I applied through a staffing agency. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Apptis (Herndon, VA) in Mar 2010
Interview
A head hunter contacted me months ago saying that Apptis needed many Engineers, but cited funding problems when months dragged on and no interview was arranged. Abruptly, one week, I got an e-mail asking if I was available for a telephone interview the next week. By the weekend, they wanted an in-person interview instead. The interview was not conducted at the Apptis site. Apptis is a consulting company that deploys its personnel to various sites around the DC/Northern Virginia area. The Apptis person whom I was meeting for the first time sat in while engineers from the client company asked questions to determine my technical competence. I could not see the workspace since at such a preliminary stage, my clearance had not been vetted. The headhunter called on Friday to say that they wanted me for the job. I haven't accepted the offer yet because I have yet to see the lab and I have reservations about not having an office/cubicle. I will check things out before I make a decision.