This overview can help you understand the Ardelle Associates’ recruiting process, from the resume submission to the interview and beyond. Because our clients’ requirements vary, this process may change. However, these are basic guidelines to follow. These are the ten best steps to getting what you want to achieve.

1. You Submit Your Resume—you can submit your resume online through this website. We prefer to receive an e-mail with an MS Word attachment. We place the electronic data straight into our database.

You can fax your resume to 703-642-2928, however, please understand that this typically involves delays in handling your resume. We put a placeholder in our database and file the paper copy of your resume, but that means our recruiters have to find the paper copy, and that takes time they may not have. To be competitive, you should submit an electronic version.

2. Your Resume is Placed on the Ardelle Database—You resume will be stored in Ardelle's fully searchable database, along with all the key words and search strings that help us search and match people with positions. You do not have to re-submit your resume unless there is a significant change in your qualifications—you complete a training course, or get a promotion, etc. We purge our resume library regularly, but you resume should remain in the database for nine months to a year. Below we will tell you how to optimize your resume so that the database search software will provide you an edge over your competitors.

3. Ardelle Receives a Work Order from the Federal Government—The Federal Government generally uses a Statement of Work and a Labor Category Description to request support services on a contract. The Ardelle Project Manager for that agency assigns one or more recruiters to fill the work order. Many of the government agencies like to get candidate resumes that conform to a standard format. It helps us if your resume already conforms to this standard format.

4. The Recruiter or Recruiters Search the Database (or hardcopy file.) —the Ardelle recruiter assigned to fill a particular position searches our database and identifies the best matching resumes. If they select your resume, they immediately try to contact you.

5. Scheduling Interviews—the recruiter uses telephone and e-mail to schedule an interview to explain the job requirements and discuss the opportunity at greater length. If you are qualified, and still interested, they schedule a formal interview. This is the time for you to be candid about what you want—our recruiters listen. It is important to us that our opportunity meets all of your requirements.

6. The Interview—we schedule interviews for the most competitive candidates for the position for a formal interview with our recruiter. We conduct face-to-face interviews, because this is our opportunity to get to know you much better. Even if the immediate opportunity is not a match for you, by knowing more about you we may be able to find another and better fit. If our client requires specific skill levels in software or other task, we will ask you to go through aptitude testing on your software knowledge.

7. Client Interviews—our clients may want to meet you as well. Our recruiters, who know the agency well, will help you prepare for the client interview. Because we have a solid past performance record of placing the right people on the right job, this interview will probably be what we call a “handshake and can you start tomorrow?” Frequently you will be meeting other Ardelle employees at the jobsite. Ask lots of questions, they will help you.

8. The Paperwork—Fill it out carefully, and ask a lot of questions.

9. The Checkup—the Federal Government sometimes requires many guarantees from us. Soooo...we will check your references, your academic achievements, your local-county-state records for criminal and misdemeanor activities. We may run a credit check, etc. Our advice? Tell us up front. It may not be as bad as you might think, if you are honest about it. Frankly, the biggest problem we encounter on resumes is what we call “stretching.” Our advice? Do not stretch it, except in your exercise warm-up.

10. You—we believe family and business objectives are not mutually exclusive; balancing our efforts in both areas is critical to achieving success. We know that, we get it. We promote teamwork in a friendly, professional environment. If you enjoy the process of building a business that you can share in, we believe our company can provide both the challenge and reward that you seek. Please contact us to discuss a career with Ardelle. If any of our positions excite you and you believe you can help our company grow with your career objectives, please send us your resume, then call to follow up! We look forward to speaking with You!