CDW's Associate Engineer program currently hires new associates 3 times a year (roughly spring, summer, fall).
New candidates are required to conduct a series of interviews. First, an HR rep will do a basic resume review over the phone. If the candidate appears suitable, they will take an online personality screening. If the applicant's score is high enough, they will then have to conduct a video recorded interview. The video is 4-5 questions about the candidate's passion for technology, personality, and ability to handle tough situations and make timely decisions.
If the candidate passes those initial screenings, they will move on to the interview phase. They will have to conduct 3 interviews (either in person or over the phone). They will speak with a technical lead that judges a candidates aptitude for technology, an associate team manager that judges a candidates personality and ability to handle consulting, and a professional services manager that measures the candidates overall ability and suitability to join the engineer team.
If accepted, candidates will be scheduled to attend a 3 week training class at CDW's HQ in Chicago. There, they will meet their managers and the other new engineers that are part of their Associate class.
It's a long and challenging process, but the reality is, its rare to find a company willing to invest so much time and money in training. Once inside, ACEs are expect to become industry certified in their chosen career path (Microsoft, Cisco, IT security, etc.) and CDW will pay for all certifications. Each regional office assigns technical leaders and other senior engineers to train and mentor new ACEs. Further more, ACEs are given top of the line gear (laptops, cell phones, networking equipment) to ensure they are full supplied and ready to support field teams.
CDW's client base is vast and the engineer teams deploy only the most cutting edge technology. If you really want to be an IT engineer it's worth checking out CDW.
