The following is a typical working week at FaktorZehn: from Monday to Thursday, we work on the customer site, i.e. three nights on the road. On Friday, we meet in the Faktor Zehn office or you work from home. We make sure that the project work, as well as travelling and accommodation is as comfortable as possible for you.

As a software developer on a customer project, you work with the programs we have developed. A working day typically begins with a team discussion about what tasks need to be done that day - whether it's to develop the existing software, organize a new project or implement new requirements. And our challenge is to satisfy our customers’ requirements by implementing everything they want, whilst adhering to our own principles of generating cleanly structured and functional Java code. It's not always easy, but that's where the fun starts.

As a business consultant, you are the interface to the application developers. You sit down with the customer and discuss the processes and user interfaces. Then you document the requirements for the development team and help to implement them.

What sets us apart from others, is our extremely positive and productive working atmosphere. One of the reasons we are able to foster such a productive culture is the strong team spirit that we continuously nurture.  All colleagues support each other and share their knowledge. New colleagues are quickly accepted into the fold – one of the quickest ways to get to know colleagues is through nerdy conversations in the kitchen.

It can, of course, become stressful on occasions. But there is always time for a coffee on the terrace or a game of table soccer with your colleagues. It is often in such moments that the best ideas or solutions are found for problems we have spent a long time worrying about.

Does our trainee program interest you? Read our interview with Felicia, who completed the Faktor Zehn trainee program in 2016.

What was the selection process for the trainee program like?

Once, I’d sent in my application, it was a three step process: a telephone interview, a programming task and an interview, and the whole thing took three weeks in total.

I sent my written application through Absolventa, an online job portal. I received feedback from Faktor Zehn very quickly and was invited to a telephone interview with the HR department. I had a very pleasant telephone interview three working days after I sent my application in. Afterwards I was given a Java programming task to solve at home over the following week. Once I’d sent in my solution to Faktor Zehn, I was invited to an interview in Munich, where I was interviewed by a manager, a developer and a HR representative. After the interview, I got the job offer.

What tips can you give to other applicants who still have the selection process ahead of them?

Take time with the programming task, but do not over complicate it. Do your research on the company and prepare your own resume well. The interview is nothing to be afraid of. If you can’t answer a question, be honest, you are not expected to know everything. Before the trainee program starts you may not know everything or be able to do everything, but it is important that you are willing to learn.

Also you need to consider whether or not you can imagine working 4 days a week in a different city to the Faktor Zehn office.

How is the trainee program structured?

The trainee program lasts six months. During the first two months, there’s a lot of training on the Faktor Zehn products, Scrum, Test Driven Development, Design Patterns, Eclipse, Git, Conflict Management and you get an insight in the insurance industry. At the same time the trainees work together on an internal project. Most of the training takes place at Faktor Zehn’s Munich office, but some courses take place in the Cologne office.

After the first two months you usually work 1-3 months in Munich, in the product development team, before moving on to a customer site. Customer projects can be in Munich or in another German city. At the end of your trainee period, you prepare yourself for the 'OCA Java Programmer' exam.

How was the onboarding process work with your supervisor organized?

Scheduled feedback meetings take place every three months with your supervisor, but you also have the opportunity to exchange feedback more often, in a more informal setting. In addition, there’s a mentoring program in place. Although I personally didn’t have a mentor, I didn’t find it a problem, as there are so many helpful colleagues at Faktor Zehn, who you can always ask for help or advice.

How much theory and practice does the trainee program include?

I think the ratio is balanced. There’s a bit of an uneven split in that most of the theoretic training takes place in the first two months, so you are given a lot of knowledge and new ideas upfront, which was a bit much all at once. Overall, however, I was very happy with the balance.

Does the trainee program include a stay abroad?

The Faktor Zehn program doesn’t include a scheduled stay abroad. However, assignments in the Benelux countries and Austria are possible.

After the trainee program what is work life like?

I am in a Scrum team in Nuremberg as a junior developer. I'm currently working on a UI for the sale of car insurance with the JavaScript library React. I'm also working a bit on the Java backend, so I spend a lot of my time programming. The rest of the time is spent discussing with colleagues and with the customer's staff about how tasks should be implemented and how we work together as a team.

How many hours do you work?

I am contracted to work a 40 hour week, but on average I usually work around 42 hours, and sometimes I voluntarily work a little longer. In the weeks leading up to a software upgrade, there may be a heavier workload, so it’s necessary to work more than 40 hours.

We have 30 days’ vacation and flexible working hours. There is also the option of working part-time e.g. to 80% at Faktor Zehn.

How do you feel about the working climate at Faktor Zehn?

I think the working atmosphere is very good. Colleagues are very nice and I enjoy going to work. I am very happy that I have found a job, where I feel comfortable and where I was able to meet such nice colleagues.

What benefits do you get?

There’s always coffee, drinks, fruit, sweets in the Faktor Zehn office, and we have an own table football in our office.

After the trainee period, you can profit from a range of benefits such as company cars, company bicycles and occupational pension plans. The Cologne office also has an onsite child care. We have many company events, e.g. an annual summer party, a Christmas party, a party for carnival and a 3 day summer event, where you join workshops and parties with ConVista employees from all over the world. I have really enjoyed all events I’ve been to.

Is the employment contract limited to the duration of the trainee program?

The employment contract is not limited in time. During the trial period, i.e. the first 6 months, the contract of employment can be terminated by either party, with a notice period of four weeks. After completion of the trainee program, the notice period is extended to three months.

What was your personal highlight about the trainee program?

In my case, the trainee program is run alongside an international program, so we had training together with ConVista colleagues from India, Russia and from the USA. There was a great atmosphere and we helped and learned a lot from each other. We laughed a lot during the trainee program and we often celebrated together.

What have you done since the trainee program?

I have stayed with Faktor Zehn as a junior developer and continued to work on the project in Nuremberg as a Java and JavaScript developer.

I am very happy working at Faktor Zehn so far.