Disclaimer: I am not part of our recruiting team. I am not in charge of hiring large groups of people. However, I do interview potential people on the team in which I work – the HubSpot Academy team.

I’ve been at HubSpot for almost four years, and I’ve had many friends, friends-of-friends, or folks in the industry ask me how they can improve their chances of getting a job at HubSpot. Here you’ll see my personal take on what you should consider and do to increase the likelihood of being hired at HubSpot.

Before applying for HubSpot, one absolute must do is to make sure the company is right for you. If hired, it’s hopefully is a long-term relationship that benefits both parties, thus making it imperative that you’re positive the company’s culture, mission and marketing strategies are right for you.

Here are two items to ensure you understand and like the company – from the inside:

1. Make sure you like the culture.

HubSpot works very hard on creating a specific type of culture. And with every potential new hire, we look for people also fit the culture. Our co-founder, Dharmesh Shah, has developed a culture code deck, which is a great way to see exactly what type of culture HubSpot promotes and looks for in team members.

Learn about the culture, by familiarizing yourself with HubSpot’s “Culture Code” SlideShare deck:

2. Understand the company’s mission & marketing strategies:

The co-founders of the company Brian Halligan and Dharmesh have recently released the second edition of their book on inbound marketing. This book provides incredible insights as to the company’s core values, mission and what the company consider characteristics of great employees.

Click here to purchase Inbound Marketing, Revised and Updated: Attract, Engage, and Delight Customers Online.

Great, you’ve decided that a position at HubSpot is for you. Now what?

1. Build up domain knowledge. 

• It gives candidates a basic high-level overview of what inbound really is.
• Shows initiative and discipline to focus on continued learning.
• Indicates interest in the industry in which the candidate is about to work.
• Beefs up a candidate’s resume in an important area.

Ready to dive in? Then click the button below, or this link to get certified.

Oh, and if you pass the Inbound Certification, check out the cool badge you’ll get:

2. Build connections & join the community

3. Refine your resume.

This is an area that I cannot help, sorry. However, a quick Google search for resume advice and tips can provide you with the resources that can help you beef it up.

A few things to keep in mind:

• This is obvious, but be truthful. 
• Let your personality shine through. Way back when (almost 4 years ago), I included under “skills” that I was excellent at foosball. Don’t be afraid to show a bit of your fun side while tailoring it to HubSpot.
• Make sure it’s consistent. Are you using periods after your bullet points? Then make sure every bullet point includes periods. Have you aligned your dates on the far right of the page. These are the small details that people tend to overlook that can cost you credibility.
• Be specific and include numbers to quantify your case. If you’ve read our Culture Code, then you know our company is focused on metrics. If you’ve grown a social media presence – then include by how much. If you regularly sent emails for a previous company – then include the numerical amount of people that were part of this database. If you ran a community, include how many people were part of it and what percentage of growth you were able to achieve.Here is a great example that Monster.com used in one of their articles on resume writing tips:A. Worked with employees in a restaurant setting. B. Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a restaurant with $2 million in annual sales.Which one is more comprehensive and helpful for a recruiter and employer to read, A or B? You guessed it, B – by far.
• And don’t forget to include your Inbound Certification under Certifications. 
• Oh and be sure to have someone else proof-read it. 

4. Prepare your “personal brand” to apply.

These are things to consider when leading up to submitting your application.

Purge any inappropriate photos from social media.

While HubSpotters are known for working hard, we’re also known for enjoying ourselves too! But, the photos from college where you’re funneling beer, dancing on tables or engaging in things that your mom, dad or future employer would be shocked to see – then delete (or hide or untag) it.

Put your best foot/photo forward. 

While you’re purging the controversial photos from your profile, why not add an element of professionalism. Update your Twitter and LinkedIn photo to be a bit more representative of your professional side.

Do a Google search for your name.

It’s not uncommon for a potential employer to Google you. There is so much information on the web, and it’s silly to not take it into account when hiring the next big star for your company. Do a Google search for yourself. And if you find unflattering photos, information or stories – use your new-found inbound marketing knowledge create better content that will out-rank it. However, if it’s something that is important for your new employer to know, no matter how bad, be prepared to proactively share it, as we also value transparency (found in Culture Code).

Be proactive about your potential future at HubSpot. 

There are tons of applicants that come through the door. If you’ve had a phone interview and haven’t heard back, wait a little bit and be sure to check in. Polite determination is important when vying for a potential role.

5. Prepare for the interview.

If you’ve made it to the interview stage – congrats! Once again, the items below are a bit more generic as there are so many different roles at HubSpot that a person could apply for (marketing, consulting, engineering, finance, etc.) Prepare on the day before the interview:

• Research who you’ll be interviewing. There is no better way to get a feel for your potential coworkers then by finding out what they’ve been up to and they’re passionate about. This can be done via their Twitter tweets, recent blog articles or anything else you may find from a Google search.
• Read a few of the questions you can anticipate answering. There is this cool website called Glassdoor. It’s a place for interviewees and employees to write reviews on companies. Read what folks are saying for interview questions, and think about how you may answer them.

Prepare on the day of the interview:

• Dress appropriately.
• Know where you’re going. Avoid potential stress by knowing where you’re doing and being on time. HubSpot is located in East Cambridge across from the Cambridgeside Galleria. There is a $6 (or maybe $6.50 cash parking lot at Lechmere) or you can pay to park by the hour in the parking garage across the street – or try the mall. If you’re taking the train, Lechmere on the green line is the closest, and the red-line’s Kendall stop is about a 15 minute walk.
• Bring extra resumes.
• Bring questions you’ve developed while reviewing the company, the role and the people you’ll be working with (or for). This is a great article on preparing for your interview with the right questions.
• Bring ideas. Did you go through the Inbound Certification? Or maybe you played around with a trial. Or maybe you visited a HubSpot User Group. If you have any ideas on how to improve these items, bring them to the interview. It shows initiative, it shows you’re capable of ideas and thinking on your own.
• Bring your “a-game.” If you’re not a morning person, have some coffee.  Bring some water.
• Most importantly, be yourself. We are a passionate, dedicated and quirky bunch. As mentioned in the resume section, be yourself and don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through.

What are your thoughts? Do you have experiences that you’d like to share? Add them below in the comments section.