Applying at Gini

Does and Don’ts guidelines are nothing new, but well established in today’s business articles. Most of us are familiar with the basic concepts and have probably looked up one of these guidelines at least once in our professional lives.

However, there is not the perfect answer, the one and only, when it comes to submitting a great application. Different employers have different expectations towards content, documents, and the most essential and universal question in Germany: Photo — yes or no?

Now, there are always two sides to every story. On the one hand, there is the employer who, hopefully, has made it one of his main goals to provide a good, fair, transparent, and respectful candidate experience (Blog Post) for each applicant. On the other hand, there is the candidate who applies to a company in hope to be a good fit for the position. Let’s have a look at that side in this blog post and discuss what we value and how candidates can fully convince us with their application.

Getting started — the hardest part?

There are different ways to get in touch with us. Maybe you’ve met us at a conference or a fair, perhaps you already know Gini from a friend’s stories, or perhaps you have found one of our jobs on one of the various job portals. If you have already heard of us before, then chances are you already know a little bit about our products and maybe even about our culture. We still recommend you visit our website; maybe there is something new for you to read and find out there. If you have never heard of us and you want to apply because the job posting looks appealing to you, then please hold off for a second. Even if you are entirely sure that you are the perfect fit for this position, this is not all that should matter to you. Plus, it is not everything that matters to us when getting to know candidates. Please check our website and our handbook first for more information. In there, you will find everything you need to know about Gini, our culture, values, and products. After all, you do not only have to identify with the job’s responsibilities and tasks but also with the company culture. Applications are bidirectional; therefore, either side can conclude that it’s not the perfect match. Once you read more about how we operate and you are still (or even more) excited, then I highly encourage you to apply.

Ingredients for your perfect application

When applying, please think of this: You know you are a qualified, competent person that will bring many things to the table and enrich a new employer in many ways. You know that. We don’t know that yet. Therefore, please put yourself in our shoes: What kind of information do we need to make a good and rational decision? This goes beyond a well-structured resume/CV in which you stress your qualifications and let us know of past tasks you were responsible for. This also includes a cover letter or text in your email/message in which you convey your motivation to work at Gini and why this position suits your strengths and expertise. We don’t know you as a person yet. The cover letter is your chance to add some personal touch to your application and have it stand out. While we appreciate a text without grammar or spelling mistakes, the format is really up to you. We don’t expect a stiff textbook cover letter but a genuine, personal text that lets us know more about you.

As described in the blog post about the candidate experience (blog post) at Gini, we want to genuinely get to know you and are curious about you as an individual. However, this is based on reciprocity, and we anticipate to find out what makes you so curious about Gini as well. Thus, try to gain as much information as you possibly can, even before the first interview.

The next steps — Staying on track

Speaking of interviews: Your application was reviewed, and we invited you to a first interview. The first and hardest part is over, and you already have a good understanding of our products, culture, and your very own job expectations. For the first interview, but also the following ones, the main advice is: Stay on track. Show genuine interest and think of questions you need to ask to confidently proceed. Plus, keep in mind what kind of interview stage you are currently in. We always let candidates know of the process steps we have during the very first interview. However, if you still have questions, you can always approach us.

In the case of the skills interview, try to think of work-related and skills-related situations in which you were able to show your expertise. The interviewers in this stage will be most interested in your way of work, your experience in the specific field, your interest in our products, and how that relates to the job you would be doing here. This interview is also an excellent opportunity for you to ask technical-related questions and find out more about the team you would be part of since we always try to incorporate a team member into this interview step.

Lastly, we have on-site value interviews, which are all about the personal and team fit. In this stage, you will have two more interviews in which you get to meet various different people. Please familiarize yourself with our handbook once again. At this stage, you should already have a good idea of what the Gini DNA looks like and what we are looking for in new Ginis. Try to think of examples that showed a specific behavior or trait of yours and how that relates to us and the way we see the world. Plus, this is your chance to ask all kinds of questions as well and get an even better picture of the different personalities we have here.

We always offer candidates to have lunch with us right before or after their final two interviews. While this is not a must and is certainly dependent on your schedule and time, we want to give everyone the opportunity to get to know the team in a more relaxed setting.

The final countdown

If a question comes up before the scheduled interview, or in between interviews, let us know. We, as the recruiters, are your partners in crime here. We are here to answer any open questions and guide you through the entire process. Again, after all, you deciding on a new job and company is just as big of a deal as it is for us to decide on a candidate to join our team. You are not alone in this journey. So let’s find out if this could be indeed the perfect match for both sides, shall we?

Back to the initial question: If you are still wondering whether you should attach a photo to your application, then wonder no more. There is absolutely no need for that. We are interested in what kind of person you are, not what kind of hairstyle you have or what clothes you are wearing, what gender you identify with, if you have pink hair or dimples. It is about you and only you. This is how we want our employees to be. Themselves.

In case you are curious now, have a look on our open positions and apply.