Hire Priority Staffing, is currently seeking qualified candidates for the following position:

Job Title: Apartment Leasing Professional
Job Description: Great property is seeking a leasing superstar who is outgoing, motivated, and dedicated!
Requirements: Apartment Leasing exp. required! Strong customer service skills, professionalism & self-confidence are a MUST. Needs to have professional appearance & demeanor! Compensation: $10-$13/hr (+ Benefits and Comm.)
Location: San Antonio (Zip 78216- Near Walker Ranch Heritage Park)

Candidates must be able to pass background check (NO FELONIES), drug test and provide identification and proof of eligibility to work in the U.S.

Please submit resume by email or fax 512.338.4491 Please be available for immediate interview! 

So what exactly does Grace Hill provide? Grace Hill provides the latest in multifamily training by providing training document, webinars, and the best state-of-the-art online educations. Grace Hill provides webinars and online learning with industry specific materials ranging from workbooks to pre- and post-texting. All of their courses are centered around the specifics of each job title in the multifamily industry and stem from the vast experience brought to Grace Hill by their highly qualified teams.

In addition to their courses and training, Grace Hill provides built in tracking of student’s coursework and completions certificates. They also provide you with custom training schedule that fits your company’s and employee’s training needs. They offer a variety of courses ranging from Introductory Leasing courses to Social Media Management. Most importantly, they offer the latest of Fair Housing and training that fits your specific needs.

If you have hired new employees or just need to need to keep your current employees up to date with the latest training in the multifamily industry, you should be using Grace Hill. The incorporate a multitude of learning options to make learning fun as well as to make sure your teams are up-to-date with all of the current topics that are important to our industry!

Lyric currently works as a temp with Hire Priority. She describes how helpful Jency is with finding her work and working with her schedule. Lyric says the Hire Priority staff is very understanding and helpful. She is very appreciative of the help that Jency has been and knows that she can rely on Jency to find places that are suitable to Lyric’s needs and own passions.

Lyric is now looking for a permanent placement position and is confident that the Houston Hire Priority staff with consider her needs and the types of work environment where she can succeed. Lyric and Jency are working together to find her a permanent placement position as an Assistant Manager where Lyric can put her seven years of experience in the apartment industry to work.

Job Title: APARTMENT MAINTENANCE JOBS: EPA Lead Maintenance
Job Description:Experienced Apartment Industry Maintenance Professionals
Requirements: Six months apartment industry maintenance experience or remodel/ construction background is helpful. Must have strong background in painting! Looking for dependable, take-charge maintenance help!
Compensation: $17+ DOE.
Location: West/Central Austin

Candidates MUST be able to pass background check (NO FELONIES), drug test and provide two forms of identification. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Please submit resumes:
in a PDF or Word Doc via email to austin@hirepriority.com or fax 512.338.4491
Please be available for immediate interview!!!

If you decided to use a staffing company, they take care of most of this work for you. Staffing companies provide a large variety of services which ultimately lead to reducing your workload and time for finding the right person for the job.

First, a staffing company is able to locate employees for a variety of job openings including temporary workers and permanently placed workers.  A staffing company collects a variety of resumes from employees looking for work, sorts through their qualifications to find where they would be the best fit and matches their job experience, job preference, and personality with your company’s needs.

If you are just looking for some temporary help, a staffing company can also provide you qualified employees to help with your short term staffing needs. In this case, the employee is employed by the staffing company and sent to you for a short amount of time and your company is saved the hassle of filling out tax forms, employment paperwork, and the overall cost to the company is greatly reduced.

A multitude of work goes into sending qualified people to interview with the company for placement. In a sense, you are paying a staffing company to weed out those who are not qualified and who may not exactly fit your community’s culture. Staffing companies interview prospective talented individuals to match them up with your needs as an employer and use your specifications and qualifications to cut down on the time you spend with prospective employees that may not be at all qualified. A staffing company specializes in people and maintains a data base of individuals who are suited for very specific work environments.

A staffing company can potentially reduce the amount of time spent finding the right employee down from weeks to just days. Hire Priority specialized in finding talented people for the healthcare and apartment industries. Their database of qualified people is very specific and can fill the void in the work place very quickly! So the next time you find yourself needing new apartment office or maintenance staff, Hire Priority can find you the perfectly qualified candidate for your apartment community.

Patricia says the high point of her career was working as a leasing agent for lease-up properties. She had a small team and they leased five brand new communities. She loved the fast paced and excitement of that position.

Patricia moved to Houston in 2004 and was searching for leasing vendors when she came across Hire Priority. She worked for a company that used Hire Priority as well as other staffing agencies. When she was out of work, she knew where to turn to help her find her next career.

She describes her experiences with Hire Priority and their staff as “Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!” and would gladly use their services again if she ever needs another job. She worked for Hire Priority from May-August and was permanently placed in a tax credit community. Patricia wanted that position because she wanted the experience of working for a tax credit property. She says her and the manager hit it off quickly and then she was offered a full time job as a Leasing Consultant/Assistant Manager.

Motivated Porter Needed – Apartment Maintenance (Georgetown)
Hire Priority Staffing, Austin’s leader in Apartment Industry Staffing, is currently seeking qualified candidates for the following position:

Job Title: APARTMENT MAINTENANCE JOBS: Porter/Groundskeeper
Job Description:Apartment Industry Maintenance Professionals
Requirements: Apartment industry maintenance experience or remodel/ construction background is helpful. Looking for dependable, take-charge maintenance help!
Compensation: $10
Location: Georgetown

Candidates MUST be able to pass background check (NO FELONIES), drug test and provide one form of identification and proof of eligibility to work in the US. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Please submit resumes:
in a PDF or Word Doc via email or fax 512.338.4491
Please be available for immediate interview!!!

So where do all of those new migrants live? Apartments. The industry is growing with new developments being added every year. Not only are those developments needing new residents, they are also feeding the job market with open positions for leasing consultants and property managers on the rise.

If you are not considering a position in the Austin apartment leasing industry, maybe it is time that you take a look at the possibilities that are upcoming. Everywhere, the apartment industry is booming, rents are increasing and new developments are popping up all over the place. In Austin alone, the wave of new apartments being developed is exceptional. In 2011, more than 14 new apartment communities were planned and construction began. Now, the hiring boom is on. With all of those new communities servicing Austin, there is a tremendous demand for motivated leasing professionals.

And the potential does not stop there. The apartment industry may be one of the few industries left where there is a clear path laid out for advancement. Many leasing professionals who have the talent are promoted up within the company and can easily move up into management positions. With that experience, the opportunities for advancement continue into regional management, senior management, training professionals, marketing specialist, and on and on. So if there is an area that you are passionate about, you can absolutely find your path in the apartment industry and the doors are often wide open. This growth is projected to continue through the next several years with more new hires which make getting in now much more valuable.

Rents are at an all-time high and demand for rental property is not showing any signs of slowing down. That means that commission potentials are high, job opportunities will continue to open up and anyone getting a start in the apartment industry in Austin is poised for success.

Job Title: APARTMENT MAINTENANCE JOBS: Porter
Job Description:Experienced Apartment Industry Maintenance Professionals
Requirements: Apartment industry maintenance experience or remodel/ construction background is helpful. Looking for dependable, take-charge maintenance help!
Compensation: $10
Location: Georgetown

Candidates MUST be able to pass background check (NO FELONIES), drug test and provide one form of identification and proof of eligibility to work in the US. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Please submit resumes:
in a PDF or Word Doc via email or fax 512.338.4491
Please be available for immediate interview!!!

One great idea for your residents and staff to enjoy is to have a “decorate your workspace” contest. This is great because it will allow your staff to show their personalities and maybe some of their hobbies that they can use to get to know and interact with your residents.

Another fun idea is to change up your email signature from time to time. Use different and fun fonts to get people to notice and add some funny quotes just below your contact information. For example:

“A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.” ~ Steve Martin or “People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” ~ Isaac Asimov

It’s important to remember to change them, and will also encourage  your teams to read your emails all the way through.

You can also have dress up theme days. Like crazy sock day or silly hats. What seems to be very popular right now are mustache days! You can find printable mustaches online and simply cut them out and use some take to attach them. With a huge variety of “styles” available, everyone can be different and really take on a whole new personality with their new facial hair! Are you a handle bar type or maybe you like a full goatee!

You can also create silly awards for your employees. Like “The Bermuda Triangle Award – for the desk where objects go never to be seen again” or “The Doodle Pad Award”. You can print off cute little award certificates and customize them for your silly awards.

Do you have a meeting coming up? Are you going to be brainstorming with your team? Or do you sometimes have a hard time getting the group to contribute to the conversations? If that’s the case, you can bring in treats to meetings and toss them out to employees who contribute to the conversation! This is a great way to get everyone involved!

Make sure you let your teams know that it’s ok to bring their personalities to work and enjoy yourselves sometimes. Always make sure it is appropriate and set the standard for fun at the leasing office!

Johnny  says his job is very fulfilling and busy now. He has a lot more paperwork and detail while working at a tax credit property but enjoys the challenge. He was personally welcomed by the president of the management company who welcomed him to the team. During Johnny’s first month as a Leasing Professional, he helped increase the community’s occupancy by eight percent and is very successful in his new position.

He really enjoyed working with the staff at Hire Priority and was impressed with how quickly they were able to place him in a position doing a job that he likes. Although there are times when the residents can be a letdown, there is always something new and exciting going on each day as a Leasing Professional.

Job Title: APARTMENT MAINTENANCE JOBS: Make Ready
Job Description:Experienced Apartment Industry Maintenance Professionals
Requirements: Six months apartment industry maintenance experience or remodel/ construction background is helpful. Looking for dependable, take-charge maintenance help!
Compensation: $11-$12.50 DOE.
Location: Austin

Candidates MUST be able to pass background check (NO FELONIES), drug test and provide one form of identification and proof of eligibility to work in the US. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Please submit resumes:
in a PDF or Word Doc via email or fax 512.338.4491
Please be available for immediate interview!!!

First and foremost, know your product. I like to call this selling by the numbers. Know how many square feet are in each floor plan, how many cabinets are in each kitchen, what school district your residents’ kids will be attending and all of the great features of your community. In addition to that, you also need to know what you’re up against and how you are better. If there’s a new community right across the street, how is yours superior?

Next, smile on the phone! Your prospect can hear it in your voice and it will reflect on the friendliness of your community. A smile on your face is inviting to your prospective resident and will be the first step in getting them through the door.

Once your prospect comes in to view the apartment homes, make sure their visit is personal. Did you pay attention to their needs on the telephone and can you incorporate those into your tour? Make sure to know their names and ask about pets. Discuss how their lifestyle fits into your community.

Watch where you step! Make sure you are not having your prospects follow you but that you are walking with them. Take your time and point out all of the great things along the way to their future apartment. Point out specific amenities of your community that fit what your prospect is looking for without making them feel rushed to get inside of the apartment.

And lastly, create a sense of urgency. Be careful not to lie but point out that their apartment will only be available on a first come first serve basis unless they take steps to reserve it. Have your paperwork ready and make sure you close with confidence!

Rayven started out as a temp and went through Hire Priority’s training program. She knew very little about the apartment industry and worked in the Hire Priority Austin office for a couple of weeks. Loa and the staff there trained her in how to be a leasing consultant and provided her with all of the information that she would need to be successful. They answered all of her questions and helped her become completely prepared for the interview and future job as a leasing consultant.

She received real hands on experience dealing with fair housing, objections to the sale, and helping prospects. Rayven says Loa and Natalie from Hire Priority gave her the confidence she needed. They believed in her and were so encouraging that she left there feeling completely prepared to take on her new position with Riverstone.

Rayven says she loves being able to be personable with people and meeting new people by building relationships to help them find the apartment home they are looking for. She loves her new job and that there is something new every day.

Rayven is just one of the many examples of success stories from people who have used Hire Priority to help in their job search!

Benefits of working for us (and getting off-site):

Work with an Intelligent, Fun, Hard Working team
$12-$14/hr + excellent commissions (based on production)
Healthcare Insurance
Retirement Plan
Growth Potential
M-F, No weekends
Lots of PTO

The ideal person for this position:
Current/Recent experience as a leasing consultant or assistant manager (1yr apt ind exp. preferred)
Bilingual (preferred)
Excellent job history
Customer Service Oriented
Self-confident
Responsible and Reliable
Achievement Oriented
Strong Sense of Urgency

Our Purpose: To experience the sheer joy of changing people’s lives for the better.

Now that you know some fun stuff about us, please forward your resume to apply for this position, or feel free to forward to a friend.

Without failure, managers of apartment communities will be faced with the duties of both identifying deficiencies in tasks performed by onsite staff but they must also be prepared to deliver a correction to an employee that only targets the substandard action without leaving an employee feeling personally attacked and on the defensive.  After all, our higher expectations for our leasing consultants, maintenance technicians, and assistant managers are a function of the high esteem we hold for them all.  With that being said, no one is perfect, and anyone is capable of repeatedly making mistakes without the proper guidance and counseling, and this includes being sensitive to people really making honest mistakes.  So following these simple guidelines should bring light to an employee’s unacceptable actions without removing his or her motivation to seek professional self-improvement.

1. Do not shame your employee.  Attaching the negative feeling of shame to what is likely an honest mistake serves no purpose other than to make the criticism seem personal.  It is important to focus on the performance itself, and NEVER the person.  You may find him or her to be contrite regardless, but ultimately he or she will be closer to adopting the common goal of eliminating the error in the future.
2. If possible, make criticisms a private matter.  This is related to not shaming your employees.  Being mindful of the wonderful array of personalities we have in our apartment communities, some may be embarrassed by the public address of his or her mistakes.  Be careful in also making it obvious to his or her peers that you may be delivering some sort of correction or criticism.  Don’t make it look like he or she is being “called to the principal’s office.”  Even though the specifics may remain private, an employee’s peers may still see the person having to be corrected.
3. Give one criticism at a time.  Do not dump a whole list on them at once.  Even if there is more than one deficiency, prioritize, and only deliver the correction for the negative action needing the most immediate attention.  This will eliminate your employee’s feeling of being overwhelmed by too many tasks to correct.
4. Once you have made the criticism, do not keep bringing it up.  Again, your employees truly want to do his or her best for you, and one criticism is almost always enough to have him or her make the necessary improvements.  Once you verify that the action is currently being corrected or has been corrected, there is no reason to revisit the topic.  It is already obvious by their immediate action the lesson will not be forgotten.
5. Be flexible in the manner you deliver a criticism.  Some employees really do well to know the reasoning why the correction needs to be made.  It is not to say they want to question your reasoning, but rather he or she may see it as a greater learning opportunity.  Others may simply just need a simple explanation of what correction needs to be made without the nuisance of details.  Again, this is not a sign of disrespect as some employees feel best reacting to criticism with immediate action and reserve explanations for a later time.  But you know your people and you know the best way to approach each of their personalities.

Ultimately, consider these things in the context of the Golden Rule.  Give criticisms like you would want to receive criticisms.  Addressing criticisms in this manner will eliminate the appearance of making it personal and will allow your employees to maintain dignity through his or her professional improvement.  Then all can be focused on the apartment community’s common goals.

Alberto says he loves leasing and enjoyed his opportunity to try on different apartment communities while looking for a permanent job placement. One of his top priorities while looking for a job was to find somewhere close to where he lives.  Alberto was called in to fill in for a Leasing Agent who was out for the day sick. The very next day, that same Leasing Agent put in their two weeks’ notice.

After only working with the community for a day, they already loved Alberto so they immediately offered him the position. It was exactly what he was looking for, a leasing position close to home. It was an extra added bonus that Alberto is tri-lingual and perfect for the community.

Alberto now enjoys working very close to home at an apartment community that he loves. He said he is very grateful for the doors that were opened to him through Hire Priority and that they were always extremely friendly, helpful, and courteous.

Let us begin by taking a look at this from the employer side of things. In today’s economy, it’s great that you’re hiring. The apartment industry seems to be growing and with that growth comes the need for more employees. Whatever your reason for needing a new employee, finding them often takes a lot of effort and work on your part. You need someone to fill that void in your work place and someone who can ideal come in and stay for a while. That’s where a staffing company like Hire Priority comes in.

The worst case scenario occurs when you make the decision to hire someone and then realize later that they were not a great fit for your company. You will have invested training, time, money, and hours getting this person into their new position before knowing you may have made the wrong choice. Much like shopping and trying on clothes, a staffing company gives you the opportunity to try on different employees before making the investment into hiring them full time. They handle the screening, the interview, and they often have people ready to jump right into the next position at your apartment community.

As an employee, looking for a job is work itself. Often, out of desperation you may take the first position that is offered. Again, the above scenario may apply. What if that company culture does not suit your personality or your work style? Once you are finally hired, it is very difficult to quit and start the search over. If you choose to go through a staffing company, then you too have an opportunity to shop different companies and apartment communities to find the right fit for you. If you spend a few weeks in a position and find that it is not the perfect fit, you can contact your staffing company and have them help move you to another place.

Keep in mind that you should look for a staffing company that specializes in your industry. It creates a match made in heaven, where employees who want to work in the apartment industry apply with staffing agencies that place employees with employers in the apartment industry. Everyone is specialized these days, and when you’re simply posting your open job positions out there, you may not be targeting people who already have a passion for your industry.

Introduction to Leasing with Jackie!

When employers are left with going through hundreds of applicants, your email address can get you thrown in the shredder even before the interview. While you may think your email address is cute and shows your personality, it may be simply sending the wrong message. In many circumstances, it may be impossible to interview all qualified applicants. A person who wants to sell themselves should always put their best foot forward. An employer does not want to email a potential new hire with a crazy email address that would appear to be a person who has yet to grow up. If you want to be taken as a professional in your field you need to present yourself as that. A name such as meetmexxx@name.com does not scream professional neither does iloveunicorns@name.com!

Besides presenting yourself as a professional and one who takes their career seriously, you want to make sure that employers can find your email easily in the event they wish to contact you that way. It is easier to locate your contact information if it is yourname@email.com . The employer will have no problems being sure they are contacting the right person. When trying to sell yourself to an employer over paper or the internet every small detail matters. Do not overlook the little things. They can be a difference in a call back for an interview for that leasing position and no call.

The importance in an appropriate email cannot be overstated. If you are embarrassed to tell a potential employer over the phone your email address, then chances are it is not one you should be using. Often you will have to spell or say your email over the phone. The best and easiest way to create an appropriate email would simply be to include your firstnamelastname@email.com. It will be easy to tell over the phone, no embarrassment when spelling it out, and it allows the employer to easily match your email with your application. An appropriate email as described above is straightforward and does not allow one to question your sincerity, professionalism, and maturity level.

Remember, especially in the apartment industry, YOU are the face of the company. And although your date may like to think of you as sexybeast@name.com, your future property manager does not.

Hire Priority Staffing, Austin’s leader in Apartment Industry Staffing, is currently seeking qualified candidates for the following position:

Job Title: Apartment Leasing Professional
Job Description: Two great properties seeking a leasing superstar who is outgoing, motivated, and dedicated!
Requirements:Must have six months apartment experience. Strong customer service skills, professionalism & self-confidence are a MUST. Needs to have professional appearance & demeanor! Bilingual is a plus!

Compensation: $11/hr- $13/hr (+ Benefits and Comm.) salary will vary depending on experience.
Location: Buda/Round Rock

Candidates must be able to pass background check (NO FELONIES), drug test and provide two forms of identification.

Please submit resume by email or fax 512.338.4491 Please be available for immediate interview!

1. Listen for clues from the property manager about the apartment community.
   1. Is the interviewer asking you multiple questions about how you handle a stressful work environment? Feel free to make a mental note about this and ask questions about the stress level associated with working at the apartment community.
   2. Are you being asked if you are independent? Will help be available to you during your first weeks as a new employee?
   3. Do they ask you about your leadership qualities? What types of questions are they asking that will let you know what type of leader they are looking for and if promotions are a future possibility.
2. Listen to your interviewer to make sure you are answering the questions they ask.
1.  Did you ramble on off topic? If you feel you need clarification, ask!
2. Follow-up some questions by asking if you fully answered their question. That way they know you were listening and you wanted to make sure you weren’t off topic.
3. Make sure you give your interviewer enough time to finish the question before you begin answering, otherwise, you will be interrupting them.
3. Ask questions!
   1. Refer back to some of the questions you were asked to get clarification if you need to.
   2. Prepare intelligent questions before the interview based on your knowledge and research of the company and the position.

If you don’t listen to your interviewer, you are saying that what you think is more important than the questions they have to ask. Don’t ruin your great opportunity by being too ready to talk! Try to make your answers short while completely answering a question. Allow the interviewer the opportunity to decide which ones need to be elaborated. Stay calm and try to think of the interview as an opportunity to have a conversation with a new person where you are both trying to figure out what you have in common and if you are a good fit for each other and the apartment community.

For a tips on how to answer the dreaded interview question “What is your greatest weakness?” Click Here!

Amber got her start in the apartment industry through a friend in San Antonio who needed the extra help. She started out as a leasing consultant in that apartment community but soon found herself without a property manager and hopes of being promoted into a higher position. Unfortunately, she wasn’t afforded the opportunity to advance and Amber felt it was time to move on.

And move on is exactly what she did. Amber packed up and left San Antonio looking for a completely new adventure and a new start in Austin. She says she arrived in Austin on a Monday with hopes of beginning a new life with a new career.  She heard about Hire Priority through a friend and came in on Wednesday and was immediately placed in a Leasing Consultant position. According to Amber, she arrived on Monday, not sure if she would be able to stay in Austin and not sure of what was next, but… thanks to Hire Priority, she was working by Wednesday!

Amber worked as a temp at a few different communities and was offered a full time position at one of those communities. However, she just didn’t feel like that was the right community for her and turned down the offer while she continued to work through Hire Priority as a temp. Eventually Amber was placed into an administrative position at The Edge at Easton. Her property manager quickly saw Amber’s talents and potential. She was soon offered a full time position, not as a leasing consultant, but as an assistant manager.

Amber says she absolutely LOVES her job! Her advice to anyone looking for a job is that if you want it bad enough and you work hard, you’ll get noticed and get placed into a position that may be even better than you originally imagined.

Amber Gonzales now has twelve employees who work for her. She has a great mentor in her property manager and Amber says he has a great passion for the apartment community they manage. Amber loves her job because she is surrounded by an amazing team and a great support system. Her move to Austin has paid off and she is exactly where she wants to be doing something she loves.

There are many reasons why employees become disheartened or unmotivated in their jobs but for maintenance, we can pinpoint some specifics that are often the cause. Take a look at your work environment, your supplies, and whether or not your residents and staff show proper appreciation, the answer to why a maintenance supervisor is not motivated often lies within one of those categories. So what are some things that a property manager can do in order to help re-motivate their maintenance supervisors? Here are a few examples:

1. Sometimes the smallest things mean the most. When was the last time you stopped your Maintenance Supervisor to say “Thank you”? Do they know that you appreciate all that they do for you and your residents? Make sure you acknowledge their hard work. Your Maintenance supervisor and technicians are what keeps your apartment community running smoothly and what keeps your residents happy. Don’t forget to tell them how important they are and how much their work is valued.
2. One of the most frustrating things in any job is to not have all of the necessary tools to complete the task. Imagine trying to keep up with emails from prospects, residents, and vendors without reliable internet service. That is how frustrating it can be for a maintenance professional who is tasked to do a job without the proper equipment. Talk to you maintenance supervisor about what tools, parts, and equipment they need to get the job done. Try to help make sure you have all of those things available and if they are not, then make sure to talk to your maintenance supervisor about when they will be available.
3. Are you understaffed? Does your maintenance supervisor feel overwhelmed with requests and not enough staff to properly take care of customers? Make sure to keep communication open about labor needs. Sometimes, it will help re-motivate your maintenance supervisor if they know that you understand their frustrations and are working toward a solution together.
4. Is there a work place issue that is bothering your maintenance supervisor? Talk to them to find out if there are safety concerns you need to address together and reassure them that they are an important part of your apartment community and you will address any safety concerns with them.
5. Try to help reduce the stress associated with their position. Do they get bored taking care of the same types of maintenance requests just because that is what they specialize in? Allow some flexibility and new challenges for your maintenance supervisor so that they get to expand their knowledge and have some variety in their position.

Most of these motivational factors can be helped with solid communication between the property manager and the maintenance supervisor. If it is simply not in the budget to fix the staffing or equipment problems, then make sure they know that you empathize and are not simply ignoring their needs. Bring in breakfast or lunch once in a while just to let them know you appreciate their work. And as always, keep the lines of communication open and professional.

Let’s begin with your cover letter. This is pretty standard for most positions and helps to demonstrate that you took the time to make this application personal to the apartment community where you are applying.

Do write a cover letter, it is important. It gives your prospective future employer an opportunity to see your writing style, your personality, and your desire to get the job. A good cover letter explains why you are interested in working for the apartment community and how your previous experiences make you a good fit for the job. If you are applying to become an assistant property manager as a move up from a leasing consultant position, talk about your experiences, how you learned from other assistant managers, what you will bring to the position, and why all of those things are good for the apartment community.

Don’t try to sound preachy in your cover letter. While explaining how you can improve the company or what value your experiences may bring, avoid sounding as if there is something wrong with the apartment community. Make sure you sell your talents without sounding as if you know it all!

During the interview, be proactive, interested, and attentive.

Do research the property and the neighborhood so that you are comfortable with the area and possibly the culture of the apartment community. Make sure you have questions in mind that will help you show that you have done your research and that you know the business. For example, if you are applying for a job in Houston or Austin for an apartment groundskeeper position then know the plants that do best in those regions and how to best accent your property.

Don’t criticize. A great example of this would be a person applying for an apartment porter position who says negative things about the landscaping. Even if you think those plants do not work in that area, you may be expressing that opinion to the manager who picked them out. Instead, practice wording suggestions as compliments, “Hibiscus really are beautiful plants for this area, I like to have a few accent ground covers around mine, maybe some trailing purple lantana would really bring out the colors of the flowers.”

Now that the interview is over, it’s time to follow up.

Do follow up! Thank you notes are not completely out of fashion, especially not in the apartment job market. Follow-up calls are also ok. This is a way of letting your prospective employer know that you are still available for work, that you value the time they took to speak with you, and it shows that you are dedicated to getting the position.

Don’t harass. One follow up call is plenty, unless you were asked to call back. You will really come across as desperate and too aggressive if you are calling the property manager’s office every day to see if they have filled the position yet.

You should always be aggressive in your job search, even though it does take a little more time to research, write, and follow-up, it is always well worth it. Just be careful not to cross into an area where you come across as desperate, too aggressive, pushy, or harassing.

Rogelio was just finishing up his high school education when he decided to look for a career in order to help support his family. Rogelio searched for a job using several forms of media and stumbled across a Hire Priority ad on Craigslist and decided to apply.  He had some experience working outdoors and he enjoyed working and fixing things. Rogelio knew he would be an asset to anyone who would give him a chance so he applied with Hire Priority hoping they could help him in his search.

Rogelio started out as part time, which was a little discouraging because he was not able to work every day like he had hoped. However, he was quickly placed in a full time position which provides him with the opportunity to better take care of his family. Rogelio is now working full time at Douglas Landing Apartments as a Lead Maintenance.

Throughout his time working and job hunting Rogelio says Hire Priority was a great company and helped him to find a full time job in something that he loves. Although only working part time was a low point for him, with dedication and hard work, he has secured a full time position. Rogelio loves going to work because it allows him to utilize his skills and provide for his family while helping others in the apartment community.

It turns out, that this question is your selling moment! There is no better time during the interview to shine than when answering this one simple question.  Here is the trick:

Turn your perceived weakness into a positive attribute of yourself in a way that will contribute to the position you are seeking. The point of the question is not your weakness but how you overcome it.

How? Let me give you some examples of positive responses to this question.

“My biggest weakness is I do not have much experience with PowerPoint or Excel. However, I am currently taking a course to increase my skills and will be at or above an advanced level by the time I finish the course.”

“I sometimes push my people too hard. I like to work with a sense of urgency and not everyone is always on the same page.  I know that with more patience and allowing my team members to demonstrate professionalism, we can still be successful at an appropriate pace.”

“I tend to get too focused on one task so that I don’t always get around to the rest when I should; however, I overcome this by setting deadlines for myself to work toward.”

“I struggle with public speaking. However, I constantly challenge myself by taking on public speaking roles in the apartment community for increased practice, and I have improved greatly over the years.”

And sometimes, depending on the environment of the interview, your comfort level with the person interviewing you, and the position, honest humor works as well:

“I am absolutely terrible at baseball; it’s really quite embarrassing.  But with the way the Houston is playing, who would notice?”

Take a really hard look at yourself well before the interview. What is your weakness and how do you try everyday to improve on it? How you overcome is the most important part of your answer.

1.  Make your Holiday Cards personal

   It is so easy and cost effective these days to just have a company print up your Christmas Cards with your name already printed on them in place of a signature. This year, take the time to let your leasing professionals, maintenance technicians, and assistant managers know you took the time to personalize their cards. Personalization is becoming so rare that it will be noticed and appreciated. Use their names and write each staff member a short note telling reiterating some of the great things they’ve done for you!

2. Decorate the leasing office and let your staff help!

   Often there is only one person in the leasing office who decorates the tree. This year, let your staff make it a shared event. Buy one box of plain colored Christmas tree ornaments and a Sharpie and write each and every employee’s name and job title on them. Let them hang the ornaments on the tree while serving some hot cocoa and cookies.As the years pass, you will enjoy looking back at some of those ornaments to see how far your employees have come. How about that leasing consultant who is moving up the ladder and is now your assistant manager? Or the groundskeeper who in five years runs the entire Maintenance staff.

3. Try to consider each employee’s holiday family traditions when making your schedule.

   It will likely be impossible to make everyone happy when it comes to scheduling work hours around the holiday season. However, if you take a moment to sit with your staff and get to know what their traditions include, you will be showing them that you made an effort – and sometimes that is the greatest motivation.

For more tips on retaining employees, read 3 Ways to Retain the Apartment Industry Professional from Hire Priority.

Kevin got his first taste of the apartment industry while he was a student at Texas A&M. For additional income, Kevin worked part-time as a maintenance professional while pursuing his degree in agriculture. After leaving College Station, Kevin was ready to face the world on his own with all the challenges that came with it. While searching for a career and an apartment in Houston, the light bulb went off.

Kevin was waiting in the office of a Leasing Consultant when he realized his passion for building things, working with his hands, and being outdoors made him a perfect fit for the apartment industry. While in the office, Kevin overheard someone mention Hire Priority Staffing and he knew his path was set.

He returned to Austin and got in touch with the staff at Hire Priority and began doing temporary work at various communities as a porter. It didn’t take long for the community managers to notice how dedicated Kevin was to the apartment industry and they began requesting that he come back more and more.

Kevin loved the flexibility of the temp positions as it allowed him the opportunity to “try on” different communities to see where he fit in. Once he found that match, where his career goals strongly aligned with those of the apartment community’s goals, he was hired as a full time employee.

Kevin now has found his place within the work force and looks forward to the opportunities that will arise in the future. He plans to get his certification as an EPA Licensed Maintenance Technician in order to secure his place on the upward track of the career ladder.

While being in “the right place at the right time” to find a job may have some truth to it, there are also some practical actions you can take to make sure you set yourself in the right place at the right time when looking for a job. Instead of waiting for a job offer when seeking a property management position, you can actively increase your chances of getting the apartment job by improving yourself as a qualified candidate and making sure employers take notice.

No matter what stage you are at within the job process—searching for a position, in the middle of applications, or even working as a property management professional—there are a myriad of means by which you can continually educate yourself to become distinguished within the apartment industry. One of these is to become certified if you haven’t already. The IREM (Institute of Real Estate Management) and NAA (National Apartment Association) both offer three types of certification for property management professionals, and will increase your credibility when applying for a position. As an apartment job deals with a variety of fields and situations, trainings and classes in relevant work (finance, maintenance, law) enhance your skill set and set you apart within the apartment industry. Beyond these classes there are also more informal opportunities: for example a free maintenance class at Home Depot, or shadowing a property manager for a day to get a feel for the typical day of an apartment manager.

In addition to improving yourself professionally for the position of a property management professional, maximize your networking capacities to find out about opportunities and get your foot in the door. Once you have identified the management companies or properties where you would like to work, find out all you can about them and then see who you might connect with there. Apartment industry professionals can be found on Facebook, Linkedin, and other networking sites.  Search for links to potential employers, or others in the field who could give you advice.  You can even look at the previous jobs of your Linkedin contacts and see if they ever had an apartment job.  Even if you have already applied for property management positions, rather than waiting for a phone call you can continue to actively network in order to increase your chances of getting the job. Investigating all existing connections, and being persistent in forming new ones is a continual process that will give you an advantage as a property management professional.

Rather than passively waiting for a phone call or a job offer, actively improving as a candidate and networking will propel your job search forward. More than luck or being at the ‘right place at the right time,’ these practical steps will demonstrate to potential employers that you are or will be a successful property management professional.

            After growing up surrounded by the real estate industry—Michael’s father was primarily involved, but his mother and brother also worked in related fields—perhaps it was inevitable that Michael wasn’t satisfied with the other career paths he tried and ended up in the apartment industry.

Michael dabbled in politics, ministry, and engineering fields before finding the aspects of his ideal job in the apartment industry. Today Michael works as an assistant property manager in Austin at Roscoe Properties, a job that keeps him making important decisions on a day-to-day basis. “You have to wear a lot of hats,” he says of varied tasks included in his apartment job. When Michael first began his job search he remarks that he couldn’t get an interview, but Hire Priority was able to “open doors that resumes or visits couldn’t,” and was offered three of the four jobs he interviewed for. Now, years later as assistant manager, Michael gets his recruits from Hire Priority.

While those running apartment properties do not always receive the thanks they deserve, Michael says that his job is rewarding. Before his current apartment job in Austin, one client in particular went out of their way to offer thanks after they happened to see Michael making an apartment move-in ready himself because of a shortage in maintenance personnel. Perhaps his knack for the apartment industry is “innate,” Michael relates due to his family’s involvement in it. But his eye for perfection and hard work also contributed to Michael’s movement up the career ladder.

From ten units to four hundred, student housing to luxury hi-rise, the multi-family industry offers a wide range of job opportunities. This diversity is both good and bad when job hunting—more variety translates to a better chance of finding a position that’s a good match; but it can also be overwhelming when faced with so many options. These five tips will help you hone in on the job that’s best for you and secure a new position in the apartment industry:

1.) Reach out

Reaching out to the apartment communities you wish to work for can help you get your foot in the door, and even land you a job. One way to do this is by going in person to visit a potential employers management office, allowing them to put a face to your resume and visualize you in what could be your future work environment.

2.) Network

Networking in the apartment industry when you are looking for a job is crucial, and should be a tool used from start to finish of your job search. Start out by making the most of the connections you have, and seek to make new ones. For example, when you pay a visit to a property that you would like to work for they may not have any open positions—but can tell you that their sister property does.

3.) Be knowledgeable about the industry

Being knowledgeable about the apartment industry in your job search means both educating yourself personally through training as well as staying informed of broader industry trends. Apartment industry trends to be aware of include that demand for multi-family housing increases as overall employment growth increases and/or housing prices are high.  Typically, more apartments are built and occupancies increase when either of these factors occurs.

4.) Re-vamp Your Resume

Before you begin your multi-family job search, make sure your resume demonstrates that you are qualified for the apartment jobs you are applying for. Learn what you can about the multi-family company or property you want to work for, and show them on your resume or cover letter that you are familiar with their company, passionate about it, and qualified for a position there.

5.) Be Persistent

The types of multi-family or apartment jobs are numerous, and honing in on the ones that best fit you—quality over quantity—is key. Then keep up with those properties and positions by checking their websites daily and following up with any job opportunities.

In the face of high competition and a multitude of ways to go about finding an apartment job, these five tips will help your job search run smoothly and successfully. From start to finish—these tips will make sure you are the kind of qualified professional that your ideal multi-family employer wants to hire.

Because the apartment industry consists of a social media and networking element, your online presence could make the difference between employers moving on to other candidates or giving you a competitive edge. When you are looking for an apartment job, getting your social media house in order is necessary to making a good impression as well as to connecting to others in the apartment industry.

Create an Online Identity

If you don’t already have a presence on Facebook or LinkedIn (or other social media sites) creating profiles will add to potential employer’s impression of you as a qualified candidate. Your online identity should display your best side, and demonstrate a focus that is in line with the type of apartment job you are seeking. To take full advantage social media sites, your online identity should showcase talents that are relevant to the apartment industry and the positions you are applying for.

Research Yourself

This step consists of googling yourself, going through Facebook posts from the last year, scouring your LinkedIn profile, etc. Act as if you were a potential employer researching yourself—and anything that reflects poorly on you professionally should be taken off the Internet. In general, a good rule of thumb is to never put anything on the Internet that you wouldn’t want a future employer to see.

Make Connections

Once you have managed your online identity you can begin to make the most of these social media sites. Friend, follow, connect—each social media site will have a way to network, and when seeking competitive apartment jobs, networking can give you an edge against competitors. If you are unfamiliar with or want to find out more about making the most of the networking functions on sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, there are numerous instructional videos on YouTube to offer help.

Getting your social media house in order may be a multi-step process; however, it will pay off as you look for apartment jobs by networking online or potential employers finding your profile. Social media is intertwined with the apartment industry in such a way that an online presence will both help you get noticed by employers as well as find positions. Just as employers may search for you online—keep an eye on them, checking their websites or other discussion forums for job opportunities or advice.

For the four decades that Ann worked in the Houston recruiting industry she was admired by clients and co-workers alike for her dedication and success. Ann “tried to get into the heart and soul of her clients,” says Vaughn Adams, close friend and former colleague of Ann’s. After sharing an office and friendship for thirty years, Adams remarks that she saw Ann do everything she could for people, which contributed to her accomplishments as a healthcare recruiter. She embodied all the characteristics of a successful recruiter: strong relationships with clients, a clear understanding of recruiting fundamentals, a good listener, and passionate about her work.

Today, “if there’s a doctor’s office or clinic in Houston, there’s a good chance Ann had an impact there,” says Lenhardt.  Ann was not only the best healthcare industry recruiter in Houston; she was one of the top ten recruiters in the Houston market for over twenty consecutive years. The Houston Business Journal listed Hire Priority (formerly Harrison Personnel) as one of their top 25 Recruiting Companies—and Ann was the most successful of their talented recruiters.

Ann’s legacy will live on in the recruiters that learned from her and the thousands of clients and candidates that had the pleasure to work with her. “There aren’t many recruiters today like her,” says Laura Hudson, a former recruit of Ann’s at Texas Surgical, “she was special”.

Hire Priority Staffing, Austin’s Leader in Apartment Staffing, is looking for apartment industry professionals!

Job Title:  AUSTIN APARTMENT MAINTENANCE JOBS: EPA Maintenance NEEDED IMMEDIATELY!  Apply today!

Job Description:  Apartment Industry Maintenance Professionals. Immediate openings in Austin

Requirements:  Six months of apartment industry experience is helpful! EPA certification is a MUST!

Compensation:  Apartment job pays $13-$20. Salary will vary depending on experience.

Candidates MUST be able to pass background check (NO FELONIES), drug test and provide two forms of identification. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Please submit resume in a PDF or Word Doc via email to austin@hirepriority.com or call 512.338.4473 to schedule an appointment.  Please be available for immediate interview!!!  Apply today!

To apply for other apartment industry jobs click here.