Countless hours creating a resume. Weeks job hunting on LinkedIn. Months of networking, emailing, calling, tweaking applications, and re-submitting, only to rarely hear back from potential employers. Sound familiar? If you’ve had to apply for an internship or job opportunity recently, you probably know what I’m talking about.
Liz Wessel, the co-founder and CEO of WayUp, refers to this as the “application black hole.” She tells Her Campus, “Candidates feel like they have to apply for ten jobs to hear back from one. Employers are inundated with applications, and often don’t have the time to get back.”
In 2014, Wessel created WayUp, a platform for early career professionals to explore opportunities, receive advice, and get discovered by employers. WayUp helps streamline the job search process for candidates, and was named by CNN as one of the most innovative companies changing the world. Plus, WayUp is actively fighting against the application black hole, guaranteeing that 100% of candidates who apply for a role on the platform hear back within 24 hours.
With internship hiring falling 49% this year, many students are missing out on opportunities to network, find potential mentors, and build their careers. “This summer, the world of internships got flipped upside down,” Wessel tells HC. “At WayUp, we thought, ‘what part can we play?’ How can we help interns get more content, feel like they have an ‘in’ with industry leaders, and help them feel like they’re still learning?”
WayUp launched the Virtual Lunch & Learn Summer Series, a free digital series for interns, students, and recent grads. Through August 6th, you can continue to tune in during your lunch hour to get unfiltered advice from renowned industry leaders in media, tech, e-commerce and more, and you can view previously recorded events here. Among the impressive lineup of speakers are powerful women like Starbucks CTO Gerri Martin-Flickinger, Cathy Polinsky of Stitch Fix, and Reshma Saujani, CEO of Girls Who Code.
This is more than a lecture series.
Do you dream of starting a business? Want to break into the media industry? Consider WayUp’s virtual series a front-row ticket to mentoring, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs and have all of your burning questions answered. Each hour-long event features a 20-minute chat with an industry expert, followed by 40 minutes of Q&A with attendees. This means students have plenty of time to get questions answered, instead of just five minutes crammed in at the end (we’ve all been there).
The speaker lineup is amazing.
WayUp’s Virtual Lunch & Learn Summer Series features an incredible lineup of speakers, from Success Academy founder Eva Moskowitz, Zach Sims of Codecadamy, and CEO of Y Combinator Michael Seibel to Reshma Saujani of Girls Who Code, who also happens to be the first Indian American woman to run for U.S. Congress. In Saujani’s virtual session with WayUp, she covers why women should be confident in their talents, and how men can be better allies toward women in STEM. Students can also hear from CEO of Blue Apron Linda Findley Kozlowski, media and finance expert Jim Cramer, and even the CEO of Clorox, Benno Dorer.
“We have such a range of industry experts,” says Wessel. “We really tried to make sure we had a range of people, with different races, genders, locations, and industries represented. They are all special in their own way.”
The series applies to folks of all backgrounds.
While the summer series is perfect for interns, students, and recent grads hunting for jobs, Wessel tells HC that it’s also great for adults and career-changers. “Many of our attendees graduated this year, and we also have several people who graduated 4-5 years ago who are looking to get into a new industry,” she says.
She also notes that the series presents a unique opportunity for students to learn about industries they may not be a part of, and apply that knowledge to their own fields. “I think it’s worth it for everyone to try and immerse themselves in as much content as possible. Even if you’re not in a certain industry, there’s no reason to not learn about it — most of these industries all play with one another, and most of these speakers touch on a lot more industries than just theirs.”
When asked what she hopes attendees will walk away with, Wessel tells HC: “Across the board, I want people to watch these and get clarity for their own career,” she says, noting that clarity might mean realizing you want to join a new industry, or maybe realizing that you don’t. Now more than ever, it’s important for students to get clarity and inspiration on their career goals, and having access to inspiring mentors through this free, virtual series can help.
Now through August 6th, head to WayUp’s Virtual Lunch & Learn Summer Series to sign up for a live session. You’ll hear from industry leaders, get candid career advice, and get some much-needed inspiration for fall semester.