Frequently asked questions

Hiring many thousand people per year in very different roles, we use a broad range of different recruiting processes. That makes it difficult to say on this website: this is the exact sequence of steps. But some things are almost always the same:

• Application: Please always apply through our job board and not by e-mail or on paper. This is the fastest way for us to process your application. We will always ask for a CV but a cover letter is not usually necessary. If we need additional documents, the job ad will mention this.
• Pre-Selection: When we receive your application, typically the recruiter will do an initial pre-selection based on the documentation or reach out to you for any missing information. The recruiter will then forward a shortlist of candidates to the hiring manager for consideration.
• Selection: The hiring manager will choose candidates to meet at interview - which can be virtual or on-site. While the sequence and type of interview will vary by role, almost every time you will at least speak to someone from HR and the hiring manager. They will be looking for technical skills, competencies, fit to the team and cultural fit to AAI (for more on AAI, see here: https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/our-focus/aai).
• We will, of course, let you know if you are invited to an interview or we need more information from you. If we do not consider you, you will receive an information about that, too.

All the positions that we are currently recruiting for externally can be found on our global job board. In some areas in which we have recurring demand, we also accept speculative applications; you will find those on the job board, too.

If you do not find a position that suits your CV right now, please set up a job alert [link to that paragraph] so that we can update you when a suitable role arises.

Please only apply to positions posted on the job board and do not simply send CVs.

We strive to respond to applications as quickly as possible; we know how important this is to most candidates but, as this is a global site, it is very hard to give an answer that’s accurate for the whole world here. The overall timescale varies according to local procedures and conditions.

Yes, you can apply for several positions at once – and even re-use documents that you have uploaded. But it is important that you are clear as to which jobs suit you and your career goals. If you submit several applications, we might ask you about your preference during the interview.

Sending your application through the system is usually all you need to do. You won’t need to contact your recruiter or hiring manager in parallel to show your commitment and interest. You are of course welcome to reach out on administrative matters, such as re-scheduling an interview appointment or withdrawing your application.

First of all: congratulations on making it to the interview stage! Interviews may vary, depending on the role and phase in the selection process interviews - but if you are unsure how to prepare, here are some tips:

• Read through the job ad carefully and identify the experience and skills that are required there. Are there steps in your career that have helped to build that experience? Or situations where you were able to show those skills? Interviewers will typically ask questions to try and find out if you match the profile described in the job ad.

The more precisely you can describe situations where you could use a certain skill, your role in that situation, the outcome, and your learnings, the better.

• Make a mental list of the “selling points” that make you the right person for the job – not to count them down one by one, but as a mental guide to structure your answers and make sure that you can address all the key points you want to make over the course of the interview.
• Be prepared to walk an interviewer through your CV. Even if the interviewer has read it thoroughly, they might ask you to do a quick run-down of your major career steps as a basis for deep-dive questions – or just as a warm-up. Just don’t get too hung up on this. Unless the interviewer says otherwise, don’t spent more than 5 minutes on this.
• Do you know who Boehringer Ingelheim is, what we are doing, and what our history and culture is? If not, our website, LinkedIn Channel and other sources can help you do some research before the interview.
• Of course, the interview is also a chance for you to learn more about us so, if you have any questions, the interviewer will make sure you have time to ask them. 

You can sign up for our Job Alert, which will notify you automatically as soon as we publish new job opportunities on our platform that might interest you.

1. On the job board, click on sign in and then create a new user.
2. Accept the data privacy statement.
3. Click on your name and “My Profile”
4. Enter the required information and specify your preferences.

If you already have a profile on our job board, you can log in and move straight to step 3.

You will receive e-mails about all positions matching that profile going forward.

To make changes to your Job Alert search profile later, please log in to the job board, click on our name and “My profile” and navigate to preferences to change relevant locations or job fields.

You can turn the notifications on and off if you log in and navigate to “My Account”.

For your application at Boehringer Ingelheim you need a CV; we will also ask for some basic information about you during your application process. If additional documents like certificates are required, this will be stated on the job ad.

In general, a CV should be as short as possible while still containing all the relevant information. In practice this can mean that you might want to leave out details that are not relevant to the job you are applying for, while giving more details on career steps that are relevant. As a rough guideline, your CV should have a maximum of 2 pages.

As a rule of thumb, it is best to send the application documents in the same language as the job ad.

A CV and a few basic questions asked upon application are enough. We do not require a motivation letter. If you would like to tell us something that is not clear from the CV, you are of course welcome to attach an additional letter of motivation.

While the system allows different formats, we prefer PDF files. The maximum file size is 5MB. The CV should be in the form of a table.

Yes, if you want to re-use a CV from one application for another one, you do not have to upload it again. At the end of your application process, you will see all the documents that you have uploaded for all applications with us. Please mark those that you want to be visible with this new application as “relevant”.

Please keep in mind that, if you upload multiple files, they need to have different file names. Uploading a file with the name of an existing file will replace the older one.

If you have multiple applications, deleting a file will remove it from all your job applications – please use the "Relevant Files" setting to make it visible or invisible in specific
applications.

Yes, we offer part-time positions in most countries – and, for some positions, job sharing too. These postings are also advertised online and you can even search for them using the “job schedule” filter on our job board.

The required experience depends on the position and is stated in the job ad, but Boehringer Ingelheim offers numerous entry level positions for which no professional experience is required.

Boehringer Ingelheim offers summer internships for school and university students who are still in training. Please see job opportunities online in our job portal.

Yes, Boehringer Ingelheim offers dissertation topics. These are also advertised on our job platform.

Boehringer Ingelheim was founded in Germany and roughly one third of its workforce is based there - but we operate globally, and there is no general requirement to speak German. Typically, people speak the language of the country where they work, while English is used as the language for international cooperation and in very international areas of our business. Roles involving global or international activities usually require English language skills.

While the job requirements are different depending on the job, there are a few behaviors we look for in every employee, regardless of role.

We call it "AAI" and you can learn more about it here: https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/our-focus/aai

Boehringer Ingelheim offers a wide variety of benefits. We aim to support our employees in a wide variety of life situations in respond to their individual needs. You can find more information about this here.

We would be sad to see you go - but you can, of course, withdraw your application at any point of the process. You can log into your profile on the job board, navigate to “My Job page > My Submissions” and click on “Withdraw” - or simply contact your recruiter.

Yes, you can. Log into your account on the job board, navigate to “My Account Options” and click on “Deactivate”. Your data will be automatically deleted after the recruiting process, following the local legislation of the country you are applying to.

You can also ask to have it immediately and permanently deleted at any point of the process. To do so, please contact GBSComplianceandQuality@boehringer-ingelheim.
com, giving your name and the e-mail address you used for the application.