Application Next Steps

Asset 2-3

Step 2: Phone Interview and Training

Congratulations on successfully completing a phone interview! We are excited to move you forward to the next interview with a program director.

Step 3: Divisional Interview 

The divisional interview typically lasts 1.5-2 hours, is conducted during standard business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.), and will be conducted via video. Please dress as if you are going to a job interview. As part of your time together, you and your divisional contact will make the final determination of whether Apartment Life is the right fit for you. Remember to complete the divisional interview prep items here and send them to your interviewers at least 24 hours in advance of your scheduled interview.

Please only work through the steps based on the program you are applying for. We want to honor your time and be sure you don't complete unnecessary steps.

Step 4: Finding the Right Community for You

After passing through the divisional interview, a specialist will diligently look to match you with an open mission field. By this point, they have debriefed with the divisional contact who interviewed you to ensure they fully understand your passions, timing, preferred location, and any other relevant information. They will use this information to prayerfully consider all open mission fields in the areas in which you “do life” (i.e. around your church, small group, work, family, etc.). Our experience shows that your spiritual effectiveness will increase—and the risk of burnout will decrease—if your support network is close by. Longer distances make it harder to connect residents back to church and to recruit a support team to help with events. If a match is found, then the specialist will email you an offer with all the relevant details.    

Things to keep in mind during this step:

  • One common misconception is that you’ll be offered several mission fields to choose from. Unfortunately, that’s typically not the case. Once the search is narrowed to your area, there is usually just one open mission field that will fit your unique profile and needs.  

  • Unfortunately, sometimes there isn't an open mission field that fits your unique profile and needs. If this happens, the specialist will alert the sales team, who will begin the sales process to try and open a mission field for you. The specialist will also contact you to provide an update and ways that you can actively engage a missional mindset until God shows us the next steps.  

While the specialist and divisional team work to find the right community for you, there is something you can do: begin praying for and asking people to join your support team. Before you get started, our CEO Pete Kelly has a brief message for you. As God brings friends and family to mind, you can privately share this video or pdf with them to explain their role as part of your support team.  (Please do not share publicly or on social media due to the nature of our ministry.) If they would like to join you, ask them to begin praying that God would orchestrate the details for your mission field in his perfect timing!

Step 5: Accepting the Offer 

When you receive the email with an offered mission field, we encourage you to drive through the community, pray over it, consult scripture and seek wise counsel. As you pray about the community, it’s important to see it as a mission field where God may be calling you to connect residents in a relationship with him. If the location is where God is calling you, we hope that you will be prepared to say, "Here am I Lord," even if the community might not be what you originally expected. 

As you drive through the community, it's important that you do not visit the leasing office and interact with the staff. We don't want the property manager to think you're "shopping around," and it has created awkward situations in the past when teams have not followed this policy.

If you feel God calling you to serve in the mission field you are offered, acknowledge your desire to accept by replying to the email. The following steps will need to be completed:

1. DEPOSIT: For coordinators who will live onsite only, you will also need to submit your bank information for the $500 deposit* at this time.

2. OFFER LETTER: You’ll receive an offer letter and a Coordinator Handbook to review. Electronically sign the offer letter once you review both items.

3. VIDEO TRAINING and RESPONSES: Complete the following training to prepare yourself for service and/or for the community interview. 

4. BACKGROUND CHECK - You'll receive instructions to complete a background check in Step 6. All offers are contingent on an approved background check. 

 

*The $500 deposit is in lieu of the normal deposit you would pay to the apartment community. Many coordinators have found that the deposit is a great way to start engaging their support team, similar to fundraising the registration fees for a mission trip.

Due to our volume of applications, there may be multiple coordinators interested in the same mission field. Please respond quickly when you receive the offer. 

Step 6: Background Check

The offer you received is contingent on an approved background check. The specialist will send you information about how to complete and submit the information required to process your background check.

Step 7: Community Interview 

Once you complete your offer steps (Deposit, Offer Letter, Training and Responses, and Background Check), your specialist will connect with you on whether or not you will attend a community interview. Regardless of whether or not you attend a community interview, completion of the two trainings from Step 5 above are required before your program can move forward. You must send your responses to your specialist. 

If you attend a community interview, these are conducted during normal business hours and only official coordinators should attend. Please dress business casual unless otherwise noted. Some property managers request to interview multiple coordinators, and others have additional requirements at this stage. If applicable, your divisional contact will walk through these items with you.

Note: Typically, only onsite coordinators attend a community interview, but it’s possible a manager could desire to interview an offsite coordinator as well.

Step 8: Program Approved 

Congratulations on being hired as an Apartment Life Coordinator! If you are serving as an onsite coordinator, this is when you would start packing and preparing to move into your new apartment.   

Step 9: Begin Your Program  

We want you and your community to have an excellent start. Because of that, each coordinator will do the following: 

  1. Complete the training that will be sent to you by Apartment Life's onboarding specialist. These require thought and discussion and will take more than one sitting to complete, so please start as soon as possible. These courses must be completed prior to your one-on-one meeting with your divisional contact, as your questions and responses to the courses will be reviewed during this time.

  2. Meet with your divisional contact to learn about needs unique to your apartment community and do some planning to jump-start your program.

  3. Meet with your manager to kick off a great working relationship and discuss the monthly calendar and program specifics.

Please note: The approximate time investment for these items is 6-7 hours during the week between when you move and when you begin services, depending on your skill set. All face-to-face trainings and community meetings will occur during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.).