One of the biggest mistakes you can make in the job interview process is not following up your interview with a “thank you.”  Bottom line: not sending a “thank you” note can be interpreted as a total lack of interest in the position.

When you get home from an interview (or to a coffee shop, library or other wifi enabled location) draft an email thank you to send to your interviewer.

Here are some simple tips for the post-interview “interview:” 

Make the note personalized.  While the format can be a template from previous use, ensure that you are adding both a mutual interest or interesting direct discussion that came up in the meeting while reiterating in a single sentence why you’re the perfect fit for the role.

PRO EXAMPLE:  “I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me today. Your perspectives and insights only strengthened my knowing that I am the perfect candidate for the position. It was also interesting hearing how you too fell victim to the drop bear while in Australia.”

Send a handwritten note.  Reiterate your appreciation of their taking the time to interview you and confidently include that you look forward to joining the team and working to drive success. (These notes should be on professional thank you notes, written legibly, with matching envelopes and mailed the same day as the interview)

PRO EXAMPLE:  “I look forward to the next step in the process and am excited to begin working alongside the team and fulfilling the clients needs.”

Sit back and relax.  At this point you don’t want to bombard your contact and besides, you’ve already had a great interview, sent an email thanking them, and reminded them that you are the perfect fit with a handwritten note.

Now, completing the above increases your odds of landing the job, according to resume and job hunting expert Ellen Gordon Reeves but doesn’t make it a sure thing. If a week goes by (yes, an entire week) and you do not hear back, simply send an additional email to your contact requesting the status of the position.

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Today, companies often prescreen candidates on Skype before bringing potential employees into the main office for an in-person meeting. Others use Skype to connect remotely with colleagues in different locations. Observing job-seekers on Skype made it clear to me that many people don’t know how to use this technology to their best advantage.

Here are 6 Suggestions to help you use and interview effectively using Skype:

1. Test the equipment before a meeting or interview. Make sure your Skype connection is working properly. Five minutes before the start of a meeting is not the time to find out that you do not have any volume.
2. Use a nondistracting background that is clear and uncluttered. Make sure your location has good lighting. Be careful if you have a window behind you. If it is bright outside, you will appear as a dark silhouette. Run a test with a friend or colleague to make sure you look good in your surroundings.
3. Practice. Remember you are creating a snapshot of yourself. Practice so that you know how you come across. People tend to over gesture. His behavior is distracting when you are on Skype.
4. Make sure your clothing is appropriate. Just because you are not meeting in person does not mean the interviewer or business associate cannot see what you are wearing. And don’t assume only your upper body is showing. Dress professionally from head to toe.
5. Smile. Let your personality shine through. Speak audibly and clearly. Talk to the camera—keep in mind that when you are looking at your computer screen, you may appear to be looking down; when you look directly at the camera, you will appear to be looking your Skype partner in the eye. And just as in any interview, be prepared for the questions.
6. Control interruptions. Make sure in advance that there will be no phones ringing and no people walking in and out of your room.

Barbara Pachter is an internationally renowned business etiquette and communications speaker, coach and author. She is also an adjunct faculty member in the School of Business at Rutgers University. She holds a BA and MA from the University of Michigan and majored in Education and Communications. To learn more read her book The Essentials of Business Etiquette and go to her website www.pachter.com 

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One man arrived 30 minutes late for his interview. He had programmed his GPS too quickly the night before, and  had entered the street address as “Drive” instead of “Place.” 

Another woman was nervous the night before her interview, so she had a few drinks. She was hungover during her early interview the following morning. 

Neither of these applicants received job offers. Obviously, their candidacy was hurt by their bungling activities the night before their interviews. Don’t sabotage yourself. Follow these night-before suggestions so you will shine during your job interview.

1. Get directions to the interview site. Be certain of the location. You don’t want to get lost. Not only will your stress level increase, but you could arrive late. If driving, don’t rely solely on your GPS. Double-check your route on Google maps or MapQuest. Have a full tank of gas, and anticipate traffic. Do a dry run, if possible. And plan to arrive a little early.

2. Revisit the company’s website and social media sites. You should have researched the company already, but spend just a few moments checking again. Find out if there have been any significant developments. Has the company launched a new product? Acquired a new company? Achieved a significant following on a social media site? Knowing up-to-date information demonstrates an interest in the company.

3. Prepare for small talk. Usually, an interview will start with some small talk, in which you should participate. In addition to discussing what you have found on the company website, be familiar with what’s going on in the world/nation/community. Watch the evening news on TV, or read news sites on the web. (Avoid discussing sex, politics or religion.)

4. Know what you will wear. Don’t wait until the morning of the interview to decide on your outfit. Try on your clothes the night before. Make sure that they fit, and are clean and pressed. (It is a good idea to keep your interview clothes ready, as interviews can be scheduled on short notice.)

5. Review the stories/examples that you will use when answering questions. You should have practiced answering questions previously, but spend a little time reviewing what you plan to say.

6. Have your materials ready. Plan to take extra copies of your resume or examples of your work. Keep them in a nice leather portfolio, and carry a good pen.

7. Know what questions you will ask. Towards the end of an interview you will usually be asked if you have any questions. Make sure you have some questions ready, as this demonstrates your interest in the position. You can adapt the following to suit your situation: What initial training is there for the position? What brought you to this company? What would you consider key successes for this job? 

8. Have a stress-free evening. Stay away from alcohol, and avoid quarreling with family or friends. Get a good night’s rest. You want to function at your best, and having enough sleep will allow you to be at the top of your game.

And, on the day of the interview:

9. Know what caffeine does to your body. If you like and need the jolt that caffeine provides, drink your morning coffee. If caffeine makes you jumpy, avoid it.

10. Give yourself a pep talk. On the way to the interview, you should prepare mentally. Tell yourself positive things. I suggest saying something like, “I can do this. I can handle this.”

Barbara Pachter is an internationally renowned business etiquette and communications speaker, coach and author. She is also an adjunct faculty member in the School of Business at Rutgers University. She holds a BA and MA from University of Michigan and majored in Education and Communications. To learn more read her book The Essentials of Business Etiquette and go to her website.

The post Interviewing? Here’s What To Do The Night Before appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

As a result of working with a number of recent college students, I’ve noticed that their inexperience with the workplace affects their job search. Here are 10 job-hunting mistakes and ways to avoid making them.

1. Giving up. One student couldn’t find a position in her field, so she took a low-paying clerical job and stopped her search. Yes, it is hard, but if you don’t keep looking, you are not going to find anything. Spend time on your search. The more you do, the more likely you are to find something.

2. Eliminating yourself. Some people don’t apply for a position unless they meet all the job requirements. Apply anyway. You still may be a good fit for the position — or you may be perfect for another opening at the same company.

3. Only having one version of your resume. You may be applying for a number of different types of jobs, and you want to tailor your resume to the position.

4. Not using the Career Center at your college. When I asked a student if he used the Career Center, he replied, “I never used it when I was in school. I didn’t think to use it now.”

5. Apologizing for your inexperience. Avoid saying, “I’m sorry. I have never done that.” Emphasize what you have done.

6. Not doing your research on job hunting. This may be the first time you are looking for professional employment. There is a lot of information readily available on the web. Reading about looking for work can provide suggestions for your own search. And reading about companies to which you are applying is absolutely essential.

7. Having inappropriate material on your social media sites. Get rid of anything that is questionable. Human Resource people and bosses will look you up and evaluate you based on what they see or read.

8. Not having a coach. A coach keeps you focused on your search. You report to your coach regularly about your activities, and discuss additional opportunities to explore. You can hire a coach, or ask someone you know, preferably a trusted, professional adult, to be your coach.

9. Not letting people know you are looking. You never know who may know of an opening.

10. Not volunteering. If you are not employed, do some volunteer work in your community. You will be giving back, and potentially meeting people who can help you in your search.

Barbara Pachter is an internationally renowned business etiquette and communications speaker, coach and author. She is also an adjunct faculty member in the School of Business at Rutgers University. She holds a BA and MA from University of Michigan and majored in Education and Communications. To learn more read her book The Essentials of Business Etiquette and go to her website www.pachter.com

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Our team at WayUp sees more resumes in a day than most people do in a lifetime. So, we compiled the 9 most common mistakes we see in students’ resumes.

Mistake #1: Saving your resume as a .doc & using a generic filename

Employers don’t like receiving .doc or .docx files for two reasons. One: those files are susceptible to viruses, and two: if they don’t have Microsoft on their computer (like us!), then your file may come out misformatted. As a side note, sending your resume as a .doc or .docx file allows recipients to make changes to your doc, and you definitely don’t want that.Always save and send your file as a .pdf. How do you do this? In Microsoft Word, go to File → Save As, and in the ‘file type’, select “PDF”. Also, while you’re saving your file, name it as “Firstname_Lastname.pdf”. Naming it as “resume.pdf” just isn’t helpful!

Mistake #2: Forgetting to include your personality

Employers want to know who you are and what you like to do outside of the office, as well as random skills you have that could come in handy at some point. At wayup.com, we have a field in students’ profiles where we ask you to tell us what your “fun fact” is. 9 times out of 10, we find on our site that employers look at the “fun fact” of each of their applicants before any other fields. Also, feel free to show a bit of your personality through your resume’s formatting, whether it’s adding a little bit of color (like a dark blue), or not using Times New Roman font.

Mistake #3: Using Multiple Pages

This one is simple: keep your resume to one page. No matter what. There is literally no exception (and art portfolios don’t count since that’s a portfolio and not just a resume).

Mistake #4: Being modest

Now just isn’t the time for a bite of the humble pie you probably deserve. Your resume is where you should boast the hell out of your accomplishments. Take credit for everything that you deserve to take credit for.

Mistake #5: Leaving out hard metrics

Did you increase revenue for a coffee shop? Maybe you grew a company’s Twitter follower count? Give details! Whenever possible, every experience should include metrics, such as “I grew X by 500%” or “I raised $15,000 to do Y.” In the real world of employment, people are often measured by metrics, so show through your resume that you can handle such an environment.

Mistake #6: Writing in paragraphs

Your resume is not the right place to prove that you’re a novelist. Below each job/experience heading, you should write short and concise descriptors in the form of bullet points. No need to use the word “I” at the beginning of each one, either.

Mistake #7: Being inconsistent with your formatting

A few quick rules: begin all bullet points (see #6) with a verb in the past or current tense (depending on whether the action was done or is still being done). If you’re going to end one bullet point with a period, then end all of them with a period. If you’re going to include the dates of an internship/job for one experience (which you should always do!), then do it for them all.

Mistake #8: Misspelling your name, among other things

Even if you think you’re the queen (spelling) bee, do us this favor: first, run a manual spell check via Google Docs or Microsoft Word (whatever software you use). Then, show your resume to at least one other person, asking them to specifically look for any spelling or grammar issues. If you’re still feeling uncomfortable, ask one more person. You’d be shocked by how many Ivy League students misspell their names on their resumes.

Mistake #9: Leaving out ALL of your contact information

Congrats! The employer loves you. But wait — how can he/she contact you, if you left out all of your contact information?! E-mail address, phone number (for you — not your parent’s home) and both your permanent (i.e. home) and school physical addresses will help solve this problem. And for your email address, you may want to stick with your .edu one, especially if your Gmail address has the word “soccer” or “gossip” in it…

The post 9 Resume Mistakes Students Make appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Here at WayUp, we conduct countless interviews. We’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Here are some fast tips to make sure you leave a great impression and score any job you want!

Tip 1: Do your research

Make sure you know what the company does and any recent news about it. It’s apparent within the first few minutes of an interview if you don’t fully understand the company. However, if you’ve done your research and there is still something you don’t understand, then feel free to ask your interviewer!

Tip 2: Get there on time

We’ve heard every excuse in the book here at HQ. Bottom line is to get there on-time. In fact, 5 minutes early if it’s an in-person meeting or video call. Whether it’s an in-person interview, phone, or video chat, keeping your interviewer waiting will never work in your favor.

Tip 3: Be clear and concise

Don’t ramble! Get your “about me” elevator pitch down to 2 minutes. This can cover past work and educational experiences and a peak into what you’re looking for next. Conversations are 2-sided, so make sure you give your interviewer a chance to talk!

Tip 4: Ask questions

On the note of 2-sided conversations, give your interviewer an opportunity to tell you about him/herself. Hear what he/she thinks will challenge you the most in this role, learn more about the company, and find out more about his/her background. The better questions you ask, the more likely you are to be remembered.

Tip 5: Follow up

Always make sure to grab a businesses card or get the contact info of your interviewer so you can circle back. Thank your interviewer for taking time out of their day to speak with you. Show them that the conversation you shared was meaningful by either reflecting on a point that was brought up, bringing something new to the table, or asking a question.
This blog post was written by Nikki, our Director of Growth, who has conducted over 300 interviews in the past 6 weeks.

The post 5 Tips for Nailing an Interview appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Although nearly 73% of graduating seniors claim that they actively seek employment throughout senior year,  according to AfterCollege, 83% of the class of 2014 reported that they did not yet have a job lined up by April.

Going to a good school and achieving academic success are distinct advantages, but by no means are they the ticket to securing a great, or even good, job upon graduation.

The Career Services department of your college is not responsible for securing relevant internships for you or, for that matter, landing you a job.  They are however, responsible for providing you with the tools necessary to build your resume and the guidance to take ownership of your career prospects in this new employment market.  While early and ongoing meetings with Career Services and relevant internships should be mandatory in order to graduate, the onus is ultimately on you, the student, to take charge of your career path.  You do not have the luxury of waiting until senior year to realize that your summers spent working at camp, in the mall or at the local eatery did not gain you the requisite experience to land a professional position.

The 4 ways that you can prepare for life after college-

1. Start thinking about what you want to be when you ‘grow up’
   Shadow people to find out what career options are out there and to learn about your professional interests. Don’t worry — you can always change your mind later.
2. Source your network
   Reach out to family, friends, family friends, friends’ family, alum, members of your church or synagogue, local Chamber of Commerce and related trade associations for internship opportunities.
3. Find a mentor
   He or she can provide the right direction and can help you think about career options and how to progress. A mentor can assist you in believing in yourself, boost your confidence, and encourage you to explore new opportunities.
4. Become a campus leader
   Join or start a club on campus, plan events and invite speakers. Get involved!

All four of these actions involve building and growing a network that will naturally take you from freshman year to the first day on the job.  It is a journey, but one that can be exhilarating.  Make sure to step out of your comfort zone, meet new people, ask smart questions and show gratitude along every step of the way.

Most important, when you are in that dream job, remember your humble beginnings and ‘pay it forward’ to that next timid freshman.

Heidi Fuchs is a Career Coach and Talent Acquisition Leader. She received her BS in Business with a concentration in Marketing and Communications from Touro College. You can follow her on Twitter @AgentMom18

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When looking for an internship, you might think that you have to exactly match the position requirements in order to get the job. Most hiring managers would tell you that is not the case–they mostly look for a good work ethic and cultural fit– not an exact fit to a list of skills. The skills get you to the table, but don’t close the deal. So skill must be a fit, but it’s not the determining factor.Good hiring managers, those that hire lots of interns and employees, will take this approach.

Recruiters, however, do not follow this rule.  Internal and external recruiters operate from a playbook that includes a spec sheet about the role. While they look for cultural fit, they are more rigid in trying to provide good candidates to the hiring manager based on the spec.

So what is this thing called “cultural fit” and are hiring managers and recruiters looking for a fit for the internship, or for an eventual full-time hire?

I would argue that even the best candidate for a temporary role is limiting their chances if they don’t sell themselves to the recruiter for a full-time position after graduation. Why, you may ask? At small and large companies, bringing on an intern and keeping them productive is an investment of time. In an ideal world, a hiring manager can expect to accomplish the following by bringing on an intern in a temporary role: Validate that the intern likes the company and is passionate about role possibilities, determine if the intern is a good fit for the company and finally confirm that the intern lives up to their interview documentation. In the best of cases, there is a great cultural and near great skill fit and both parties are excited about the future.

So, an intern should approach the internship as a trial period to make sure that role and company are a good fit for both parties. One should also think about the difference between small, medium, large companies and agencies, brands and others as it relates to internships. Small companies are likely to hire a handful of interns and they will work directly with multiple departments working on projects. Medium or Large companies have much more of a process associated with interviewing and you might be competing with up to 300 students for the job that will be in one department.

If you are a great candidate and exhibit stellar qualities in the soft skills category and have some hard skills, the specific role will matter less. The company will want to find the right role for you. I have hired many highly successful people using this approach.

So, what are the six soft skills that make you stand out as an applicant?

1. Enthusiasm
2. Upbeat personality
3. Excellent communication skills (phone, email, documents)
4. Reliability
5. Ability to quickly grasp requests
6. Task & execution orientation or a Get it done personality

If you think about it, these are common-sense things.  Anybody you want to invest time in exhibits these qualities.  Anybody that is productive exhibits these qualities.

So why wouldn’t you want to showcase them to potential employers?  The first four soft skills are easily demonstrated through the interviewing process.  The last two soft skills will require a little more work and should be demonstrated in your resume with bullets that include metrics.

Think about it logically: if you are enthusiastic, uplifting in your presence, and passionate about the subject matter in question, then you are a delight to have around.

Yorke Rhodes III has excelled in a plethora of roles from Creative Director to CTO & Programmer. He received his BS in Computer Science from Courant Institute of mathematical Sciences at New York University. You can follow him on Twitter @yorkerhodes. 

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When choosing your profile picture for a professional career platform (ala WayUp, LinkedIn, etc), there are some things to keep in mind. The picture you choose will essentially be an employer’s first impression regarding how you’d fit in the office, so let’s make that first impression a great one.

First thing’s first: Be confident. Be yourself. And be memorable. Pictures on professional sites should not include:

1) Your BFF, your boyfriend, your girlfriend or your dog. We see this all the time and employers do too. They don’t care about your relationship status or where you went on your last date.

2) Any hint of a #selfie. Keep your pictures angled professionally so that employers aren’t instantly aware of the upcoming “duck face.” Photos saved from Snapchat are like an extended family member of the “selfie,” and should also remain absent from your career profile accounts.

3) Clubbing attire, or inappropriate clothing/accessories. Shirts with obscene gestures, curse words, and images are going to receive more “likes” on Instagram than on your career building profile. Furthermore, this isn’t the place to show off your abs or waistline (unless the job you want is for something like BodyBuilding.com.. which actually is a real business with jobs on campusjob.com!) This is true for revealing clothing too – unless of course your dream job includes talents showcasing your bare necessities.

4) The floating hand on your shoulder. Everyone knows that this is just a cropped version of the picture of you and your mom. or cousin. or friend. or frenemy. It doesn’t matter. The hand needs to go.

Now that all of the horrid “don’ts” are out of the way, let’s move on. What should you do?

• Do choose a picture that represents you and your character. Choose something with personality. Let them see your big smile, your large framed glasses or your dapper bowtie. Allow others to get a feel for your character. This may be the only visual contact they have with you.Also, if you know how to use Photoshop, then get out your Photoshop and get artsy.

• Fix the lighting if you have to. Obviously you don’t want to make yourself unrecognizable to the everyday person, so don’t get too carried away with the editing process, but a little extra “exposure” never hurt anyone.

• Most importantly, own it. Believe in your image as you would believe in yourself and send that message to the world. This is the face of your future!

The post The Perfect Profile Picture to Make You Employable appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

The use of the infographic resume is growing outside the tech and design fields; witness the proliferation of visual portfolios, sites that auto-generate visual resumes and resume builders, Pinterest boards, customized visual libraries, forums and detailed guides. If it fits your skillset, design your own infographic resume to instantly get yourself noticed by hiring managers and use visual language to creatively illustrate your skills, strengths, and experience. Keep in mind the traditional text resume is still required and that the infographic resume is a supplement not a replacement.

What better way to illustrate the power of the infographic resume, than one created for Sherlock Holmes–the world’s most famous, eccentric, and exceptional private detective.

“Address:  221B Baker Street, London. Ability to adopt to almost any disguise. Expertise: British Law. Interests: Necro-analysis. References: John Watson.”

In today’s competitive hiring climate, Sherlock Holmes would use an infographic resume to quickly differentiate him from other consulting private detectives.  Clients in need of a skilled investigator would note his use of eye-catching design elements to illustrate his singular background and unusual but effective skillsets.  This infographic resume would also allow Mr. Holmes to be considered over his colleague and fellow detective, Dr. Watson; to perhaps inflame the sibling rivalry and jealousy between himself and his smarmy older brother, the government official, Mycroft.  Holmes’ infographic resume might possibly even rouse the murderous envy of his arch rival, Professor James Moriarty.

For Mr. Holmes, creating an infographic resume is nothing short of “Elementary.”  Remember to use visuals to tell your story–a pie, bar or line graph, and key stats ground your message. Remember to carefully choose color scheme, font and visual elements for maximum effect.

Not everyone will need to use an infographic resume to get a job, but it can be a useful tool for your job search. You will need a text resume as many online application systems cannot process infographics or visuals.

Hannah Morgan is a career and social media strategist and owner of Career Sherpa.net. A nationally recognized speaker and author on proactive job search techniques, she and her work have been featured in the Huffington Post,  Lifehacker, BlogHer, and Business Insider. To learn more read her new book, The Infographic Resume. Hannah went to Ohio Wesleyan University and majored in Humanities.

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