The Penn alumni whose website will help you get a job in college
Of course alumni from the pre-professional Ivy would start a job search website
Whether it’s an internship, work-study, or an entry level job, the search for a professional position is always weighing on a Penn student’s mind.
Liz Wessel and JJ Fliegelman, who went to Penn themselves, know this better than anyone, and that’s why they started a job search website that’s tailored for college students.
We interviewed Liz and JJ to get a sense of what WayUp is exactly, and how Penn helped them create the single largest website that helps college students find jobs after graduation.
JJ, Class of 2011, and Liz, Class of 2012
What is WayUp?
WayUp is an online marketplace for students to find part-time jobs and internships during the school year, and full-time jobs for seniors.
How did it start?
WayUp launched in September 2014. It was originally inspired by a side project that we put in 2011 at the University of Pennsylvania, where we learned first-hand about how tough and inefficient the job-search process was for college students. In July of 2014, we decided to leave our dream jobs and officially create Campus Job, which would later be renamed WayUp.
What were the biggest challenges?
Understanding that we have a two-sided marketplace. You constantly have to make sure both sides of the equation are working. Since the very start this has been a constant, yet extremely welcome obstacle. It requires a ton of communication across all teams. We constantly listen to our users, communicate their needs to the Sales Team, and vice versa.
Do you think that Penn has provided strong support for startups? Has that helped shape WayUp?
When we went to Penn (Class of 2011 and 2012, respectively), things were a bit different. That being said, we met via a hackathon (sort of), and won some money from PennVention for a project we worked on together, plus, Liz started her first business in college (though with some opposition from the University Administration)… So overall, we’d say that Penn is a great place for people who want to start a company. We haven’t used Penn’s resources much though, since starting WayUp. However, it’s worth noting that many of our investors did go to Penn!
The WayUp team in New York
What advice would you give to students looking for their first ‘real’ jobs?
Try your best to follow your strengths. Show them you’re hungry and ready to learn- if you don’t have a 4.0 and an internship at a Fortune 500, that’s okay. Companies are looking for students who demonstrate a clear passion about something and a willingness to allocate that within the position.
What advice would you give to student entrepreneurs at Penn?
It’s never too early to start. If you’re not sure what direction you want to go in, test out the waters. I held part-time jobs at Penn and started a business Sophomore year, which helped spark my love for entrepreneurship early on. There’s a bit less pressure when starting a business during college, because it’s not the only thing you’re doing (you’re also going to class)… So it’s a great opportunity to take advantage of!
WayUp is launching a mobile app soon, but for now, their website is bustling and well worth checking out at wayup.com!