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      Building a Career at Capital One

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

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

      He successfully applied to the MRP and started in 2020. 

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

      Finding career direction

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

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

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

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

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

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

      Investment for the future

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

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

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

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

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

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      Why You’ll Love Working as a Financial Representative at Northwestern Mutual

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

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

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

      Impacting Your Clients

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

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

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

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

      Celebrating Wins

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

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

      Interns Do the Same Things as Full-Time Representatives

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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      5 Things to Avoid in Your First Job or Internship

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

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

      [embedded content]

      Cramming Doesn’t Cut It

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

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

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

      Don’t Take on Too Much Work

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

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

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

      Stay In Your Lane

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

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

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

      Don’t Ignore Your Sleep

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

      =

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

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

      Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions

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

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

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

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

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      The Ideal Side Hustle You Can Do Where You Want, When You Want

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

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

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

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

      Set Your Own Schedule

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

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

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

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

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

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

      Learn About Interesting Stuff

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

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

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

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

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

      You’re Making the Digital World a Better Place

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

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

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

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

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

      Ability to Grow Within the Company

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

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

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

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

      Start browsing open roles at Appen today!

      *Names of employees have been changed* More

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      Day in The Life of an Investment Analyst at Insight Partners

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

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

      Sourcing

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

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

      Talking to Founders

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

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

      Becoming a Market Expert

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

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

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

      Diligence

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

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

      Meaningful Work with Meaningful Companies

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

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

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

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

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

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      How Two Engineers Found Success with Klaviyo and Their Boston-Based Experience

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

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

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

      Building Real World Applications

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

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

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

      A Vibrant Office Space

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

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

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

      Keeping a Level Head

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

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

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      The IoT Adventures of One T-Mobile Engineer – From Intern to Product Manager

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

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

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

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

      Pursuing a Meaningful Passion

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

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

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

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

      Second-to-none Experiences

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

      What Does It Mean to Be a Leader?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

      Friendships, Networking, and an Uplifting Community

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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      in Career Hacks

      The Perfect Resume Guide From Expert Recruiters

      by

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

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

      What’s The Best Resume Layout?

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

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

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

      Incorrect – In my job as a marketing intern, I assist in social media strategy, SEO research, and web development.

      Correct – Assisted in social media strategy, SEO research, and web development that resulted in a 10% increase in organic site traffic. 

      Use the Job Description

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

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

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

      Contact Information

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

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

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

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

      Leveraging Job Experience

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

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

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

      The Review Stage

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

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

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

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