The post 6 Side Hustles That Rock For Your Resume (And Your Wallet) appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

When Jennifer Donato started college as a biotech major at the University at Buffalo, she knew one thing about Thermo Fisher Scientific: they made the equipment she and her classmates used in the lab.

As far as Jennifer was concerned at the time, that’s all she needed to know. “When I started college, I didn’t understand what an industry job was,” she says. “I always thought I’d be a professor.” In fact, she was so convinced of her future career path that she spent the beginning of college volunteering in labs to gain research experience.

Presenting her research on type 2 diabetes during a student conference at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Jennifer took home an honorable mention for public health

Then she took a career prep class during her junior year of college. As part of the class, Jennifer and her classmates toured different biotech companies in the Buffalo Area, meeting with the business leaders and scientists who worked there.

Working in one of the cell culture labs at Thermo Fisher Scientific

One of the last tours covered the R&D and manufacturing departments at Thermo Fisher. After the tour, Jennifer’s professor told the class that Thermo Fisher was looking for two interns for the following summer. She applied and was accepted into the internship program, where she worked with the cell therapy team.

It turned out to be much more than a great internship fit for Jennifer. When her internship ended, she joined Thermo Fisher as a full-time R&D Scientist. In her role, she develops cell culture media for vaccines and cell therapies. She explains it best: “If you want to bring a new drug or therapy to a patient, you need to show that it works. To do that, you have to demonstrate that cells can grow outside of the body using those treatments.”  She says it’s incredibly rewarding to know that her work is making a direct, positive impact on patients’ lives.

Checking cell cultures under the microscope

Jennifer says one of the most rewarding parts of her job is seeing a scientific publication or news story that cites the products and work of Thermo Fisher. “Recently, there was a story about the first FDA-approved cell-based gene therapy, a new cancer treatment where our products were used to develop the treatment. It’s amazing to know that I’m helping develop products that are curing diseases.”

Working in the lab at Thermo Fisher

You may be wondering: “how DO I know if a research and academia-focused job or one in industry is the right fit for me?” Jennifer says that keeping an open mind and volunteering or interning in both areas is key. Even her research-focused work helped prepare her for a career in industry.

She also wants students to know what it’s really like to be a scientist at a company like Thermo Fisher—something even she didn’t fully understand when she started college. “A lot of people think that we spend all our time in the lab and never see daylight,” she says. “But it’s also a lot of reading, analyzing, presenting, and talking to customers. Every day is different.”

Think a job or internship at Thermo Fisher is the right match for you? Jennifer shared the three things she did to make herself stand out as a candidate:

1. She emphasized her volunteer experience. “For over 10 years, I taught children at my church,” she says. “It helped me learn how to work effectively with people who might learn differently than I do.”
2. She talked about her part-time job at her university’s grants and contracts office. “This job was more administrative,” she says. “I created training materials and helped with audit documentation.” Highlighting this job helped Jennifer emphasize her organizational skills and show how she could apply them on the R&D team at Thermo Fisher.  
3. She showed that she’s team-oriented. “I shared specific examples of group work, whether it was at school or during a part-time job,” she says. In academia, it’s more common to do solo work, but an industry job or internship requires a lot of teamwork. Jennifer wanted to show that she could do both.

If Jennifer’s story has you considering a career at Thermo Fisher, you’re in luck. Learn more about Thermo Fisher here! 

The post This Biotech Major Always Thought She’d Work in Academia—Until One Internship Changed Everything appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

 This article is sponsored by Vector Marketing, which is filling positions in entry-level sales and customer service-focused sales now.

Are you sitting at your desk wondering what to do with the rest of your life? Or maybe, you did that last week and now you are considering a sales role?  Well, we’ve got great news for you!

Our friends at Vector Marketing are going to help answer that question and share the top three ways being a seller will change your life.

What do you gain from working in sales early in your career? Get your notebook ready, because here are the top three ways having a sales job will change your life.

1. You’ll Learn How to Make Money Efficiently

What does this mean?  In short, having a sales job gives you perspective and understanding on how to make money (and lots of it!).!  You’ll learn that you won’t have to put in tons of hours just to get paid. Instead, a sales job, you can land that one (or two or three) big deal and enjoy the commission.

2. You’ll Gain Confidence to Speak Your Mind

As a sales person, you’ll be required to speak your mind to a ton of different types of people. And you’ll have to really speak up, so everyone listens and hears what you’re saying!  But not to worry, because at Vector Marketing,  you’ll be trained to excel at this by receiving personalized training. Once you’re comfortable, you can use these skills in all sorts of situations (like communicating with your boss or parents!).

3. You’ll Become a Master of Conflict Resolution

So it’s Wednesday night and you and your roommate are trying to decide what show to watch. An Average Joe may say something like this “Why the heck do we always have to watch your dumb shows during Netflix and chill?!”

But a successful salesperson will say this instead: “I feel like my opinion doesn’t matter and that frustrates me; can we decide on a show we’d both like?”

As a seller, you’ll learn personal responsibility.  You’ll learn how to fight the problem instead of fighting the person you’re supposed to love.  And then, dun dun dun, you learn how to resolve conflict well and now you’ll be a better roommate, friend and person!

Are you getting what we’re saying here? That’s right, think about how much personal and professional value you’ll obtain from a sales job! Plus, if you’re interested, Vector is currently filling entry-level sales and customer service-focused sales roles right now.

The post 3 Amazing Ways a Sales Role Can Change Your Life appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

This past week at WayUp’s Office Hours panel on art and design careers, five influential young professionals spilled their secrets to building long-lasting careers in creative fields that are notoriously hard to break into and even harder to stay in.

One of the biggest takeaways over the course of the event was the importance and influence of “side hustles” in creating a robust career, especially if you want to work in a creative industry. What’s a side hustle? At its core, it’s another smaller job that provides flexible hours and can fit around a more full-time gig, and when it comes to working on the side, our panelists have done (and continue to do) it all: Run pop-up art shows, put on large-scale art exhibitions and design wedding invitations, all in the name of passion projects.

But aside from the obvious financial benefit, you may be wondering what can be so great about taking on a side gig in addition to your full-time work. After all, that means less free time for you and could also mean less brainpower going towards your actual job.

However, having a side hustle can actually do wonders for your career in addition to putting a little extra cash in your pocket. Here are the top 3 reasons why that passion project is totally worth it.

1. You’ll Have a Creative (or Just Different) Outlet

Regardless of the industry you go into, it’s common to get stuck in a rut and feel like you’re doing the same work day in and day out. Even if you love your job overall, you’re not immune to that feeling of restlessness.

This is where a side hustle comes in handy. If you feel like something’s missing from your full-time gig, nothing’s stopping you from pursuing other passions before and after work or on the weekends. We’re living in the generation of the side hustle, so why not take advantage of that moment?

When she started her project Culture Island, artist and writer Sara Radin felt like she got a level of autonomy that was missing from her full-time job. “I felt like I was able to create something I had full control over,” she said. “All of this personal development and growth has stemmed from me taking to the initiative to do side projects and have passions outside of my job. That’s really what keeps me going.”

But Radin also highlights that as the old saying (kind of) goes, with great passion projects comes great responsibility.

One important consideration when taking on a side hustle? Radin says to see how your company feels about it first to make sure there are no surprises down the road, or if you’re job searching and also looking at working on a side gig, make sure you’re asking potential employers questions pertaining to how they feel about colleagues taking on passion projects or other initiatives outside of the office.

How do you broach the subject? Ask one of the following questions during job interviews:

• “What sort of activities or passion projects do people here work on outside the office?”
• “Do you see employees having other hobbies or passion projects outside of work as an advantage or a disadvantage to their jobs?”
• “What are some of your hobbies and other interests outside of your work?”

The bottom line is that you should aim to be as transparent as possible if you’re taking on outside work.

2. You’ll Be a More Competitive Job Applicant

When you’re applying to jobs, especially when you’re at the start of your career, other applicants could have more experience in your particular field, but if you bring more skill sets to the table and have a unique perspective on how things can be done, you’re sure to stand out from the crowd and be seen as a valuable potential hire.

Plus, by taking it upon yourself to learn other skills and push beyond your comfort zone, you’re showing hiring managers that you’re ready and willing to keep expanding your knowledge even when you’re on the job. Who wouldn’t want to hire a self-motivated person like that?

3. You’ll Apply Your Side Gig Knowledge to Your Full-Time Gig

What you learn from your passion project or side hustle can definitely help you in whatever your main role is.

For example, given her history of working in the art world and other design projects, Sara Radin organized several art-centric employee events when she was at Converse. Coworkers could decorate their favorite pair of Chucks or go on a field trip to art fairs, and it helped give her cred during her time at the company.

Or, if you’re moonlighting as a graphic designer, for example, the day might come when your boss asks you to help design a social media campaign, putting your underground skills front and center. Becoming that clutch employee who can help in a variety of situations immediately makes you an MVP, and that only furthers the opportunities that come your way.

Side gigs are all the rage nowadays, and taking one on could mean serious business for your career. Plus, you never know: Your side hustle might turn into your full-time hustle someday.

Want to get more career wisdom from influential young professionals? Check out our Office Hours events this summer, taking place in New York City and Washington D.C.

The post 3 Reasons Why Side Hustles Are Game-Changing for Your Career appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

I’m not sure if it was the Wall Street movies I watched as a kid or my dad’s obsession with the stock markets, but I knew from a young age that I wanted to get into the world of finance. The only thing standing in my way? On paper, I didn’t have the credentials to make that dream a reality. I didn’t go to a top school, I was a liberal arts majorand I wasn’t even allowed into the business school’s career fair, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. Spoiler alert: I ended up with an entry-level job as a Financial Analyst, Private Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs, spent 4 incredible years at their office in Dallas and developed great relationships.

So, here are 5 ways you can get your foot in the door, too.  

1. Talk to people

Make this the first step. Go out and find people with the jobs you want (or think you want). Try to get introductions through family/friends, career services/alumni relations office or LinkedIn. Try to make your introduction personal. What are they doing that interests you? How can you potentially add value to them?

The hardest part of the job search is being fearful of the unknown. However, one sure-fire way to get over that fear is to start having real conversations. Build your networks and your relationships, cold email people and ask them out to coffee—if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.

2. Do your homework

There is absolutely no excuse not to have a reasonable understanding of the industry/company/role you wish to obtain. For finance specifically, Mergers and Inquisitions and Wall Street Oasis were my favorite free resources to learn about the banking industry and the different divisions within it (Hint: investment banking looks vastly different than operations).

Research the company: How do they differentiate themselves from the competition? Apart from their core business, what do they do that resonates with you? A peer of mine advised me to speak about the Goldman Sachs 10k Small Businesses initiative and how it struck a chord with me, because I was an Eagle Scout and philanthropy was important to me. It was a year after the financial crisis and Goldman Sachs was desperately trying to salvage its reputation, so the fact that I knew about these philanthropic efforts helped my case. This had nothing to do with finance, markets or valuation analysis, yet it still served as a differentiator for me.

3. Be curious

While I was at Goldman Sachs, I helped with campus recruiting for 8 semesters. Most students took the vanilla approach of memorizing the latest Wall Street Journal article they could find on the markets. While it’s important to know about your industry’s current events, that shouldn’t be your only focus.

The candidates that were truly able to separate themselves were ones that asked probing questions about our careers, experiences, and keys to success. Questions like, “Why have you been in your job for four years? What makes a great analyst? How does Goldman Sachs maintain itself as the best investment bank in the world? What do you not like about the job? What is going to help me succeed as an analyst?“ are the ones that stand out.

Everybody likes talking about themselves; it’s a flaw we all have (this is why my article was shortened). Because of this, think about listening more to the interviewer than speaking. As a student, you’re not expected to know all the answers, but you are expected to have curiosity. Show that.  

4. Pass the airport test

At the end of Super Days (3-6 interview rounds in one day), 8-12 interviewers would gather in a room and discuss the candidates we interviewed. There were always mixed feelings about candidates; no one ever unanimously made it as a clear favorite. The best way to decipher candidate outcomes was the airport test which is “If my flight is delayed overnight, can I comfortably suffer through that brutal wait with you?” If I work with you, I’m going to spend more time with you than I will with anyone else in my life, including my family. That’s a big investment.

5. Know your differentiator

Today, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for candidates to distinguish themselves on their resume. The good news is that companies are realizing there is a need for diversity in the workplace, and it’s not limited to ethnic or gender diversity.

There is also this notion called diversity of thought. In college, I ran a real estate brokerage to help students find off-campus housing. I was able to speak to entrepreneurial experience where revenue goals, growth expectations and operational efficiencies had to be exceeded in order for my business to continue running and for me to pay my way through school.

At the end of the day, there is no secret sauce. Be hungry, be curious and want it more than anyone else. Here’s some motivation as you prepare: When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.   

The post 5 Ways to Get an Entry-level Finance Job With a Liberal Arts Degree appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

When I started college, I wanted to be a diplomat, so I studied Russian and Economics. By the end of my first year, my GPA was sinking as low as a Soviet submarine, so I fled to the safe harbor of my native language and became an English major. It was known then as the I-can’t-get-a-job major.  

Having gone straight on to a graduate program in Literature and then becoming a professor, I can’t say that I have too much personal experience in the broad applicability of an English degree: I pretty much stayed in the harbor, but I have a lot of experience advising my beloved English majors, watching them go out into the world and succeed in a wide range of entry-level jobs.  

Here are the 3 things English majors learn that help them succeed:

English majors develop stamina. With at least four writing and literature classes per semester, not to mention dozens of papers and presentations, English majors get extraordinary, exhausting training. The demands of their course load and the kinds of critical thinking we ask them to do, such as analyzing alternative viewpoints, spotting patterns and synthesizing ideas from multiple texts (often across different historical periods and cultures), require intensive thought and work. Their stamina can be useful in a wide range of workplaces, especially ones that require employees to thrive in a fast-paced environment with high expectations.  

English majors are experts in time management. The heavy reading and writing required for an English major also requires understanding of how to manage time. (I sometimes joke that I majored in the first 100 pages of the great works of English literature, since I was juggling a sport, the school paper and a wee bit of beer drinking.)  Good time management skills are essential to understanding how to steer a project toward a successful conclusion.

English majors know how to be objective. Students of literature, while they might heavily identify with certain characters from time to time, know that in order to analyze the text they must remove themselves, hover over it a bit and think about it objectively.  This can be a supremely useful skill not only in analyzing material, but also in a workplace, where there are sure to be a range of characters, some heroic, some villainous and all with their own unique point of view.

Being an English major is no longer the I-can’t-get-a-job major: Even the FBI recruits English majors at my school!  Plus, you will always have the best toasts for your friends’ weddings and know the perfect quote for a colleague or family member in a tricky situation.  It will, however, ruin the Internet for you because the grammar out there is atrocious.

Are you an English major? Companies like Uloop, Inc., Kodisoft, & Visit.org are looking for students like you right now on WayUp!

Caroline Reitz is an Associate Professor of English at John Jay College and the CUNY Graduate Center.

The post Why English Majors Make the Best Hires appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Creative Writing isn’t just for writing poems, stories and novels. It’s the study of strong and charismatic writing that bridges the divide between author and reader. Whether you’re creating marketing materials for potential consumers or writing a description for your company’s first mobile app on the App store, being able to communicate your ideas and messages through multiple mediums will make you a desirable candidate for employment in almost any profession.

Here are some of the valuable skills you will gain as a Creative Writing major.

1. Initiative

Many entry-level jobs in writing will require samples of written work to serve as a first impression for potential employers. Taking initiative is essential in any career path, but as a writer, that motivation to get your work published is just as important to your success as a resume containing internships and an eye-catching cover letter. 

If you need some help getting started on your road to getting published, use a resource like the Writer’s Market 2016 Edition. Within this book, you’ll find thousands of publishers of varying mediums (magazines, websites, local papers) with instructions on how to submit work, contests – which are another way to become published – and plenty of advice from experienced professionals who’ve been in your shoes.

2. Critical Analysis

Every college student uses critical analysis to help promote change. The process of analyzing a subject matter attracts great minds to aid in solving real problems. As a Creative Writing major, your time spent picking apart different styles of persuasive and informative writing will shine as you construct detailed arguments and opinion pieces. Your writing will contain techniques fashioned by those who inspired you, and you will excel by using them to inspire others!

3. Storytelling

At the heart of Creative Writing is the process of storytelling. Whether it’s through a blog post, case study or a user testimonial: Telling stories is a great way for fledgling companies to connect with new consumers. You will learn how to bring life to any product or idea, fostering your creativity into an invaluable tool at your disposal. From the business standpoint, it is this creativity that helps unite product and consumer.

Creative Writing is a very marketable major, so if writing is your passion, pursue it. You’ll learn valuable skills that will propel your career forward as you spend your college years in a field that motivates and inspires you every day.

The post 3 Career Skills You Learn as a Creative Writing Major appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

One of the most common responses you’ll get when you say that you’re an English major is the quizzical, “Oh – what do you plan on doing with that?” Maybe you chose your major because your passion is to analyze the meaning behind the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg in The Great Gatsby (can you live?!). You certainly didn’t choose it to have a quarter-life crisis about how that passion may never turn into a profitable career.

If you’re worried about what you’re going to do with an English major after graduation, you should know that holding an English degree can lead to a myriad of career choices – not only in teaching or in publishing but also in business, law and many other professions like Researcher or Content Writer. Renowned filmmaker Steven Spielberg majored in English at California State, Long Beach, former ABC World News anchor and broadcast journalist Diane Sawyer majored in English at Wellesley, and Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, got her English degree from Stanford. Their careers prove that your major does not define your career path – you have the power to create your own narrative.

Working your narrative involves identifying the transferable skills you gained from studying English, skills that are valuable in almost any role. What are those skills? Well for one, you can’t go 5 minutes on the job search without seeing a listing that reads, “Must have excellent communication skills.” As an English major, you’ve been asked to clearly state your ideas or your interpretation of certain texts, and you’ve also developed valuable writing skills, formulating complex, concise and insightful papers each week.  Your articulate communication skills are indispensable in any workplace – whether you’re brainstorming ideas in a meeting or writing emails to clients.

Because you’ve not only had to analyze, compare, and contrast different texts but have also had to read and understand thought pieces written about those texts, you have critical thinking skills. Critical thinking will allow you to understand different perspectives and make logical, informed decisions. Your eagle eye for grammatical errors and literary nuances signifies a fierce attentiveness to detail, minimizing carelessness in the workplace.

Make sure to talk to your professors about the skills they are trying to instill in you and think about what you’ve learned from your past English courses. This will help you to think of even more skills that you can reference in future interviews – skills that will help you show just how qualified you are as a candidate. More importantly, you’ll be able to breathe easy the next time someone asks, “So, what are you planning on doing with that degree?

The post What Can I Do With An English Major? appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

I went to Berkeley and double majored in English Literature and Linguistics. Based on that sentence alone, not many startups I was applying to were impressed or interested. However, once I said the magic words, “I took a programming class at Berkeley,” the interview requests started pouring in. 

I was initially insulted at the change in reaction I got from companies when I played up this part of my background, and honestly didn’t understand the bias until I started working. I was (foolishly) miffed that all the time I spent writing in cuneiform and analyzing symbolism in Chaucer was not impressive enough for these startups to hire me. I wanted people to understand that English Literature is actually highly analytical and that Linguistics is incredibly data-driven, but those are battles that I can’t and won’t win in my lifetime. Once I came to terms with that, and became comfortable playing up my background and interest in programming, I started to use it to my advantage. 

That’s why I tell people: It just takes one class. Really.
I love the internet and had been tinkering around on it since I was in middle school, but I struggled to construct a career path that included my interests in writing, communication, and technology. In college, I did what my idealist self thought was the right thing: “Study what you love!” So poetry and Russian it was. But I did make a small concession for my future career prospects in the form of more tech-based classes and experiences. And honestly, they were enjoyable and educational, and they helped me a lot in the long run—without having to make a full departure from my main fields of study.

I took AP Computer Science in high school, took an intro EECS class at Berkeley, and taught a LaTex class to fellow college students who were primarily Mathematics and Physics majors. I did not want to be a Computer Science major, I did not want to be a coding ninja, and I was not—based on my majors alone—in the STEM/hard sciences camp. I enjoyed computer science on an academic and theoretical basis, not a vocational one. However, it was incredibly fruitful to have these minor experiences under my belt to point to as signs of my analytical ability. 

Why startups liked me more

I was applying mostly for business and marketing jobs at startups, so it’s not like I would be building out products or apps for these companies—not that I would have been able to anyway! But I think many of these founders and hiring managers had such a tough time finding business or marketing people with any technical background that they were happy with even my paltry set of experiences. They could have just hired pure analysts, but would have been missing out on “soft” (I hate this term) skills like writing and communication. Startups on tight budgets need people with a breadth of skills and potential, and even if you have analytical skills with an English degree, it is difficult for people to understand that you are are capable of different styles of thinking until you put a label on it, like “Computer Science.”

How I apply CS to my everyday work

I can’t build out a whole site, but I can:

• Think of workflows and problems abstractly, and as repeatable processes with rules
• Have a rough sense of how development works and the amount of time/effort certain projects take
• Do initial “debugs” technical issues by isolating variables and testing
• Pick up things like MySQL, advanced excel formulas, basic HTML/CSS quickly

 I did not predict that these things would happen. I thought CS was just my foot in the door and certainly was not thinking about the real-life applications my work would have when I was sitting in the computer lab doing problem sets. I was just enjoying the learning process, and didn’t think that it would be part of my future career in many aspects (management, business, marketing). 

It doesn’t help the “English majors are not just baristas” cause when the business and marketing people in startups say things like “just ask the developer” or “I don’t know how any of that stuff works, it’s just magic.” Even with a basic amount of exposure, people can get over the intimidation they feel about speaking and thinking intelligently about technical work and realize that the fundamentals are quite simple. Take one CS class while you’re at school—not only is it “in” right now, it will also help you succeed in both the short-term and long-term!

The post Why an English Major Took a CS Class: How to Get A Foot in the Door of Startup Land appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

A Geography major, Alan T. worked in Enterprise Architecture before becoming a Cartographer for Booz Allen Hamilton, a business management consultant company. Here’s what he has to say with a year of experience under his belt. 

Why did you choose this job?

It is directly related to what I chose to study in University and offered the opportunity to expand on it and branch out into new territory. My current position allows me to meld cartography (making maps) with graphics design — which often times winds up in the hands of US government policy makers, to aid in their decision making for matters of pressing importance and National Security. I enjoy just about every day of work – there are always new challenges to overcome, and I never have to wonder if my work is relevant, or if it has any lasting impact.

What is an average day like in your role?

My day lasts anywhere between 8-12 hours — depending on workload. Often times, the work load follows the trends of national and world crises. There are days of high stress, no-kidding deadlines, and rarer still, days when there is not much else to do but hone my skills by refining previous work that I have done.

I work in an office of 12 people — we make up the principal graphics shop for our small, but significant, intelligence analysis directorate. I work with graphics designers, multi-media specialists, and other cartographers. As I write this, our work has a reputation of being among the best in the intelligence community.

A given day would probably see me working on one or two different projects. Occasionally, I’ll work as a team will all the other cartographers, but most of the time, I work solo. I receive graphics requests to produce maps and charts – and I will either work from instructions the client sends via email, or meet with them in person for a consult to kick off the project. Each project takes anywhere from half a day to a week and a half to complete.

We have at least weekly, sometimes daily team meetings in order to review our work for quality, accuracy, and consistency. We keep each other sharp, and in high spirits. Praise and laudatory comments are common, and credit generously shared when received.

As a contractor, my clients are Federal employees – which is important to remember. While we enjoy collegial relationships, we are there to support them. There can often be a significant difference in mindset between public, and private sector employees. ‘Security’ for contract personnel often comes through delivering superior work. For Federal employees, it often comes from ‘blending in.’ Contract personnel are required to navigate both worlds simultaneously if they work on client site.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

Battling ‘good enough’. While we enjoy a solid reputation for being among the best of the best, we can sometimes find ourselves battling to keep from being satisfied with good enough – especially when the workload seems to be on the verge of overwhelming our small workforce. It’s tempting to let small details slip, in order to keep production numbers ‘up’ — but that’s a downward spiral. We forged a reputation for quality by paying attention to details, and being satisfied only with our best work.

This might not seem like a big deal if your work seems destined for a lonely file cabinet somewhere in the depths of a bureaucratic paper-prison – but the game changes when you become aware that your work has decent odds of being briefed to members of the Cabinet, or perhaps even the President.

What’s your favorite part of the job?

Honestly, it’s the camaraderie of working with people who work hard, play hard, and demand, of themselves, the very best. They take great satisfaction in doing work that matters, and that is appealing to anyone who reads or experiences it. Sure, they gripe about the occasional bump in the road, but their approach to making our work worthy of emulation is personally, and professionally inspiring.

What’s a common misconception about your job?

That graphics design is either ‘easy’ or ‘quick’. It’s quickly apparent in the work of those who firmly believe either one. We often meet with clients whose understanding of the graphic design process is rudimentary at best. In the intelligence community, ‘Type A’ personalities are common – and they are generally of a strong opinion about what they do or do not like about the look of something. It can be difficult to convince them that Graphics Design, is similar to other professions… in that expertise can produce top-notch products, but at the expense of time, and resources. Getting people to trust a designer’s eye can be a big challenge.

Any tips for current college students who aspire to have your job?

Be open to opportunities that may not precisely align with your long-term vision and goals (and *do* have a set of long-term goals to back up your vision). My first ‘real’ job out of college was doing something that was not aligned with my background, and which relied primarily on a keen intellect, and speed of learning. I stayed on that contact for a year before moving on. It broadened my horizons, increased my value to the company, and grew my professional network 10 fold. It was partly due to that work that I found the work that I’m currently doing. Don’t turn something down because you can’t immediately see it leading to the work you want — but wherever you find yourself, do your best work. It will open doors, and pave the way to opportunities you might not have even dreamed of.

If you had a time machine and could travel back to visit yourself in college, what’s the #1 piece of advice you would have given yourself?

Internships open doors — start looking early, and often, for places you can intern during summers. Yes, there are paid internships out there, but even unpaid internships can pay dividends down the road. While you’re there, make sure your name because synonymous with all the best work-related adjectives. Forget flattery – find a way to make life easier for the people who took a chance on you, and surpass expectations.

What is a fun perk of your job?

I work at a location where catching site of Senior policy-makers is not uncommon. It is a frequent reminder that essentially everything we work on *matters* – even if it was royally painful to produce, or endure.

The post Cartographer appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

This is a guest post by Andy C. Ng.

“If JPMorgan were a person, what qualities would he/she have?”

Two things come to my mind: (1) ‘This is one of the most interesting questions I’ve been asked in an interview!’ and (2) ‘Probably not a love for reading Walt Whitman.’ Being a true English major, “Song of Myself” is one of my all-time favorite poems so I could’ve freaked out. But I didn’t. You might be wondering why I’d be in a JPMorgan interview, let alone a final round interview, which this one was. Well to begin, my journey to this gorgeous building on Park Avenue began last fall.

I had applied for and was accepted to NYU’s Diversity Internship and Career Preparation Program (DICP), which specifically serves students from under-represented backgrounds. Throughout the fall semester I attended several workshops held by the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development. The options were limitless: “Resumes and Cover Letters That Work”; “Acing the Interview”; “Social Media + Networking for your Job Search.” And this was just the beginning. There were career counselors waiting to sit with me and discuss my career goals and give me real insight on any applications I was filling out. But where did these applications come from?

Employers. Sure, I could and did look up postings on our school’s job and internship database, but the best source is the direct one. Through DICP I was able to meet working professionals at on and off campus networking sessions. Any industry or scale of company was represented, from big corporations like Morgan Stanley to smaller nonprofits and startups located in the city. It was at the last event in February where I met a VP from JPMorgan – super casual, I know. While our conversation was brief, I was able to express my academic and career interests and get a business card from this gentlemen. After following-up with him the next morning, he informed me of the internship opportunities available and offered to send my resume directly to human resources. I was nervous, but hey, it wouldn’t hurt to at least try!

I submitted my resume and cover letter, and waited for a response from the internship gods. When March rolled around, I was scheduled for a phone interview and the next day, I moved on to final round interviews. This is when I actually got nervous. I didn’t know anything about financial banking or anything related to numbers. But in preparing for any interview, I set aside some time to relax and research. I read articles about JPMorgan, checked the stock market, and even watched Bloomberg videos leading up to the morning of one of the biggest days of my life. By the time I arrived in the lobby, I knew that JP’s stock had gone up and that I should not be investing in Nike (for the time being).

Throughout my three interviews, I made sure to articulate the knowledge I had gained and more importantly, I was myself. I knew I would receive skeptical questions concerning my major and I embraced them. I gave honest answers and made my interviews see that just because I like Walt Whitman and Dave Eggers it doesn’t mean I can’t hold my own when analyzing a business strategy. One woman even remarked, “I like you already. You prove that you’re not defined by your major.” And that is a fact. So if you’re applying for an internship that is not traditionally associated with your course of study, don’t panic – get excited! Take advantage of your school’s career resources, practice your writing and interviewing skills, and whenever possible get yourself out there and meet professionals! There are tons of free networking events and as a student you hold a lot of power. People want to talk to you and hear what you like and have to offer. Be proud and go after those positions!

And if you were wondering, if JP Morgan was a person, he/she would be “analytical, organized, and flexible enough to work with anyone and everyone.” I also received and accepted an offer to be a summer intern with JPMorgan in their Chase Leadership Development Program.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andy C. Ng is a junior at NYU studying English, Urban Education & Social Entrepreneurship. Originally from Sarasota, Florida, Andy has primarily worked in the education space as a Junior Program Director for College For Every Student and co-founded Student to Student. This summer, he will be an intern in JPMorgan’s Chase Leadership Development Program. Andy’s an avid public speaker, note-taker, and faithfully organized. Learn more here:

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