Want some Cardel insider tips on submitting a cover letter and resume?
Tip #1.
If you’re sending in a resume for a specific job posting, send the resume as a Word doc or PDF and in the subject line of your email, put “Job # – First Name Last Name” (i.e., CH-REC-2023 – Jane Smith). If you’re submitting a resume without a specific job posting in mind, please put “Job Title – First Name Last Name” (i.e., Receptionist – Jane Smith) in the subject line.
Tip #2.
If you’re including a cover letter, really make it count. Be specific about what you’re looking for by quoting the job posting number or indicating a job title, including the level of position you’re qualified for (i.e., junior, intermediate or senior) and indicating if full-time or part-time work is your preference. Also, consider what questions your resume may create for our HR team and attempt to proactively answer them. For example, if you’ve been an accountant for your entire career but are applying for a sales position, provide some explanation about your career change. If you’re applying for a part-time position but are currently working full-time, give some details about whether this new position is to replace the current one or supplement it. The fewer questions you raise in the mind of the recruiter or hiring manager, the more consideration your application will be given.
Preparing for a Cardel Interview
The Cardel interview is a crucial part of our selection process because it provides us the opportunity to review the information you’ve provided on your resume, get a sense of your personality and figure out if you’re right for the job. Here are a few extra things you can do to prepare for the interview:
- Research our company. At a minimum, we’d like you to visit our website and follow us on social media so you’re familiar with our story, our products, our communities and our brand. To really exceed our expectations, take the time to visit our showhomes or tour the communities we’ve built and come prepared to provide us your feedback.
- Compile samples of your work. A picture really is worth a thousand words, so be prepared to present a portfolio of your work during the interview. Whether it’s a great floorplan you’ve drafted, a fantastic kitchen you’ve designed or a summer cabin you’ve built – we want to see it.
- Think about what you want. We know what we’re looking for, but what are you looking for? Have you thought about what structure, values, policies and culture you’d like in an employer? Once you determine what’s important, you can create a list of questions for the interview that will help you determine if Cardel is right for you.
The Cardel Selection Process
Have you ever wondered if your resume falls into a black hole once you hit the send button on your computer? Maybe it does at some companies but not at Cardel. Here’s what’s going on behind the scenes.
When you submit your resume by email, you’ll receive an auto-reply confirming that your email has been received. You can then re-visit our Careers Page to get updates on the status of the position, but please note it may take up to 2 weeks before an update is posted. During this time, HR is reviewing and screening the resumes submitted and creating a shortlist to send to the hiring manager. The hiring manager reviews the shortlist of candidates and selects the ones that will move on to an interview. If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted by HR and, depending on the position, will either be scheduled for a preliminary phone interview or an in-person interview. In-person interviews are with HR, the hiring manager, or both. A second interview may also take place with the hiring manager and one or two other team members. Following the interview process, the shortlisted candidate will be notified and presented with an offer while reference checks are being finalized. Candidates who are interviewed but not shortlisted will be contacted by phone or email.
We realize the time and effort it takes to conduct a job search and hope this information makes it a little bit easier.
The Right Fit for Cardel
At Cardel, we invest a lot of time ensuring that a great group of people work here. We start by finding people as passionate about homes as we are. So if you tour showhomes on the weekend and HGTV is one of your favorite channels, you’ll probably fit right in. Next, we look for people who are actively engaged in continuous learning. We want to see how you’re improving your knowledge and skill level while staying current with changes and trends in the industry. Finally, we want people who are actively involved in their communities, whether by helping at a local school, coaching a sports team, fundraising for charities, attending religious services, participating in a community association, donating blood, tending to a community garden or volunteering.
Adapting to a New Corporate Culture
When you join a new workplace, you may be the only new employee starting, which can make it overwhelming, frightening and even isolating at first. Not only do you have to learn new job tasks, but you also need to learn a new culture. There are many things you can do, however, to make this transition easier.
Be open.
This may be an exciting opportunity for you, and you’re anxious to get started and make your mark by offering ideas for different ways of doing things. However, sometimes processes are in place because they work. Other methods may have already been tried and were determined unsuccessful. Learn how and why things are done a certain way before making suggestions for change.
Be attentive.
Watch and listen to how your boss, long-serving employees and star performers interact with others, solve problems and accomplish tasks. This will help you learn what works and what doesn’t work in the new workplace culture.
Be social.
Make a point of learning people’s names quickly and create opportunities to get to know people, such as eating in the lunchroom, attending social activities, joining workplace clubs or groups (i.e., pot-luck lunch club, yoga, softball, etc.) and volunteering for charitable initiatives organized by the company.
If you’re genuine about getting to know people in your new workplace and make sincere efforts to adapt and accept a new corporate culture, your transition into a new job or career can be an exciting and enjoyable one.
