My First Encounter with Dräger Safety’s Hiring Process – And a Lot of Kubernetes!

Berlin, Germany – October 26th

Okay, so things are officially…weird. I’m living in Berlin now, trying to get my foot in the door in the tech industry. I’ve been freelancing as a web developer for the past six months, mostly building small sites for local businesses – good experience, but I’m seriously craving a proper, challenging job. That’s how I ended up applying for a Software Engineer position at Dräger Safety in Krefeld. Seriously, it felt like a huge step up. And, unbelievably, it’s actually happening!

The Initial Conversation

It all started with a call. I’d already submitted my application through Indeed, you know – <” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Read More – and a few days later, I got a call from someone named Sarah. She’s part of the recruitment team.

“Hallo, ich habe mich für die Stelle als Software Engineer bei Dräger Safety in Krefeld beworben. Haben Sie schon etwas von dem Job gehört?” (Hello, I applied for the Software Engineer position at Dräger Safety in Krefeld. Have you heard anything about the job?)

I replied, a little nervously, “Hallo! Ja, tatsächlich. Ich bin Teil des Teams, das den Recruiting-Prozess für diese Position betreut.” (Hello! Yes, actually. I’m part of the team that handles the recruitment process for this position.)

Sarah explained that they found my application interesting, especially because of the focus on Cloud Operations and Java. “Das klingt nach einer spannenden Herausforderung, vor allem mit dem Fokus auf Cloud Operations und Java. Das klingt wirklich interessant,” I said, trying to sound confident.

Decoding the Job Description

Then she started going through the job description, and honestly, it started to feel…intense. The whole thing about building and running the application – “you build it, you run it” – was a bit overwhelming. I’ve done backend development before, using PHP and MySQL, but Kubernetes? That’s a whole new ballgame.

“Ich habe zwar Erfahrung mit Backend-Entwicklung, aber Kubernetes ist mir noch relativ neu. Ich verstehe das.” (I have experience with backend development, but Kubernetes is still relatively new to me. I understand that.)

Sarah was really patient, explaining that it’s a common challenge for candidates. She pointed out that the company was using Azure and Kubernetes – pretty cutting-edge stuff. “Die Jobbeschreibung erwähnt auch ein ‘you build it, you run it’-Konzept, was bedeutet, dass man die ganze Verantwortung für die Anwendung übernimmt. Das ist ja mal eine ganz andere Herangehensweise als in manchen Projekten, wo man nur einen Teil der Entwicklung macht. Das finde ich gut. Eigenverantwortung ist wichtig.” (The job description also mentions the ‘you build it, you run it’ concept, which means you take full responsibility for the application. That’s a completely different approach than in some projects where you only do part of the development. I like that. Responsibility is important.)

The Tech Stack – A Lot to Learn

Next, she rattled off all the technologies: Java, Spring, Angular, Azure, Linux… “Stimmt, das ist eine Menge.” (That’s a lot). It’s a massive tech stack, and I realized I’d need to seriously up my game. I was thinking, “Wie soll ich das alles lernen?” (How am I supposed to learn all this?).

But then she mentioned the training programs and the sabbatical options. “Aber wenn man die Möglichkeit hat, sich weiterzubilden, wie die Weiterbildungsprogramme und die Sabbatical Optionen aussehen, dann denke ich, das ist ein guter Kompromiss.” (But if you have the opportunity to learn, like the training programs and sabbatical options, then I think that’s a good compromise.) That was a huge relief – they seemed to value continuous learning, which is something I really prioritize.

The Big Question: Salary

Finally, the question I’d been dreading: “Haben Sie denn schon Informationen zum Gehalt bekommen?” (Have you already gotten any information about the salary?).

Sarah said she couldn’t give me specific numbers just yet, but they’d be in touch soon. It’s always the awkward silence, isn’t it? Waiting to hear if I’m in or out.

Next Steps

So, that’s where things stand. I’m going to keep studying up on Kubernetes – there are tons of tutorials online. I’m also planning to brush up on my Java and Spring skills. It’s going to be a steep learning curve, but I’m excited about the challenge. I’m definitely feeling the pressure, but also a real sense of possibility. I hope I can convince them I’m the right person for the job. Wish me luck! I’ll let you know how it goes.

Key Phrases & Vocabulary:

• Hab mich beworben: I applied
• Haben Sie schon etwas gehört?: Have you heard anything?
• Das klingt spannend: That sounds exciting
• Ich habe Erfahrung mit…: I have experience with…
• Ich verstehe das: I understand that
• Das ist eine Herausforderung: That’s a challenge
• Eigenverantwortung: Responsibility
• Weiterbildungsprogramme: Training programs
• Sabbatical Optionen: Sabbatical options
• Wie soll ich das lernen?: How am I supposed to learn that?
• Wie geht es Ihnen?: How are you? (formal)
• Wie geht es dir?: How are you? (informal)