Being a salesperson isn’t easy. It requires a combination of interpersonal and technical skills to engage and establish trust with the right people. These also happen to be business skills required in virtually every sales position.

Finding great salespeople isn’t easy, either. According to the Harvard Business Review, the turnover of salespeople in the US is as high as 27 percent. That’s more than twice the average of other professions. And there are a few reasons for that.

One of the biggest, according to Forbes, is a lack of proper training and mentorship, which leads to poor performance and, ultimately, departure from the company. Without the necessary training, guidance, and motivation, salespeople are set down a path of missing goals and low morale. This is bad news for everyone, as US companies spend more than $15 billion a year training salespeople and $800 billion on performance incentives. Every lost salesperson is a lost investment—and a big one at that.

That’s why Thermo Fisher Scientific—the world leader in serving science—introduced their Sales Development Program. This program is what every sales role should be built on: They guarantee training, coaching, mentorship, and the kind of experience required to have a successful career in sales. And since sales skills are transferrable to other disciplines and are foundational for almost any role you could have at a company, gaining that kind of experience early on in your career is invaluable.

Sales teams are, at the end of the day, responsible for driving revenue and ensuring that a business is successful. Given the important work that Thermo Fisher does, this takes on an even deeper, more important meaning. Without their sales teams, they wouldn’t be able to work toward their mission of enabling their customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer. That’s pretty high stakes, right?

We spoke to Brianna, a graduate of Thermo Fisher’s Sales Development Program, about why the company invests so much in their sales team, what the program is like for new grads, and why they can help your career.

Thermo Fisher Teaches You The Skills You Need To Succeed

Sales is a field with a surprising number of specialized skills. You need to understand territory research, building a pipeline, identifying pain points, problem-solving, and—of course—negotiation.

As you might’ve noticed, many of these skills require a mix of art and science. And that’s why the Thermo Fisher Sales Development Program focuses on a combination of direct learning and guided trials.

“The first part of the program is spent learning about the company, the mission, and, what we do,” says Brianna, who graduated in 2018 and began a Sales Development Program shortly after. This first part of the program is more than just sales training. “It’s preparation to be what a Thermo Fisher employee should be. Living up to our mission every day,” she says.

“It’s more than just something that fills our days. At Thermo Fisher, our work has a purpose. Our work requires passion and creates meaningful outcomes. Our work matters. We’re sharing our expertise and technological advancements with customers, helping them make the world a better place—whether they’re discovering a cure for cancer, protecting the environment, or making sure our food is safe,” she adds.

In addition to learning about the company and the products, both of which are essential for any salesperson, they also learned about sales-specific methodologies and skills. Brianna and her cohort learned about the process required not only to close deals, but also to maintain a healthy pipeline of potential deals and relationships. Doing so ensures they’re successful in the long-term.

After the initial learning period, Brianna says, you start hitting the phones to hone the skills you’re acquiring. “You’re making phone calls to get the nerves and jitters out,” she explains. All of this training is focused on one goal. “It’s so that, once you step into the field, you’ll be ready,” Brianna says.

As your phone and technical skills develop, you’ll start taking on a temporary territory—a region where you’ll pursue leads and turn opportunities into customers. And that combination of learning by experience and learning through formal coaching and mentorship will continue until it’s time to explore your next step at the company.

Learn Where You Fit In The Company—And Why Your Role Is So Essential

The culmination of the Sales Development Program is an interview process that connects you with potential managers who will guide you once you’re promoted to a permanent team.

For Brianna and her class, most of the interviews took place at a major sales conference. She and her peers were able to not only attend the event and learn from senior leaders, but also interview with those same leaders and find their next step at the company.

“We’re investing in you. We want you to be not only a good fit for the company, but a good fit for the job. We want you to be prepared when you get there,” Brianna says.

Brianna and her peers identified managers, office locations, and departments that were best suited to their skills and interests. It’s much more of a matchmaking process than an intimidating interview procedure. The company has, after all, invested as much of their time in you as you have in them.

And once you and your future manager find the right match, you’ll be promoted and take on your next step at the company. When that begins, you—and Thermo Fisher—will really start to see dividends on the investment in your growth.

Become An Expert And Drive A Multibillion-Dollar Company’s Mission Forward

Since Thermo Fisher is on a mission to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer, they develop tons of new products and services that help accomplish that goal. Still, none of that innovation matters if it doesn’t reach the hands of science professionals.

This is why the company’s investment in the Sales Development Program is so large: The mission means everything to the team at Thermo Fisher, and there couldn’t be something more mission-critical than making sure the products reach the professionals who can use them to change the world for the better.

As one Thermo Fisher Senior Director, Chloe, told us, “Not every sales professional has the opportunity to sell products that make such a meaningful impact on improving the world. What we sell helps find cures for cancer, makes sure the air we breathe is clean, the food we eat is safe, and delivers life-saving treatments to market faster. That’s extremely important.”

And she’s totally right. Thermo Fisher products have an immediate effect on the world around them and the people who rely on them. That makes selling Thermo Fisher products different than your normal sales process. It’s not that you need to convince people to buy things they don’t need. The task is primarily reaching the right people and demonstrating value to them in a way that thoughtfully addresses their problems. That, by the way, is exactly what you learn to do over the course of the Sales Development Program.

Contributing in such an important way to an organization responsible for Nobel Prize-winning feats of science as well as global STEM education philanthropy is exactly why Brianna and her colleagues on the sales team feel so much purpose in their roles. 

Interested in learning more about sales and other development programs? Learn more about Thermo Fisher on WayUp!

The post What’s A Sales Development Program? (And How To Tell If It’s Right For You) appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

Are you considering a Leadership Development Program for your first or second job after graduation? If not, then maybe you should.

In case you’re not familiar with them, here’s a quick primer: Leadership Development Programs are rotational management and technical training programs that expose you to a variety of entry-level roles at a company. Apart from providing a range of hands-on experiences, they also help prepare you for a leadership position when the program is complete. They’re basically a fast-track route to a successful career in a field you’re passionate about.

That’s particularly true at Thermo Fisher Scientific—the world leader in serving science—where these programs are incredible opportunities to receive mentorship, network with senior leaders, and pick up the kind of experience necessary for those interested in management positions. Essentially, they’re incubators for the future leaders of the company.

Thermo Fisher’s Leadership Development Programs represent, at their core, a major investment in you on the part of the company. That’s why they pick their candidates for Leadership Development Programs so carefully. But that doesn’t mean you have to be intimidated by the recruitment process. You just need to prepare carefully so you can put your best foot forward. So, where do you begin and how can you stand out while interviewing for an opportunity that can change the course of your career?   

To find out exactly what they’re looking for in their LDP candidates, we spoke to Hannah, a Thermo Fisher recruiter.

Here are her tips for surviving (and thriving) on the road to securing your spot in an LDP.

1. You’re More Than Just Your Work Experience, So Let Them Know That

The reason you got an interview is because the recruiting team liked your resume. Remember, then, that the first interview is a chance for you to show them more than what’s on there. Don’t miss it.

Your resume told the recruiting team about your work and internship experience. While it’s important to use that experience as a base for some of your answers, you should also take the opportunity to go deeper.

The point of this interview, whether it’s in person or on the phone, is to show them a bit of who you are as an individual. Sticking too much to the script of your resume can be a major misstep. But, as Hannah stresses, there are ways to avoid that pitfall.

“One of the biggest things I see that people are missing is centered around their leadership experience,” Hannah says.

Given your experience level, chances are, you haven’t had too many opportunities to take on leadership roles at work. However, school organizations, extracurriculars, and even classroom projects are all great examples of places where you could have exhibited leadership skills. Regardless of what the leadership experience revolves around, the ability to demonstrate your potential is extremely valuable.

2. Definitely Prepare, But Don’t Over-Rehearse Your Answers (AKA Speak Naturally)

In any job interview, the recruiter or hiring manager wants to get a better sense of who you actually are—especially when they’re making such a major investment in you. That’s why over-preparation can actually hurt you.

“One of the things that we see that shoots people in the foot when they’re interviewing is that their answers seem really scripted and almost too perfect,” Hannah says. “And for us, that doesn’t give a sense of who they are. It doesn’t feel authentic. It doesn’t feel genuine.”

It’s true that you want to present the best possible version of yourself, but don’t let that rob your answers of you. Even if you prepared for a question, there’s no harm in taking a moment to think about your answer and move in a different direction. Speak from the heart, because according to Hannah, that’s what they’re hoping you’ll do.

3. Don’t Be Afraid To Talk About Mistakes You’ve Made—Just Do It Tactfully

Many important interview questions focus on how you’d respond to various scenarios, both real and imagined.

“We ask a lot of behavioral-based questions on leadership, because a lot of what we do at Thermo Fisher gives people responsibility and allows people to make decisions and take risks,” Hannah says.

When the stakes are as high as they are in an LDP, the company needs to know how you act under pressure. However, that doesn’t mean they want you to only describe a situation or tell them about a time when everything went perfectly. Why? Because even if it’s true, it doesn’t really demonstrate the kind of adaptability and self-awareness that they’re looking for at Thermo Fisher.

“We really want to see how you took a situation that you maybe struggled in and how did you come out from that? Answering around self-awareness is key instead of just feeling like all of these answers have to be perfect,” she adds.

Self-awareness and adaptability are hard to teach and extremely important for people who plan to grow a lot over the course of their time at a company—which is essential for any successful LDP candidate. That’s why emphasizing adaptability and how you respond to mistakes is so important.

Don’t gloss over these learnings—talk about them and emphasize the lessons you learned that’ll help prevent you from making the same mistakes again. That kind of self-reflection shows real growth, maturity, and potential.

4. As You Progress, Make Sure To Up Your Research Game And Come With Thoughtful Questions

The interview for an LDP at Thermo Fisher is a multistep process, and it’s as much about you getting to know them as it is the opposite. That’s why it’s okay to ask exploratory questions about the company early on.

“I think for that first recruiter conversation, it’s okay to come in and ask questions,” Hannah says. “But I think the biggest mistake that I see a lot of times is, once they get past that first round and they move on to that next step, they haven’t done enough research.”

After that initial conversation, you’ll advance to an on-campus interview with a hiring manager or an LDP graduate who is now a leader at the company. And it’s essential to come prepared. As the interviews progress, don’t rest on your laurels.

“You don’t have to come in knowing everything. But find a recent article about something Thermo Fisher did in the news or in the community or maybe about one of our acquisitions, and then ask questions about that,” Hannah explains.

“That shows our leadership team that you’re interested and that you’re curious. Curiosity is such an important quality in an interview process because it shows that you’re going to be curious when you come to work every day. It shows that you’re going to challenge the norm and ask questions and bring 110 percent every day,” she says.

By the time you get to the last round of interviews (a two-day event at the company’s headquarters in Waltham, MA), you should have a few good talking points ready for any conversation you might have with a leader.

5. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Your Recruiter For Advice

After you pass the first-round phone interview, your recruiter is there to be your ally. After all, they chose you to enter the process and they have a vested interest in your success.

“If you’re curious about something and you’re not sure, reach out to your recruiter and ask them. ‘Is the manager going to want to see a cover letter? Are they going to want references?’ I can always answer that,” Hannah says.

If there are any administrative questions you have about timing, location, or the format of interviews, you don’t have to worry about bothering the hiring manager by asking. Just follow up with your recruiter and they’ll get back to you with the info you need. They can even answer some broader questions like, “What kinds of traits does the hiring manager look for in their top candidates?”

“If you’re ever curious about what kinds of things you should include in your application or bring to an interview, definitely ask your recruiter,” Hannah adds. “Because they’re almost like your secret agent and they know what that manager is looking for and how to best prepare you, so definitely lean on them.”Think you’re ready to apply for a role at Thermo Fisher? Check out open opportunities from Thermo Fisher Scientific on WayUp!

The post 5 Rules To Help You Ace Your Leadership Development Program Interview appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

For the first time in US history, female representation in the workforce has reached nearly 50 percent. That’s a stark difference from 1950, when it was less than a third. And that’s not all that has changed: Since 1982, women have earned more bachelor’s degrees than men, in recent years by as much as 7 percent.

But this wave hasn’t yet reached the leadership level.

Only 15.7 percent of board member seats at Fortune 500 companies were held by women in 2018. And in recent years, only 24 percent of director-level roles and 16.5 percent of the top executive positions at S&P 500 companies were held by women. This problem is especially acute in the science and technology fields, where female representation lags far behind other sectors.

According to a study in the Harvard Business Review, a host of factors—including isolation, hostile company cultures, and a lack of executive mentors and sponsors—all contribute to high dropout rates for women at around the 10-year mark of their careers. That, in turn, leads to a lack of women advancing into senior leadership roles in the science, technology, and engineering industries.

That’s why Leadership Development Programs like the ones at Thermo Fisher Scientific are so important in the push to help women advance in technology. Why? Well, they provide opportunities and support that help overcome each of the factors that contribute to a lack of women in STEM leadership roles.

To get a better sense of how they accomplish that, we spoke to members of Thermo Fisher’s IT Leadership Development Program—who are all at different stages in their careers.

Thermo Fisher Matches Everyone With A Mentor—And Connects Them To Senior Leaders

“It’s not a secret to anybody that there’s not enough women in technology,” Sarah, a two-year veteran of Thermo Fisher’s IT Leadership Development Program, says.

This can make finding a relatable mentor a challenge—which is a bigger deal than it might initially seem. Consider this: Seventy-five percent of executives say that mentorship has been critical to their career growth and development. Mentors also often serve as sponsors, helping you secure promotions and opportunities during your time at a company.

As a member of a Thermo Fisher LDP, you’re connected to senior leaders through events and given access to a mentor through the company’s formal mentorship program. This has been a serious advantage to people like Sarah, who had the confidence of knowing she had someone to both guide her and promote her at Thermo Fisher.

This same network of mentors and leaders also helped connect her to other women in the company—which helps to prevent the feeling of isolation that HBR identified as one of the key “dropout” factors for women at work.

“I’ve been lucky enough where the program connected me with higher-up women in technology who will mentor me and teach me about what their experiences were—as well as connect me with peers,” she says.

Networks Of Leaders And Learners Help Women Shape The Company Culture

These networks that Sarah and her peers were able to tap in to are both formal and informal at Thermo Fisher. One example of a more formalized network is the Women’s Employee Resource Group, which connects Thermo Fisher professionals from across fields for networking events, Lunch and Learns, and more.

That was Sophia’s experience. She’s a former Thermo Fisher intern and Class of 2019 graduate who will be returning in the fall for Thermo Fisher’s IT LDP. “I went with my boss and my mentor. We had lunch and listened to somebody speak,” she says.

The Women’s ERG drives conversations—like the one Sophia and her mentor participated in—that help shape the company culture. By speaking to the experience of women at the company in a setting that includes both men and women, they help to create awareness and understanding and prevent non-inclusive cultures from forming.

Learn Real Leadership Skills—From Real Leaders

This kind of networking is so effective in large part because everyone is so willing to support the LDP members. And that’s no accident.

“When you introduce yourself as an LDP, it’s like, ‘Oh, okay, you’re a high potential person.’ People like to foster you and mentor you,” explains Alexa, who graduated from the IT LDP and became a Marketing Manager on one of Thermo Fisher’s e-commerce teams.

Regardless, something that many talented techies struggle with is developing non-technical skills, especially those foundational soft skills that great leaders are made of. That’s where mentors and managers were especially helpful in the LDP, as was the case for Alexa.

“It was soft skills, she says. This serves the dual purpose of teaching the skills required of leaders—clear communication, setting meetings with senior leaders, etc.—while also preparing them to find their next role after the two-year rotational program comes to a close.

“The program really focuses on networking because that’s how you get your post-program role,” Alexa says.

“No matter which LDP you participate in, you will have visibility throughout the company to take your next step,” she says.

This visibility makes finding your next job at the company much more of an opportunity than a challenge. While it might sound like a lot of pressure, that freedom to explore new departments and forge your own path is actually one of the best parts of the rotational LDP.

“It gives you the gift of seeing if what you think you like is actually what you like,” Sarah says. “I think one of the most amazing things about this program is while you’re gaining this growth and learning, it’s giving you the gift of exploration.”

Thermo Fisher’s IT Leadership Development Program aims to address the universal factors that hold women back in the tech industry—and the needs of each individual participant. The company works to ensure its LDP members are able to find a mentor, learn essential technical skills, and break into leadership roles when they graduate.

How’s that for a first job?

To learn more about Leadership Development Programs, check out Thermo Fisher Scientific on WayUp!

The post How Leadership Development Programs Are Advancing Women In Tech appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

Studying is important. It’s how you got into college in the first place. But now that you’re here, things are a little different. High school tactics won’t do the job in a college class. Studying the night before or quickly looking over the key terms before a quiz won’t carry you to that “A” anymore. The classes are harder. They have fewer opportunities to get points. And the exams are longer and harder than ever before. Let’s face it: You need some college study hacks.

College study hacks are different than those entry-level methods used in high school. It’s the big leagues now, so you’re going to need to think differently. Some courses require mass memorization. Other professors will ask you to write an essay about any covered topic on the spot. Most exams will demand you do both. And there are three to four other classes demanding your attention.

We gathered all the best time-tested, gimmick-free study hacks to help improve your information access, retention, and exam performance. Here are the WayUp Guide’s five best college study hacks.

1. Form A Group ASAP

Studying with other people is a really powerful thing. Study groups combine the various strengths and different interests of multiple people. And, when done right, these groups can make each of their members fully prepared to get an A. There are a couple ways to do this.

You can study together in person. This way, you’re all forcing each other to be productive while you’re together. Plus, if any questions come up, you can talk to a real live person working on the exact same thing as you are. This is also a great social opportunity, too. You can make friends or connections you might’ve never met!

However, if you’re a lone wolf, like many people are, then there’s a way of group studying without meeting up. Just ask people in your class to put their emails into a shared Google Docs folder. After you’re all on the document, you can pool your knowledge, answer study guide questions, and have a solid understanding of what other people are studying.

It’s really important to do this ASAP, like during the first or second class. If you’re the person to pull out your laptop and say, “Everyone type their email in here and we’ll make a Google Doc,” then you’re in control. You can set up meetings, build a shared study doc, and benefit from everyone’s knowledge.

This can be especially important if you’re not so sure about the material. At the very least, you can organize the study group. That can be your contribution!

2. The Test Answers Are (Usually) Already Out There—Go Find Them!

This is one of the most surprisingly well-kept secrets of the college world. It’s true: Most of the time, test answers and questions are already available to you.

They usually take the form of practice tests, homework sets, practice problems, and other such student resources. If your school uses an online platform like Blackboard, you can usually find practice tests or problem sets on there. While the specific numbers might change (and that’s only a maybe), the stuff your professors and TAs have distributed was usually done so for a reason. They gave you practice problems because they thought it was important material. Don’t waste that opportunity to get a look behind the curtain!

Even if your teaching staff didn’t give you a practice test, your homework and problems that were done on the board during class are usually really important indicators of what’s going to be on the test. Tests are (usually) not deviously assembled to give you a hard time. The teachers are judged on your performance, too, and they want you to succeed.

3. Don’t Go To The Library If It Doesn’t Help You

This goes for any of the “classic” study tropes that might not apply to you. If sitting at a desk doesn’t work for you, then don’t do it! If writing stuff down doesn’t work, then don’t do it! You want to be comfortable, but alert, and definitely not anxious.

It’s hard to ensure that you’re going to be calm, cool, and collected because, you know, you can’t stop thinking about this looming exam. However, finding something that works for you emotionally, physically, and—of course—intellectually is the most important thing.

If you live far away from the library and only plan on studying for 2 hours, don’t waste 30 minutes commuting there. Just go to your dorm’s lounge or a nearby Starbucks. Spending too much time thinking about the place is a waste of your own time. Just do what feels right and don’t feel any pressure to study the way someone else does—unless it actually works for you.

Same goes for methods of studying. Professors love to tell students how much research there is about the memory differences between typing out notes and handwriting them. But it’s just not the case for everyone. Many people excel with tools like Quizlet that don’t involve any handwriting.

Do what’s right for you!

4. Space Out Your Studying

There’s a well-observed phenomenon known as the “Curve of Forgetting.” Essentially, what the research concludes is that you’re much better at remembering stuff when you review it again later. This means leaving all your studying for one day (or even one session) is usually a bad idea in terms of mass memorization.

This also goes hand-in-hand with “chunking.” Also somewhat well-documented in the academic psychology world, the theory states that breaking up information into chunks of related ideas helps you remember it better in the medium-to-long term. For example, it might be easier to remember that Cookie Monster is blue if you also learn that he loves cookies and speaks like a caveman. The combined facts form a more cohesive story that is easier to remember. It’s not quite Sherlock Holmes’s famous “Mind Palace,” but it’ll do.

No matter what you believe, the point is that it’s best to study with a method.

5. Of All The College Study Hacks, The Best Is…Actually Study!

This one might sound snarky, but it’s true! It’s so easy to feel like you’ve spent a ton of time studying because you’ve been sitting in the library for hours or staring at your screen all day. But studying is the actual act of learning and memorization.

Be comfortable, don’t waste your own time, and study in bursts during which you can actually focus. Break it up with some light exercise to get the blood flowing and stimulate brain activity. And finally, don’t agree to any plans during your designated study time. However, on the flip side, don’t designate all your free time for a whole week or weekend to studying, because you’re just setting yourself up for failure.

College study hacks are great, but nothing beats the real thing! You can break it up however you like, just make sure you actually do it. If you’re someone who over-prepares for things, try not to. The stress of studying more than you need to can actually make you perform worse if you lose sleep or concentration.

Finally, when it comes to the critical moment of test-taking, just breathe, relax, and answer what you can.

For more back-to-school tips, tricks, and college hacks, be sure to check out the WayUp Guide!

The post College Study Hacks: How To Memorize Faster, Retain More, And Do Better On Exams appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

The college experience is about a bunch of things. It’s about growing up, forging friendships, finding love, and charting a path for yourself. But more than anything it’s still school! Just because you’re not in high school anymore, doesn’t mean you don’t have to make academic decisions. So, choosing college classes is one of the most important things to get right while you’re there.

The right set of college classes can mean the difference between falling in love with a new subject or field or absolutely dreading (and failing) your 9 a.m. Organic Chemistry for Non-Majors class.

How do you go about choosing without knowing your major? Can you find out if a class is too hard? Can you really get good classes for your freshman year?

There are so many questions when it comes to choosing college classes. The WayUp Guide is here to answer them for you. If you put these five steps on your to-do list, you can walk away with the best possible schedule guaranteed.

1. Know What You Need

Choosing college classes is something that takes a method and a mission. You’ve got to know what you want and why you want it. It doesn’t mean having a 30-Year Plan or anything like that.

When You DON’T Know Your Major

You can even pick the right classes without knowing your major.

As long as you make a plan for your general education or school requirements ahead of time, you don’t need to know the fine points right away.

If you’re enrolled in the school of arts and sciences at your university—sometimes called “the college” or “general studies”—then you probably have a slate of required, across-the-board classes you have to take. However, it’s also likely that many Advanced Placement (AP) tests, SAT subject tests (sometimes called SAT IIs), or International Baccalaureate (IB) tests will get you out of those requirements.

For example, an AP test score of 5 on the AP Statistics exam will usually get you out of the math requirement. The same goes for a humanities requirement with the AP English exam.

When You DO Know Your Major

If you do know what you want your major to be, that’s when more careful planning becomes necessary. When it comes to choosing college classes for decided majors, the same rules apply for general education requirements: You need to plan ahead. But now that you know what your major requirements will be, too, you should plan those out as well.

This is especially true for double majors and people with minors. Now is the time to make the dreaded four-year plan. It can be intimidating thinking about planning that far ahead, but it will really pay off in a big way. And it absolutely does not mean that you can’t leave room for taking fun classes. Get everything required out of the way. That way, you’ll have time left over for fun classes like Creative Writing workshops or The Business of Space Travel.

2. Know What You Want

This part is a bit trickier, but a LOT more fun. Now’s the time to decide what it is you actually want to take.

Once you know that you need to take, for example, a history class, you can make a more specific decision. Like whether you want to take The History of Hip-Hop or Analyzing Wheat Output During The American Civil War. Both schools of thought are completely valid, but planning ahead of time lets you dive in to what you’re most interested in. Plus, when you take classes you like, you’re generally going to do better in them. Good grades mean a great GPA, which is always a plus for employers and grad schools!

You should also look into the teaching styles of your potential professors using sites like Rate My Professors or school-specific review systems like Boston College’s PEP system. Do they give a lot of homework? How are they with class participation? Are they supportive? Do they really challenge you? There’s so much to know (and find out) about a professor and a class beforehand.

Beyond knowing what you want in terms of actual subject matter and teaching styles, you have to know yourself and what you want. It’s awesome if you can wake up at 8 a.m. everyday and go to the earliest possible classes…but most people are not like that. Be realistic with your self based on your social schedule and habits about what class times and workloads actually work for you. There’s nothing wrong with having your day start at noon!

3. Weighing the Options

Now that you’ve found the classes you want and planned out the classes you need, you need to make some calls. Is it worth taking that 9 a.m. if you get that legendary professor? Is it too much of a hassle to put three general education classes in one semester?

Now that you’ve done your research, you should balance out your interests. Make sure you leave enough time for friends, fun, and perhaps even an internship during the semester. It’s never a bad idea to get more work experience. However, it’s a terrible idea to take on more than you can handle. Be ambitious, but not so much so that you end up disappointing yourself with absurd expectations.

4. Doing All This BEFORE Registration Opens

This is really the key to the castle.

Planning ahead gives you the ability to make backup plans. Knowing how badly you want something means knowing your first, second, and third choices. You won’t always get your #1, but you can usually get one of your top 3 classes.

Another pro tip: If you really, really want to take a class, then email the professor ahead of registration and let him/her/them know you plan on enrolling. If you share your enthusiasm, then they’re more likely to bump you up off the waitlist if you can’t get in.

If you’re only making last-minute decisions about registration, you’re going to end up having one option in your head and no backup plan, if that. That means you have a higher chance of getting into trouble.

5. Get Lucky With Registration Times

Even after all the prep work in the world, choosing college classes can be hard. You still have to get lucky with registration times. Colleges assign registration times somewhat randomly, although they usually consider seniority, athlete status, and a variety of other factors. If you go to a small college, then registration time can be particularly important.

It’s also important to do as much prep work as possible in terms of preparing for the actual act of registering. Many schools, like NYU, will let you pre-select your classes in their online system so you can just click “register” when your time comes. Those valuable few seconds lining the classes up could mean the difference between taking your dream class and your nightmare!

While this is luck-based, it’s also possible to game the system to your advantage. If you’re an athlete, a transfer student, or someone in a highly specialized major, then you can probably get a better registration time just by asking for it. Many schools also have accommodations for people with more difficult situations. If you’re one of those people, then make sure you get your due.

Choosing College Classes 201: In-Person Meetings

No matter how far away registration is, one of the best resources is your academic advisor. They can help answer questions like, “Does this AP test satisfy this requirement?” And many, many more like that.

You also might have a major advisor. They can help you understand which classes best align with your interests and which professors have the best reputations. Don’t sleep on these incredibly valuable resources.

If you do all that, then you’re more than ready to handle registration not just for now, but for the rest of college to come. Thirty minutes of work can make 4 years of school SO MUCH BETTER. For you, choosing college classes should be a cakewalk.

For more back-to-school hacks, tips, and tricks, be sure to visit the WayUp Guide!

The post Choosing College Classes 101: How To Pick The Right Schedule (Even If You Don’t Know Your Major) appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

College is expensive. With tuition, food, housing, and all the other unexpected costs, you can easily run up quite the bill. Plus, even if your parents, scholarships, or far-off loans are covering your college expenses, any of those entities will sometimes leave the cost of textbooks up to you. However, finding cheap textbooks isn’t as easy as it seems. With so many options online, really cheap textbooks can easily elude you.

That means it’s time to get crafty and save where you can. That way, you can have money for fun stuff, like dining hall chicken fingers or F’reals—or like, a salad, I guess.

Here at the WayUp Guide, we’ve gathered the five best moneyhacks guaranteed to secure your college textbooks for the best price.

1. Used College Textbooks Are Cheap Textbooks

Given that being able to write in, highlight, and otherwise abuse your textbooks is a useful thing, buying is your best bet. However, buying new is often extremely pricey. That’s why buying used college textbooks is generally your best move.

But it’s easy to end up paying more than you should even for a used book. That’s why it’s important to use an online price tool like CampusBooks.com or BookFinder.com before going to your bookstore. You should make a note of the lowest online price and then check (or call) your college bookstore as a final comparison. Usually, you won’t find the price of a used textbook from your campus bookstore online, so you need to call or check in person to ensure you’re getting the best deal.

With a used copy of the textbook, you can beat it up however you like during the semester. Plus, if you find that you’re not using it that much, you can always resell it to recover your investment! This is why buying used textbooks is the best option, if you can afford it. You have the option to mark up your book, but you can also resell online or on campus.

2. Rent Cheap Textbooks

Sometimes, even a used book is outrageously expensive. When the price of a used book is too high, it’s time to rent.

Those two sites above (Campus Books and Book Finder) both offer rentals on used books. Another great site for rentals is CampusBookRentals.com. Sometimes, renting through Amazon can be a better deal, because you can get a bundled-in Kindle version (or just a normal Kindle version), which is usually much cheaper. You can also read those without having a Kindle, but more on that in the next section.

Rentals can be tricky, though. You have to be VERY careful not to do too much damage to the book. You should also read the reviews for each renter VERY closely. Certain renters will basically always charge you for damages and others are the exact opposite. You’d definitely prefer the latter kind of renter. If you end up paying exorbitant fees for damages or lateness, then you’re not saving any money!

3. Get E-Books

Ah, e-books. Many people love e-books and their complementary e-readers. But most people usually feel pretty negatively about them for textbooks. Textbooks can be big books, with lots of text per page. They also often feature a ton of images, charts, and other edifying graphics. You don’t want to try to fit all that on a Kindle screen. However, if it’s just text, then an e-reader is usually fine.

But there is one important truth about e-books that we haven’t covered: Buying e-books is the easiest way to get cheap textbooks.

Here’s how you can get around the limits of an e-reader. Most e-books are available to use in your browser on your laptop, phone, tablet, or whatever. This is especially true for Kindle versions from Amazon. Kindle has a pretty robust in-browser e-reader that you can use to look at images and text without missing a beat. You still can’t write in it, but c’est la vie, they’re still cheap.

However, sometimes the only e-book versions available are from the publisher. These can range from totally amazing with a billion features to total, unreadable garbage. If the publisher is selling it on their own, potentially wonky platform, check out a review to make sure it’s not unusable. If you can’t find a review, then ask someone you know who might’ve taken the class before.

4. College Textbook Scholarships

This suggestion is a bit of a pipedream for most people, as textbook scholarships are often need-based and extremely limited. Most scholarship funds go to stuff like tuition, room and board, or even research. But there are some scholarships out there willing to help you with the cost of your books.

Check out this helpful list from CollegeScholarships.com to see what you might be able to qualify for.

Hey, you never know.

5. Plan Ahead, Don’t Get Caught Needing The Book Overnight

The most important lesson of the college scholarship hunt is to never get caught in a situation where you need the book overnight.

For example, you delay getting the textbook until it’s the night before the exam, therefore leaving you with the sole option of buying from the campus bookstore at a crazy markup. You could also burn up all your social capital with your new class friend, but judging from this behavior, you’re probably going to need that for later.

All jokes aside, this is the biggest mistake you can make. Buy or rent your books online as soon as you get the list. That way you’ll have access to the widest possible range of price options and you’ll have time to order the $20 copy of the $250 textbook from Germany that takes three weeks to ship.

Letting valuable time slip away means having to buy whatever the campus bookstore has on stock—which is usually pretty expensive.

Give yourself time to make the right decision for your budget! Finding cheap textbooks isn’t always easy, but it’s almost always worth it. Paying full price is usually a waste.

With these five hacks, you should be ready to save a ton on textbooks this semester. Don’t spend it all on milkshakes! Or do! It’s your money.

For more college hacks, career advice, and more, be sure to check out the WayUp Guide!

The post Cheap Textbooks 101: 5 Hacks To Save You Cash On College Textbooks appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

Studying abroad can be an expensive process. Financial aid and grants can help cover the costs of tuition. But even a great financial aid package doesn’t take care of all the hidden costs. With travel, lodging, dining out, and the higher costs of everyday life, it can really add up. That’s where study abroad scholarships come in.

However, experiences like study abroad shouldn’t just be for the privileged. And that’s why there are so many study abroad scholarships.

Here at the WayUp Guide, we’ve compiled an introduction to study abroad scholarships that will help you on the path to securing funding for your foreign adventure.

How To Get Study Abroad Scholarships

Like most things in college, Google search and your academic advisors (or other school officials) are your best bet. There are a ton of scholarships available for study abroad, you just have to be willing to fill out an application.

It can be very useful, though, to be detail-oriented throughout your search process. To make sure you don’t waste any of your own valuable application time, read the requirements for each scholarship thoroughly to confirm you qualify.

The more specific the scholarship is, the fewer qualified applicants it is likely to have. You should consider applying to niche scholarships and writing a thoughtful essay or personal statement. This way, you can increase your chances of actually getting the funding.

Another thing to keep in mind is that grades are often a huge deciding factor. The scholarship committee members will want to know that they’re not just paying for your vacation (even if they are). Try to be as thoughtful and honest as possible in your applications, too. If you had a bad semester grade-wise, then find a way to explain that in your essay.

How To Apply For Study Abroad Scholarships

Most applications involve submitting your academic transcripts, a personal statement or essay, and perhaps even a resume to a committee. The committee (or whoever runs the scholarship) will make a decision based on these credentials.

If the study abroad scholarships you’re applying for are available through your school, then you can often—but not always—apply through your school’s study abroad office. However, many of the best study abroad scholarships are open to the public and accept applications online.

As with all scholarships, though, many of them remain antiquated and accept paper applications. So, be prepared to buy some stamps.

Study Abroad Scholarships For Minorities, Under-Represented Groups, Non-Traditional Destinations, Those With Financial Need, And More

This list is just a tiny fraction of what’s available in terms of study abroad scholarships.

Many of these apply to CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange) programs. CIEE is a great resource for those looking to find both programs and funding for study abroad. It’s especially helpful for those with specific academic or work interests.

• Gilman International Scholarship — Awards for Pell Grant recipients with special attention paid to those headed to non-traditional study spots and studying “critical need languages.”
• GAIN Travel Grant — Helps cover airfare to and from CIEE program locations for students who demonstrate financial need.
• Boren Scholarship — Grant funded by the federal government for those studying STEM abroad in non-traditional locations (AKA, not Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada), with special attention paid to those locations where there are more sensitive US security interests.
• Fund For Education Abroad — Fund granting scholarships to students with financial need intending to study abroad.
• Study Abroad in Japan: Bridging Scholarships — Scholarships granted to those wishing to study abroad in Japan offered by the US-Japan Bridging Foundation.
• BUTEX Scholarship — Scholarship for students studying abroad at BUTEX-affiliated United Kingdom universities. Check the website for the full list of member schools.
• Turkish Coalition of America Scholarships — Awards provided to students studying abroad in Turkey by the Turkish Coalition of America.
• USAC Study Abroad Scholarships — Scholarships for students studying abroad with USAC-affiliated schools. USAC is composed of public universities from around the country. Check its website to see if your school is affiliated.
• RAINBOW Scholarship — Scholarship program for those identifying as LGBTQ+.
• Through The Looking Glass Scholarships — Scholarships for those who have parents with disabilities.
• McDermott Merit Scholarship — CIEE scholarship for those studying nursing, health sciences, and public health.
• Ping Scholarship For Academic Excellence — CIEE scholarship for those with superior academics.
• Ritzmann Tropical and Marine Ecology Scholarship — CIEE scholarship for those studying in the field of marine/tropical biology and ecology.
• Study Abroad Scholarships Essay Contest — Merit-based scholarship contest based on the contents of an essay.

Pro Tip: Keep Applying, Ask Around, And Don’t Give Up

The rule that goes for all scholarships goes for study abroad scholarships, too: Don’t stop applying. There are so many study abroad scholarships you can apply to. If you’re running out of scholarships to apply for online, then ask your study abroad or academic advisor for more. They will be able to provide you access to scholarships available either online or through the school.

For any other study abroad FAQs, tips, tricks, or more, be sure to check out the WayUp Guide.

The post Study Abroad Scholarships 101: Everything You Need To Know About Qualifying And Applying appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

Study abroad programs are an amazing way to experience a new part of the world. They’re a rare opportunity to go in-depth into a foreign culture. Plus, they’re a launchpad for traveling around a new continent (or the world). But there are also risks—both professional and personal—to this kind of travel. So, if you’re wondering, ‘Should I study abroad?’ then we’ve got some answers for you.

Here at the WayUp Guide, we’ve gathered all your questions and the best answers the experts have to offer. After reading this and a little research, you should be able to make a decision with confidence.

Should I Study Abroad?

The first thing to consider about study abroad is whether or not it genuinely interests you. At many schools, there’s a ton of pressure to study abroad, but it’s not right for everyone. So, the first question you should ask yourself is, ‘Do I really want to study abroad?’ And if the answer isn’t a strong yes, then you shouldn’t feel the need to pursue it.

Once you’ve sorted out whether you’re interested in study abroad, there are two other major factors to consider: graduation and finances.

Study abroad programs are far less flexible than a normal semester when it comes to which classes are offered. And if you don’t plan your classes out ahead of time, it can make graduating in four years (or however long you planned) very difficult.

Even though scholarships and financial aid are available for study abroad, there are a ton of hidden costs to the study abroad experience. Stuff like travel, dining out, and basic living necessities come up a lot, and usually cost more (especially in a tourist hotspot or big city).

Does My School Have A Study Abroad Program?

If your school has an established study abroad program, it can make the process much easier. If they do, then they usually have a streamlined process for making sure you can take the right classes and pay for it with financial aid, scholarships, grants, etc.

So, finding out whether your school has a program should always be your first step. Here’s how.

The easiest way to do it—like so many things now—is to Google it. Just type the name of your school plus “study abroad,” and it should bring you to the landing page for your school’s study abroad program (like this one). From there, the world is your oyster. That page should have all the info you could ever want on study abroad. Plus, it will usually give you contact info for a study abroad counselor or program coordinator. You can ask them all the nitty gritty questions about financial aid, campus culture, and beyond.

If something isn’t immediately showing up, then it gets trickier. Your school might not have a whole department of people working on study abroad, but they still might have a program. In this situation, there should still be something turning up on your online search. But if there isn’t, then you should contact your academic advisor. Advisors are on the front line for study abroad everywhere, because they have to make sure it works with your degree.

Can I Still Study Abroad If My School Doesn’t Have A Program?

The short answer is, yes!

Many universities have programs that are open to applications from different schools. Doing the program through another university will usually allow you to get equal (or higher) quality credits for your classes. Plus, you can meet a whole new set of people.

However, this is something you will have to clear with your academic advisor way ahead of time. Other schools have different methods of awarding credits, so coordination can be tricky. So, be sure to get a head start on meeting with your advisor and applying to programs.

Can I Study Abroad And Still Graduate On Time?

Again, the short answer is, yes. Most people who study abroad are able to successfully graduate on time. It can even be a GPA and resume booster, if you play your cards right.

However, there is also a long answer (a very long answer), too. You must speak to your academic advisor and clear everything you take ahead of time. There’s usually a much more limited selection of classes. So, you have to pick carefully and plan around it.

All in all, it’s doable, but you need to plan ahead.

How Much Does Study Abroad Really Cost?

The cost of a study abroad program is so much more than just the price tag on the actual semester. You have to consider the costs of flights, travel, dining out, furnishing your dorm, and so many other things.

Many people end up spending thousands of dollars in addition to whatever tuition they paid. There are, of course, ways to do travel on a budget. (There are even guides for study abroad on a budget). So, it doesn’t have to break the bank.

Depending on your desired location, especially if it’s a big city or tourist hotspot, the costs will vary. Be sure to research, at least generally, the costs of living ahead of time.

If you’re planning on making money once you arrive, there’s a whole web of legal hurdles you’ll have to jump through. Some countries don’t allow temporary students to work. Others will place exorbitant taxes on the money you do make. All that’s to say, DON’T count on making money once you’re there.

DO plan on working or otherwise saving up money ahead of time. That way you can book travel plans early to save on flights and accommodations. You can also make a budget for yourself to stay on track.

Having enough money beforehand can really improve the experience. So, if you want to travel a lot, go out with friends, and try new foods, make sure you can afford it before you sign up.

If you think you can balance budgeting, taking the right classes, and have a genuine interest in foreign travel, then study abroad might be right for you. For all your study abroad FAQs, tips, tricks, and more, check out the WayUp Guide right now!

The post Should I Study Abroad? Everything You Need To Know Before Making Your Decision appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

Every successful company specializes in something—but being an expert in one area doesn’t make them an expert in all areas. This is especially true when it comes to technology. Executives across all industries need help deciding which tools work best for their companies, and that’s where business technology and information technology (IT) professionals come in.

What does Business Technology and IT mean?

This industry spans everything from your in-house IT support team to the Chief Information Officer (CIO)—and there’s plenty in between. Network Architects, Systems Engineers, Business Tech Analysts, and Project Managers all play a role in a company’s IT strategy.

Working internally in one of these positions, you’ll be making decisions about what kinds of technology your company purchases, which software packages best suit the needs and values of your firm, and the installation and maintenance of this infrastructure.

One of the reasons this is such an important element of business—aside from the obvious necessity of having at least some technology—is the efficiency that can be achieved by having the right technology. This is huge. Efficiency is time, and time is money. This is why firms often turn to Business Technology and IT Consultants to make sure they get it right.

The Advantages Of Working As A Business Technology IT Consultant

Consultancies with a focus on business technology are becoming increasingly important as technology evolves and grows. That’s why traditional management consultancies like Accenture have formed such tech-dedicated offshoots like Avanade—the leading digital innovator, focused on driving results for their clients through the power of people and the Microsoft ecosystem.

One of the benefits of working as a consultant in this field is the superior professional challenge, and rich employee experience. Because these consultancies are solely focused on crafting the best business technology solutions, their employees have the opportunity to innovate for a variety of companies across a multitude of industries.

If you’re someone who loves the hustle and bustle of activity, another benefit of being a Business Tech Consultant is the opportunity to travel for work. At a company like Avanade, which works in more than 20 countries around the globe, your services can be called upon nearly anywhere. You’ll fly out to meet the client on-site and start working out of their office while you and your team craft the solution that’s right for their business needs. This can make consulting in this field an excellent choice for recent grads looking to expand their horizons.

How To Start A Career In Business Tech And IT

While it’s obvious how having a degree in computer science or engineering could provide useful knowledge for one of these roles, those aren’t the only ways in. Firms look for any number of qualifications, many of which revolve around business sense, intelligence, and problem-solving ability.

“We’re not focused on the degree. It’s more about the skills and technical mindset,” says Avanade hiring expert and head of North America Campus Recruiting, Lisa Kochert. “It’s about critical thinking and problem-solving.”

So, you might be a physics major, but your exposure to data science and programming in labs could make you a great fit for the role. Or perhaps you’re a political science major who has exposure to statistics and digital problem-solving—there are plenty of tracks that prepare you to perform in a technical role without having a specific IT or computer science degree.

At companies like Avanade, you’ll also receive a ton of training and professional development—more than 80 hours a year. As long you can show that you’re a proactive problem-solver with a passion for technology, you can possibly start a career in the field right out of school (or do an internship while you’re still an undergrad).

If you’ve got the technical mindset and a voracious appetite for creating and delivering solutions, then check out opportunities at Avanade. They’re hiring on WayUp!

The post Here’s What You Need To Know About Working In Business Technology And IT (Hint: A Tech Degree Isn’t Always Required) appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

Can I Work While Studying Abroad?

Getting a job while you study abroad is sometimes possible. But it depends on a whole mess of legal issues that depend entirely on the country you’re in and the country you came from. Here at the WayUp Guide, we’ve put together the ultimate explainer to make sure that you can navigate the murky waters of getting a job while studying abroad. We’ll answer all your big questions so that you can get the most out of your time as an expat. You’ll have plenty to consider when it comes to deciding whether you want work while studying abroad.

Is it legal to work while studying abroad?

It can be, yes. A few of the biggest hot spots for North Americans studying abroad do actually allow foreign students to work while they’re there. But many of them have restrictions that make it impossible to do so legally—especially if you’re only there for one semester. And nearly all of them limit the hours you can work to 20 (part-time status).

For example, Australia and New Zealand allow you to work 20-hour weeks while you’re on their student visas. (That said, New Zealand has for more conditions for that work, so please check their local laws here before you go.) 

However, countries like Ireland and the United Kingdom—the latter of which, of course, includes Top 5 Study Abroad location London—limit working under student visas to students spending at least one academic year in the country. That means most one-semester-abroad students are out of luck.

Other countries still have more complicated rules. Take China, which technically allows students on visas to work, given that they fill out a mountain of paperwork and get permission from their university. Some countries require you to take a job that’s in your chosen field of study.

As you can probably tell from this brief list, the laws for working abroad are complicated and region-specific. Check out this neat resource from Go Overseas, which features a table with some laws from the most popular regions. As always, though, be sure to check with the embassy’s site for the final word on current regulations and restrictions.

All of this is for legal working. But many do freelance work like teaching English (or another language), translation, or part-time restaurant/bar work under the table (taking money off the books without official permissions or paying taxes). However, working illegally in a foreign country can constitute tax evasion and violation of other laws. That can carry harsh penalties like huge fines, expulsion from your school, and even jail time. (In case it needs to be said: You obviously shouldn’t work illegally.) Which brings us to…

Can I volunteer while I’m studying abroad?

The short and long answer for this one is YES! Because there’s no exchange of paychecks or taxes involved, volunteer work is largely available to folks with student visas. You might have better luck finding certain types of charities and missions in certain countries or regions. But, generally, whatever country you visit will have charitable organizations ready and willing to accept your help.

If you study abroad in places outside of Western Europe—especially in Africa or South America—where international non-government organizations (NGOs) like the Red Cross and OxFam have an active presence, then it’s going to be easier to find volunteer work and to get involved on a larger scale. However, if you’re jetting off to cities like London, Shanghai, or Prague, your options are going to be more closely aligned with things like soup kitchens and shelters, as they would be in most U.S. cities.

Of course, certain rules and regulations apply in some countries, especially in Asia, so be sure to check with the embassy’s site and your school counselor to make sure any and all programs are safe and legal.

Should you work while studying abroad? Here are the pros and cons.

Working while studying abroad can be an excellent way to meet people outside your normal bubble of “foreign student vacation life.” It can also help you immerse yourself—genuinely—in the culture of wherever you’re staying. Plus, foreign travel is rife with unforeseen costs and expensive vacation plans, so who couldn’t use some extra cash? This kind of entrepreneurial spirit is valued by future employers and gives you a type of life experience most people will never have. That, in turn, can shape you as a person.

However, adding another weight to your scales when you’re already trying to balance making new friends, staying in contact with people at home, going to school, and making sure you get everything you can out of the experience can be tough and take a toll on your mental and physical well-being. Who wants to miss out on that awesome weekend trip to Italy, that amazing party in the warehouse club, or that unforgettable museum exhibit because you have deadlines and shifts to pull at work?

Working can be an awesome way to add depth and authenticity to your experience. But truly relying on a part-time job for money while abroad can severely detract from your ability to enjoy your time there. It can also interfere as you try to forge strong connections with your peers. You don’t want to be scrubbing tables while your roommates are making friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. Yet that doesn’t mean you can’t learn something interesting or talk to someone you never would have because of a unique work experience, either.

It’s best to plan (and work as much as you can) ahead of time, so that you can have all the money you need BEFORE you arrive. That way, working is just another optional, enriching part of the experience, and not a cruel necessity robbing you of your precious time abroad and stressing you out.

For more study abroad tips, FAQs, and questions, be sure to check out the WayUp Guide!

The post Can I Work While Studying Abroad? Everything You Need To Know About Students Working Overseas appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

Here at the WayUp Guide, we know that going abroad is more than just an extended vacation. It’s an opportunity to truly broaden your horizons and invite new ways of thinking into your life. Connection with other people is a huge part of that process. To teach English abroad is to connect with a group of people trying to do the same thing that you are: Participate in a global society.

We’ve put together this piece to tell you everything you need to know about teaching English abroad.

Is It possible To Teach English While Studying Abroad?

For the most part, having your own classroom while you’re studying abroad in a traditional program is very rare. If you’re already headed to Europe, Asia, or anywhere else on a study abroad program and you’re hoping to teach English while you’re there for a semester, the chances of doing this in an institution are very low. Even if it were more widely available, it would take a huge chunk of your time (given that it would come in addition to classes). The added stress of having a job, classes, and everything else would probably do more harm than good to your experience.

It is, however, very possible to teach English to individuals as a tutor or to work with an organization on a smaller scale. If you’re interested in tutoring foreign students, there are plenty of opportunities to teach English. This is especially true if you’re in a big city with universities. Some people are even unofficially hired to teach English to interested groups at community centers or other organizations. However, accepting a paid position comes with a web of legal entanglements. (You can read more about the dangers of that here.)

Given that getting paid to teach English is usually difficult, you can always tutor/teach on a volunteer basis. This is nice because there’s a much smaller time commitment when it comes to volunteering. Ask your study abroad program director or your study abroad office if such opportunities are available at your site. Students who came before you may have already done similar programs. If not, you can always call around to local universities or schools and ask if they need a volunteer.

Teaching English while you’re studying abroad, on a small scale, is definitely doable.

Teaching English Abroad In A Summer Program

If you’re really interested in the full teaching experience, then you should consider a summer program.

Again, if you’re an undergrad, most of the positions available to you will be on a volunteer basis. However, those programs will often pay for your room and board. You might also receive a small stipend for spending money. The best places to find programs like these are developing countries. Established economies like those in Europe and East Asia will usually have higher educational standards for English teachers.

If you want a paid position, then you should look into to getting a TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) or TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification to bolster your resume. After that, it should be much easier to find a paid position without having to first pay a private service like Geovisions to scout out a position for you (although that is a fine option).

However, as we’ll talk about in the next section, a certification is not strictly necessary. And there are most certainly options for those looking to teach without them.

Do You Need A Certification To Teach English Abroad?

The short answer is, no. There are many programs that do not require certifications for undergrads looking to teach English in the summer. For the other types of tutoring or small-group teaching positions, those are usually undocumented to begin with and won’t require any certification. However, even programs that do allow undergrads to teach without certification will sometimes say they prefer it and favor students who do have it.

As we mentioned above, having a TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) or TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification can add a lot to your resume as a potential teacher. However, it is totally possible to teach without a certification. Check out our list of programs below to see which ones do and don’t require certification.

These certifications cost approximately $500 and can usually be completed through an online course.

Longer English Teacher programs for after graduation have different requirements. But you don’t have to worry about going through official government training or getting certifications when you’re an undergrad (usually).

Here Are Some Great Programs And Resources To Check Out.

Find programs and jobs:

• Dave’s ESL Cafe — Resource for connecting ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers and students from around the world.

• API Study Abroad — Program that sends people around the world to teach English and volunteer.

• AIESEC US — Non-profit, student-run group connecting teachers and students in more than 107 countries and territories.

• Alliance Abroad/AIDE — Career site for teaching English abroad in Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

• Interexchange — Site connecting students and recent grads with programs to travel abroad, teach English, and volunteer (will help you become TEFL-certified).

• World Teach — Program connecting students and recent grads with opportunities to teach English abroad during the year, for a semester, or during the summer.

• International Volunteer HQ — Organization connecting students with volunteer programs, some of which involve teaching English.

There are a ton of other programs and organizations out there! This list is just to get the ball rolling!

Find program reviews/ratings/details:

• CIEE — Organization that helps you find study abroad/teach abroad programs that are right for you.

• Go Overseas — Find reviews, compiled ratings, and program details.

• Study Abroad 101 — Reviews, ratings, and more.

For all your other study abroad, internship, or career questions, be sure to check out the WayUp Guide for more!

The post Can You Teach English Abroad During College? Everything You Need To Know About Teaching English Overseas appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

What is study abroad?

Study Abroad or Study Away programs are options provided by universities and colleges to complete a semester, year, or sometimes even more of your degree program on a different campus, usually in a foreign country.

These programs are an excellent opportunity to see a new part of the world, experience a different culture, and TRAVEL. Temporarily relocating to Europe, Asia, or anywhere else means having an excellent opportunity to take advantage of plentiful (and often relatively cheap) travel options. This allows you to maximize your experience and exposure to new places.

How can I sign up?

How do you sign up? Most of the programs are through partnerships your institution has with a program or foreign university. Some schools—like NYU—even have their own global campus locations where they send their students.

However, many schools (even those with programs) allow their students to apply to public or “all inclusive” study abroad programs for students from a variety of institutions. These types of programs are particularly useful for people with a desire to study at a niche location and/or for a specific subject (like going to Pompeii for Archaeology!).

If you type your school’s name and “study abroad,” you will usually be able to find your school’s landing page or study abroad office. From there you’ll be able to sign up for info sessions, schedule an appointment with a study abroad counselor, and—most of the time—apply directly through the site.

Making sure you have the right paperwork for study abroad.

Whether it’s visas, vaccinations, or vacation planning, there’s a ton of documentation that goes along with study abroad.

Living, studying, and (maybe) working in a foreign country adds up to a lot of paperwork. It’s a coordinated effort between two or more governments, universities, parents, doctors, friends, and—most important—you!

Lots of countries require you to have a student visa (although some do not). You can check to see if your desired location does on sites like the State Department’s student visa guide.

You’ll need a visa for not only your desired study location but also any travel/vacation locations. Whether you need an additional visa will depend on the local laws, whether that country has reciprocity with your student visa (some countries in Europe do), and technical details like the duration of your stay.

Beyond visas, you’re going to need an up-to-date passport that won’t expire while you’re abroad. You’ll also want something in addition to your passport (so you don’t have to carry it around all the time). To verify your age at bars, clubs, restaurants, and other places, you should bring your license or government ID card. Places in some countries won’t accept this, so you’ll need a Proof of Age card just in case. (Check your country’s rules on that before you go.)

There are also vaccination and health screening requirements for most countries. That said, you’ll need certified documentation to prove that you’re in the proper shape to live in another place.

Can I work or volunteer while I study abroad?

It all depends on whether your student visa allows you to work or not. Some countries will not allow foreign students to work at all. Others allow foreign students with basic student visas to work. Yet other countries require you to fill out a special application to get permission to work. Be sure to search country- or region-specific working requirements if that’s something you’re interested in.

Even remote work like journalism, video editing, or anything else done entirely digitally requires special permissions to actually get paid while you’re completing the work in another country.

Volunteering while studying abroad is usually a different story, because there’s no salary or paycheck involved. Since there aren’t tax status issues, volunteering is usually available to foreign students. However, some countries do require you to apply to join any organizations. Before you depart, be sure to check your destination’s requirements.

There are also plenty of programs that let you volunteer or work as an English teacher abroad, read more about that here.

However, most students find that between traveling, class, and meeting new people, there isn’t much time for a job—even a part-time one.

For a full guide to study/working abroad, check out this post on the WayUp guide.

Will study abroad credits work with my degree program?

This is why having approval from your university is essential. Make sure your academic advisor is aware of your plans to study abroad as far in advance as possible. That way, you can plan around the limited class options abroad and the standing degree requirements you have to complete before graduation.

Most locations will not have all the classes you need to complete your degree. And some schools won’t accept core requirements done at a non-university program. So you MUST check with your academic advisor. Your school’s study abroad office may be able to help you work with your advisor, fill out forms to become exempt from certain requirements, or clear a certain class abroad with a major or core curriculum requirement.

It’s tricky to plan this far ahead in your academic career. But it’s totally essential if you want to have the best experience and graduate on time.

Study Abroad programs require careful planning, but have a huge payoff.

It’s a big challenge to successfully plan a months-long trip abroad. That’s especially true when you’re going to school, taking trips, and perhaps even working or volunteering. Yet completing something like this will not only enrich your life with a whole host of amazing experiences but also prove that you can handle a major undertaking. Being able to contend with something like this is a significant stepping stone in adult life.

For all your other study abroad questions and more detailed explanations, be sure to check out the WayUp guide for more!

The post Study Abroad 101: Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

Is It Possible To Volunteer While Studying Abroad?

Totally, yes. If you can find the right opportunity to volunteer while studying abroad, then you can access a whole world of benefits and new experiences. You’ll get working experience without having to navigate the complex legal jungle of permits, regulations, and foreign tax codes that come along with a paid position. You also get to help and connect with people from circumstances very different than your own. That is a learning experience that has its own immense value.

However, some phony organizations exist that charge foreigners money for empty experiences or lure them into bad situations. That said, knowing what you’re looking for before you arrive is absolutely essential.

To help you get the most out of your study abroad experience, we at the WayUp guide have compiled  everything you need to know about volunteering while studying abroad.

Volunteer Study Abroad Programs Vs. Volunteering While Studying Abroad

Some study abroad programs are designed, from the beginning, to center around a volunteer or humanitarian mission. These programs can be offered by your university and specific school departments or through open organizations like API Study Abroad or International Volunteer HQ.

For programs like these, you’ll usually travel to places with more pressing volunteer needs than large European or Asian metropolises. Some of these programs will offer college credit for the volunteer work in lieu of classes. Others will offer both volunteer work AND classes for credit.

You could be building wells and studying local government policy in rural Indian villages or work on environmental conservation in a village near the Brazilian rain forest. No matter what your major or interest is, there are a ton of opportunities to dive deeper into your academic field and actually affect the lives of others.

These types of programs are designed to make your volunteer effort the centerpiece of your experience. As such, they’re quite different from the latter type of activity: Undertaking a volunteer position or project while you’re on a traditional study abroad program.

This is a more traditional route, similar to getting a part-time job while going to school. You’ll be able to control, for the most part, how much of a time commitment it is. That makes it much more manageable if you have a heavy class load and lots of travel plans. You can usually find these by asking your study abroad campus administration. Luckily, most places will have organizations where they regularly send students, so you’ll know what kind of experience is headed your way.

Volunteering Abroad Safety: Finding A Legitimate, Trusted Program, Organization, Or Project

Unfortunately, there are plenty of for-profit organizations that will do their best to take as much money from you while giving you as little guidance, support, and opportunity as possible. This can be especially dangerous if you’re going to a place with less infrastructure for finding alternate opportunities or connecting with the outside world. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you are working with a verified, trusted program that both helps a real cause AND provides you with an enriching experience.

The easiest way to find a trustworthy program is to ask your study abroad office/study abroad counselor if your school has any partnerships with existing programs (This also helps you secure college credit more easily so you can still graduate on time.) Even if they don’t have established partnerships with programs, they might know of other students who have had successful experiences. They might even be able to set you up with someone who could talk to you about the experience.

Going through your school is the best method for safety purposes. It also ensures that you’ll have a point-of-contact at your college to help you if anything goes wrong or the program doesn’t suit you. If your school doesn’t have a study abroad office, your academic advisor or a professor might be able to direct you to an opportunity.

The next best method, if you’re looking for something your school doesn’t necessarily offer, is to use thorough online reviews, forums, and blogs. Sites like Go Overseas or Study Abroad 101 compile trusted reviews and flag recurring issues from participants to help you make your decision. For instance, take this review of API Study Abroad. Things to watch out for are programs that redirect you to local charities without any institutional support and those that lack bureaucracy. Other red flags are exploitative for-profit organizations, programs that don’t give their students/volunteers enough work, programs where there are no other students, and programs that put students in dangerous or unsupervised situations.

It’s not all bad, though. There are thousands of reviews, blogs, and trustworthy sources for finding the right program. You’ll find your fit, just be cautious and thorough!

Benefits Of Volunteering While Studying Abroad

There are so many benefits to getting volunteer experience while you’re abroad. It’ll help your resume, your future job prospects, and your personal development.

Volunteer work is work, and work experience in a foreign country is amazing for your resume. It means you’ve interacted with people from different cultures, possibly have foreign language skills, and possess the entrepreneurial spirit required to seek out work outside the borders of your homeland.

Volunteering while studying abroad shows that you are not someone who is satisfied with being a mere tourist. It will give you a plethora of stories, experiences, and situations you can bring up in future job interviews. Plus, if you ever want to return to your study abroad destination—say London—and work there after graduation, you can say you “have experience working in a British organization.”

Beyond the tangible benefits, volunteer work of any kind, anywhere, exposes you to people outside your normal sphere. This can give you perspective and a sense of purpose that can help define your character for the rest of your life. As the saying goes, to help others is to help yourself.

If you’re interested in learning specifically about teaching English abroad as a volunteer or paid teacher, check out this WayUp Guide post here.

For more study abroad FAQs, tips, and info, check out the WayUp Guide right now!

The post Can I Volunteer While Studying Abroad? Everything You Need To Know About Volunteering Overseas appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

“Company culture” can seem like a pretty intangible thing, especially when you’re thinking about your first job. You might not have the experience to know what actually makes it more than just an HR slogan.

Company culture is made up of the tangible experiences you have working there—and it couldn’t be more important.

Using Dell—an industry leader in company culture—as an example, here are four signs that show a company is serious about its culture.

#1: A Meaningful Work/Life Balance

Maintaining the balance between your work and your personal life is extremely important for your health, job performance, and overall satisfaction. Plenty of companies understand that happy employees are good employees, and few things make people happier than being able to have a rich life in and outside of the office.

But it has to be more than just expressing a commitment.

At Dell, if you work at any of the tech giant’s offices around the world, there are a ton of options with regards to scheduling your work. Some employees work from home for all or part of the week to cut down on commuting and inefficiency. Other employees work the same amount of hours in four days each week (instead of five).

Dell aims to have 50 percent of their workforce on flexible schedules by 2020. That’s the kind of proof you should be looking for when it comes to understanding work/life balance at a company.

#2: Genuine Commitment To Diversity

A company or team without diversity not only deprives you of the personal growth that comes from understanding people unlike yourself, but also makes concretely worse decisions. Companies AND people succeed when there’s diversity—so, yes, it should be an important factor.

It can be hard to tell whether a company employs a diverse group of people, particularly because diversity can mean a lot more than what is visibly apparent. Beyond that, corporate websites and verbal commitments can often oversell certain aspects of the company culture. One way to cut through the noise is by looking at what objective third parties and former employees have said. Check out the company’s diversity and inclusion ratings and see how credible organizations have rated them.

Dell was placed on DiversityInc’s Top 50 and was recognized by The Economist for their excellence in diversity and inclusion. Dell also does more than just hire people—they support them. Whether that means advocacy groups, accommodations for holidays and disabilities, or flexible work hours to fit people’s myriad obligations, the company is constantly thinking about its employees’ happiness.

#3: Openness To Innovation

Most companies rely on innovation to drive their business forward. But some companies truly expect it from every corner of their team. How do you figure out which is which? Here are a couple ways you can find out more about what exactly innovation means at a certain company.

For starters, ask about “intrepreneurship.” How has a select group of major tech players managed to stay at the top of an industry that revolves around advances? Simple: They’ve encouraged all of their employees to use the company as a venue for innovation. (Dell has an annual “Game Changers” competition where employees from around the globe pitch to executives who can opt to fund their ideas.)

If an employer can’t provide you with specifics about new products or businesses started by employees, then that may be a sign that the “culture of innovation” is just a phrase.

#4: Ethics And Impact

It’s important to know what kind of company you work for. Do they take responsibility for their actions? Do they contribute to the communities they’re a part of? Essentially, you need to know whether a prospective company makes the world a better or worse place.

This is where hard facts matter the most. Awards and accolades given from third parties are usually for a reason. So, when Dell has taken home trophies for their efforts to cut down on their carbon footprint or for being the largest global recycler of electronics, you know that it’s because they did and they are.

There are things like community engagement, manufacturing practices, and much, much more that you should look out for. There are many ways to make an impact—positive or negative. Companies who take ethics seriously usually have employees who do, too, and it can be great to be around people who care.

And Beyond…

Little things like dress code, snacks, and social events can make a huge difference in helping you adjust to a new city or new stage of life. So, don’t forget about these aspects of company culture, either.

The post 4 Signs That Show An Employer Is Serious About Its Company Culture appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

When we hear “innovation,” it’s hard not to think about the classic success stories and the images of people tinkering with old-timey motherboards in the pursuit of scientific progress. That’s where so many key tech companies like Dell started, after all. But it’s important to remember that it’s not the only way it happens.

There’s a reason major players in tech can manage to stay in the game for so long: Creative and technical geniuses innovate within the structure of their large corporations. The business world has taken to calling this practice “intrapreneurship,” and it could be the way that you manage to thrive as an innovator.

What is intrapreneurship?

Intrapreneurship—in contrast with entrepreneurship—is the practice of creating, pitching, and getting funding for your own business idea or product while working as an employee within a larger corporate structure.

“It’s a new kind of product or a new kind of business,” says veteran intrapreneur and Dell Product Manager Juan Vega. “It’s about identifying new opportunities and leading from the front.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT DELL AND APPLY FOR OPEN JOBS HERE

In the same way that you would start your business on the outside, you have to build a team, invest your own time, and aggressively seek sponsorship from execs in the right department. “You can’t lead from behind,” Juan stresses. “You have to take a risk and say, ‘I really think it’s worth doing something.’ And then you have to go and create the story and the arguments and the support and everything else you need, just as if you were out solo in the business world.”

How Juan tapped into a multi-billion-dollar business.

Juan knows a thing or two about intrapreneurship. Having spent more than 20 years at Dell, Juan has worked on (and started!) countless new businesses and products for the company.

For example, in 2008 he was running the successful Optiplex team, but he wasn’t feeling inspired by his role. “They figured out the formula and it was on track. It was doing great and winning everything. It wasn’t taking a lot to improve it; it just needed someone to keep it going,” he says.

As an innovator, Juan was ready for his next challenge. “I was bored, basically. I ended up looking at the market and thinking, ‘Where are we underserved?’ I started looking for that opportunity,” he says.

He settled on the small business market. The business packages and hardware were just too expensive at that scale. However, it didn’t have to be this way, and Juan knew that. “We had a ton of pricing conflicts. We had a cost problem that wasn’t being resolved in that space,” he says. “So, I found a backfill and got out of the job I was in, once I had sponsorship to drive this new business space.”

The result? “We built a new desktop and notebook business that was specifically focused on driving down costs and meeting the needs of the small business owner. And that’s a billion-something dollar business today.”

How can you do it? It’s all about the company culture.

An intrapreneurial culture is not the only thing that makes a company successful—there are plenty of established businesses that got to where they are by moving methodically and sticking to their guns. There are also flagging industries in which companies will be much more risk-averse because they just aren’t thriving. And it’s those types of companies—whether they’re cautious or just plain old conservative—that you have to avoid if you’re trying to find a place that will let you innovate.

If you’re someone who likes the idea of contributing to a larger team, having steady pay and benefits, and getting exposure to the workings of a major corporation, but you still want to make something new, then you have to make sure you find a company with a culture of intrapreneurship.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DELL AND APPLY FOR OPEN JOBS HERE

“It’s never about asking permission,” Juan explains. “You get permission along the way. You get investment dollars. You get head count. You get project teams. [At Dell], you get whatever it is you need to create that new business.”

How does this happen at Dell? According to Juan, it’s the people. “It’s because of the kind of people who are happy at Dell. We’re a pretty type A company. It all started with Michael in his dorm room. It’s people who are in a lot of ways self-motivated—entrepreneurial-type people— who just happen to be working in a giant corporation,” he says.

“And when you mix the two together, what you get is people who tend to ask a little more forgiveness than permission, and tend to bring opportunities to light as a part of their normal roles and responsibilities.”

The post Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Being An ‘Intrapreneur’ appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

So, you’re an overachiever about to graduate from your undergraduate or graduate program. You have great experience in school and out, and you want to hit the ground running at your first job. The only problem is, how, exactly, are you supposed to find a job that provides everything you’re looking for?

Even the most specialized fields contain endless possibilities when it comes to actually practicing them in the real world. Many students—including and especially the ones who excel in their chosen fields—have trouble deciding on a specific direction to take their career.

If you’re an overachiever with a desire to establish yourself as a leader early on in your career, then a Leadership Development Program could be perfect for you.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THERMO FISHER AND APPLY FOR OPEN ROLES

What’s a Leadership Development Program?

Are you familiar with Rotational Programs? If you participate in one of these, you’ll be rotating to different departments or teams within the same company over a predetermined period of time.

Well, Leadership Development Programs take that concept and elevate it. You can think of them as elite Rotational Programs designed to fast-track your career in your field of choice. Leadership Development Programs allow recent grads to familiarize themselves with the industry while also learning leadership and management skills that will allow them to advance more quickly within the company.

But unlike a general Rotational Program, a Leadership Development Program offers exposure to different areas within a specific field or industry. They also usually require a degree that aligns with the program you want to apply for. If you apply for a program in Finance, for instance, you’ll most likely need to have studied finance, accounting, or economics.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, offers Leadership Development Programs across their company. Take, for example, their Operations Leadership Development Program. It involves four six-month rotations during which you immerse yourself in various parts of the operations function, including manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain. You’ll have the opportunity to work alongside some of the most respected operations leaders in the world in order to accelerate your technical, professional, and leadership development.

There’s also their Human Resources Leadership Development Program. It focuses on building the next generation of HR leaders through rotational assignments in important fields like mergers and acquisitions, diversity and inclusion, talent management, and employee relations.

Gaining this kind of exposure is what makes Leadership Development Programs such a great way to kick-start your career.

Am I right for a Leadership Development Program?

Leadership Development Programs usually cater to recent grads and graduate students who want to work in a competitive, intensive program centered on their field of study.

This usually entails a commitment—at least a year or two. However, you can have some assurance that, if you perform well, there will be a permanent place for you within the organization.

Even if there isn’t a guaranteed offer, most companies do hire their Leadership Development Program graduates. After all, they chose you from hundreds or thousands of candidates to fill a very small class. (At Thermo Fisher, the final program comprises only 50 or so people.) They also devote considerable time and money in your career development.

They’ll equip you with the knowledge you need to figure out a potential specialty and help you acquire more valuable experience. Not to mention you’ll be building way more contacts at the company, because you’ll be rotating across teams. This will make future job searches a bit easier, giving you a broader network to tap into.

It’s a big commitment that comes with a major payoff.

Leadership Development Programs can be major commitments—some will even ask you to move around to new parts of the country or the world.

Yet a major commitment often means a major payoff down the road. You’ll be in a great position when it comes to long-term employment. You’ll have more—and sharper—skills. You’ll know way more about the industry and the different fields within your space. And, chances are, you’ll have met many interesting and inspiring people along the way.

Interested in working for a company that offers Leadership Development Programs? Learn more about Thermo Fisher and apply for open roles by visiting their WayUp company profile!

The post What’s A Leadership Development Program—And Is It Right For Me? appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

The core skills you need to succeed in recruiting—leadership, self-management, resiliency, and being detail-oriented and quick-thinking, among others—have remained consistent over the past few decades. But how you use them has changed markedly thanks to technology.

So, where does that leave you when you’re interviewing for a Staffing Recruiter firm as a job?

It depends on a number of different factors, including your work experience and familiarity with the industry. That said, most early-career candidates will not have recruiting experience going into the interview.

And that’s fine!

Just remember that the questions will be broad enough to allow you to demonstrate these fundamental skills in a way that wows your interviewer and leaves a lasting impression.

Recruiting expert Casey Weickgenannt from Apex—one of the premier staffing and recruiting agencies in the country—opened up about her experience hiring for these roles. What are the most common interview questions she asks? How should you answer them? How do you follow up appropriately?

Check out her answers to these and other pressing questions below.

What are your strengths?

This question, while standard to most every interview, actually has a few specific right answers when it comes to recruiting.

According to Weickgenannt, there are many questions hiring managers are looking to answer. “Are you money-motivated? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment? Can you multitask?” This question gives you an opportunity to show that you are all of those things—and more, she says.

Emphasize your ability to multitask even in a hectic setting. Talk about how you build relationships and are a quick learner. And don’t just say what you are, show them. Speak eloquently and confidently to prove to the recruiter that these are among your many, many strengths.

Do you have leadership skills/experience?

This is one of the more concrete questions in a recruiting interview, which means answering it should be a little more straightforward. This is the time to talk about any clubs or teams you’ve started or belonged to. Specific experience works, too.

Talk about a time when you took the reins on a group project or organized others to accomplish something. Leadership means different things in different settings, so think about your own experiences and how it applies.

Do you like working with people?

This question is key when it comes to recruiting. “Our product is people, and people are very unpredictable,” Weickgenannt says.

That means you need to understand how to work with all kinds of people. So, to ace this question, communicate that you not only enjoy being a service-oriented team player, but also are skilled at handling the twists and turns of working with a range of personalities.

At the end of the day, Weickgenannt stresses, the most important qualification for a Staffing Recruiter boils down to essentially one quality. “We’re looking for somebody who has very strong interpersonal skills,” she says. “That’s definitely the most important qualification for us. Someone who’s able to connect with others and have strong communication.”

What would you do if…?

These types of behavioral questions—during which your interviewer will present a scenario and ask how you’d handle it—are very common for Staffing Recruiter interviews.

First, don’t panic.

The important thing to remember is that you will receive a lot of training once the job begins, so it’s more important to show that you’re resourceful, clever, and smart. Don’t perseverate on the fact that you’re unfamiliar with the specifics or tactics you’re presented with.

Weickgenannt also recommends researching common behavioral questions. “There are plenty available online,” she says. Yet no matter what, always make sure you:

Practice beforehand.

Polished answers will demonstrate your public speaking skills and sales skills.

Engage with the interviewer.

Make sure you’re actually engaging with what the interviewer is asking. This way you can learn about the position and better prepare for later in the interview process.

Ask thoughtful questions.

Do your research beforehand so that you can ask an informed question when the interviewer turns the tables. Additionally, you should think of a question based on something the interviewer either said or asked. And avoid topics like benefits, vacation time, or salary. Those can be ironed out later.

Follow up!

“A candidate who can stand out in the application process is someone who’s being responsive,” Weickgenannt says. “Following up, keeping open the line of communications—that’s really memorable.”

These interviewers are handling a ton of applications for a variety of jobs. Following up by thanking them for their time and reminding them of your strengths is a great way to ensure you’re going to be top of mind when decision time comes around.

Interested in a career in recruiting? Apex is hiring on WayUp now, so check out their open roles and apply!

The post Here’s How You Should Answer Common Recruiter Interview Questions appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

Recruiters are an essential part of the business world. But what skills make an ideal candidate? According to recruiting expert Casey Weickgenannt of Apex—one of the country’s premier staffing and recruiting firms—recruiting is all about people.

Strong Social Skills

Here’s something that all successful recruiters know: Recruiting is a lot like matchmaking.

You have to pair the person with the position in a way that makes both your client and your candidate happy. Otherwise you’re not getting the job done.

This means you’re basically making two sales at the same time. To pull that off, you need equal parts intelligence and social grace. That’s why social butterflies with a knack for making compelling arguments will find themselves uniquely prepared for this role.

Weickgenannt agrees. “The best candidates are well-rounded and have very strong interpersonal skills,” she says.

Multitasking And Quick Thinking

Recruiting is incredibly multifaceted, which means you need to be, too.

“There really is no average day,” Weickgenannt says. “There’s a lot of variety.”

That variety includes anything from meeting with candidates and following up on references to strategizing with your team and extending offers. Sometimes it can even mean helping with on-boarding for the candidates who accept the job.

And all the while, you’ve got more positions to fill. If you’re someone who looks at a mountain of tasks and thinks, “I’ve got time for that and maybe a couple of other things, too,” chances are you would thrive as a recruiter.

Leadership Skills

“Leadership” is one of those vague terms that seems like it simultaneously applies everywhere and nowhere—usually, that is.

But when it comes to recruiting, you actually need to lead people. It’s like being the president of a club, except your goal is to get everybody in the club the perfect job. That means helping people put forward the best version of themselves and their skill sets—and matching them to positions that you’re tasked with filling. (And then trying do that again and again and again.)

That can be challenging at times. “Our product is people, and people are very unpredictable,” Weickgenannt says.

That’s when the whole leadership thing comes into play. Gifted leaders are inherently more capable of driving people toward a common goal.

Think of it this way. If your candidate or your client can’t get behind your plan, then you’re not effectively doing your job. But if you’re someone people turn to for advice, then you’re probably the kind of person they would trust to get them the right job.

Money Motivation

What’s the most rewarding part about recruiting (beyond the satisfaction of helping people better their lives and advance their careers)?

“Compensation,” says Weickgenannt. “It’s a very lucrative career.”

Recruiters are incentivized based on job performance. That means the more successful you are, the more money you can make—and the higher you can climb up the corporate ladder.

If this kind of success lights a fire under you, then you’re sure to be excited by a competitive recruiting career.

Flexible Backgrounds

If you’ve made it this far and you’re thinking, “Well, I’ve got these other skills, but I’m not a business major,” then you’re in luck.

The range of successful recruiters includes people with a ton of different educational backgrounds. “There’s not one major that we look for,” Weickgenannt says. She adds that some of the more common ones include communications, advertising, marketing, public relations, and psychology.

So, long story short: If you’re an entrepreneurial, charismatic leader, there’s a great chance that you can find your place in recruiting.

Interested in a career in recruiting? Apex is hiring on WayUp now, so check out their open roles and apply!

The post 5 Signs You’re Perfect For A Job In Recruiting appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

First, let’s talk about recruiting.

So, you want to know what a Staffing Recruiter is? Well, before we dive in, let’s make sure we’re covering our bases and addressing what a Recruiter does.

There are many different types of Recruiters, but they all perform essentially the same function: They help companies find and hire qualified candidates for open positions.

Recruiters typically work either in-house for specific companies or at staffing firms like Apex, which recruits for a range of businesses and clients.

What unites all Recruiters? They have to be willing to work hard, learn a lot, and project a confident, level-headed image to both clients (businesses) and candidates.

To dive into the topic, we talked to Casey Weickgenannt, a Corporate Recruiter at Apex, one of the country’s premier recruiting firms. She sat down with WayUp to nail down what it means to be a Staffing Recruiter.

What do Staffing Recruiters do?

Staffing Recruiters work at staffing agencies. They match qualified candidates with the right position that aligns with their background. They work across multiple verticals and are great problem solvers. The ideal Staffing Recruiter is able to assess a situation and make a decisive decision.

What are the challenges?

As a Staffing Recruiter, you need to be able to build relationships with candidates in order to best understand where they’ll make the biggest impact.

This can be incredibly rewarding—you’re helping people start or further their careers—but it’s not just the candidates you’re trying to assist. At the end of the day, you need to make sure your firm’s clients—the businesses who have hired you to fill positions—are getting the types and quality of candidates they’re looking for.

According to Weickgenannt, that means on any given day you can be “at meetings keeping each other accountable, generating leads, cold calling, following up with candidates, checking references, and seeing who’s the best match.”

What are the rewards?

Apart from the satisfaction of helping people advance their careers and better their lives, Staffing Recruiters enjoy many other perks. Chief among them, Weickgenannt says, is competitive compensation. “It’s a very lucrative career,” she stresses.

Additionally, being part of a team that comprises charismatic salespeople has its social rewards. “It’s a work hard, play hard environment,” Weickgenannt adds.

There’s also the satisfaction that comes from a job well-done. Recruiters often get to extend employment offers themselves. That means you’re going to have a lot of people who are very grateful and excited to be speaking with you.

Interested in a career in recruiting? Apex is hiring on WayUp now, so check out their open roles and apply!

The post What Does A Staffing Recruiter Do? appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

Wondering what the day-to-day work of a Staffing Recruiter looks like? The truth is, no two days are exactly the same.

Staffing Recruiters have the challenging and rewarding job of recruiting amazing candidates to work for their clients. They’re involved in the entire candidate recruitment process from start to finish. They make sure everyone they work with has a great experience—whether or not they get the job.

To get a better sense of what a Staffing Recruiter does throughout the day, we talked to top staffing services firm Apex.

Morning Team Meeting

Staffing Recruiters at Apex kick off each day with a team meeting where everyone shares their daily goals. The purpose? To hold everyone accountable for their work (and provide support if needed).

Time For Calls and Emails

After their morning meeting, Staffing Recruiters at Apex get to work. This includes cold-calling potential candidates and following up with existing candidates by email or phone. They’ll also check professional references for candidates in the final stages of interviewing.

Meeting With Account Managers

Account Managers learn their clients inside and out and work together for a team with Recruiters, though they have individual goals. The more Account Managers know, the more effective they are at exceeding their customers’ business needs. That, in turn, enables them to better inform their Recruiters on what kinds of candidates would be the ideal fit for those businesses.

Onboarding Activities

Discovering that a candidate you’re working with got the job is one of the most exciting parts of being a Staffing Recruiter. When that does happen, you’ll get to help prepare the offer letter and oversee any additional paperwork—and of course celebrate your success!

Connecting with Past Placements

Relationship-building is at the heart of being a Staffing Recruiter. Because of this, your job doesn’t end once you place someone in a role. To make sure their clients are happy and thriving, Staffing Recruiters might check in via phone or schedule lunches and/or coffee dates to stay in touch.

This is just a sample of the day-to-day experiences you’ll have as a Staffing Recruiter. Depending on where you work, you might also spend some time in trainings to improve your soft skills and learn more about the industries you’re recruiting for. Recruiting may be a competitive field, but it also offers room for personal and professional development.

Does this sound like a job you’d be excited to do every day? Well, you’re in luck: Apex is hiring on WayUp now!

The post What’s A Day In The Life Of A Recruiter Like? appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

So, here’s the deal: Recruiting is a great field that offers awesome pay and advancement opportunities. But it’s not exactly the best-known industry among college students and recent grads.

The great news? There are many majors that prep you for this type of work. These include communications, business administration, public relations, advertising, marketing, psychology, and finance.

And that’s just the start of it.

If you’re interested in recruiting, you’re in luck. We talked to top staffing services firm Apex to get their insider knowledge on some of the important terms and job titles you need to know.

Staffing Recruiter

Let’s tackle this one first. You might hear the word “recruiter” and think that this role falls within Human Resources. But it’s more related to sales than HR.

That’s because Staffing Recruiters “sell” amazing candidates on a specific company and role. To help their clients fill specific high-priority positions, staffing recruiters post job listings, find and reach out to qualified candidates, and manage the candidate experience throughout the recruitment process.

That’s why thriving in this role requires, among other qualities, strong relationship-building skills.

Account Manager

While Staffing Recruiters focus on building relationships with candidates, Account Managers build relationships with clients. These clients turn to companies like Apex to help fill open roles. It’s the Account Manager’s job to ensure all clients are getting the candidate results they’re looking for.

Delivery Manager

One thing Account Managers do not do is manage and support Staffing Recruiters. That is the responsibility of the Delivery Manager. This role is tasked with equipping Staffing Recruiters with the tools they need to be successful with clients. That can include things like training, helping allocate which positions they work on each day, and facilitating team and one-on-one meetings.

Corporate Recruiter

At Apex, Corporate Recruiters connect with hiring managers across the country to hire Staffing Recruiters—for Apex’s own team.

So, remember this: Staffing Recruiter = recruiting talent for Apex clients. Corporate Recruiter = recruiting team members for roles at Apex.

Headhunter vs. Staffing Recruiter

In the past, the term “headhunter” had a far more negative connotation. Today, you’ll hear these two terms used interchangeably in many places. That said, they’re aren’t necessarily the same thing. A headhunter could refer to someone who identifies candidates before finding positions that perfectly match them. That distinguishes them from Recruiters, who know the position before they find the ideal candidate.

Employment Agency vs. Staffing Agency

Many people think these are the same thing, but they’re actually pretty different.

Employment agencies typically focus on temporary employee placements with faster turnaround times. For example, if a company needs someone to fill in for six months while the full-time employee is on leave, it would likely use an employment agency.

Staffing agencies, on the other hand, place employees in long-term, (often) full-time assignments. Because of this, the process is a bit more consultative and strategic.

Feeling better equipped to navigate the world of staffing and recruiting? Great! Apex is hiring on WayUp now.

The post Here Are All The Recruiting Terms And Titles You Need To Know appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.