Utilizing an assistant is essential to growing your business, yet often the relationship turns out to be more of a burden than an asset. Finding the right person is your first hurdle and I recently had a great conversation with two originators that have figured this out. Greg Luman and Sandra Scott with Home Trust Mortgage have developed a system for hiring assistants that has been very successful.
They place this ad in the local university paper:
Immediate opening available for Mortgage Lending Assistant. Works closely with Senior Loan Officer to take and process loan applications and work with customers to get their loans closed in a timely manner. Position is part-time 25-30 hours a week M-F. Will work around class schedules. Prefer a Sophomore or Junior business major. Excellent resume builder or position could lead to permanent employment upon graduation. Please email resume to xyz@xyzco.com if interested. Good opportunity to learn about mortgage banking/finance.
This is a very attractive position for students majoring in business and they consistently receive a good number of quality applications. The person is hired at $7.50 an hour with a bonus of $500 if the originator closes more than 2 million in a month. They try to interview at least 4-5 people. Before graduation, they hire a new assistant and have the current assistant train the new employee.
Greg mentioned that he looks for good communication skills (not shy), organization skills, neatness and also requires a resume (he feels that if a college junior or sophomore is willing to put together a resume, they are already more motivated than many of their peers). He looks at their academic record as it is a good indicator of their ability to handle things.
If you are ready to take your business to a higher level and create your own team, then this is a fabulous way to hire someone that is motivated to help you succeed.
