Why we interview 

We’ve got a reputation to uphold.

It’s important that we continue to attract the right people as it helps everyone to have a better and more enriching experience.

And because we attract talented and motivated students to the Start Me Up program, we’re able to secure the best opportunitites with partner organizations.

This allows us to have the pick of the projects for you.

Which program’s right for you

We run several programs.

So the other role of the interview is to determine which of our programs is best for you and which projects you’d benefit most from working on.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for something special 

We attract many students from some of the world’s top universities. But that’s not all we’re looking for.

We look for candidates who are curious, motivated and love to learn. 

We know people do their best work when they’re working on projects they care about.

So we’ll ask you about causes or issues you think are important.

For every problem in the world, a startup is working on a corresponding solution.

How to prepare

Don’t worry, this is not an Oxbridge-style interview where we ask you to “Tell me about a banana”

The best way to prepare for this interview is to ask yourself some questions.

We’re more interested in how you think than what you know. 

What do you really want from this experience? Don’t tell us what you think we want to hear. Tell us the truth. 

What kinds of work environments do you thrive? Do you like to work in teams? Or independently? Or a mix of both? 

What are you curious about? Is there a big issue in the world you’d like to help solve? The more unique to you, the better. 

We’ll ask you about your career priorities and your current thinking about your career. 

The interview usually takes about 20 minutes but allow 30 to be on the safe side. 

We use a bit of software called Zoom. Try accessing the link before the scheduled call to see if you need to download anything onto your device. 

If you’re having trouble accessing the call, let us know over Whatsapp or on admissions@startmeup.careers