Assembla FAQ and Documentation

Assembla is not just a staffing and placement service but a community of developers and designers. There is no fee for signing up and there are no fees to get hired.

Assembla posts advertisements for many jobs on job lists, user groups and blogs. If you have been directed to our site to apply for a position, please follow this guide. You may also search for other jobs offered on the site by our clients and users.

1. Register
   1. Click on the REGISTER NOW button to join our community of developers. Registering takes just a few moments and is completely free of cost.
   2. Create a username and password and enter your email address.
      While nothing more is required to register, we encourage you to make yourself more available to the community by adding more contact information, including a website and IM details.
   3. Respond to a verification email. Click on the link in the email to verify you address.
2. Skills, Profile, Resume
   1. On the PROFILE page, add any other information and upload a picture if you desire.
   2. On the SKILLS page, add more information about your skills and experience, and review the information on your profile page.
   3. Upload a resume from the SKILLS page
   4. Note in all the information on your profile and skills, you can choose with whom you are sharing that information, with nobody, with your team, or with the public.
3. Jobs
   1. If you were directed to Assembla to apply for a specific position, you are now ready to apply for that job. Skip to APPLY below. You can return here later to learn about looking for other positions.
   2. There are many ways to search for jobs listed on assembla.com. From the Assembla home page or from the JOBS page you can browse recent job listings; search job listings; or click on the tags to view specific listings. Likewise, you can click on the JOBS tag on your user page
   3. Make sure that your skills match the requirements of the posting and that you are applying for.

1. Apply
   1. Click on the APPLY TO THIS button on the page for the job.
   2. Write a short note to further explain your interest in the job or why you are the ideal candidate.
   3. Make sure to list your hourly rate in US dollars in the appropriate box, as well as the number of hours per week you are available.
   4. Be sure to check off the box that says “Notify me by email if I get a message from this recruiter” so that you will be emailed a message telling you that you have been engaged in conversation (Assembla’s private messaging).
2. Trial Methodology
   1. Assembla believes that a working trial is the most relevant, productive, and efficient way of determining long term success in a development relationship. Most Assembla jobs will forego a lengthy interview and review process in favor a paid trial.
   2. Trials generally last for 2 weeks (sometimes up to 4) and focus on your ability as a developer to handle coding and design tasks in a distributed and agile environment.
   3. All trials are PAID trials. We discourage developers from offering to work for free work during a trial. If you are working, you should be paid. Trials are also paid at the requested or agreed upon rate; discounts during trials are similarly discouraged.
   4. Trial tasks (and the billable trial period) begins with work that you do, including setting up a development environment, researching methodologies, reviewing code and structure, etc. Once you have gone beyond the qualifying and review conversations and you have agreed to begin a trial, you will be compensated for the work you do.
   5. Based on the successes of the trial, you may be offered long-term contract or permanent position.
3. Contact
   1. Expect discussion from the job poster by conversation, email, or IM (Skype seems to be the most common at Assembla; get it here).
   2. Use these methods to discuss any issues with the job posting, your availability, your skills and experience, and why you think you may be the right developer for the job.
4. Negotiation
   1. Should the client and you feel that you may be the right person for the job, the Job Agreement will pass through several rounds of edits and confirmations. The job agreement specifies the scope, duration, pay rate, and other details of the job.
   2. You must download, sign,return and have approved a Master Services Agreeement. See below.
   3. For each edit that either party makes, the other party must either re-edit or agree. Once both parties have confirmed that they are satisfied with the complete agreement, the job agreement moves from Negotiation status to Ready to Commit status. The buyer clicks on the Commit button and the job begins.
5. Master Services Agreement
   1. Fore more information about Assembla's Master Services Agreement, click here.
   2. From your START page, click on your PROFILE tab.
   3. Scroll to the bottom and download the Assembla Master Services Agreement or download it from here. Our unique contract is a single document that can qualify you as a provider of services, as a buyer of services, or both.
   4. Fill out the first page of the agreement and sign at the bottom.
   5. Scan and upload the first page of the agreement or fax it to us.
   6. In about a day, your status will be approved.