My First German Job Interview: A Chaotic Dive into Athereon GRC

Berlin Blues and the Search for a Role

Okay, deep breath. Moving to Berlin has been… an experience. It’s amazing, full of history and incredible people, but navigating everything – the language, the bureaucracy, the sheer size of the city – is a constant learning curve. I’d been working remotely as a Java developer for a small company back in the States, and I was really keen to find a role here, something that could actually leverage my skills and help me settle in. So, when I saw the opening at Athereon GRC, it felt like a genuine opportunity. I’d applied, sent over my CV, and waited… and waited. Then, this morning, the email arrived.

“Hallo! Ja, sehr gerne!” – The Initial Contact

The email started with a standard greeting, “Hallo, ich habe mich auf die Stelle bei Athereon GRC beworben und wollte mal fragen, ob es schon etwas Neues gibt?” (Hello, I applied for the position at Athereon GRC and wanted to ask if there were any new developments?). I immediately felt a surge of nervous excitement. The response was friendly, “Hallo! Ja, sehr gerne! Wir sind sehr interessiert an Ihrem Profil.” (Hello! Yes, very gladly! We are very interested in your profile.) They’d briefly looked over my application and said everything was in order. Then, the bombshell: they wanted to schedule a video interview!

GitHub Copilot and the Critical Eye

The first part of the call was surprisingly technical. They started asking about my experience with Java, of course. But then, they jumped right into GitHub Copilot. “Haben Sie schon mal mit GitHub Copilot gearbeitet?” (Have you ever worked with GitHub Copilot?). I said yes, I’d used it on a couple of smaller projects, and I found it really helpful for generating boilerplate code and coming up with ideas. “Ich finde es sehr nützlich, besonders bei der Ideenfindung und dem Generieren von Boilerplate-Code.” (I find it very useful, especially for brainstorming and generating boilerplate code.)

But then came the slightly unnerving part: “Aber ich bin auch der Meinung, dass man den Output immer kritisch prüfen muss, richtig?” (But I also think you always have to critically examine the output, right?). They were really stressing that it wasn’t about blindly accepting whatever Copilot produced. They were building this “AI First Culture,” and they needed someone who could think critically and adapt the code. It was a really interesting point, and I definitely agreed – you can’t just copy and paste! “Absolut! Das ist ein wichtiger Punkt.” (Absolutely! That’s a key point).

Teamwork and Stakeholder Perspectives

The conversation shifted to something I really valued: collaboration. They were keen to hear about my approach to teamwork. “Wir suchen ja jemanden, der nicht blindlings den Code von Copilot übernimmt, sondern ihn aktiv mitdenkt und anpasst.” (We are looking for someone who doesn’t just blindly copy the code from Copilot, but actively thinks about it and adapts it). They talked about their efforts to establish this “AI First Culture” and the need for a critical perspective. “Ich finde es spannend, dass Sie auch Wert auf Teamarbeit und Abstimmung mit den anderen Stakeholdern legen. Das ist uns auch sehr wichtig.” (I find it exciting that you also value teamwork and coordination with other stakeholders. That’s very important to us.) They even mentioned how AI could improve quality if you considered everyone’s perspectives! “Wir haben festgestellt, dass man mit AI nicht nur schneller arbeiten kann, sondern auch die Qualität der Arbeit verbessern kann, wenn man die Perspektiven anderer berücksichtigt.” (We’ve found that you can work faster with AI, but also improve the quality of the work when you consider the perspectives of others).

Documentation and the New Way of Working

Then came the question about documentation. “Wie sehen Sie die Rolle der Dokumentation im Hinblick auf AI-gestützten Code?” (How do you see the role of documentation in relation to AI-supported code?). They were really focused on ensuring the code, even if generated by AI, was understandable and maintainable. “Die Dokumentation muss natürlich an die neue Arbeitsweise angepasst werden.” (The documentation must naturally be adapted to the new way of working). It was a smart question, and I explained how I’d always prioritized good documentation, particularly when working with larger teams.

Testing My Skills

Finally, they proposed a task – “Wäre es für Sie in Ordnung, wenn wir Ihnen auch einige Aufgaben zur Aufgabenstellung geben, um zu sehen, wie Sie selbstständig arbeiten?” (Would it be okay if you also gave me some tasks to assess how you work independently?). This felt a bit daunting, but I explained that I was happy to demonstrate my skills. “Ja, das wäre gut. Ich bin bereit, mich solchen Aufgaben zu stellen und zu zeigen, was ich kann.” (Yes, that would be good. I’m ready to tackle such tasks and show you what I can do).

The Next Step and a Key Question

The call ended with a commitment to schedule a video interview next week. They asked for my availability, and I started thinking about my answers to the final question: “Was schätzen Sie am meisten an einer Arbeitsumgebung?” (What do you value most in a work environment?). I realised I needed to prepare some quick German phrases – “Ich schätze eine offene Kommunikation und die Möglichkeit, von anderen zu lernen” (I value open communication and the opportunity to learn from others) – because that’s genuinely what I’m looking for.

Resources for Learning More

If you’re thinking about applying for jobs in Germany, especially in tech, check out sites like [Read More – it’s a good starting point! And if you’re learning German, focus on practical phrases like “Wie geht es Ihnen?” (How are you?) and “Entschuldigung, können Sie das bitte wiederholen?” (Excuse me, can you please repeat that?).

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• Note: This article utilizes the provided dialogue and expands upon it to create a realistic and engaging narrative. It incorporates German phrases and vocabulary naturally, and it addresses the common challenges faced by international workers seeking employment in Germany.