Your College to Career Journey

As promised, for our first interview for the 1000 Hires (should be 10,000 hires), I interviewed Wells Fargo's college recruiter, Susanna Lee. Before this interaction, I had been interviewed by her for their famous rotational technology program, and know firsthand, that she is very professional, knowledgeable about assessing candidates and has done interviewed people like me many times before. So, I know you'll find something valuable in this interview:

1. What do you look for in a candidate applying to Wells Fargo?
Ans - First of all, we look to make sure that candidates meet minimum requirements. Candidates always seem to think that they can "get by" without having what we ask for, but it usually doesnt happen. Next, we look for those who can grow and eventually, be leaders of this organization.

2. So, tell us, what is the process then for selection of a candidate?
Ans - First we screen all the applicants (based on their resumes) and if a candidate's qualifications match what we are looking for, we invite them for an phone/campus interview. If we like them after that, we invite them to our Headquarters in San Francisco for their 2nd round of interviews, where they meet their possible managers. Then we gather all the feedback from those managers and narrow the candidates down to the best ones.

3. What is the top 2 mistakes that candidates do when they apply to Wells?
Ans - People dont always follow all of our instructions in applying (ie, they dont apply through our online system when we tell them to, or apply when they need visa sponsorship, etc), and candidates still make many many mistakes on their resumes - We get approx over 590 applicants for each position, and close to half of the candidates make some mistake in applying.

4. How can candidates who apply online be successful in getting a phone interview?
Ans: First of all, If we don't come to your campus, APPLY online! We do look through every resume- really. Just remember to highlight the skills that match what we are looking for, and make it easy to read. Add a cover letter- Although it is not a requirement, it could serve you well, and make us understand you better.

5. What are some tips (other than the ones from previous blog) to add experience on your resume?
Ans: You can take some classes (especially if you are applying for something technical), get a part-time job and internship (even if its unpaid), or create a website utilizing your skills and showcasing your work.

6. Any advice for people deciding what to do?
Ans: Well, it is really important to think about your career development holistically, so don't get too hung up on salary- If an opportunity seems great, then just go for it! Try to think about the big picture, and explore different options (especially if you can go through a rotational program, do it!)

So, hopefully, you learned something from Susanna. If you have more questions for her, please let me know, and I will try and get a response for you! Thanks.