My time at Year Up United was, unfortunately, one of the most lowest and most challenging professional experiences of my career. I reported to a manager based in Chicago, and in my experience, there was no structured onboarding, very inconsistent support, and very limited follow-through. Numerous scheduled 1:1 meetings were simply missed without notice, which made it difficult to succeed in a role that already lacked clear expectations. When my employment ended, I did not receive any meaningful communication or guidance from my manager, which made the situation even more frustrating and confusing.
From what I observed, the organization experiences frequent restructuring and regular recurring layoffs, often once a year or more. Since 2023, there also appeared to be a persistent challenge with “seat gaps” for interns due to shifting market demand, yet expectations for performance remained unchanged. At the same time, I felt that training for young adults and resources for staff did not always match the scale of the goals being set due to excessive intern escalation.
The team I inherited struggled significantly with sales readiness, and the lack of coaching infrastructure made it difficult to build the level of performance I expected. I also witnessed high turnover in management and leadership roles, including presidents cycling in and out of the organization within relatively short time frames. This created an environment that often felt reactive rather than strategic.
In my personal experience, the organization did not demonstrate the stability, support, or internal alignment needed to deliver on its mission effectively. Based on what I encountered, I would not feel comfortable recommending Year Up United as an employer to any colleague.
