FAQ for Applicants

All you need to know

FAQ around your application

Our FAQ section provides answers to the most frequently asked questions about applications. Whether you are an experienced or young professional, or a student – here you will find an overview of the most important information.

You have no further questions and want to apply directly?

Then click here to view the open positions for research scientists, employees in the Central Division, assistants, temporary staff, interns and student graduates. 

Application process

Currently, we conduct our interviews both on-site and via phone or video call.

To prepare for the digital conversation, here are some tips that will make getting to know each other virtually easier for both sides:

  • Take enough time to check the technology beforehand: Are camera and sound working? Is the lighting okay? Is there any noise in the environment?
  • Dial into the call about 10 minutes early.
  • Make sure that there are no interruptions during the call if possible: Is the Internet connection stable? Is a power supply available?
  • Try to minimize the disruptive factors as much as possible or mention at the beginning of the conversation that there may be interruptions: the dog is barking, the children are running through the picture, the DHL courier has announced mail – all this can happen and is not a big deal if you deal with it openly.
  • Choose a neutral background and place the camera at eye level. A distance of about 30 centimeters from the
    camera is ideal.
  • We do not expect a specific dress code: Your clothing should meet the requirements of a personal interview. To us, it is important that you feel comfortable.

After we have found a suitable date for our interview, we will inform you in advance by phone or e-mail about the group of participants, the duration and the video conferencing system which we use for the interview. The online job interview is not much different from a traditional job interview: After the welcome, a short introduction and a briefing on the interview, our aim is to find out who you are, what makes you stand out, what qualifications you have and why you would like to work for us. On the one hand, we want to find out the reasons and motivation for your application to the FZI and get to know you better. On the other, we want to use the interview to further develop your first impression of us as an employer: Who are we? What are we doing? Where are we heading? How do we interact in our team? It is also important to us to answer your questions and to match your ideas and wishes with ours.

After the onboarding of new team members in the times of Covid took place largely virtually from home, it is now also possible on-site again. To ensure a successful onboarding process both online and virtually, we take time for you. Of course, we will also help you set up the technical equipment at your workplace. In addition to a centrally organized introductory training on working at the FZI, you will also receive an individual induction to your specialist division from your superiors and colleagues.

General questions

Do you want to shape the digital world of tomorrow with us? Is fair and respectful interaction within the team important to you? Are you cooperative, do you like to take responsibility and show initiative? Are you creative and do you enjoy interdisciplinary teamwork? Great! If you also meet the professional requirements of the advertised position, you fit perfectly in our team.

You can meet us at various professional, university and career events. You can find an up-to-date overview of upcoming events on our events page. In addition, our employees will give you interesting insights on the page Working at the FZI.

Yes, all jobs advertised in our career portal are current. We are looking forward to your application!

Due to the large number of interesting research projects at FZI, we are always looking for new, motivated people to shape the future together. Most of the advertisements are jobs for student or research assistants, interns, temporary workers or theses. The cooperation has many advantages for both sides: Talented people get to know the FZI and can practically apply the theoretical knowledge acquired during their studies. This promotes scientific exchange as well as the training and further education of future specialists and managers. We particularly appreciate the high flexibility of the assistants, interns, temporary staff and students for theses and that they can often work independently on small task packages. As a rule, they work at the FZI on an hourly basis parallel to their studies.

The best thing to do is to regularly check our career portal for our advertised positions. You can also submit a unsolicited application via the career portal.

The personnel office will answer any questions you may have about your application and the procedure, and will be happy to forward technical questions to the division in question. Just send an e-mail to karriere@fzi.de and specify the job advertisement to which your question refers.

Application questions

If you have found a suitable position, please send us your application via our career portal.

Yes, we look forward to receiving your unsolicited application. Please submit it via our career portal and describe in your cover letter which topics you are interested in and which type of employment you seek.

At the FZI, it is important to us that we treat each other as equals. Part of this open, respectful interaction is our informal culture – regardless of whether you are a division manager, an employee or a research assistant. You are welcome to address your cover letter to us informally. However, if you prefer to stick to formalities, we are fine with that, too.

Yes, this is possible! In this case, we recommend that you write two cover letters stating your interest in the respective position.

The personnel office and the specialist department will review your application. If your profile fits the advertised position, we will invite you to a telephone interview or an initial meeting with us.

Important to know: We take the time to carefully review each application, and this can take up to four weeks. We therefore ask for and appreciate your patience.

Any questions?

Our recruiting team is happy to help!

Any questions?

Our recruiting team is happy to help!

Any questions?

Our recruiting team is happy to help!