Tips for your application

Recruitment process for an apprenticeship

To make a professional decision, we want to gain a comprehensive overview of applicants’ abilities, skills and personalities. We wait until early August for all the applications to come in.

  • Pre-selection
    School grades and our requirements linked to the apprenticeship are extremely relevant for pre-selection. You can find detailed information about the relevant apprenticeship sections.

  • Initial meeting
    After carefully reviewing your application and making a positive assessment, we invite you and the other candidates to an initial meeting. Depending on the apprenticeship, this involves an assessment (exercises or test), an aptitude test, or a trial half-day or day. The training managers and vocational trainers for your specialist field attend this meeting.

  • Second meeting
    At the second meeting we go into more detail and clarify any questions we have from the initial meeting. This gives you an opportunity to gain some insight into your future activities and contribute as well. The discussion that follows will focus on you and your particular motivation for doing the apprenticeship. We want to know why you are interested in the apprenticeship, whether you are a good fit with us (company culture) and whether you feel comfortable.

  • Apprenticeship agreement
    If we decide for you, we invite you and your parents to another meeting. During the meeting we will discuss all the details of the apprenticeship agreement, such as salary, working hours and vocational college, and will cover any queries you or your parents may have. The highlight is when all the parties sign the agreement. At the end there is a brief visit to your future workplace, so that your parents know where you will be working during your apprenticeship.

Taster days

In the laboratory, we offer several taster days every year, regardless of whether you apply for an apprenticeship. For all other five apprenticeships, we can unfortunately only offer this in connection with an apprenticeship application due to the high level of interest.

Together with other interested parties, you will visit the workplace on the taster day and gain a first insight into the everyday life of your apprenticeship. You will be supervised in each department and given an insight into the diverse work processes. On this day, you will also have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

Please send us your letter of motivation, CV and school reports from the last few years of school with your taster apprenticeship request. As soon as we have received your documents, we will contact you promptly with further information.
Taster apprenticeship request

Tips for your application

First impressions matter. Your application documents should make a strong impact and present you well. Here are the key points:

Application documents

  • Motivation letter
  • CV
  • A color photo
  • Results of your assessment test (e.g., Multi-Check)
  • Secondary school transcripts
  • If available: internship evaluations, job references


Motivation letter

  • A key part of your application. It should explain why you're applying for this apprenticeship and why with us:
  • Mention the apprenticeship position
  • Describe yourself (school, favorite subjects, etc.)
  • Explain your interest in the profession and our company
     

Document layout

  • Neat and well-structured
  • Clear, concise, and complete
  • Check spelling and grammar
  • Have someone review your documents before sending

 
Applying for an apprenticeship

Tips for the interview

Congratulations! Your application impressed us – you’re invited to an interview at Geistlich. This is a chance for us to get to know you better and for you to see if an apprenticeship with us is the right fit. Here are some tips to help you succeed:

Before the interview

  • Learn about Geistlich on our website.
  • Think of questions you’d like to ask about the company or the apprenticeship.
  • Note the time, place, and name of your interview contact.
  • Be on time – ideally 5 minutes early – and dress neatly.
  • Prepare answers to common questions, such as:
    • Why do you want to do your apprenticeship at Geistlich?
    • What are your strengths and hobbies?


During the interview

  • Greet and say goodbye using your interviewer’s name.
  • Be yourself – we want to see the real you.
  • Maintain eye contact, listen carefully, and don’t interrupt.
  • Share specific examples that show your skills.
  • Ask your prepared questions and speak up if something is unclear.
  • Ask about the next steps at the end of the interview.

Tip: It’s normal to be nervous – just be yourself. We’re excited to meet you!

If you have any questions about apprenticeship recruitment, please contact us berufsbildung@geistlich.ch or Tel: +41 41 492 55 55