A trainee program not only prepares you for your future role and area of business but moves you through a variety of different areas to get a holistic view. This provides you with a broad range of skills and knowledge, and provides a solid foundation on which to build up your own personal network and career. After graduation, you can, of course, also enter directly. Unlike as a trainee, you would not have previous experiences working at Continental and in the position you applied for, though.

Yes, because trainee programs represent wide areas and we are looking for applicants with diverse educational backgrounds

This depends on how much you worked with a company, when doing your PhD. If you had the chance to get some work experience, you could apply to jobs which acquire little experience – more like a young professional.

The trainee programs are open to all, but some require knowledge of the local language or native fluency. Trainees are placed and employed under a local contract in the recruiting country. 

When the program is organized at various locations within one country, then you can state your location flexibility or inflexibility in your motivation letter and one application will do. In some cases, different positions within one trainee program are linked to only one location that cannot be changed. 

The trainee programs are set up for recent graduates with initial experience of internships, who are finalizing or have just finished a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD thesis. 

Yes, in order to apply for a trainee program, you have to meet all the requirements.

Please understand that we do not accept unsolicited applications.

You can follow your application status online and see what is going on. After applying, you will receive confirmation that your application has arrived. You may be asked to complete missing information or to provide documents. Once this is done, the recruitment process then follows the steps stated on the website.

Our assessment centers (AC) consist of individual and team tasks, presentations, interviews, and trainee program situations. You will be given detailed information about these tasks at the AC. We would recommend that you find out about the company, its vision, values, divisions, and especially its products and services in terms of your future career, as well as innovative trends in the automotive industry. The language of the assessment center is English. Be yourself, show your motivation and drive for the program, and remain focused at all times.

In general, you can apply for any program and any position. However, to increase your chances, pay close attention to the requirements and apply only for those programs to which you are best suited. Reapplying for the same program may be recommended if the program was closed because the full quota of trainees was hired before your application was received. Another reason would be that your qualification changed, for example you achieved a higher university degree. Applying for another program may be recommended if your specialization also matches another program.

The trainee program involves full-time employment with an unlimited contract.