Blog Post: Putting Your Best Foot Forward

Hello dear readers! My name is Scott Owen and I am the HR Administrator for Texas First Bank. I hope that this will be the first of many semi-regular blog posts giving you insight into our great little company. Before I get into the meat and bones of Texas First Bank itself, however, I wanted to open up with a topic that is very near and dear to my heart: the interview process!

Ah yes, the interview. It is one of the least reliable indicators of job performance, but it is nevertheless a critical step toward your new career. For the prospective job seeker interviewing can be a stressful process at the best of times. However, by keeping the following points in mind you can make your best first impression.

Is it a good match for you?

Familiarize yourself with the needs of the position you are applying for, including where it actually is. Depending on the position you might notice that certain factors (such as experience) might be a preference; at other times, certain factors might be a requirement. If your background does fit those preferences or requirements, then the chances that your application will be considered for further review may be reduced. And of course, you should always ask yourself if you would enjoy doing what the position describes.

You're not the only candidate

Texas First Bank operates throughout the Galveston County area. As a result, I typically receive 3-5 resumes, inquiries, and/or job applications per day even when we don't have a job posting. Although that pales in comparison to larger companies, when all is said and done, there might be dozens of prospective candidates applying for only one open position.  More on that next...

Sell Yourself

It is important to make your resume stand out. As noted above, at the end of any given week I have a tall stack of resumes and applications sitting on my desk and sadly, for the most part, they tend to look quite alike. Remember... the resume is your foot in the door, so use it! Focus on your strengths, your major achievements, and your goals. Tell us why you would be the best choice for this company and this position. Now maybe you don't have tons of work experience, and hey, we all have to start somewhere... but well-written resumes are easy to spot. So are the generic ones that took 5 minutes to slap together.  And please... use spell check! A resume filled with errors is unpleasant to read and does not reflect well on you.

Follow Up

If you want the position, then act like it! It is not always possible for us to respond to every inquiry. Some of our better hiring decisions have come because the person continued to express interest in working for the company.

Dress for Success

Once you are invited to an interview be sure to dress appropriately. As a bank we are constantly in the public eye. Arriving in a T-shirt, flip-flops, and 15 minutes late will probably not cut it (you may laugh, but it has happened). Excessive tattoos and/or piercings are some other no-no's.

Questions and More Questions

The main part of the interview will involve you answering several questions from the interviewer. You will be doing most of the talking, so your answers should be informative and relevant. Some people understandably get shy or nervous, but remember, this is your career we're talking about. So if you fall into that category, you may want to ask a friend or family member to have a practice interview with you beforehand. Make sure you arrive armed with knowledge about the company and the position. In fact, a good interviewer will welcome questions from the candidate about the company and the position. Thinking about your answers and asking good questions of you own will always help to make a good impression.

Maintain your Credit Score

As a bank, most of our positions involve access to financial information of some sort. As a result, we ask candidates who will have access to such information to demonstrate a history of financial responsibility. After all, it is the bank's duty (and therefore, each employee's duty) to safeguard the monies, investments, and information that our customers have entrusted with us. Therefore, once you fill out our employment application you are authorizing us to research your credit information as well as your background history. A history of unpaid items (or worse, a criminal record) can immediately undo the best resume and interview. So pay your bills on time and be honest about any existing issues.  If you are unsure of your credit history, services such as Equifax may be able to provide you some free guidance.

Good luck!

I hope you have found these ideas to be informative, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Until next time,

Scott