I Interviewed 782 College Students, and All I Got Were These Stories

Disclaimer: No students were harmed in the making of this article. (Only a small portion of their pride…)

On any given day, WayUp gets 150–200 applications from students who want to be Campus Reps for us. Part of my role at is deciding which students will get the job and join our army of Campus Reps. In an attempt to have only the best and brightest WayUp Brand Ambassadors at colleges across the nation, I spend my time interviewing students, upon students, upon students. I love my job because college students are personable, in only a way that someone who’s never filled out a W-2 tax form can be (google it). However, when it comes to interview protocol, some students simply miss the mark and I literally #canteven.

Without naming names, I will let you in on some first-hand interview can-you-just-nots.

1. MLK Day: The Frat Party Edition

In the real world, MLK Day is not a chance to throw a kegger (or maybe I’m just not getting invited). A few hours before our video chat interview, a student asked if we could make it a phone interview, as he was “hosting an event” where he “resides.” Happy to oblige, I agreed. However, even on the phone I could barely hear the student. By “event,” he had meant party. And by “residence,” he meant 80-person frat house.

Then, 30 minutes later, from a completely different student, I got: “I’m so sorry! Can we reschedule? I can no longer talk due to…. unforeseen circumstances.” Your circumstances would have been a little more “unforeseen” and a little less “foreheard,” if I wasn’t able to hear the entire party in the background. Classique.

2. Hey, can I call you back?

Things come up. Life gets in the way whether you are in college, in high school, whether you’re a doctor, or my mom when she said she’d pay my rent this month. The WayUp team is a go-with-the-flow kind of gang. However, some excuses simply don’t fly.

Via Email:

“Hey Nina, sooooo sorry for the last minute cancellation but my phone actually just broke and I am waiting for it to get fixed!!!” (Next time, delete “Sent from iPhone,” babe)

On the phone:

“Hey, it’s Nina with WayUp, how’s it going?”

“Oh…Um, I actually need to hop in the shower. Can you call me back in 30?”

Kk.

3. Know the position you’re applying for. And then, at least fake some enthusiasm.

I spoke to a student recently that was extremely confused when I told him we connect students with a range of #boss companies offering part-time jobs and internships. His confusion made me confused. We got to the bottom of things eventually, and his response was “Okay, whatever, your company sounds weird. But, I guess I’ll take the position.” We sound weird? You sound weird! Just kidding. But really, it was weird.

4. It’s 1 pm, do you know where your interviewee is? Because I don’t.

Communication is key. On the WayUp Team, we tell each other everything. If a co-worker is pissed at someone (me), because they (I) ate his last quinoa salad (economy size jar of Nutella), they will tell you. This is why upon scheduling an interview, you will receive a confirmation email. THEN, it will automatically show up on your Google Calendar. AND, the night before, I will send you a charming email reminding you that you have an interview scheduled at X-time, and should any conflicts occur, please drop me a line and I will graciously accommodate. As a result, when it’s 1 pm and my student doesn’t show up, I find myself lost, confused, and glad my parents were strict psychopaths who always made me show up 45 minutes early to a movie showing as a child.

Now, don’t get me wrong, talking to college students all day long is a gem. I spend most my days talking to excited, innovative, and passionate students. But, these interview flukes definitely provide my daily entertainment (and entertainment to the rest of the WayUp team…and now you and the entire internet).

Side note — it ain’t all bad. We ended up hiring 320 kick ass applicants!