AUDI/BMW/MERC Jobs

[Chittad]

Hello everyone

Most of us would be passing out soon from college and would be soon moving into the Automotive world. I have always wondered if the likes of Audi/BMW/Merc take applications from Graduate students seriously? Do such companies hire pass outs in their very first year without any job experience?

Also how important is a PHD degree to get into these big car companies?

Would be very thankful if someone could answer my questions and rid me (and I hope a lot of others too) of this confusion.

Regards
Vineet

[Brett Neale]

I've been living here in Germany (Munich) for a couple months now, and unless you have perfectly fluent business German then you don't have a chance with BMW or Audi. And Mercedes aren't hiring at the moment. Also, you can get in without German if you do an internship, but you have to be enrolled at University to apply.

I think the same thing goes for their motorsport departments too.

I would think if you have German skills and have good results from your Uni/College degree then they will surely consider you. The problem at the moment is the economy, it's not quite as bad here as other countries but jobs at the big automakers are tough to come by.

[Igor]

Hmm, right now is a bit hard I think. The economic downturn is also hitting Germany (not as bad as the US, but still) We have a German intern who is not too optimistic about his chances in the coming months. He said that BMW wasn't hiring at the moment.
But you never know, if you have specific experience that they are looking for you might get lucky. Speaking german might be necessary though.
The Ford Forschungscentrum in Aachen is rather international if I remember correctly, but then you weren't asking for that one....

I do get the idea that having a phd in Germany is necessary if you ever want to be a manager. I've rarely met a German manager without one and people are studying in the evening to get one. The sad part is that other co-workers will then call you Herr Doktor and step aside to let you pass. From the Dutch point of view the hierarchy is extreme.(but then again we have no respect for authority at all....)
It would be better to hear the opinion from one of the German guys here.

I know working at BMW is cool though, lot's of focus on new technologies. I think Mercedes would be the about the same.

Good luck,
Igor

[exFSAE]

Buddy of mine worked at BMW/Germany for a year. Engineering intern. From the US, but knew German.

Said it went well, but then BMW went on a hiring freeze or something like that.