- Are you a student in Germany?
- Are you not able to crack interviews in the engineering department in Germany?
- Is language a major barrier to getting a job?
If these questions are what you are searching for then this Blog will help you to widen your insights towards job openings in Germany.
In this blog, I have personally approached a friend of mine who was able to crack the interview for an internship in the Engineering Project management Department at Deutsch Bahn.
Disclaimer: The approach towards the interview between the blogger and the employee working with DB is to share his experience during the interview process while joining the industry. The interview approach could vary from person to person.
Deutsch Bahn(DB) (Wikipedia 2021)
The Deutsche Bahn AG (IPA: [ˈdɔɪ̯t͡ʃə baːn]; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is a German railway company. Headquartered in Berlin, it is a private joint-stock company (AG), with the Federal Republic of Germany being its single shareholder.[2][3] .(Wikipedia)
Deutsche Bahn describes itself as the second-largest transport company in the world, after the German postal and logistics company Deutsche Post / DHL, and is the largest railway operator and infrastructure owner in Europe. Deutsche Bahn was the largest railway company in the world by revenue in 2015.[4] It carries about two billion passengers annually.(Wikipedia).
List of Department in Deutsch Bahn
| 1. DB Netze Track | 9. DB Vertrieb |
| 2. DB Netze Energy | 10. DB Digital Ventures GmbH |
| 3. DB Services | 11. DB Cargo AG |
| 4. DB Arriva plc | 12. DB Bahn Regional |
| 5. DB Bahn long distance | 13. Other participating interest on DB Bahn AG |
| 6. Staying on Rails with comprehensive Technical Skills | 14. DB Schenker Logistics |
| 7. DB Netze Track | 15. DB Fahzeugnistandlung |
| 8. DB Netze Stations |
List Of Questionnaire : (Business Units | Deutsche Bahn AG 2021.1. 000Z)
1. How long have you been working here?
Answer: 3.5 months and still working. 2.
2. What are the application procedures in DB for Internships?
Answer:
- Apply directly through the job page of DB.
- If working Employee internal portal is also available.
3. Is there any specific reason for interest in the DB application?
Answer: He has specified who would not wish to work with DB. It has a friendly outlook towards employees with a positive working environment.
4. In which language did you submit your CV and Cover letter?
Answer: CV was submitted in the German Language.
5. Is there any specific skill that a student must have during the interview?
Answer:
- Confident in answering questions.
- Ask required questions about the job.
- Enthusiasm to work with the industry.
- Interested in joining the specified job profile.
- Formal Attire.
6. How should a student write a cover letter relevant to the job position?
Answer: Specify precisely your experience with the described job profile.
7. How many stages of the Interview were conducted?
Answer: Only 1 stage of the interview was being conducted.
8. Which language for communication was used during the interview?
Answer: The interview was conducted partially in German and Partially in English.
9. Did you have any technical questionnaire with respect to your bachelor’s/masters?
Answer: No, technical question during the interview. The candidate should be able to present himself/herself appropriately.
10. Which level of German language proficiency is expected and why?
Answer: Understanding and communication level of German will help you to interact with the employees in a more efficient way.
11. What are some challenges which students might face while working with DB?
Answer: On-time completion of work and communication with the team supervisor to verify things properly if there is a misunderstanding.
12. What is the expected waiting time of response after the interview by the interviewer?
Answer: Cannot be specified. Since it depends on various factors.
13. Are they willing to support you in your area of interest for writing your thesis?
Answer: Yes they will help you to guide in your thesis.
14. How is the working environment of DB?
Answer: Less Stress and a good working environment.
15. Being a working professional what are the specific qualities which they look In an Intern while working with them?
Answer: Sprint, Agile Knowledge, and according to the specific job profile.
16. Could you explain to me a team event where you guys work together and as an intern what job role did you perform in?
Answer: Writing notes during the meeting, Task allotment to the team.
17. Is the salary of an intern in DB sufficient enough to handle his basic expenses in the top cities of Germany?
Answer: Yes, the provided salary is sufficient to bear your expenses in Germany.
18. A suggestion would you like to provide for students who come to Germany regarding the German Language?
Answer:
Learn the language at least till B1 level before entering Germany.
Try to read words from the available surrounding in Germany.
Learn German every day.
19. Is there any specific site that you used while preparing your CV template for European Industries?
Answer: No idea. Check on google with Available European formats
Lebenlauf.com suggested by InnoTalent Germany
20. Did you find Germany with job opportunities and is there any specific reason why students struggle in finding Internships in Germany?
Answer:
- Finding an internship is not at all easy.
- Focus on what needs to be done.
- A student interested in the job application is really important.
- Language is to be learned.
- Eagerness to learn.
- Knowledge of everything about the descriptive job profile is not required for an internship or Werkstudent.
Conclusion:
As I have tried to scrutinize different aspects of the interview with my friend. I believe that it would have bought more clarity towards approaching an interview in Deutsch Bahn in Germany. Details about the Interviewee and the Company are provided in the references.
On a personal level, anything you would like to achieve could be done with the amount of interest and providing the required time and effort towards achieving your desired goal.
Acknowledge:
I would like to thank my friend Mr. Tejas Manjunath for sharing his valuable experiences with DB.
You can connect Tejas Manjunath through Linkedin :-https://www.linkedin.com/in/tejas-manjunath-72122119a/
I wish the reader of the Blog to be able to crack his interviews and pursue an aspiring career in Germany https://www.linkedin.com/in/tejas-manjunath-72122119a/
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Publication bibliography
Business Units | Deutsche Bahn AG (2021.000Z). Available online at https://www.deutschebahn.com/en/group/business_units?qli=true&pageNum=1, updated on 5/6/2021.000Z, checked on 5/6/2021.219Z.
Wikipedia (Ed.) (2021): Deutsche Bahn. Available online at https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deutsche_Bahn&oldid=1019877083, updated on 4/25/2021, checked on 6/5/2021.