Article: Your ticket to a career in IT
Do you want to find your own way and grow and evolve in a safe environment? While also playing your part in advancing the digital mobility of tomorrow? Great! That means DB Systel is the perfect place for you.
Do you want to continue studying after you leave school or would you prefer to dive straight into on-site training and start making an impact? Maybe you would like to do both at the same time? With us, you can combine the benefits of theory and practice as soon as you leave school, choose from a variety of tasks and still look forward to a promising future. Because it's not easy to identify your ideal path after leaving school. We offer a varied environment and supportive structures with many exciting tasks. With us you get the chance to work on future issues that matter and make progress according to your interests and skills. We offer the flexibility you need in the modern working atmosphere of a startup. This could be the perfect springboard for your career.
Your starting points for a career in IT
Kick-start your career with vocational training
Get ready to successfully launch your IT career by completing a vocational training programme (apprenticeship). DB Systel currently offers a choice of two vocational training programmes in Frankfurt, Berlin and Erfurt: IT specialist and IT systems manager. We offer IT specialist training in many fields: system integration, application development, digital networks, and data and process analysis. Our vocational training programmes always start on 15 August. Check DB's careers page to see what positions are currently on offer.
Besides a stimulating, forward-looking training programme, we also offer good pay and a host of perks such as season tickets, free travel and rent support. You can also look forward to customised career development options in the form of seminars and workshops. Once you finish your course, you are guaranteed a position at Deutsche Bahn. Being part of our company opens up a host of career development prospects for you.
What kinds of jobs are open to me after my training?
The work of an IT specialist covers a broad spectrum.
System integration specialists analyse, design and implement IT systems. They work in a wide range of areas, for example, in the cloud environment and in the field of IT security. They can also act as consultants for customers. Application development specialists work in software development. Digital network specialists deal with network infrastructure and the interfaces between network components and systems. Specialists in data and process analysis develop IT solutions for digital production and business processes. Here, the focus is on analysing large volumes of data (big data) and data quality. IT systems management specialists look after projects or operations management for IT infrastructure, create analyses from requirements, or market solutions.
What do the courses entail?
Trainees alternate between classroom learning at their vocational schools and work experience at our offices. During the practical phases, apprentices are mentored by specialist facilitators and receive detailed feedback after completing each training block. We also provide each participant with additional theoretical and practical opportunities that are tailored to their personal profile and round out what they get at their vocational schools and within our company. Besides theoretical knowledge and practical skills, our vocational trainees also acquire social and methodological competencies. These include environmentally friendly and economical thinking, customer focus, an ability to work independently and team spirit. But don't take our word for it. See what our students have to say. Trainees Jakob and Jason share their stories.
What do we look for in candidates?
Nobody can be expected to possess every skill and all of the knowledge needed for a job. That's why you're doing an apprenticeship, after all! However, we do expect you to have an interest in the occupations we have described and an affinity for cutting-edge technology, computer science and programming. You need to know how to learn in a way that supports your progress. Teamwork is crucial for us, and it should be for you as well. In addition to good school-leaving grades, you need to have a proven aptitude for maths, computer science, technical topics and abstract thinking, as these will help you with your classroom learning and different tasks at DB Systel. If you're still unsure, doing an internship might help you find out if a given job is right for you. In this case, an internship for school pupils (see below) could be just what you need.
Cooperative education programme: combining theory and practice
Find your ideal route to a career in digitalisation at Deutsche Bahn by choosing a degree programme in one of the following four areas: business informatics, computer science, digital media or digitalisation management. Within three years, you will not only complete your degree, but will also have the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice in exciting projects during the three-month practical phases. Check DB's careers page to see what positions are currently on offer.
In addition to a stimulating, future-focused bachelor's degree course, we also offer good pay and a host of fantastic perks such as a NetzCard travel pass, free travel, rent support and customised career development options in the form of seminars and workshops. Once you have completed your studies, you will have an excellent chance of securing a permanent position as well as various opportunities for professional development (such as the master's grant, awarded specifically to our internal bachelor's graduates).
Which careers and roles are open to me with these qualifications?
As a business IT specialist, you are the interface between IT and the Group partners. You are responsible for translating technical and functional requirements into specific technological solutions. Computer science graduates often work in the development, analysis and configuration of complex software systems or in software engineering. The degree programme in digital media prepares you for a career as a media designer creating digital information media. You may also be responsible for the user experience (UX) of apps, application systems and websites. The digitalisation management programme prepares you to work with cutting-edge technologies such as big data analytics, smart services, cloud and mobile computing, Internet of Things or artificial intelligence. In practical terms, graduates deal with concepts, sales processes, information management or digital transformation.
What does the study programme entail?
Students alternate every three months or so between their academic courses at the university and work experience at our offices. In the practical phases, the focus is on applying, implementing and deepening the knowledge you have acquired. Our cooperative education students then work in our different departments, where they become familiar with different processes and tasks. It is important to us that we not only impart technical knowledge and practical skills, but also social and methodological competences with the help of made-to-measure seminars. The level of responsibility increases for each student as their course progresses, and we see to it that their involvement in our exciting projects increases. Specialist facilitators support students with their day-to-day work in the company. Students receive feedback from their supervisors on a regular basis, particularly after the end of each practical phase. But don't take our word for it. See what our students have to say. Cooperative education students Peer and Leon share their stories.
What do we look for in candidates?
Of course we expect you to have an interest in the occupations we have described and an affinity for cutting-edge technology, computer science and programming. You need to know how to learn in a way that supports your progress. Teamwork is tremendously important to us, and it should be for you as well. You have a good grasp of technical and detail-heavy topics, and you can quickly apply what you have learned to other situations. In addition to your school (or vocational school) leaving certificate, you should have an affinity for maths, computer science, physics and business studies, as these will help you with your university courses and tasks at DB Systel. Good German and English language skills are also important to us.
Get a taste of IT with an internship for school pupils
Our interns gain a comprehensive insight into the diversity of everyday working life at DB Systel as well as the vocational training programmes and cooperative education programmes that we offer. One of DB Systel's implementation teams provides on-the-job mentoring for interns during their time with us. We offer internships lasting from one to several weeks for school pupils who want to see what career path is right for them. These internships take place at our three main bases in Frankfurt, Berlin and Erfurt. You can apply directly from the DB careers page, where all our openings for interns are marked "Schülerpraktikum IT" (IT internships for school pupils). DB Systel is a partner company of Hessen Technikum, and we offer school (or vocational school) leavers with an interest in technology a fantastic opportunity to gain practical experience.
We also offer students at technical schools positions for a year-long internship that enables them to progress to higher education at a university of applied science. Five of these places are available every year. Each internship starts on 1 August. You can apply for an internship at our base at Frankfurt directly from DB's careers page, where all openings are marked "Schülerpraktikum IT" (IT internships for school pupils).
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