What's Up With WayUp?

Finding an entry-level job or internship, especially during these uncertain times, can be a tedious task. However, with innovative companies such as WayUp, the success of your mission is within your grasp. Find out how this company works and whether it's right for you.

What does WayUp Do?

WayUp knows that your value as an employee should not be focused on your gender, race, connections, or hometown. Instead, this company looks at what makes you unique: your skills, drives, and passions. 

This startup strives to help students and recent graduates find a career that they will love by connecting them with employers. They want to walk with students every step of the way, giving advice and constructive feedback until you land that golden opportunity. Postings from Fortune 500 or NASDAQ companies, to local part-time jobs near you, are all found in WayUp. If you are looking to explore the boundless internship and career opportunities that await, WayUp has got you covered.

You may also know WayUp because of National Intern Day. The company created this holiday back in 2017 to recognize and celebrate the future workforce. This holiday also coordinates with WayUp’s Top 100 Internship Programs List, which showcases companies that go above and beyond for their interns.

Who is WayUp For?

When it comes to job applications, this startup is the “one-stop-shop" for college students and recent grads in the United States. They strive to expand a student's understand of life-after-school. WayUp opens the curtain to a world that young adults will soon jump into. They offer career advice and guidance throughout your job search process, plus a selection of favorable job opportunities.

All else aside, their most important goal is to reduce the anxiety of finding your dream job. They will place a spotlight on your unique abilities to be soon discovered by your future employer.

How Does WayUp Work?

This startup provides an easy and interactive interface to connect employers and future employees. There are three main steps to succeeding in the hiring process:

1. Start by creating your profile

This is a simple five-minute process of adding information about yourself, your past experiences, and uploading your resume. Your profile is your key to success, so verify that it is properly filled out with important up-to-date information.

2. Discover your dream job

After completing your profile, you will gain access to their dashboard, packed with job and internship opportunities that have been specially curated for you. After browsing the job board and finding your company of interest, you simply click on the posting, hit the "apply" button, and BOOM, you have applied to the job. 

With endless options at the tip of your fingers, you can apply to dozens of jobs within minutes. Job hunting is well known as a numbers game, so the more you apply, the better chance of being hired!

3. Show that you're company culture material

If an employer becomes interested in you, they will reach out through the email you signed up with or WayUp’s message center. If you don't know what to expect, communicating with employers can be intimidating. This is where Wayup's other services come in.

This is the time to learn from their guides and webinars. They cover everything from the nuances of the hiring process to tips on how to show your best self once employed. WayUp responds to any applications you send within 24 hours and offers personalized career coaching every step of the way. The best part about WayUp is that they only charge employers to post available jobs, meaning the services provided to you as a young professional are free! 

If you want a sense of the material they have to offer, check out these guides...

• "Guides by Industry & Major"
• "Internships, Part-Time & Entry-Level Jobs"
• "Cover Letter, Resume & Attire Tips"
• "Interviewing 101"
• "Crushing it at Your Job".

What Are People Saying About WayUp?

Media Publicity

Although the company has been around for less than a decade, WayUp has become a hot topic. Back in 2020, WayUp was featured in Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to give their observations on the faults in the recruiting process for diverse candidates. Other well-known outlets such as CNBC highlighted WayUp for their initiative in helping student's applications avoid the “black-hole” of job hunting. 

Liz Wessel, the co-founder and CEO of WayUp, has been making ripples in the media spotlight. She was featured in Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” Business Insider's “18 Coolest Women in Silicon Valley,” and New York Business Journal’s “Most Influential Women." Wessel has brought extensive insight to Silicon Valley’s idea of the hiring process for students. 

User Reviews

Users on WayUp’s website, both employers and job seekers, have also given positive input. One thing that users value is WayUp's feedback feature. Recent graduates like Sharan K praised that this was the first time they had "ever received constructive feedback after an interview, so this will certainly help for the future". WayUp has also been exalted by Dell employee Jennifer Newbill, who said this startup is an “indispensable tool for Dell” as they grow their employment brand for those in the early career market. 

When looking at social media opinions, the company manages a 3.7 out of 5 stars review on average. A notable concern is being unable to apply to jobs due to kinks in the algorithm. However, overall, most users still gain experience and connections from signing up. WayUp seems to be worth checking out if you want opportunities that otherwise would be hidden from view.

How Does WayUp Stack-Up Against Competitors? 

WayUp is not the first company to connect employers and future employees. So, what gives WayUp the ability to stand alone against serious competitors like Linkedin or Handshake? 

WayUp vs LinkedIn

Linkedin, whose mission statement is to “connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful” seems similar to WayUp. However, the two diverge when it comes to their client base and how these job seekers present themselves to recruiters.

Linkedin has a simple but vital interface where anyone can create a profile, add information on their experience, and advertise why they meet the requirements for a certain position. WayUp, on the other hand, is focused on college students and recent grads who need guidance on profiling building and finding the right job. 

WayUp also aids in highlighting these new grads' whole personality, whereas LinkedIn limits the importance of life outside of experience and college education. 

WayUp vs Handshake

Handshake follows a similar business model to WayUp. This company is also catered to students, with a mission to “help every college student find the right job for them, no matter where they go to school, what they're majoring in, or who they know”.

Although Handshake is the number one site for college students to find a job, a large differentiator is the support that comes from each app. WayUp users find better advice and training from the company's staff. However, Handshake does beat WayUp in terms of meeting the customer’s business needs. 

Depending on your needs throughout the job search, any number of platforms could be right for you. If you are looking for a highly personalized profile, a job search database that caters to your talents and requirements, and extra aid in finding your future career, then WayUp might be worth exploring.