they were discussing potentially life-changing consumer IoT applications but it carried on as a very amicable and passion-flavored exchange that two casual acquaintances would have. 

It was then that I realized the kind of prosperous and collaborative environment that T-Mobile has created. An environment in which wins are better celebrated when stacked on top of each other.

It didn’t matter that Hari was an intern or that he was interacting with a Director, the culture at T-Mobile purports the idea that no matter who you are or what your position is, you can work, learn, and grow with whoever you want.

What Hari and T-Mobile also seem to purport time and time again is that anyone can do it, you just need to be passionate enough to take the chance.

So what are you waiting for? Start browsing open roles inside and outside of T-Mobiles thriving engineering space today and take yourself from entry to executive.

The post The IoT Adventures of One T-Mobile Intern from Engineering to Product Management appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

As job-hunting experts, we’ve heard every kind of resume advice you can imagine. We’ve partnered with companies in various industries looking to find candidates for thousands of roles and through this work, we’ve identified the golden standard for resume writing.

In our recent Job Searching 101 event, we spoke with leaders from L’Oréal, KPMG, and VISA to hear their words about what an ideal resume looks like. In our conversations, these industry leaders emphasized 5 key factors you should always consider and pay special attention to when writing your resume.

What’s The Best Resume Layout?

First and foremost, when it comes to the layout of your resume, you need to make sure it is one page only. Unless you’re an industry veteran and there really is no way to fit 10 years of experience on one sheet, one page is all you will need.

Additionally, candidates should make sure their resume layout looks simple and clean. Yes, that means no funny fonts or images! Unless you are applying to a position that requires a headshot (like acting or modeling), an image will only distract from the content you are presenting. Always stick to Ariel or Times New Roman in either 11 or 12 sizes. Lastly, make sure you’re writing in the proper tense and starting each bullet point with a verb.

Here are the correct and incorrect ways to talk about a past experience as a marketing intern:

• Incorrect – In my job as a marketing intern, I assist in social media strategy, SEO research, and web development.
• Correct – Assisted in social media strategy, SEO research, and web development that resulted in a 10% increase in organic site traffic. 

Use the Job Description

A resume should never be a copy-and-paste situation when it comes to applying to multiple jobs. This being the case, every resume should be written with the job in mind. The easiest way to do this is to use the job description to guide your resume.

Without copying it, pull some keywords from the description to customize your resume for the job you’re applying to. If a job description requires you to do something like “categorize, organize, and file data in a neat way,” it would be beneficial to describe some of your past experiences using the same verbiage.

Not all the jobs you’re interested in require the same exact skill set, so it’s important to evaluate what each description is looking for and align your past experiences in a similar way.

Contact Information

A lot of candidates might not think this is a priority, but the contact information on resumes is a section that needs to be dialed and 100% accurate and reliable. Starting with your email, you need to make sure you have a professional name and it’s going to an inbox you regularly check. That means you’re going to have to do away with your childhood email (skaterdude1999 and soccerrulez nameplates are no-go’s) and make sure you are staying on top of incoming messages. A great email address to use professionally can be: Firstname.LastName@____, First initialLastName@____, you get the point!

Recruiters have shared stories in the past of candidates who didn’t hear about interviews or sometimes even job offers because they left emails unresponded. Don’t let this be you! Furthermore, if you are graduating soon, don’t rely on your school email to communicate about jobs because your university could shut it off any day. 

If you’re going to include a phone number on your resume, make sure it’s an active line and the voicemail is set up and professional. While it’s not as common, recruiters and employers have used phone numbers to reach candidates who are sometimes unresponsive to emails.

If they can’t reach you, how are they supposed to hire you?

Leveraging Job Experience

For early career candidates and people just starting their professional careers, you may not have a lot of legitimate experience to portray your skills. If this sounds like you, your best option is to hone in on volunteer projects, early leadership roles, or any other extracurriculars you might have been involved in (clubs, sports, and organizations).

Next, we would direct you to the tip we mentioned earlier about using the job description to guide the way you explain your past experiences. Maybe you volunteered at a homeless shelter and you’re applying for a finance role – two things that don’t really line up together. Your job is to find the connection there. For example, maybe you realized the necessity for financial regulation and resources after seeing poverty up close. Or, you learned how to foster meaningful relationships and make contributions to an organization or place.

9 times out of 10 there will be some sort of way to draw a connection from past experiences to the job you’re applying for. What you don’t want to do is write down job experiences on your resume that are flat and have nothing to do with the industry, career, or job that you’re submitting the application to.

The Review Stage

Last but not least in the resume writing process is the review stage. When it comes to getting your resume reviewed, try to get as many eyes on it as possible. Show it to your friends, show it to your mom, bring it to the career center, share it with a professor, and if you’re feeling bold enough, reach out to someone from the company you’re applying to and ask them what they think about it. This shows eagerness and can make you stand out in the crowd.

Candidates spend hours and sometimes even days or weeks trying to perfect their resumes. Getting a fresh set of eyes on it will help you spot some things you might have missed.

The most important aspect of the reviewal stage is that it never ends. After every time someone reviews, after every job application, find ways to adjust and improve your resume. 

If you follow these tips, then you are one more step closer to securing the job you’ve been waiting for. A job that loves you as much as you love it. Keep up with more job advice, resume tips, and career news at the WayUp community hub.

The post The Perfect Resume Guide From Expert Recruiters appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Whether you’re a current student, an early career professional, or just someone looking for their next job opportunity, a question you might be asking yourself is, “Where do I start the job-hunting process?”.

With so many different avenues and ways to learn about new jobs (there are more than you think), the job-hunting process can be overwhelming. A lot of time is spent looking for jobs, applying, interviewing, and waiting for job offers, so it’s important that you use your time wisely. Two ways to do that are by making sure you’re looking in the right places and doing everything possible to accelerate and amplify your job-hunting process.

But where are the right places to look and how do you amplify your job-hunting process? In our recent Job Searching 101 virtual event, we invited Manny Contomanoli the Director at the Office of Career Services at Harvard University, Norma Gaier, the Executive Director for Texas Career Engagement at the University of Texas, John Pearson the North American Early Careers Manager at Unilever, and Cindi Love, the CEO of Out For Undergrad to fill us in on these job-hunting secrets.

Respond to Uncertainty With Curiosity

One of the most important things to remember when starting the job search is not to stress out if you aren’t sure what you want to do. On the contrary, you should take this as a fun and exciting opportunity to explore different things.

Curiosity is going to be your biggest weapon at this stage that is best used in as many places as possible. The more things you expose yourself to the quicker you will find what you’re passionate about and what you want to spend your life doing!

Set Your Standards and Don’t Lower Them

Once you do know what you want to do, it’s important that you set certain standards and metrics for yourself and try not to change them. When you know what you want and exude confidence about it, you are able to express passion for an opportunity when you finally come across it. 

Organic, natural passion is something that recruiters love to see. Don’t be the person who fires off a bunch of random applications just because a company is hiring. If you don’t care enough about a position to look into it, it’s probably not something you want to spend a good chunk of your time doing.

Don’t waste your time or the recruiters! The only time when standards might be ok to be changed, and you’re going to hate us for saying this, is when it comes to the paycheck. Never choose a job just because of what you get paid. Look to the other standards you set to lead the way. 

Think more about things like the work you get to do and who you get to do it with! Having a flexible schedule or the perfect location might take precedence over a higher salary. Additionally, culture, mission, growth, products, and projects should also weigh in on your decisions!

Use The Resources at Your Disposal

One thing that frustrates employers and recruiters is people who don’t use the job-hunting resources they have at their disposal! College campuses, for example,  are full of them. Specifically, Career Centers on college campuses tend to be the most obvious resource for those looking for jobs. 

Whether it’s resume advice, cover letter tutoring, job fairs, or connections to employers who are actively hiring, career centers are a gold mine when it comes to finding jobs.

But college campuses aren’t the only place where opportunity awaits. In our completely unbiased opinion, WayUp is one of the best places for students and young professionals to find a job. Our platform is easy to use and matches you with job openings with the intention of finding you your perfect fit. Whether it’s through our virtual events where you get to meet employers, our blog content full of career tips and advice, or our job matching platform, we are the stepping stone you need. Also, don’t forget social media! The WayUp Instagram is full of great job-searching ideas and tips! 

Besides that, there are tons of other networking platforms like job fairs and LinkedIn that are handy resources to meet people. However, you just need to make sure you’re reaching out to the right people.

Reach Out to The Right People

While networking is one of the most important tools when it comes to job hunting, you have to know how to do it properly. Early career candidates and even people with industry experience repeatedly make the same networking mistakes and waste their time and opportunities establishing connections that are either unauthentic or not really valuable.

One of the most important things to consider when it comes to networking is knowing where to aim. In our Job Searching 101 event, John Pearson of Unilever explained the benefits of reaching out to someone on the team you want to apply to instead of just a recruiter for a company.

“Many companies out there have multiple recruiters so they might not necessarily be recruiting for the role you’re interested in. Instead, reach out to someone that’s actually on the team. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten emails from a director or a manager that was with a department and said, ‘Hey, I spoke to a great candidate on Linkedin. I think he or she would be a great fit for the role. Please set him up for an interview, or include them in the next Discovery center.’ I would strongly recommend that because then it’s a direct pipeline to the personal recruiter who’s recruiting for that role.”

John Pearson, North America Early Careers Manager, Unilever

As John made clear, the internet is your friend! You just have to learn how to use it right. That means doing your due diligence and research to find out who the key decision-makers are and how you can reach them in an authentic way.

At the end of the day, no matter where you are in your professional career or job-hunting cycle, the most important thing you do is take the first step. Whether that first step is touching up your resume, creating an email template, or doing any of the suggestions on this list, the most important thing you do is start!

For more career advice and tips on how to find a job, keep up with the WayUp community guide and look out for new Job Searching 101 virtual events!

The post Job Searching 101: Where Do You Start? appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Finance and business professionals are faced with the challenge of navigating increasingly large volumes of data to make the most informed decisions possible.

Bloomberg, a financial technology company, plays an important role in connecting the world’s decision-makers to accurate information about the financial markets. Through innovative tools such as the Bloomberg Terminal, the company provides access to financial data, news, and insights that help clients turn knowledge into action.

Bloomberg’s Data team is responsible for the end-to-end intake and delivery of data behind the company’s products and services. The team processes billions of pieces of financial information daily and plays an integral role in ensuring the breadth, depth, and quality of financial data for which Bloomberg is known.

In this article, we’ll learn more about the Data department and its ever-evolving role at Bloomberg and within the financial technology industry. Additionally, we interviewed James Hook, the Global Head of Data, about the latest industry trends, his career trajectory, and the traits and skills needed to succeed in Data roles today.

Bloomberg’s Data Department

At Bloomberg, data analysts combine both financial market knowledge and technical expertise to collect, analyze, and supply the most relevant content to clients operating across industries and asset classes. At its core, the team is primarily responsible for: 1) acquiring, modeling, and enriching proprietary and third-party data so that it can be used by clients, 2) providing support to client data queries, and 3) innovating workflow efficiencies that enhance the company’s systems, products, and processes.

Data management is an emerging area that comprises many academic disciplines, including data modeling, artificial intelligence, data science, and data quality management. Individuals who focus on data at Bloomberg are given training and client exposure to better understand how data fits into the financial markets. As the data industry evolves, ample opportunities to expand one’s skill set and experience emerge across various domains.

The rapid evolution of the industry also requires Bloomberg’s data team to adapt to the latest trends and practices to help clients solve their current business problems. The team proactively stewards data that addresses future client needs.

The Career Trajectory of James Hook

During his 18-year tenure at Bloomberg, James Hook has embodied what it means to be an effective team member and leader. At Bloomberg, James has demonstrated an ability to work across different disciplines, first as a software engineer and later as a Team Leader of the Structured Products team, where he developed both technical and financial market expertise to deliver valuable client solutions.

That experience led him to the Data Technologies Engineering team, where he managed the talented individuals who built the systems that onboard the data that drive Bloomberg’s applications and enterprise systems. Now, as the head of the Data division, he focuses on combining domain expertise with innovative data management techniques to increase the overall value of Bloomberg’s data products.

Through his intellectual curiosity, collaborative spirit, and diligence, James has grown his career at Bloomberg. While his path is unique, it speaks to the career possibilities available in Bloomberg’s Data Division. 

Global Opportunities in Data

During our interview, James Hook described what Bloomberg – and the data industry in general – looks for in candidates, and the qualities it takes to succeed and make an impact as an employee.

Successful Bloomberg data professionals can come from a variety of academic backgrounds and share two common traits – first, an aptitude to delve into specific data and financial domains, and second, an appetite for innovation and experimentation.

In addition to developing subject matter expertise and technical skills, data analysts collaborate with a range of stakeholders around the globe, from Engineering to Sales, on product development.

While most of Bloomberg’s employees work in major cities around the world, many data analysts work in Princeton, NJ, a suburban community about an hour from New York City. The Princeton location offers a research campus-like culture and boasts open, outdoor spaces that facilitate unique collaboration opportunities among the departments working there. This location also allows the team to build relationships with local universities and foster a continuous learning environment where new and bold ideas are developed, tested, and brought to life.

With a diverse data team based around the globe in Princeton, New York City, and more than half working in Latin America, Europe, and Asia, James is focused on nurturing a culture of collaboration and inclusivity throughout the department and the broader organization as a whole. 

The Bloomberg Way

Bloomberg runs on data. Thus, developing strong data management skills is critical for Bloomberg’s continued and sustained growth as a company. Positioned at the intersection of technology, finance, and data management, employees have a lot of range to explore their passions and pursue different projects throughout their careers with the firm.

Not only is the culture and environment of Bloomberg special, but also the company’s philanthropic mission makes a real impact on the world and is incredibly motivating.

If you’re interested in learning more about open roles at Bloomberg and taking a step further into the world of data and analytics, check out their current job listings. As the world of data grows, so do the opportunities, so don’t hesitate to make your move!

The post Data and Financial Technology: What it’s Like to Work at Bloomberg appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

As your career progresses, it is natural to start growing curious about other opportunities and new positions. Whether that’s a new job outside of your current company, a different department within your company, or even a more senior title, these desires have a tendency to appear more than once during your career.

Given this inevitable circumstance, it is important to know that your company is willing to support your desire to grow. But what does that support look like? And how do you know your company is willing to provide it?

While we can’t speak for all of the companies in the telecommunications space, we can say for certain that T-Mobile is a place that supports the growth of its employees in any path that they choose to follow.

Recently, we spoke with a few employees at T-Mobile to hear what that support looks like and how it helped them advance their careers.                  

Freedom to Follow Passions

One of the first things that stood out about T-Mobile is the company’s encouragement of employees to follow their passions.

For example, Kasey Liang, a recruiting coordinator at T-Mobile, started her career with the company in a Talent Acquisition internship. Her initial responsibilities had to do with making sure the backend software used to recruit and hire talent was working and also ensuring a smooth transition to a new platform.

However, midway through, Kasey realized that she would “rather be talking to candidates instead of dealing with the software behind it.” What Kasey did next was express these desires to her manager who not only met them with positivity and support but started helping her through the steps to make that transition. 

One thing Kasey’s manager suggested was to start reaching out to those in the positions Kacey was seeking. This would consist of asking questions about how they got those positions, what they’ve done right, and what they’ve done wrong. 

An Openness to Share Knowledge

Across all of T-Mobile’s employees is an attitude of support and encouragement. This means that they will always offer help to those seeking it. As Kasey reached out to other employees at T-Mobile, she was able to learn more about the day in the life of a Recruiter.

The fact that an employee will take time out of their day to show you what they’re doing and even allow you to shadow them goes to show the kind of spirit and camaraderie that takes place at T-Mobile.

Transferable Skills

Another great feature of working at T-Mobile is that you’re going to learn skills that you can take with you throughout your entire career. For example, T-Mobile uses software called Workday that helps employees with a variety of work-related functions. Being that Workday is very popular, knowing how to use it will look that much better to your next employer who may require that knowledge.

As for the recruiting position, one thing you’re going to do a lot of is talking. You’ll be learning how to take large amounts of information like job details and responsibilities, and condense them into chunks of exciting and attention-grabbing bits. In some cases, you’ll have to negotiate pay and contracts. In other cases, you might have to learn how to have complex or difficult conversations.

One way or another, you will be advancing your communication skills every step of the way. Another way that employees would build skills and learn new things would be through T-Mobile’s their own trial and error and exploration of new concepts.

No One’s Going to Be Breathing Down Your Neck

While the environment at T-Mobile is very hands-on and good at offering direct instruction, they also help employees grow by not micromanaging them and allowing them to learn individually. 

By embracing a culture that allows individuals to think freely, T-Mobile is building employees who are able to take initiative and think on their feet. This creates a future workforce of leaders and individuals who know how to get things done.

They Want You to Lead

T-Mobile is a company that has all intentions of expanding and continuing to put its thumbprint on the telecommunications and technology industries. In order to do that, they want to see their employees succeed. Anastasia Byrd participated in a business intelligence internship this past May and today, she is a Senior Analyst. While the road to a senior title is not necessarily easy, it is made more attainable by the resources that T-Mobile provides.

A manager at T-Mobile even once stated “my job is to help you get to where you want to go next.” It didn’t matter if that meant leaving the team and going somewhere else or into a senior position like Anastasia, the manager’s main intention was to enable employees to do what they desire.

Navigating your professional desires, especially when it’s early on in your career, can be daunting. But it is made much easier when you work for a company that allows you to follow your passions and gives you the resources to help you attain them.

If you’re someone who has always been inspired to reach new heights and accomplish your dreams, T-Mobile is an employer that will help you do it. Start browsing open roles today and get one step closer to obtaining your goals. 

The post How T-Mobile Gave Me The Tools to Grow My Career appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Success is more than just an ideology here at Stifel.  It’s about taking the ideas of how to succeed and putting them into action.  These actions permeate throughout our organization, within every department, and at every Stifel branch across the nation.  And it all starts with you.  

Stifel is a place where you can build a challenging, rewarding career with one of the industry’s most diverse, creative teams.  A place where new ideas are welcome and fresh thinking is encouraged.  The kind of thinking that helps us understand and use the forces of the market to be ready for whatever is next.

To make this happen, our leadership makes the well-being of our associates a top priority.  We actively promote a new and different type of thinking, anchored by a commitment to helping you build strong relationships with your fellow associates across the organization. 

So, how do we do that?  Entrepreneurial spirit.  Innovation.  And, of course, diversity and inclusivity.  These are all great ideas on the surface – but at Stifel, we put them into action from the top down.  Our leadership sets the tone with each and every associate, and our mentorship philosophy is where our culture really starts to thrive.  We encourage people in leadership positions to step back and ask themselves, “What did I need when I was coming up in the industry?  Who put a hand out for me?  Who gave me guidance?  How can I turn that around and help others that are entering our field”

At Stifel, if you have an idea, our leadership will listen to it and truly consider it.  Your ideas can actually be put into place pretty quickly.  Our organization is structured like that.  Building on that sentiment, fostering collaboration is another key component to what makes Stifel great.  Our firm is built around supporting not only our clients, but also each other.  This is based on another simple, yet effective, guiding philosophy at Stifel – the “Golden Rule.”  Treat each other the way we would want to be treated and listen with empathy, respect, and with a heart toward understanding.     

Stifel is often described as a large firm with a startup mentality.  Its metaphorical open-door policy means that a junior staff member can easily call a senior manager and speak with them, for example.  Additionally, the family-like relationship that the associates across departments and branches share is something very special and unique.  

According to a study conducted by Coqual, organizations rated highly for diversity and inclusion have 57% better collaboration.  We’ve taken this to heart.  Dr. Benjamin Ola. Akande, Director of Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion, has been an integral force in championing diversity and inclusion initiatives across the firm.

The post Why Choose Stifel?  It’s Simple – You and Your Ideas Are Welcome Here.    appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

When you’re applying for a job, there are several questions that are likely to run through your head. Does my resume need to be updated? Am I portraying myself well? Have I prepared enough?

Unfortunately, a lot of these job application questions don’t get answered until the process is over. However, we’ve been put in a unique position to give you the answers you’re looking for no matter what stage of the application process you’re in. We recently had the opportunity to get those behind-the-scenes answers firsthand.

Recently, we sat down with two junior business analysts at Maximus, a consulting company tasked with protecting health, supporting families, and streamlining government services, to hear how they crushed the interview and application process. In our conversations with them, they revealed what it takes to stand out to recruiters both at Maximus and in the professional world.

Format Your Resume for the Job You Want

Odds are you’ve been hearing different kinds of resume advice over the years – keep it to one page, think beyond your job duties, highlight relevant skills, etc. While some advice is better than others, what Zain Baig, Business Analyst and former intern at Maximus, believes is most important is to format your resume for the job you want.

Zain didn’t have experience in the industry or department that he was applying for. However, by reframing the past experiences on his resume in a way that was aligned with the internship he was applying for, he seemed more like a fit in the eyes of the recruiter.

Make Use of Networking Opportunities

Recruiters and employers also want to see prospective students attend networking opportunities available to them.

While it isn’t likely to land a job on the spot at a career fair, that’s not necessarily the point. Making this first point of contact sets you up for your second, third, and fourth moves. Now you have established familiarity with the recruiter or employer, which will make you stand out in the application process. However, that’s not the only benefit.

Benefits of attending a career fair/networking event:

• Gain more knowledge about a company
• Establish familiarity with recruiters
• Practice interacting in a professional setting
• Find out what you do and don’t like

Whether it shows you something you never thought you’d like or just helps you stretch those networking muscles, there really isn’t a reason not to take advantage of these events.

Know the Basics About a Company

This next piece of advice might seem obvious but is often overlooked by so many students and young professionals looking for a job. When you’re applying for a job, a major red flag in the eyes of recruiters is a candidate who doesn’t know anything about the company.

What Edda did to prepare for the interview process was simple. She went to the Maximus website, clicked through various pages, read about the company’s offerings, and caught up on the most recent articles they published. This gave her just enough information to speak with interest and familiarity for the company, something always stands out to recruiters. 

Be Prepared for Tough Questions

One of the harder parts about applying and interviewing for jobs is answering questions on the spot. This is because there is only so much you can do to prepare for them. Chances are, you’ll be getting asked a question you didn’t expect or have a planned answer for.

What’s most important about crossing this bridge is approaching the question genuinely. If you need a second to think about an answer, politely ask for a moment to reflect. Recruiters will appreciate that much more than you rushing to a conclusion or pretending to know something you don’t.

Additionally, recruiters suggest not to over-prepare for questions with copy-and-paste answers. Recruiters can tell when you’ve put together responses in advance, especially when you’re reading them on your screen. Again, approach the question genuinely and craft your response with care, precision, and grace.

Express a Desire to Learn

While all the tips on this list will help you shine brighter in the eyes of recruiters, the most important thing young professionals should do when looking for a job is express a desire to learn. 

For those who are early in their professional careers, chances are you don’t have a whole lot of job experience. So, what you need to let the interviewer know more than anything else is that you want to learn. But you have to be direct about it! What is it you want to learn more about? What skills do you hope to learn? What position would you like to eventually see yourself in?

By expressing this desire to grow and learn with a company, recruiters will always be more willing to give you a chance to prove yourself.

While both Zain and Edda followed different paths to get to where they are now, they both relied on these core tips to secure jobs that launched their careers.

Now that you know what it takes to crush the job application process, why not try your luck? Start browsing open positions today!

The post Five Job Application Tips from Full-Time Business Analysts appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

There are a lot of factors to consider when determining where you want to work. Location, salary, position, and culture are all crucial details that will impact your experience with a company and ultimately, the trajectory of your professional career.

In addition to these crucial factors, one characteristic that everyone seems to be looking for in a company is an inclusive environment. As we’ve come to understand, fostering a culture that acknowledges and supports people from different backgrounds leads to incredible growth for the company, the employees, and oftentimes the industry as a whole.

But what does an inclusive company look like? And how are you supposed to know if your particular background and individuality will thrive there?

In order to find out, we spoke with Meritage Homes Vice President of Inclusion and Culture, Regina Rivera, and Assistant Construction Manager, Madison Martin, about what diversity means at their company. In our conversations, they spoke about the company’s interpretation of diversity, why it’s important, how the company supports it, and all the benefits gained from embracing inclusion.

Diversity of Skills, Behavior, and Experience

One of the most fascinating pieces of information that arose from our conversation with Regina is how Meritage Homes interprets diversity. Regina emphasized that they don’t singularly look at someone’s particular race or background; they also focus on their skills and experiences.

Being that we think and behave based on our life experiences, this made perfect sense. While someone’s race or gender may have led them to particular experiences in life, Meritage Homes focuses on the results of those experiences. Regina described how they think about diversity “not just through the race and gender lens, but the diversity of behavior” as well.

She went on to talk about how professionals from outside the industry “can speak and share different perspectives and comment on the work from a different angle.” At Meritage Homes, this is what they believe will help drive innovation.

Why Diversity And Inclusion Is Important

At Meritage Homes, the end goal isn’t to meet some quota or percentage. While they do care about increasing representation in their company, Meritage Homes doesn’t base their success solely on numbers. They base it on how well the values of their company are being embraced and demonstrated by their employees’ values that are enhanced by collaboration and a supportive network.

Regina spoke about one of Meritage Homes’ behavior anchor statements regarding “playing to win” and “collaborating as a team.” She stated, “To live out the concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion is to live our [Meritage Homes’] values.” The whole idea of collaboration is to create with people who can provide different perspectives and insight than you. What better way to do that than by creating a workforce filled with people who had different experiences and come from a variety of backgrounds?

While diversity is important in its contributions to the growth and profitability of the company, one of the most important differences it makes is to the employee experience at Meritage—their level of comfort, belonging, and connection in the workplace.

How They’re Supporting Diversity and Inclusion

So it’s clear that Meritage Homes knows what diversity and inclusivity look like and why it’s important, but how do they support and empower it? Meritage is committed to weaving diversity, equity, and inclusion into the company fabric. They emphasize to their team members and leaders that DE&I isn’t something extra that they must do but is a part of strategy and operations every day.

Raising awareness has definitely been a starting point. The willingness to have conversations, acknowledge one’s bias (both conscious and unconscious), and actively take steps to pause and consider alternative ways of doing things is essential.

Through regular communication, training, micro-learning, modeling, linking and labeling behavior, Meritage is sharpening an inclusive leadership mindset and building DE&I skills throughout the organization. 

Today, Meritage Homes continues to lead this inclusive revolution by not only diversifying their employee base but training them to lead in a way that reflects Meritage’s core values as well.

The Benefits of Diversity

While the benefits of Meritage Homes’ actions and initiatives towards diversity are felt in the workforce, marketplace, and workplace, we’d like to concentrate on the workplace as it has the most immediate influence on what the day-to-day will be like as an employee.

Madison Martin, an Assistant Construction Manager, is a perfect example of how Meritage Homes’ inclusive ideals were beneficial. When Madison first came across the job listing, she wasn’t sure if homebuilding was right for her as she had preconceptions about the construction industry.

However, during the interview process, Madison realized that Meritage Homes doesn’t believe in one particular background for any of its roles. 

Madison said this discussion about the value of people with different backgrounds and areas of expertise ultimately helped her make the decision to join the Meritage team.

Madison shared that she immediately felt welcomed and was treated like a member of the team. She has felt both challenged and supported as she has learned her new role. 

Madison joined Meritage Homes as an intern and after a few months, she was offered a full-time position as an Assistant Construction Manager. 

By redefining what diversity means and reshaping what an inclusive environment feels like, Meritage Homes has created a revolutionary culture that is bound to send waves across the industry.

Their lens is a unique one and their mission is a brave one. Will you join Meritage Homes as they seek to enhance the home building industry one job at a time?

Start browsing open positions and internships today.

The post How Meritage Homes Is Diversifying the Home Building Space One Job at a Time appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Landing an internship at Dow Jones is an opportunity to work for a company that makes a worldwide impact. As a global company with over 5,500 employees, our mission is to provide the world’s most trusted journalism, data, and analysis to help people make decisions.

Whether it’s helping our readers make decisions through our flagship publications, The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s Group, or helping companies make decisions with our world-class data and analytics services, we educate and inform people to make choices and form opinions everywhere.

At Dow Jones, it doesn’t matter what area of business your internship is in, you can be certain it will be an immersive experience with meaningful and impactful work. During your internship, you will be working hands-on with real projects and business objectives. Additionally, you will learn how to grow and harness your skills through professional development sessions and networking events with executives and our CEO, Almar Latour.

For insight into the “real” Dow Jones internship experience, read what former interns who have since transitioned into full-time employees have to say. Here’s how they described their internship experience in three words.

The post In Three Words: Dow Jones Interns Break Down Their Summers appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

There is no one set path to your dream job. As you move through life, college, and your early professional career, new avenues will appear and opportunities will begin to show themselves.

While there are several places to look for these new avenues and opportunities, one place that a lot of early career candidates are using to find jobs is WayUp. One individual who used WayUp to find his dream job is Louis Smith, an assistant vice president at multinational universal bank, Barclays.

Recently, we got the chance to chat with Louis to hear all about how he went from intern, to analyst, to assistant vice president in just three years. In our conversation, Louis mentioned some career tips and insights into the job-hunting process, what his internship was like, and why he loves working at Barclays so much.

The Job Search

In late 2018, Louis knew he wanted to explore finance, work in New York, and thought that it would be cool to work at a bank. He knew what he wanted, but he didn’t necessarily know where to find it. What he ended up doing, and now recommends to current job seekers, is find out everything he wanted out of a job – industry, location, position, etc. – and narrow down the search as much as possible.

Luckily, WayUp provided him with the perfect place to do that.

As a lot of college students, early career professionals, and job seekers will find, it can be hard to figure out what kind of job you want. What made things easier for Louis was scanning the market with WayUp, finding out what he did and didn’t like from job applications and filters, and shooting his shot from there. Eventually, he came across Barclays and their summer analyst internship.

An Internship of a Lifetime

While Louis had past job experience, his summer banking internship at Barclays in 2019 was his first major job in an office setting. Besides the fact that he was working in Manhattan, just a few blocks away from Time Square, and doing what he had always wanted to do, Louis didn’t really know what to expect during his summer at Barclays.

As it turned out, Barclays’ summer analyst internship was the perfect combination of exploration and support. Louis was able to explore new territory, learn new concepts, and make significant contributions to the business all at the same time. 

Whether it was financial analysis and modeling or valuation and client due diligence, Louis’ time during Barclays’ summer internship program exposed him to the world of corporate banking and all the opportunities that existed within it. Something that made his time at Barclays even better, however, is the culture, environment, and people at Barclays.

What Makes Barclays Different

The finance and banking industry is massive. That means that there is no shortage of places to work and grow your career. However, each of these institutions has something that sets them apart. For Barclays, it’s the culture and people that make their company stand out so much.

For Louis, going to work meant he would be surrounded by people who don’t just care about performing their jobs, but uplifting and helping one another grow as well. In turn, this helped him appreciate his own role at the company and stay motivated to contribute to the company’s goals as well as his own.

A Community Perspective

While this people-forward mindset is certainly prioritized at Barclays, it goes a step further with employee resource groups. These employee-led organizations, whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with the organizations they serve, have proved to have enormous benefits for employees.

As is the case with the employee resource groups at Barclays, Louis has certainly gained a lot with his involvement in the Black Professionals ERG. Specifically, as it pertains to his interactions with people he didn’t normally get to interact with.

Additionally, Louis’ involvement in the Black Professionals Group has also allowed him to take on new roles and responsibilities. From leading panels and hosting discussions, Louis has been able to grow his skills in massive ways all while demonstrating his capabilities and competence in front of senior stakeholders. Once an intern but now an assistant vice president, Louis attributes part of his success to experiences like this.

What Will Your Path Be?

Although Louis Smith’s path to success was ideal, there are several different routes young professionals can take to achieve their goals. What every ambitious individual should take from his story is to make the most of the opportunities available to you.

If you’re looking for new opportunities that could very well be the jumping-off point for a lucrative career, create your WayUp profile today and check out some of Barclays’ open roles.

The post How An Assistant Vice President Launched His Career with WayUp appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

When you’re contemplating what kind of internship is best for you, there are a lot of questions you might ask yourself. Is this going to look good on my resume? Will I partake in meaningful work? Will it be enjoyable?

Your time is precious. Especially those summers during college when you’re setting yourself up for future success. This being the case, it’s natural to have questions like these and wonder if a company is truly able to give you what you want out of an internship.

Recently, we dove deep for answers. In our conversations with a few current interns at Oxford, one of the leading staffing and consulting companies across North America and Europe, we learned why they chose to work at Oxford and how the company has supported their careers.

What we learned is that meaningful work, mentoring, the encouragement of future growth, and Oxford’s work-hard-play-hard attitude are all factors that contribute to the appeal of Oxford and its internship program.

Doing Real Work With Substance

Lyla Krol, a current intern with Oxford and student at the University of South Carolina, originally thought “interns would do mundane tasks, like printing stuff and going to get copies.” However, this preconception was quickly flipped on its head when Lyla found herself doing work that directly contributed to Oxford’s bottom line like assessing job openings and resumes in order to find matches or assisting account managers in securing sales.

For Chloee Swartz, who is also a current intern with Oxford and an undergraduate student, working with coworkers, consultants, and cold call recipients who she had never met before helped her grow her skills as a communicator which will benefit her in any and all future opportunities she might embark on.

While there are plenty of work-related interactions between interns and employees, there were also training and advisory interactions in which interns got the chance to shadow full-time employees to learn a little more about what their jobs are like.

Shadowing & Mentorship

The opportunity to follow an experienced professional along in their daily role to find out how to perform a role right and wrong is an invaluable experience. So the fact that Oxford allowed their interns to shadow full-time employees meant a lot.

For Evan Johnson, a current sales and recruiting intern at Oxford and student at the University of Wisconsin, shadowing full-time employees gave him a better scope of what the company was all about and how all the departments worked together.

When we spoke with Chloee about what shadowing was like, she explained how they would listen in on recruiting phone calls, and afterward, the recruiter would walk her through the call and how it went, if it was good or bad, and what they could have done better.

Being able to see what these recruiters’ jobs were like firsthand gave Chloee knowledge that she uses today in her current role. In fact, the knowledge she gained may have even contributed to her receiving the role she is in now.

Setting You Up For Future Growth

You may have noticed that Chloee, Evan, and Lyla are all still current interns with Oxford. That’s because they were all given job extensions following their summer internship, an offering that is reserved for the most exceptional candidates but also given out to several of those who participate in the internship.

Currently, all three of them are working from campus, earning money, and working flexible hours while gaining real experience that they can take with them into their future careers.

What’s unique about Oxford is that they want you to succeed no matter what, whether that’s with them or somewhere else. When we were chatting with Evan, he mentioned that some employees he interacted with said they would connect him with people in other industries or write a reference letter if he needed it for another job. While it sounds unusual for someone within a company to offer help getting a different job, this just goes to show that Oxford employees truly look out for the interests of one another.

Work Hard, Play Hard

Yes, internships and jobs are meant to be something you put a lot of effort and hard work into, but they should also be enjoyable experiences. At least that’s what Oxford thinks.

In our conversation with Lyla Krol, she spoke about how the community aspect and social integration at Oxford’s Beverly, Massachusetts office made her experience that much better.

For Evan, those lunches were valuable to him because he got to interact with people he normally wouldn’t be able to interact with. Evan stated that “a lot of the time you wouldn’t really talk to anybody else on other teams because you’re focused on your task at hand. But with those lunch opportunities, we got to network with more of the office which was really beneficial for me.”

It’s clear that Oxford creates an environment where people can grow not just as professionals, but as people too. They are a company that understands if the place you work is fun and enjoyable, then employees will show up and reciprocate that positivity in their work and daily interactions.

If this is a company that you could see yourself working for, one that grows and supports your success every step of the way, then check out some of Oxford’s open roles.

The post Why Are Undergraduates So Excited About Oxford’s Summer Internship? appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

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Whether you’re an undergraduate student seeking your first internship or a graduate adjusting to your first full-time role, we understand navigating professional opportunities can be intimidating.

Fortunately, associates from Capital One are here to help you with the early stages of your career. From making the most of available resources to stepping out of your comfort zone, find out their tips to help launch your career at Capital One.

Take Advantage of Resources 

One of Capital One’s best qualities is that they want to see you succeed and give you the resources to help. They provide resources like interview-prep programs, resume reviews, one-on-one counseling sessions with recruiters, and workshops on a variety of career-development subjects.

Jesse Gvozdas, a Senior Recruiter at Capital One, spoke about what resources a candidate used to prepare for their application. 

We also got the chance to talk to, Olutoyin Asubiojo, the HBCU/HSI Partnerships Lead, who shared that recruiters are also available to help. 

Use the Network!

Capital One’s resources extend well beyond the application phase. Once associates join the enterprise, they’ll find a network of support among their colleagues.

We spoke to Judd Babbitt, a graduate of the University of Virginia, former intern, and current Cyber Security Development Program (CSDP) Associate, about how he realized that everyone around him during his internship was there to support him.

Judd went on to tell us about “skip-level meetings” where interns and associates have a designated recurring time to connect with their boss’s manager to discuss things from goals to current project statuses. These meetings showed Judd how much senior leaders are invested in the growth of his career and within the organization.

Follow the People, Not the Process

Judd was not alone in emphasizing the benefits of Capital One’s vast network of associates. Brittany Courtney, Vice President of Product Management, echoed how colleagues helped propel her to a leadership position within the company.

What Brittany is most passionate about is the idea that prospective candidates and entry-level associates should focus on what they want to learn and finding a mentor.

Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

Another piece of advice from Capital One associates is perhaps the boldest and most unexpected: Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. As calming as it might feel to feel at ease in a role and not be challenged, it is not the kind of environment where growth prospers. In order to grow professionally, you must expose yourself to new obstacles so that you can reach new milestones.

“You have to learn how to apply your superpowers in a world that is unfamiliar. Force yourself to reflect periodically and ask, ‘Am I too comfortable here? Where am I not being stretched?”

Brittany Courtney, Vice President of Product Management

The idea behind Brittany’s advice is to test yourself whenever possible. She said that Capital One is a place that encourages you to take risks. So never be afraid to shoot your shot and make attempts at greatness!

Take the Chance

Are you ready to take the leap and join Capital One? Start exploring full-time careers jobs and internships at Capital One today.

The post From Intern to Full-Time: How to Launch Your Career in Capital One’s Early Career Programs appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

What are you supposed to do when the career you’ve been working your whole life for is no longer an option? For Hastings Reeves, this was a very real circumstance when quarantine hit.

Having received his bachelor’s degree in music performance and his master’s in vocal pedagogy, Hastings had all intentions of becoming an opera singer. However, with performance venues and theaters shuddered due to the pandemic, that was no longer a possibility. Additionally, Hastings had a three-year-old daughter to take care of which made this a situation where he needed a certain kind of job. But first, he needed the know-how.

When Hastings came across Springboard, a virtual learning platform that offers comprehensive, mentor-led boot camps in software engineering, data science, UI/UX design, cybersecurity, tech sales, and more, he knew that it was his ticket to a thriving career.

Today, Hastings works as a Business Intelligence Analyst at a company that suits him perfectly. Recently, we got to chat with Hastings regarding his experience at Springboard and how it helped him get to where he is today.

The Circumstances

When Hastings came to terms with the career transition he needed to make, he knew what he wanted to do but not necessarily where to do it.

With a natural affinity for math, Hastings was drawn to coding and knew he wanted to do something with data and numbers. Additionally, Hastings needed something that would allow him to take care of his daughter when needed.

Naturally, the Data Science boot camp with its advanced curriculum and flexible hours was a perfect fit.

The Curriculum & Coaching

Powered by some of the leading schools of thought and professionals across the industry, the curriculum and coaching at Springboard rivals that which you might find at universities. 

During his time with Springboard, Hastings learned how to build machine-learning models, explored new and complex coding techniques, and began to gain skills that are being employed at some of the highest levels of the data science industry today. As Hastings said, “pivoting from standing in front of a panel and singing arias to a career in data science is not an easy transition.” 

Luckily, the curriculum at Springboard was backed up by incredible coaching to help make that transition possible. In our conversation, Hastings reflected back on the relationship he had with his mentor, AJ Sanchez.

The Contract

One of the biggest draws at Springboard is their job guarantee. After Hastings completed his boot camp and earned his Data Science Fellow accreditation, he was paired with a career coach who helped him locate a job.

Hastings met with his career coach bi-weekly after graduation all the way up to the point where he signed a contract. While Hastings got several offers, he chose to wait for the one he really wanted. One that paid well, allowed him to work remote, and enabled him to grow within the company.

Eventually, after 18 months of hard work doing something he had never done before, Hastings finally got an offer he liked from a company called Velocity Global. It was a day that will stay with him forever.

Quarantine wasn’t kind to anyone but when it came to Hastings’ situation, things were certainly dire. Luckily, Springboard offered the lifeboat he needed to learn a new trade and find a new career path. This January, Hastings will be celebrating the one-year anniversary for the business analyst role he found through Springboard. 

If you’ve been waiting to break into an industry, make 2023 the year you do it. Start browsing all of Springboard’s boot camps today and start building your career toward success.

The post From Opera Singer to Analyst: Find Your Dream Job with Springboard appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

It seems nearly impossible to find a job as a college student these days. And we’re not just talking about post-grad. We’re talking about a job you can do while you’re actively enrolled in school. One that pays well, offers benefits, is flexible, and works well with the oftentimes chaotic lives of college students.

But does such a job exist? One that is actually enjoyable, fun, and fulfilling? We’re happy to say there is, with a company called The Black Sheep.

Offering services that range from on-campus outreach to social media marketing, The Black Sheep partners with brands and companies to help bring their message to college students and Gen-Z audiences everywhere. Employing students from every major and area of interest, The Black Sheep has provided college students with the opportunity to make money, pursue an education, and grow themselves as individuals at the same time.

In order to find out why university students everywhere are talking about The Black Sheep, we spoke with Anna Gollihar, a former Micro-Influencer and now Campus Ambassador with the company. In our conversation with Anna, she spoke about the many reasons why The Black Sheep is such an ideal employer for college students.

Good Pay, Great Benefits

First and foremost, working for The Black Sheep means you’re going to get paid. As a Campus Ambassador, you will make a minimum of $60 per shiftn and about $120-$180 per week, as a Micro Influencer, you can make a minimum of $50 per post and about $400 per campaign, and as a Student Data Collector, you can make anywhere from $25-$75 per week.

In addition to the money, working for The Black Sheep comes with a ton of great perks. One perk, which was specific to a campaign, took place when Anna Gollihar was working for Gopuff during her time as a Micro-Influencer, she got tons of free food directly from Gopuff! 

Gopuff, which is a food & grocery delivery service, basically paid for all her deliveries when she needed products for photo shoots. On top of free perks like that, employees are also offered recommendations, references upon requests, and even resume reviews to help bolster their professional career.

Flexible Scheduling

Another great benefit of The Black Sheep is your class schedule and other commitments are taken into account when working. Students submit their availability to their manager who schedules them around pre-existing commitments! As many of you know, college life can get pretty hectic! From studying and class to social life and extracurriculars, schedules can get pretty crowded.

Anna explained that “before we start a campaign, we approve our dates, and what we are available for with the company that we’re partnering with” in a way that works with everyone’s schedules. At the end of the day, The Black Sheep knows how busy college students can be and they take that into account every step of the way.

Real Work Experience

As a college student, you should always take the opportunity to add more experiences to your resume. In The Black Sheep’s varying roles, you get the chance to do just that all while learning some new skills and meeting new people.

For the Micro Influencer role, you can begin to see what it looks and feels like to work with brands on social content creation while also learning how to use trends and data to direct your content. In the Student Data Collector position, you get the chance to give feedback to businesses while also learning how to conduct yourself in a professional setting.

For the Campus Ambassador position, you will learn how to make pitches and enhance some of your sales skills. In our conversation with Anna, she mentioned that one of the most valuable things she got from the Campus Ambassador experience was a better grip on her communication skills.

As someone who is pursuing law, Anna can now take these skills with her into future aspirations.

Long-Term Growth

While The Black Sheep is a great employer for college students, they are just as great for those who have graduated and are looking for full-time roles with a revolutionary marketing company. As was the case with Anna Gollihar, her time with The Black Sheep didn’t end after her first stint as a Micro-Influencer. 

When she started pursuing her law degree in Texas, Anna rejoined The Black Sheep but this time as a Campus Ambassador. This is because The Black Sheep values lasting relationships and likes to offer its workforce as many opportunities as possible.

Even today as a Campus Ambassador, Anna still does work in the social media department that she was a part of previously.

But even beyond the roles that The Black Sheep offers on campus, they also have corporate positions that you can embark on following graduation! 

Social Involvement and Networking

While The Black Sheep is a job, that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. The Micro-Influencer and Campus Ambassador roles are very social by their nature as they both involve engaging with your communities, whether they be digital or in real life. In addition to the people you engage with on your campus or social media, you also have your fellow employees.

“I really genuinely enjoyed hanging out with the partner that I have on this campaign. So even if we’re having a slow day or it’s downtime on campus and we can’t find many people, we’re still laughing and having fun and hanging out.”

Anna went on to say, “in a lot of ways, it connects you with people on campus. Through all the talking I’ve done I’ve made some friends on campus, even though it’s not a campus I go to.” 

The fact that these jobs allow you to socialize with your peers and potentially make new friends all while getting paid is an incredible perk of The Black Sheep jobs.

Join the Flock

As The Black Sheep continues to grow and partner with new businesses, they are looking for more college students like you to help them with their efforts. There is no reason for you to suffer through college on a budget of ramen and macaroni!

Join The Black Sheep as a Micro-Influencer, Campus Ambassador, or Student Data Collector and start earning money, gaining experience, and building your network today.  

The post The #1 Way to Earn Cash in College While Getting Real Marketing Experience appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Early career programs are designed to empower students with the invaluable skills and resources needed to succeed in the workplace. These programs enable participants to develop the professional know-how they don’t always receive in a classroom setting, while also providing exposure to various job and networking opportunities.

Bloomberg, a financial technology company, offers a range of career-readiness programs for underrepresented college students and recent graduates who are interested in business and finance. The content is targeted to all years, with the ultimate goal of providing participants with career coaching, insight into Bloomberg’s workplace and culture, and access to company leadership.

One example is the First-Year Insights Series, a career workshop aimed at diverse first-year and/or first-generation college students. In this program, students are introduced to professional skills they can use to gain a headstart when launching their careers. By attending a session, students become eligible for tailored developmental opportunities including one-on-one coaching and resume reviews with a Bloomberg recruiter. 

The company also offers hands-on professional learning experiences for students further along in their college journeys. Sophomores can apply for business externships, short-term programs that provide firsthand exposure to the daily demands of a role with the company. In addition to gaining insight into a potential career, externs also receive early access to apply and secure an internship for the following summer.

Bloomberg internships are generally available to juniors and offer more in-depth project work, skills training, and networking opportunities. Unlike the First-Year Insights and externship programs, which occur over a few days, most internships last ten weeks, thereby giving students more time to develop their skills and knowledge, forge a professional network, and make a positive impression that could lead to a full-time job offer after graduation.

Bloomberg has further demonstrated its commitment to nurturing diverse talent through its flagship Discover Bloomberg: Accelerate and <GO> program. An all-expense-paid, three-day immersion event at the company’s New York City headquarters, Discover Bloomberg allows upper-level students and recent graduates to learn more about company culture and gain deeper insight into the day-in-the-life of their desired roles. The event concludes with participants interviewing for either a business internship or an entry-level position.

We interviewed a few Bloomberg employees who participated in these early career programs to better understand how those experiences have impacted their careers. During these conversations, we learned that the mentorship and skills training received during these programs has positively contributed to their professional development and success.

Reliable Support Networks

Finding a supportive network of mentors is a critical part of growing a successful career, especially for young professionals who often lack extensive professional experience and a network. Underrepresented talent doesn’t have as many opportunities to build those valuable connections that could be a source of encouragement, career planning, and perspective. Bloomberg’s early career programs help close that gap.
During his externship, Robert Ashamole, an Account Manager, formed an important relationship with a Bloomberg executive who encouraged him to accept a full-time role at the company.

Robert’s experience is just one example of the peer-to-peer support that exists at Bloomberg. Daniela Arias, an Account Manager, participated in both Bloomberg’s externship and internship programs, through which she also received strong professional support.

Daniela stated that, at Bloomberg, she would always have someone who she can count on for support. When it comes to advancing your career, this type of network is invaluable.

Opening Doors to Careers in Finance

Bloomberg employees work with some of the most innovative technologies used in the financial markets. Participants in these early career programs receive early exposure to these tools, like the Bloomberg Terminal, which gives them a leg up on transitioning more smoothly into full-time roles at Bloomberg or across the finance industry.

Laneika Lyons, a Data Engineer and Analyst, credits her participation in these programs as part of her seamless transition into Bloomberg.

Start Your Journey

There’s no doubt that Rob, Daniela, and Laneika all gained incredible insight and experience during their participation in Bloomberg’s early-career programs. From skills development to networking, these programs have formed the foundation of their successful tenures at Bloomberg. 

If you’re curious about what Bloomberg does and what business career opportunities are available with the company, explore its Discovery and Diversity programs for underrepresented talent.

Your road of accomplishments is right ahead of you. You just need to start walking.

Check out all of Bloomberg’s current opportunities on its profile and get your journey started.

The post How Bloomberg’s Early Career Programs Prepare You for Success in Business appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

When you think of insurance, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s broken windows and flooded basements. Or maybe you think of Jake from State Farm and their auto and car offerings. But what a lot of people don’t think of when it comes to insurance are all the unique businesses that require coverage and the exciting ways in which brokers and agents can offer it.

Lockton Companies, the world’s largest privately held brokerage firm, is constantly redefining the role that insurance companies play in the world of business. Simultaneously, they are also turning preconceptions regarding insurance companies on their head.

Recently, we spoke with two executives at Lockton about what makes their firm such a unicorn in the industry. What we learned was that their approach to insurance, their clientele, the impact they have on businesses, and the opportunities they provide for employees are all factors that set them apart from every other insurance company in the game.

Approach – Consulting Not Selling

One of the most unique characteristics of Lockton is its approach to selling insurance. First of all, they don’t sell insurance. Rather, Lockton is filled with brokers and agents who act as consultants that play an active role in the facilitation of a business. This differs from what people normally consider brokers and agents – salesmen who are simply selling a product.

The takeaway here is that working at Lockton as a broker isn’t a sales role and it’s nowhere near a typical insurance agent position. At Lockton, the consultant approach is what makes the job exciting and keeps it fresh.

This consultant-forward and creative-minded approach is why Lockton stands out in the insurance industry and makes it such a popular place to work.

Clients from Every Industry

From cannabis farms to deep-sea drilling operations, the clients that Lockton works with aren’t who you’d expect. The diversity and range of the companies that Lockton works with are part of the reason why working at the one-of-a-kind firm is so enjoyable.

As mentioned previously, Lockton’s consulting-led approach really allows them to be embedded within a company and understand the nuances of its particular business operations. 

During Josh Luther’s time at Lockton, he worked with a chocolate candy manufacturer and got to see how chocolate-covered almonds are made. He worked with a bakery and got to see all the different bread being made. Josh even had a client that was a packaging company that did the Capri Sun juice boxes all the way to garbage bags and medical supplies. He exclaimed how fascinating it was to watch something start from raw material and get built into a final product that people everywhere will use. 

At Lockton, you’re not just working in the insurance industry. You’re working in all the different industries that your clients are a part of.

Real-life Insurance Impacts

While it can be exciting to work with unique companies and be immersed in their operations, what really lights the fire of Lockton employees is making an actual impact on a business. Not only does it mean you’re doing your job right, but it’s incredibly gratifying and provides a massive feeling of self-worth.

When we asked Lauren Carson about what her favorite project was during her 14 years at Lockton she spoke about a time when she saved a company $1,000,000. After offering the company a full evaluation of their program, engaging in a deep conversation about their business, and understanding where they wanted to take things, Lauren and her team came back with a bunch of creative ideas that projected to save the company a massive amount of money.

On the flip side of that, not providing a company with the right support as an insurance firm can spell disaster for businesses. Josh Luther mentioned that without the services Lockton provides, “businesses could slow down, it could mean a company doesn’t earn revenue. It means a construction team couldn’t get on site do their work and they might shut the job down or slow it down,” for example.

The bottom line is that brokers at Lockton play a larger role in the success or failure of a business than you think, something that makes the job particularly rewarding.

A Wealth of Opportunities

In addition to Lockton’s approach, clientele, and impact, we felt that one of the most important features of their firm, especially as it pertains to students and young professionals looking for a job in insurance, is the opportunities they bestow on their employees.

When we were speaking with Josh Luther he celebrated the fact that the firm grows by double digits every year and how that creates opportunities for their people – both vertically and horizontally.  

Josh explained that if you can become a subject matter expert in a particular field, your opportunities to explore other areas within the firm open up. Not only that, Josh mentioned that they even provide employees with training and education to help them make that move.

Whether it’s the skills you learn or the experiences you have, Lockton has incredible opportunities that are just waiting for you to explore. So if you’re looking to join a revolutionary organization that is changing the way the world sees insurance and the manner in which businesses use it, take a look at some of Lockton’s open roles.

The post What Makes Lockton Such an Uncommon Insurance Broker? appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

As you make your way through college, a common question you might ask yourself is what money-earning opportunity you can find to fill your time, your mind, and your wallet while also finishing your education. Luckily, as the world embraces flexible or remote working arrangements, there are several avenues that are now available for students looking to earn money while in school. One great example is Varsity Tutors – their innovative virtual tutoring platform has been helping students for years by making it easy for them to earn money while pursuing an education. 

Recently, we chatted with a pair of current students who are tutors at Varsity Tutors about how the company is giving them everything they need to pursue an education, gain experience, and supplement their livelihood all while choosing their own hours and making extra cash throughout the week! 

1. Flexibility 

One of the very real aspects of most jobs is your lack of control over your schedule, either getting too few hours or too many while having little say in the end result. 

The desire for flexibility is part of the reason the job market has seen such a shift towards more freelance, gig, and contract opportunities like tutoring. At Varsity Tutors (VT), you have the ability to take on as many or as few students as you want, while working with them to make a schedule that suits both of you. 

2. Work-Life Balance 

Gone are the days when people lock themselves into jobs that consume their entire lives, especially while they’re enrolled in college. While it may be important to make extra money in school it is also important to enjoy and embrace everything that the university experience has to offer.

The allure of having a good work-life balance makes tutoring with Varsity Tutors an opportunity that college students across the country have sought out. Much like the flexibility of scheduling, the ability to balance making money with everything else you have going on is why VT is perfect for someone who is busy. 

Do you have drama club every Tuesday? Have a test you need to study for? No problem, talk to your student and find out a different time that works. 

3. Remote Opportunities 

As the world has come to find out over the last couple of years, remote work is here to stay. A study¹ conducted by video-conferencing provider Owl Labs surveyed 3,000 employees in 23 countries over 6 continents and found that people who have the opportunity to work remotely at least monthly are 24% more likely to feel happy and productive in their roles. 

Since Varsity Tutors offers fully-remote opportunities, these benefits are felt in their entirety. It doesn’t matter if you’re on-campus or at home for the holidays, VT allows you to tutor from where ever you are. Not only is it more comfortable, but the time and money you save on not having to commute or look for a new job for the summer will help you maintain your preferred schedule and cash flow. 

Time is a valuable currency. Use all the time that you save to concentrate on school and to continue building the life you’ve always imagined. 

4. An Opportunity That Grows with You 

Everyone wants opportunities that stay new and fresh. In order to grow and learn you need to face new challenges! Luckily, at Varsity Tutors, you have the opportunity to delve into new subjects as you grow. 

For example, say you tutor accounting while in college and eventually go on to become a CPA after you graduate. Then, you can return to VT to use your knowledge and experience to tutor students who are studying for their own CPA licenses. 

As you advance through college and your career, you will be able to offer tutoring services in more subjects and on more advanced material. This growth can ultimately lead to you making more money! 

¹ Flex Jobs – New Study Finds Remote Workers Happier and More Productive

5. Frequent Payments 

Waiting on money is never a fun experience. Especially when you’re in college where money can be scarce. Luckily, Varsity Tutors is very aware of these challenges for students. In order to accommodate tutors’ diverse needs, VT tutors get paid twice a week! 

This payment schedule allows tutors to focus on tutoring and what they need to do to get through school. No more worrying about when your paycheck is going to land, no more worrying about not having money to spend on the weekend, and no more hitting up mom and dad when you need some extra cash. 

The Perfect Combination 

It goes without saying that being a tutor is one of the most rewarding opportunities for someone trying to grow and advance their career. While the flexibility, work-life balance, remote accessibility, and payment schedule are great, tutoring is really what you make it. 

Take Columbia grad student Raul I De La Espriella for example. Raul ended up finding his love for teaching while tutoring with VT, which catapulted him into an entirely different career path. 

“Through Varsity Tutors, I found that I really enjoy teaching the craft of writing. It’s a special kind of feeling when someone can understand that they can write and gain confidence about it. When I watch a student learn to enjoy writing there’s nothing like it.”

Raul I De La Espriella, Johns Hopkins, MA in Teaching Writing 

After his experience with Varsity Tutors, Raul went on to switch his major from economics so he can pursue a career in education. This is a path he wouldn’t have taken if it weren’t for his impactful experience as a tutor for VT.

Whatever your reason for joining Varsity Tutors, know that it is a place for people who want to grow themselves in more ways than one. For more information on how to start tutoring with Varsity Tutors, check out their company profile.

The post 5 Ways Tutoring Will Amplify Your Financial & Professional Future appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

You just can’t get one-on-one mentoring, highly-technical training, and a job guarantee like the way Springboard offers it.

As more employers look beyond college degrees as criteria to work at their companies, aspiring professionals have begun seeking alternative methods to learn new trades and qualify for roles. But the questions remain – what are the best ways to learn a new skill and how do you know if what you’re doing is worth the time and money?

As e-learning programs and online workshops come and go, Springboard has risen as the premier destination in online learning for the tech industry’s most in-demand careers. With comprehensive, mentor-led programs in software engineering, data science, UI/UX design, cybersecurity, tech sales, and more, there is a lot to love about Springboard’s unique offerings. 

But Springboard’s robust curriculum isn’t the only reason why aspiring professionals are flocking to the groundbreaking e-learning platform. From the self-paced speed to their job-match guarantee, here are all the reasons why you should choose to enroll in Springboard’s online boot camps.

Go As Slow/Fast As You Want

Once you’re admitted into a boot camp, students have the freedom to set their own pace and go as fast as they feel comfortable going. Whether it’s because of time restraints or just to absorb as much information as possible, this factor of Springboard’s boot camps really stands out for students. 

Ability to Pivot into Any Industry

One of the biggest reasons why Springboard is so sought after these days is because it enables people to pivot into any industry they choose. Take Vianey Luna for example. When Vianey found Springboard, she was teaching English as a foreign language in China and South Korea. A few years into her career, Vianey felt inspired to make a career shift into cybersecurity and was able to use Springboard to help her make that leap.

Another great example of someone who made a massive career change with Springboard is Hastings Reeves. Hastings was studying to become an opera singer until the pandemic hit and he was forced to reassess his situation. With a three-year-old daughter, Hastings knew he needed to find income. After taking part in Springboard’s Data Science Career Track, Hastings found the job of his dreams.

From singing opera to working in data science, Springboard made it possible.

The Mentors

Of course, where an educational or training program is going to provide some of the most value is in the mentors and peer guidance that is offered. And when it comes to the mentors that Springboard staffs, no exceptions are made.

Using a system created in-house, Springboard makes sure to stay on top of quality control and the overall caliber of its mentors and teachers throughout the entirety of their tenures. Additionally, Springboard looks to hire people with experience in an industry and a passion to lead.

Career Coaching

One of the best parts about Springboard’s e-learning platform is that it isn’t just an e-learning platform. When you sign up for Springboard, students are matched with a career coach who works with them 1:1 to seize the job of their dreams.

Throughout your entire enrollment in the boot camp, you will have regular meetings with your career coach to discuss things about your CV, resume, and general job-hunting tips. When you complete the boot camp, your career coach ups their involvement in your search and really starts helping you get applications out and taking shots for that dream job!

Whether it’s with help with interview tips or suggestions on how to execute an elevator pitch, Springboard’s career coaches are there for you until you sign a contract. 

Job Guarantee

Perhaps one of the most alluring features of Springboard’s online learning platform is the job guarantee that they bestow on nearly every one of their students. It is one thing to trust an education system or provider to give you valuable knowledge and skills but the fact that Springboard guarantees a job offer or your money back just goes to show how much they trust their program.

Under these circumstances, it becomes much easier for Springboard’s students to fully engross themselves in their education. Without the gnawing feeling of whether or not a job awaits them at the end of their curriculum, students have nothing else to worry about besides gaining a valuable and marketable trade.

Why Is Springboard Right For You?

Whether it has to do with the wide range of tools and resources that Springboard equips you with or the degree of quality in its curriculum and mentors, there are several reasons why Springboard is such a great option to advance your career.

But the most important reason to enroll in Springboard is the desire to grow yourself in one way or another. If you have the desire, Springboard is ready to fulfill it.

At Springboard, you either get a job or your money back. Start exploring career tracks and open-enrollment boot camps today!

The post 5 Reasons Why Springboard Is Your Ticket to a Dream Job in Tech appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Growing up in the shadow of the Boeing JetPlex in Huntsville, Alabama, Travion Crutcher often found himself with his eyes on the sky, contemplating ideas about air travel, or fixed upon the latest toy that he was deconstructing and putting back together. 

Travion always knew that he loved to build things, but it wasn’t until his mother sent him to space camp that he realized his passion could be turned into a pursuit. A pursuit that would involve him finding the answers to the questions he often asked himself regarding the way things worked in the world.

This passion-turned-pursuit would eventually manifest itself into a role at Boeing, the same company he grew up a few miles away from, working on everything from fighter jets to missile defense systems at one of the most cutting-edge aerospace companies in the world. 

As WayUp’s Top Intern of 2022, Travion Crutcher exemplified everything companies look for in an ideal candidate. He applies his passions, he is brave in his decision-making, he tempers wisdom with curiosity, and he exudes confidence with everything he does. 

Recently, we got the chance to speak with Travion regarding his rocket-sized dreams and how they came to fruition during his tenure with Boeing. In our conversation, Travion reveals what it takes to be recognized by your employers and peers on a national level and sheds some insight on the exciting work he took part in the past two summers.

Setting His Sights for the Stars

In addition to the support of his mother, the factors that Travion felt amplified his potential the most are his early involvement in leadership and education-based programs, his organization and execution skills, and his unquenchable curiosity for the unknown.

Travion’s responses to my questions would increasingly shed light on the confidence he had. When I asked him if he had always been this way, he answered in the affirmative and went on to highlight the leadership positions he held from a young age.

Holding down a leadership role in his community as well as immersing himself in the world of engineering, Travion maintained a busy schedule even from a young age. I inquired about how he kept himself on track and he pointed toward his organizational skills.

Although he may not be the first person to use this method, Travion would employ the “aim and shoot” method in which every day started with a list of goals on a whiteboard that would get checked off as tasks get done.

In addition to his commitment to developing everything he learned during his immersions as a young man, Travion’s undying curiosity can also be attributed to propelling him towards success at Boeing and WayUp’s National Intern Competition.

“I was always curious how planes fly or how these big rockets get all the way to space. That’s what pushed me to pursue aerospace and aerospace-related subjects. Growing up my mom got me involved in a lot of stem-related things. I even got involved in a week-long NASA experiment camp where I met people all across the world.”

Travion Crutcher, WayUp Top Intern of 2022

Eventually, when the chance came, Travion knew he had to take his passion and everything he learned to the next level. So he set his sights on the company he grew up knowing so well for their accolades in engineering – Boeing.

Do I Need Clearance For That?

As an intern in both 2021 and 2022, Travion Crutcher’s work with Boeing spanned from fighter jets to missile technology. Although he wasn’t able to tell me much about the work he took part in this past summer, as it relates to top secret advancements in military technology, that only made what he did or didn’t do seem that much cooler. 

What Travion could share with me, however, is how working across different sectors provided him with an advanced understanding of engineering concepts and a deeper appreciation of the things he was developing.

At times, it was hard to believe that I was talking to an intern as the experiences that Travion described to me were in no way minimal. But that is the beauty of companies like Boeing – they empower employees at every level to succeed and achieve greatness in whatever realm makes them most passionate. It was clear that Travion felt this way as he would remark on his appreciation of the company that got him to where he is very often.

Earning a well-deserved vacation, Travion will be spending part of his prize money on an ATV excursion out in Houston where he will be celebrating his anniversary with his girlfriend. If you take anything from Travion Crutcher’s story, know that passion will always fuel your efforts. So if you love something enough, pursue it, and maybe you too can ride off into the Texas sunset with a bag in your hand.

Stay tuned for 2023 as our competition unfolds again and a new queen or king is crowned!

The post Space, Missiles, and Fighter Jets – The Compelling Work of Travion Crutcher, America’s Top Intern of 2022 appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Interviews can be exciting, intimidating, life-changing, and sometimes, all three. As you make your way into the professional world, chances are you will go through tons of different interviews and hiring processes, each one different from the last. 

But if you happen to be fortunate enough to land an interview with Capital One, one of the most innovative and forward-thinking companies in the financial services industry, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

From preparation tactics to presentation skills, here is a list of the 5 Ps that recruiters, hiring managers, and employees suggest familiarizing yourself with if you want to land a job at Capital One.

Preparation

First and foremost, you want to be prepared going into a Capital One interview. But prepared for what? According to Anna, an associate software engineer, she found success by familiarizing herself with life at Capital One and doing plenty of research prior to her interview.

By digging deep and finding some relevant information about the company, Anna prepared herself to have meaningful and in-depth conversations with her recruiter. In doing so, she portrayed herself as both informed and interested in the position, two things that recruiters love to see. 

In addition to gaining hard knowledge of the company and the role you will be undertaking, another thing you can do to stand out is familiarize yourself with the culture of the company. For example, maybe a company does monthly outings or other social events. Mentioning something like that, which may not have to do directly with your position, is a great way to show you want to work at a company and are looking at it from all aspects.

Presentation

Once you’ve dedicated enough time to prepare for the interview, then comes the time to present your knowledge, skills, and most importantly, who you are. In our conversation with Abhishek, a Senior Associate and Enterprise Services Project Manager, he shed some light on what he thinks is the best way to present yourself during an interview.

Abhishek went on to say how at the end of the day, everyone is similar to one another in the sense that we all have lives and interests, and to present yourself as such helps form a connection that will ultimately work in your favor.

At the same time, you don’t want to come off as overly familiar or unprofessional. By combining a personable and friendly attitude with a professional and corporate one, you will be able to check off even more boxes as a candidate.

Patience

Hand-in-hand with presentation skills comes the ability to be patient. Without it, you risk giving off the wrong impression or missing the chance to demonstrate the full extent of your worth. But interviews are nerve-racking! And oftentimes stressful. So what is an eager prospect like yourself to do?

According to Senior Recruiter Kelly, the best way to remain and appear patient in an interview is to listen.

Kelly spoke about how much of a turnoff it is for her as a recruiter when a candidate constantly cuts her off or interrupts her. But she agreed that a lot of the time it’s unintentional. So when you’re interviewing, remember to take a breath, take your time, and try not to worry about filling empty space or replying so quickly. 

There are several things that public speakers suggest in order to help ease this burden. For example, repeating back the question, using a filling sentence like “that’s a great question,” or “let me think about the best example of that” all are ways you can buy time and make sure you answer the question correctly.

Passion

Throughout every conversation we had with the Capital One employees, there was one common trait that they all shared: passion. Passion not only for what they do at Capital One as employees but as individuals and what they do in their personal lives as well. 

Although it may not seem like it, exuding your passions, whatever they may be, will get you very far in Capital One’s hiring process. Just ask Abhishek.

“My recruiter and I connected on a very personal level after I mentioned my love of motorcycles. It was then that I realized that the people at Capital One are real people too with interests, passions, and beliefs of their own.”

Abhishek, Senior Associate and Enterprise Services Project Manager

Whether or not you end up sharing interests with your recruiter doesn’t matter. What Capital One wants to see out of people applying is that they can get excited about something, no matter what it is. So if there is something you love and are passionate about, don’t be afraid to mention it during the interview!

Personality

One factor that bears a lot of resemblance to your passion is your personality. And although they are similar, your personality has to show so much more than what you’re passionate about.

We spoke with Student and Graduates Recruiter Addison regarding what the best steps are to show your personality during an interview and she responded with an ode to authenticity.

Recruiters are able to tell when something sounds rehearsed. And it prevents them from getting a true understanding of who you really are. So during your interview process, make sure you’re confident in portraying yourself not only as a professional but as your true authentic self as well.

Putting It All Together

While all of the tips shared by these exceptional associates at Capital One are invaluable, there is one critical piece of information that everyone should remember, and that’s to apply.
Now is the time to explore opportunities and really see how far your capabilities can get you. So what are you waiting for? Start browsing open opportunities at Capital One today and find the job of your dreams.

The post 5 Interview Secrets for Landing a Job at Capital One appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

As you make your way through college, one very important question you might ask yourself is if a minor is worth undertaking. While not everyone graduates with a minor, it’s a great way to add some versatility to your resume and gain some knowledge that will help you build your career.

When you’re going about this decision, the first thing you have to consider is what your interests are.

You Gotta Love It

No matter what you do in college, whether it’s your studies, extracurriculars, social life, relationships, or otherwise, you have to love what you’re doing. Parents and societal pressures can oftentimes cloud these thoughts but at the end of the day, you should be making decisions for yourself.

So make the choice that truly feeds your soul. Maybe you’re a Finance major who has always wanted to explore theater. Do it. Don’t pursue a minor just because you think it has to align with your major or for some fabricated reason. Choose a minor because it fascinates you and satisfies your thirst for knowledge.

College is a time to explore curiosities and interests of all varieties. And although it may be hard at times, you have to follow your heart in order to fill your head.

Workload

The next thing you have to consider when deciding whether or not a minor is worth it is if you can handle the workload. While passion can fuel productivity, there is only so much you can bare during your college years.

Don’t feel rushed to choose a minor in your freshman year or even your sophomore or junior year. If you have to stick around for another year or two to finish up your courses, don’t feel like you’ve failed!

If you end up leaving school knowing you got what you wanted to out of it, who cares how long it takes you? Of course, it’s important to consider tuition costs but what’s more important is getting everything you need out of your time spent at university.

If you are able to weigh these two factors against each other, workload and passion, you should have an easier time deciding whether or not a minor is worth it.

Always feel free to use your school resources and consult your advisor. And as always, you can rely on the career tips and professional advice that we put out on our blog weekly!

The post Is Getting a Minor in College Worth It? appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Once considered only for their ability to fetch coffee and take orders, interns are now becoming more and more important. Companies across the country are beginning to see these potential future employees both as valuable assets and future leaders, causing a ripple effect across industries.

While some companies are just now catching on to the trend, we at WayUp have known for years how beneficial internships can be for both the people who participate in them and the companies that sponsor them. As a job platform that helps people find internships, we have seen first-hand how talented and driven these young entrepreneurs can be. 

Our support for these so-called “rookies” goes so far that we even came up with a holiday for them – National Intern Day – that we will be celebrating the 6th iteration of on July 28th, 2022.

Featured on The Today Show, NASA, and even Forbes, National Intern Day has taken the country by storm and for that reason, has grown pretty competitive. To increase your chances of making it on our Top 100 list for National Intern Day, we put together a list of suggestions to help bolster your application.

Go Above and Beyond

The first and most important thing you have to do to make your way on the Top 100 list is to be an excellent intern. It’s not enough to be a spectator during your summer internship or just go through the motions. You have to be an active participant who not only accomplishes what you’re assigned but goes above and beyond it.

Another important factor to keep in mind as you’re excelling in your internship is the attitude you have. If you’re able to go through a really busy day, one that really tests you, and you do it with a smile on your face, your manager and the people around you will take note of it.

Take Inventory of Your Experience

On your National Intern Day application, you will be asked a series of questions that have to do with what you do in your internship, what you’ve learned, and how it has shaped your career goals. If you’re not prepared to answer these questions in an engaging and authentic way, then it might be best to take inventory of your experience before applying.

Don’t just repeat what the job description says, speak from the heart and demonstrate that the internship had as great of an impact on you as you had on it. If you’re able to show that the significance of your internship was far-reaching, your chances will undoubtedly increase.

Moderate Your Social Media Presence

If you don’t know already, companies are watching what you do on social media. And when it comes to selecting our top interns of 2022, so do we! With this being said, make sure you moderate your social media presence to portray the intelligent and talented individual that you are.

Those who are more active on social media and demonstrate someone who can engage audiences will definitely factor into the decision-making process of our internship but will in no way decide it! 

Apply Early

Lastly, the worst thing you can do if you’re trying to make it on the “Top 100 Interns” list for 2022 is wait to apply. The sooner you get your application in, the better, so fill out an application and see if you have what it takes to make the cut!

The post How to Enter and Win The National Intern Day Competition appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Depending on your age and where you are in life, odds are you use social media for one or two reasons– entertainment purposes, to keep up with your friends and family, or to share moments of your life. 

When it comes to social media and finding a job, most people elect to keep those two worlds separate. But what many of these people fail to see are all the ways you can use social media to help you get a job. 

As a company that specializes in helping people get jobs, we have identified various social media tips and tricks that can lead to employment. Today, we want to share them with you.

In this career tips article you’re going to learn about the following:

1. Using your profile as a digital resume
2. Networking on social media
3. Social media as a job
4. Using social media for education
5. Learning about employers using social media

As a Digital Resume

For better or worse, social media is a great way to understand what someone is like. And as many of us know, employers use this perspective to gain a better understanding of potential employees. For this reason, many people elect to keep their social media pages private. 

But those same people are missing out on the opportunity to show employers a more personal side of them. Employers want to see a candidate who is interesting and impassioned about life, someone who has hobbies and meaningful interests.

Social media is a great way to show the company you’re applying for that you’re someone who can get excited about things and someone people like to be around. So when you’re thinking about what pictures you should be posting or whether or not you’re profile should be private, keep this in mind.

Networking on Social Media

If LinkedIn showed us anything, it’s that networking on social media is very lucrative. But with so many social networking platforms in the world, why use only one? Every single day, people use the big three – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – to establish connections and help them find jobs. 

While you can use social media as a means of contacting people directly, you should also use it as a way to interact and engage with them. For example, say the CEO of a company gets interviewed and he or she reposts it on their feed. Why not comment on it with an intelligent thought? 

Or say someone from a company you want to work for posts something about an objective they met. Why not use that information to follow up with a question? The more you come to understand social media, the more ways you will be able to use it to establish meaningful connections and maybe even score a job.

Social Media as a Job

While LinkedIn showed us how to network on social media, TikTok and Instagram showed us how social media in itself can be a job. Even before the days of TikTok, people were using their knowledge of social media combined with their creativity and other skills to pursue careers in social media marketing and brand representation. 

Whether it’s as simple as being an influencer for a company and posting a picture wearing their clothes or as advanced as running an entire social media marketing operation, the market is littered with jobs in social media.

Depending on your knowledge of social media and the skills you have, you might be the perfect candidate for a job in social media. Browse tons of social media positions on our job listings page today.

Social Media for Education

With all the garbage that exists on social media, there are still several outlets and pages you can follow to stay educated on job tips, career advice, and more. For starters, if you like a company, follow them on social media. More often than not, they will make a post when they have open positions.

When searching for job tips and information on how you can get a job, social media becomes particularly useful. You can find tons of pages that provide information like resume tips, advice for interviewing, ways to dress, and plenty more.

Our totally unbiased and personal favorite page for career advice, job tips, and updates on the job market is WayUp. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook if you haven’t already!

Learning About Employers Using Social Media

After using WayUp to find current job openings and discover companies that are hiring, take to social media and find the company’s profile. Get a feel for their branding, their voice, and their message then see if it aligns with a company you see yourself working for.

Are their pictures of company culture? Do they promote similar beliefs as you? All of this and more can be better understood by examining a company’s social media profiles and presence. Just make sure the companies you’re looking at are hiring!

Using Every Tool in the Shed

While social media is a great way to help you get a job, we recommend using every tool at your disposal to help lock down that contract you’ve been looking for. At WayUp, not only are we a tool that helps students and recent graduates find jobs but we also talk about it on our blog.

So no matter where you are in the job search process, whether you’re just writing your first resume or you’ve been searching for a job for years, we’re here to help. Register with WayUp for free and start getting matched with employers today.

The post 5 Ways Using Social Media Can Help You Get a Job appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

No matter what industry you’re in or how far along in your career you are, networking is a skill that will always be important. Especially when you’re looking for a job.

Over the years, networking techniques have shifted to accommodate our new digital world and all the changes that come with it. That being said, it can be hard to know which networking trends to follow and which ones to leave behind. That’s where we come in.

As a job marketplace that focuses on getting early-career candidates hired, we know what it takes to land the job of your dreams. And we also know everything that comes before it, including effective networking. 

But now the question begs – what does it take to be good at networking?

Come Prepared

Before the elevator pitch, before you shake hands, before you even say hello, you need to be prepared to have a conversation that’s going to leave an impact. While you don’t always get to choose the time, place, or person you get to network with, you can still be prepared to have an insightful exchange.

For example, it is always important to stay on top of trending news and topics in your industry. Knowing what’s going on will help you fill the conversation and bring up relevant points for discussion. In the case that you do know the person you’re going to be chatting with, make sure you’re up to date on who they are, what they do, and who they do it for.

Listen

While you might be eager to make your pitch or ask your question, one of the most important tips for networking is to listen. Depending on what your end goals are, you may be motivated to network to score a job, learn more about a field, or expand your contacts. But there is no reason why you can’t do all three if you follow this one rule.

No one wants to talk to a person who won’t let them get a word in. Plus, the more you talk, the less time they have to give you tips, information, and insight that might improve the trajectory of your professional career.

Ask Questions

In addition to listening, you need to be able to ask questions as they pertain to what you are discussing. If you have a really good question that you’ve been sitting on, feel free to ask. But asking questions that guide the natural flow of the conversation will not only garner you more information, it will make things more enjoyable for both people as well. 

Some examples of questions you could ask include things like their opinion on how things are going in the industry or on certain news topics, where they would like to see the company in five or more years, and anything else that makes you seem passionate about the work you’re going to be doing. Again, use this as a time to learn information as much as you use it as a time to make an impression.

Use the Internet!

As creepy as it may sound, it’s pretty easy to find people on the internet these days. A simple search of someone’s name and the company they work for will most likely generate their work bio or LinkedIn profile where there will be a way to contact them. One thing to keep in mind is to make sure your account on whatever platform you’re messaging them on is looking good. So no party photos or compromising scenarios.

These days, almost all networking is performed online. So if you haven’t already, make sure your networking techniques and digital persona are in tip-top shape and start building that network!

Stay in Touch

This last networking tip is one that early-career professionals always forget. Just because you’ve made a connection and had one or two interactions, your job isn’t even half over. 

Keeping things authentic and genuine, reach out to your new connection at different times. Keep up with what they’re doing, engage with them online, maybe arrange to have a coffee at a later date, but whatever you’re doing, make sure you keep yourself close enough to be remembered but far enough to not be bothersome. 

In time, these are all networking techniques that you can master and use to your advantage both during and after the job hunt. For more career tips and information on getting hired in 2022, check out our blog.

The post A Step-by-Step Guide to Networking in 2022 appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

So you landed a summer internship – congratulations! Now that you’ve made the obligatory Facebook/LinkedIn post and changed that status to employed, you may be thinking about what you can do to make a lasting impression at one of your first big jobs. 

And no, it doesn’t have to do with what you’re going to wear on your first day of work. At least not entirely…

As a job marketplace, we at WayUp have seen internships of all shapes and sizes. And after witnessing so many talented minds crush their summer internships and secure full-time jobs, we have identified five key factors that contributed to their success.

1. Engage, But Don’t Overwhelm

One very common mindset you might have going into your summer internship, especially if it’s one of your first professional experiences, is to engage and chat with as many people as possible. And while this is true, to a certain extent, you have to do so mindfully

If you are preparing to introduce yourself to someone or speak up, make sure you’re not doing so on impulse. Think it through and ask yourself if it’s really worth saying. Upper management doesn’t want someone around who is constantly asking questions or always contributing their two cents. So make sure what you’re saying really carries weight.

Think – does what you have to say contribute to the task at hand? Are you presenting a new angle or perspective? At the end of the day, people will judge you more on the quality of your thoughts rather than the quantity.

2. Dress to Impress

This next suggestion is really obvious when it comes to summer internships yet gets overlooked in so many ways. Depending on the company you’re interning for, what you are expected to wear will vary. So when you’re starting out don’t be afraid to ask your hiring manager what they expect you to wear and take note of what fellow colleagues are wearing to guide your wardrobe choices.

Another important rule to remember is not to let your wardrobe slack just because you’re remote or virtually employed. It is easy (and really nice) to go throughout the day wearing PJs but putting that extra effort into your attire, even in less than formal video conferences, will make a lasting impression on the people you work with during your summer internship.

Alongside a proper wardrobe, you should also strive to maintain proper hygiene. And it’s just the simple things! Brush your teeth, take a shower, and wear deodorant. No one wants to work with someone who smells bad. Plus, it might make it hard to get invited to the company happy hour.

3. Observe Like a Hawk

During your summer internship, you will be learning an incredible amount of information in an incredibly short amount of time. This being the case, you have to observe and digest every single piece of information and stimuli you see. 

Is there a certain way your manager likes to receive deliverables? Make that your bible. Notice a certain employee receiving a lot of praise? Study what they’re doing and replicate it. Did you overhear the CEO’s assistant saying they only drink one type of super rare coffee from Peru? Go find some and secure your future job!

The faster you are able to pick up on things in your summer internship and adapt to your new working environment the more you will show your employer that you deserve a permanent position. 

4. Volunteer for Everything

It doesn’t matter if it’s to pick up lunch, lead a new project, or squash a bug, if you volunteer for everything you not only become someone people can rely on but someone with experience as well, bug-related or otherwise.

Every time you take up a new task you get the chance to show someone that you can do something right. Naturally, responsibilities will grow and tasks will get more important as long as you’re doing them well. Eventually, those tasks could become recurring and make your importance at the company increase.

5. Send Authentic Follow-Ups

Depending on the size of your internship class, your manager and the active employees at the company you worked with are bound to get tons of follow-ups from former interns who want a job. So you’re going to have to make sure what you say really resonates with who you’re saying it to. 

Maybe you have a certain memory of them you wanted to recount. Or something they taught you that you wanted to thank them for. Or maybe you just wanted to ask them for more advice. Whatever you’re doing, make sure it doesn’t sound like a copy and paste message.

It can be strategic to think of this while participating in your summer internship as it can lead to a more genuine and organic follow-up later on. So make sure you’re taking the time to form meaningful connections with the people around you.

Rinse & Repeat

Before you get that corner office, you need to get a full-time job, and before you get that full-time job, you’re going to need to make a lasting impression during your summer internship. So if you want to make sure you make it through try-outs, keep this list handy and read it before your first night of work.

Haven’t found a summer internship to show off how great you are just yet? Browse all our current openings here!

The post How to Turn Your Summer Internship Into a Full-Time Job appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

When you have an upcoming job interview, it can feel like nothing else in the world matters. You’ve been researching the company, reading interview questions online, and checking out the company’s online profile 24/7 since you got that confirmation email. But sometimes, life happens and you have to cancel an interview.

Don’t freak out. This isn’t the end of the world and if handled properly, canceling an interview won’t affect your chances of getting the job. We promise.

Here’s how to properly and politely cancel a job interview.

How To Cancel An Interview (Even At The Last Minute)

Maybe you were so excited to schedule the interview, you forgot that you have an important class, study session, or exam during your job interview. Perhaps you’re really sick or you forgot that you have to hop on a flight that day. Maybe you got scheduled for a shift at your current job or internship at the last minute.

The job search process can be draining, and this interview seems like an olive branch from life. So, you really don’t want to burn any bridges or ruin your chances of getting the job. But having to reschedule your interview doesn’t have to be a catastrophe as long as you do the following things:

• Reach out to cancel as soon as possible to ensure you’re being respectful of their time
• Apologize and explain what went wrong (without rambling on or oversharing personal details)
• Offer options for a new interview time (try to check out the availability of your interviewer if you have access to their calendar through Calendly or a similar tool)

Stuff happens—and hiring managers and recruiters know this. And the good news is, they wouldn’t have reached out to you if they didn’t think you were a good fit or someone worthy of a possible job offer. So, they’re not going to give up on you so easily.

Example Cancellation Email (That Also Proposes A Reschedule)

Here’s an example of a polite and effective cancellation email that also proposes a rescheduled time:

Hi Matthew,

I’m so sorry to inconvenience you, but unfortunately I’m going to have to reschedule our conversation about the opportunity at Citizens Bank. I’m really excited about the opportunity and grateful for the chance to learn more, but I was scheduled last minute for a shift at my part-time job during our interview time slot.

I am, however, eager to reschedule. Do any of the following times work for you?

• Monday, 3/18 between 12 – 4pm ET
• Tuesday, 3/19 between 11am – 4pm ET
• Wednesday 3/20 between 9am – 4pm ET

Let me know if something during these time slots works for you. If not, please let me know about your availability and I’ll make sure to find something that works for both of us.

Thanks again for the opportunity and sorry for the inconvenience!

All the best,

________

And again, if you do have access to the recruiter or the hiring manager’s calendar, then be sure to find times that are clear on those calendars before you propose new times.

I know it seems like a strike against you, but canceling and rescheduling an interview doesn’t have to be the end of the road for you. In fact, your dream company is probably so excited by your resume that this won’t even be something you remember once you start working there.

Good luck and happy hunting!

The post How To Cancel A Job Interview (Without Ruining Your Chances) appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Product Management is all about organizing workflows to ensure that the limited, precious time of an engineering team is spent on the project with the highest possible gain for the company. As you might guess, being a Product Manager is a job for people with extreme attention to detail, organization skills, and vision. You’ve got to have a sense of the user experience, the engineering process, and—most important—what changes to both of those will mean for the company’s health.

It’s an amazing field that’s right on the corner of tech and business. You build a unique skillset that paves the way for a rewarding, independent, and lucrative career. Product Management is also a field that translates well into entrepreneurial endeavors and roles in more traditional corporations.

However, because it’s a relatively new field, you might not notice many internships or entry-level jobs. That makes it hard to say you have experience in it. It also makes it important to really nail the limited opportunities you find. When you do get your shot, you’ve got to put your best foot forward with the right resume. The proper Product Manager resume will show that you understand the field and are passionate about working in it.

Here’s how to make one.

It’s About Projects, Not Just Experience

Product Managers are constantly working on different projects and micro-projects to implement specific features, bug fixes, and new designs. They’re the people who decide on what and when the engineers are actually going to work. So, experience both completing projects and managing others in the process is the single most impactful quality on a Product Manager resume.

This means that your experience working as a cashier at your local deli is, perhaps, less important than the time you organized a dance-a-thon for colon cancer research with your school club. So, arrange your experience accordingly. It might seem strange to put a large-scale extracurricular project or even a school research project in the “experience” section of your resume, but these kinds of experiences show a hiring manager you’ve got a strong grasp of the actual content of a Product Manager’s work.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be showcasing your previous internships and jobs. Those should come first on your experience list. However, you might want to rephrase how you describe them. Highlight projects you led and executed and use metrics if possible. For example, “Organized and executed phone call campaign including scripting, sourcing leads, and post-campaign analytics.” Or even, “Rewrote website copy viewed by 20,000+ daily users.”

Stuff that doesn’t seem like Product Manager or “tech” experience can actually be quite effective at demonstrating your ability to handle the specific duties of a Product Manager or Associate Product Manager.

Independently Sought-Out Tech & Business Knowledge Is Valuable

Because Product Management is a field that’s between tech and business, you probably didn’t go to school for both of those things. Given that knowledge of both project management techniques AND software engineering are involved in the process of being a Product Manager, you’re going to want to demonstrate an interest in both fields.

The best way to do this is to seek out knowledge on your own and, if possible, take online or in-person courses (even free ones) outside of school or work to demonstrate that you’re really interested in becoming a master of the craft. Plus, the extra knowledge will help you get through interviews and application statements.

For business and related majors, try taking online courses in coding like those available in Codecademy or Coursera. When completed, these can be put on your resume. For tech people, try researching and finding courses in management techniques. If you can’t find an actual online course, read a book about the subject and put it in your “interests” or “hobbies” section on your resume.

Pro tip from a WayUp Product Manager: Learn about JIRA, the most popular product management software on the market. You should also learn about one of the most widely used project management methods, Agile. Both are key terms in the industry and knowledge of them will always be essential.

Interpersonal And Communication Skills Are Essential

Beyond all the technical aspects, Product Managers are coordinators, go-betweens, and middle-people. Communication and interpersonal skills are, therefore, essential parts of the package. This is another skillset you should be highlighting in your resume.

In the description of each of your previous jobs or internships, emphasize any interdepartmental communications you had to handle. If you were a business analyst, you could say, “Served as a vital go-between for the data and management teams.”

These are skills that are valuable on every resume, but for a Product Manager resume, they’re essential. Placing an emphasis on the ability to be a resource for people across departments and even outside the company is really important. These are particularly valuable skills and listing them demonstrates a deeper understanding of the Product Manager’s responsibilities and goals.

Making The Perfect Product Manager Resume Isn’t Hard

Always keep in mind the responsibilities of the job. Making the right Product Manager resume shouldn’t be a great challenge. It takes plenty of tweaking (and perhaps some extra homework). But there’s nothing on a perfect Product Manager resume that’s impossible for a student or recent grad to truthfully list.

Always remember that resumes are the first (and often last) chance you have to make an impression. Plus, recruiters and hiring managers take an average of six seconds with each resume they view. So, you’ve gotta make these key Product Manager skills stand out front and center. Don’t waste time with a long objective or mission statement. Just show them the skills and the focus.

Want to prep for that interview you’re definitely going to get with your shiny new resume? Check out interview tips and everything else you need for career success on the WayUp Guide.

The post How To Make A Perfect Product Manager Resume (Even Without Prior Experience) appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

For a lot of the most exclusive companies, it’s recruiting season. That means coming out to Career Fairs, Job Fairs, panels, networking events, coffee chats, and way more. Top companies are doing everything they can to get on campus and meet with top talent.

But there’s only so much time to look for great talent—which is why you have to make yourself easy to find.

Here’s how to stand out at a Career Fair, networking event, or any other in-person, professional opportunity.

1. Research, Plan, Strategize

One of the best ways to succeed at a Career Fair or networking event is to do your homework. Here’s some of the stuff you’re going to want to find out:

• Who’s going to be there
• Basic info on the companies showing up
• What sorts of roles they hire for

This info will help you make your top ten or top five list, which is a good way to set goals. For example, I’m going to put my resume in—at least—the hands of recruiters from eight of my top ten companies.

Learn a little bit about each company: what they do, how big they are, and what kinds of roles they hire for. This way, you can know whether or not they’re right for your experience, skills, and long-term goals.

2. Come Prepared

You want to look cool, calm, and collected at a Career Fair (or any other event), so pack and dress accordingly.

In terms of dress, you want to look nice, but not naive or tactless, so dress accordingly (check out the “Networking Guru” outfit in this interview/event style guide). Make sure you follow event-specific dress codes (if there are any). You don’t want to be uncomfortable or overly sweaty, and given that these usually take place in crowded conference halls or gymnasium-type places, that can be a risk when wearing a heavy suit or jacket. So, avoid the three-piece, wool suit and opt for a “smart casual” look instead. A nice button-down or blouse and dark jeans are usually entirely acceptable.

Don’t bring too much to a Career Fair or networking event. You’ll look silly carrying around an over-stuffed backpack or a pulling a resume out of a huge bunch of papers. Just bring a small bag (if any), a folder or leather folio containing copies of your resume, and yourself.

3. Make The Transactions

You want to make a genuine connection with your interviewers, but at the end of the day, going to a  Career Fair or networking event is all about the “next steps.” And the only way to move on to the next phase of the process is to take action while you’re there. Here’s what you need to do:

After making a polite, enthusiastic first impression, listening to their spiel, and telling them what you’re passionate about, give them a copy of your resume and ask for a business card. Let them know you’re going to follow up and you look forward to connecting and learning more. If they give out any other next steps (like “go to this website” or “submit an app through our system”), then be sure that you do that before you reach out.

It’s great to connect with recruiters as a fellow human being, but at the end of the day, it’s going to be hard for them to really remember each person they’ve talked to and what they’re about. That’s why you need to get your resume in their hands and their business card in your wallet.

The same goes for you: You might not remember the details of every conversation at the end of the event or the day, so make sure you take notes somewhere about the important details, conversational highlights, and any specific actions you need to take. (Pro-tip: Don’t take notes while talking to the recruiter, rather, use their business card as a place to jot down key talking points to help jog your memory later on.)

4. Follow Up With Action Items

After you’ve successfully completed the above three steps, you’re going to want to follow up with the recruiter you spoke to at the event. Be sure to touch on anything specific you may have noted like a personal detail you remember about them or a website/application they told you to check out.

Things to do in your follow-up:

• Thank them for their time
• Tell them it was nice meeting them
• Include an interesting personal detail to stand out
• Let them know you submitted an app and look forward to hearing from them
• If there’s no app, try to ask an insightful question or for specific advice to establish a rapport

Avoid doing stuff like this:

• Sounding like a template (if it reads like a generic response, it is and they won’t care about your follow-up)
• Being awkward, unprofessional, or try too hard to be funny (it’s a business transaction)
• Asking them questions that you can easily have answered on their website or Wikipedia (it’s okay to ask some questions, but you don’t want to seem unintelligent or unresourceful)

The follow-up email is an excellent touch of professionalism, which is one of the few traits you can actually demonstrate in this type of limited interaction, so don’t waste this opportunity.

One Small Step For You, One Giant Leap At A Career

None of these steps take much effort on your part. However, any one of them can end up being a major signal to recruiters that you’re a person who is prepared for the working world. One of these tips could help demonstrate that you’re ready for the big leagues of a major internship or full-time, post-grad gig.

So, be thoughtful about your next Career Fair or networking event, and you might just end up with a job that starts an amazing career.

For more recruiting, interviewing, and application tips, check out the WayUp Guide.

The post How To Stand Out At Career Fairs And Recruiting Events: 4 Steps To An Interview appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

How many times have you been preparing for an interview (or even sitting in the actual interview) and thought, ‘What if I could just read their minds and find out what they want me to say?’

Well, OppenheimerFunds—home to one of the most competitive financial services internship programs in the country—has heard your cries. The global asset management firm gave us an exclusive look into what its interviewers look for during those critical few minutes you get with them.

Here are five things that OppenheimerFunds wants you to do during an interview.

1. Know Thy Company

OppenheimerFunds is a company that’s always on the cutting edge of its field. It has changed the face of asset management with innovative funds and continues to do so by investing in new kinds of FinTech.

This means there’s plenty of opportunity for you to show that you’re knowledgeable about the business, where’s it been, and where it’s headed. You don’t have to write the book on OppenheimerFunds. But make sure you check out its website, read pertinent articles, and familiarize yourself with its history. Know what the new products and initiatives are, and make sure you understand the industry.

After all, if you’re going to be adding value to the team, you have to know what value means for that team in the first place.

2. Be Prepared To Discuss How This Position Sets Up Your Future Goals

OppenheimerFunds isn’t a massive company. With around 2,200 employees, it makes sure that it invests in every person it hires—full-time or intern. That’s why you have to be sure that you can spell out—to a reasonable degree—what working at OF would mean for your career.

But don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be a 30-year plan (or even a 10-year plan). Just be honest about how the company help you. If you’re unsure about what you want to do in the future, think hard about why OF is the right stepping stone. For example, you could say, “OF would be a great fit because I’m interested in building a career in public finance. Learning more about the company’s infrastructure fund would help me understand the industry while utilizing my talent for investment.”

This way, you’ll make sure that when your interviewer asks you why you want the position, you don’t just say, “Because I need a job.” or “Because I want to work in finance.”

3. Show That Your Skills Can Help The Company Grow

The best internships and entry-level jobs aren’t just about your development. They’re about contributing to the company’s mission. This is a blessing and a burden, because it means you have real responsibilities.

To show you’re ready for this, you’ll need to demonstrate that you have the skills and the ability to handle the job. At this stage of your life, you’re not going to be able to talk about your extensive professional experience. But you can communicate soft skills like interpersonal communication, detail-orientation, and analytical problem-solving. Just be prepared to give examples, whether they’re from previous internships, part-time jobs, the classroom, extracurricular activities, or even hobbies.

These types of broad skills make you a versatile and exceptional candidate for a company like OF, which invests so much to train and educate its employees.

4. Show That You’re Always Learning

To work at a company that invests in your future, you need to be genuinely receptive to actually growing. You have to make sure that your interviewer knows that you’re a quick study and a dedicated learner. This is so critical for any entry-level job or internship because, regardless of your achievements, you still have so much to learn.

A fast learner who admits she has plenty to learn is always more appealing to an interviewer than someone—no matter how impressive—who prematurely claims to be an expert.

5. Do NOT Gloss Over The Details

All of this only matters if you’re on time, appropriately dressed, showcase your experience, and actively engage with what the interviewer(s) is/are saying.

So much of the interview process is demonstrating that you’re a person who can listen, understand, and engage with the people and places around you. Don’t get in your own head and BE PRESENT! That means not only answering but also asking the right questions.

Are you a detail-oriented, proactive, and soon-to-be expert who wants to start a career in an innovative asset management firm? Then check out opportunities from OppenheimerFunds on WayUp right now!

The post This Company Wants You To Do These 5 Things During Your Interview appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

This is a guest post by Mary for Student Stories. 

Before I started my internship, I thought the most challenging part of my new position (‘Accounting and Finance Intern’) would be fulfilling my job description. However, I soon realized that I was capable of doing my tasks easily enough. The real challenge of my internship, was working with some of my colleagues. I always thought I was good with people (after being told so many times), but I soon realized that being able to interact with people was not the same as creating solutions with co-workers.

One of my main projects, throughout my internship, was to update forms so that my colleagues had the necessary tools to comply with new legislation associated with the Affordable Health Care Act.  I was also tasked with informing employees about how they would be affected by the new legislation and what they would need to do to comply with these laws.
Before I presented this information to my co-workers, updated the forms and put those forms into the database, I needed to present (and receive approval from) a woman in my accounting group. I will reframe from saying her name in respect for her position and to remain professional. Now, she was a nice women- but she was going through a difficult time. Her pet had recently died and she had been very close it. Whenever I would attempt to talk to her about the project or go through the presentation, she would turn the conversation into a theory session, where she would talk about personal matters.

During those conversations, all I could think about were all the instructions I had received from teachers, advisors, and even family about the importance of separating one’s personal life from how they interacted with co-workers. And in those moments, I realized why it was so important to separate ones personal life to work life. Instead of being productive, I felt like it was necessary for me to be sympathetic and listen to her problems. Yet, I also needed to complete my tasks. After going through this frustrating process multiply times, of being forced to act as her friend (instead of subordinate or colleague), I decided to change my approach.

When I asked for her for feedback, she would become distracted with her own life, so I stopped asking her for feedback. I began to ask her specific questions.  “What did you think of slide 8? Did you think the statistic on slide 3 was effective? Did the formatting in this presentation make it easy to digest the information?” And so forth, until I got the feedback I needed to make the project succeed. I was happy because I was able to do what was necessary to make the project successful and to help the company comply with legislation. While, my colleague was happy with my progress, the project, and my ability to help the company comply with important legislative.

It became evident to me, after I completed this internship, that learning how to effectively communicate in a business environment was an essential skill. Being able to use tricks like using specific dialogue to shape a conversation (to obtain the information one needs) to achieve an assigned or necessary task, helped on complete their necessary tasks.  Communication is vital to a person’s success in business, whether the mode of the conversation be e-mail, face-to-face, or even large group presentations. Without good communication, the inflow and outflow of information becomes diluted and difficult to manage, but with good communication, one can save time, energy, and results in one doing their best job possible. This is how, through my first internship, I learned that communication is the root of all business and being able to communicate makes almost any task possible.

About the Author:

Mary is a 20-year-old junior business major, who loves running her own jewelry business with friends, hanging out on the beach, and reading business articles in the wall street journal, yahoo.com, and anywhere else she can find them. 

The post Communication: Essential to All Business Relationships appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.