Tips and Tools for Applicants

We put a lot into making sure both our customers and our employees enjoy their experience with Hypotec. But, just as important as it is for us to make a good impression on you and our customers, it is similarly important for you to dazzle us if you seek employment at Hypotec. Every year, we receive hundreds of applications, and we have truly seen it all: from typos and to bad formatting. The following are a few tips, tricks, and tools designed to help you create the best first impression, both with Hypotec and anywhere else you may go.

Application Tips:

Read everything. Twice. Nothing is more off-putting to a potential employer than to see that you have failed or refused to pay attention to instructions on the very first task they have given you. So, make sure you understand exactly what is being asked and comply as fully as possible.

Sell yourself. Remember, you need to stand out to get the attention of someone with hiring authority, not blend into the background. Take time to write about yourself, covering all of your strengths and unique experiences. Customize your application so it stands out in a good way. Do not simply cut and paste a form answer from a book or online resource for job applicants; be original!

Make sure to provide all paperwork. A major disqualifier of job applicants is failing to provide requested materials. This goes hand-in-hand with carefully reading the instructions. Failing to provide required paperwork makes a hiring decision very easy: it is simply discarded as incomplete.

Recommendations. If you have recommendation letters, include them rather than simply offering to provide them upon request. Making the employer's job easier is almost always a great idea if you really want the job. Good recommendations come from employers, teachers, or prominent community leaders. Avoid using recommendations from people who are only friends (i.e., you have never worked together) or family members.

Make it fun. One of the best ways to stand out is to engage your audience. Employers will typically read a lot of applications and resumes, and many will sound exactly the same. But, if you can make yours concise and full of personality, it will help to demonstrate who you are and why an employer should choose you over the stack of other applicants they are considering.

Proofread. Proofread. Proofread. Be sure you have a good grasp of spelling and grammar rules. Learn the differences between “to,” “two,” and “too.” Also learn when to use “its” versus “it's.” And, there is always the more common mistakes like “our” and “are” and “they're” and “their” and “there.”

Think of it this way, if someone told you that you could earn hundreds of thousands of dollars from filling out an application, would you not put your all into it? Well, guess what: that is exactly what you are doing every time you apply for a job!

Resume Tips

A lot goes into landing a job, and the most important part of the process is the first impression. A resume is usually the first thing a potential interviewer will see. Great ones can land jobs, bad ones can keep you from even getting a call.

Contact Information. Make sure your resume identifies your name, address, phone, and email addresses. If an employer does not know how to contact you (especially if your resume gets separated from your email or cover letter), then you will probably never get an interview.

Be sure, too, that your email address is sufficiently professional. While you may have thought it was funny to choose an email address with a flirtatious overtone, a reference to a hobby, or some sort of an in-joke, that may not play well with an employer. You can easily get a much safer email address at any number of free services, like Google, Yahoo, or Outlook.

Also, consider including Facebook and Twitter handles and blog URLs if you have them (and the content is appropriate for an employer to see).

Objective Statement. Some people like to use objective or career statements. These are definitely optional components on a resume, but can be useful for filling out a site that is lacking a bit of substance. They can also be good for defining your career goal. Whatever you do, keep it short and concise (one to two sentences maximum).

Experience. This is definitely the most important part of any resume. Give a brief, but detailed history of your work experience, descending from the most recent employer to the earliest. Relevance is the key. If you have experience in other occupations that do not directly relate to the position for which you are applying, you should minimize the focus on these positions or eliminate them all together. Bullets are an effective way to summarize the qualifications and accomplishments you earned at each position. If you have never held a job before, highlight relevant volunteer and school leadership responsibilities. Most of all, show that you understand the business for which you are applying, and tie your actions to results for your prior employers whenever possible.

Education. In the modern age of online employment screening services, having the right qualifications can be essential. Education is often the difference between being in the call back pile or being dismissed out of hand. As a result, it is critical to include your education including institution name, date (or expected date) of graduation, and course of study. If you were an academic standout, you may want to include your GPA. Only go back as far as High School, and even then only if you lack any advanced degrees.

Activities/Honors/Special Skills. This is where you can really stand apart from the crowd. Do not be shy: share anything that can be noteworthy, but (ideally) relevant to the position for which you are applying. List activities, awards, and special skills relevant to the job, or qualities an employer will find desirable.

Length and Design. Many will tell you a resume must be one page, but that is no longer the case. It is probably wise to keep it to one page if possible, but why sell yourself short if you have a great deal of experience or education? Try to stay concise and keep it to no longer than two pages.

Some find it desirable to use multi-color designs or to add photos of themselves or logos of companies for whom they have worked. These can definitely be excellent ways to elevate a resume over those of your peers, but do not use these techniques to hide a lack of substance.

Interview Tips

When you get the interview, the real work begins. You may have been put on the short list for the position, but there is usually only one job available to be filled by one of several interviewees. And, all of you have been identified as most closely matching the profile of an employee that company wants to hire. So, now you really have to find a way to stand out.

Show up early for your interview. Do not be so early as to be burdensome or annoying, but 15 to 30 minutes is ideal. This shows eagerness, punctuality, and makes for an excellent first impression.

Dress the part. Far too often, people dress too casually for a job. It is appropriate to go to an interview dressed in a business suit and tie if you are a man, and a conservative skirt or slacks, blouse, and sweater or suit jacket if you are a woman. Business casual may be the dress code for the job, but you can switch to that after you have the job. Also, avoid dressing provocatively, as this can give a very negative impression.

Bring an extra copy of your resume, cover letter, and any reference letters or other materials you may have been required to submit with your application. Interviewers may be busy people and may have misplaced your applications materials. Bringing a copy shows initiative, forethought, and makes an outstanding impression.

Answer positively and creatively. Try to smile and be at ease. Give your answers a positive spin. Lead with the good, even if there is a “but” at the end of the sentence. Studies show that leading with something positive can cause any negative statements to be overlooked.

Use a Good, Firm Handshake. Another big no-no is the limp fish handshake. All too often, men and women have never learned how to properly shake hands with someone. In a proper handshake, the palms should touch, and the thumbs should interlock. You should squeeze with a small amount of force, but not so much as to crush the other person's hand. Never present just the fingers or fail to squeeze the other person's hand. It is customary to shake once or twice and then release. Do not hold on for too long as this can make the other person very uncomfortable.