The holiday season is in full swing and we would like to reflect on the past year and take a moment to celebrate our employees and their cultural holidays. In today’s post, a couple of colleagues share more about holidays —  their traditions, activities, and importance. Keep reading to learn more about their different celebrations.

Diwali

Sam (Customer Success), how many days is Diwali celebrated?

Diwali is celebrated over five days, with each day having its own significance and rituals. The five days of Diwali are:

1. Dhanteras: This day is dedicated to Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. People clean their homes, buy new items, and light lamps to welcome Lakshmi into their homes.
2. Narak Chaturdashi: This day is believed to be the darkest day of the year, and it is associated with the victory of good over evil. People fast and pray for the well-being of their loved ones.
3. Lakshmi Puja: This is the main day of Diwali, and it is celebrated by lighting diyas (small earthen lamps) and bursting firecrackers. People also exchange gifts and sweets with their loved ones.
4. Govardhan Puja: This day is dedicated to Krishna, the Hindu god of love and compassion. People build a small hill of cow dung and worship it as Govardhan, the cowherd of Gokul.
5. Bhai Dooj: This day is celebrated by sisters to express love and gratitude towards their brothers. Sisters pray for their brother’s well-being, and brothers offer gifts to their sisters.

Paras (Product), how do you celebrate Diwali?

Diwali is celebrated over 5 days and people like to clean the interior and exterior of homes well in advance. People wake up early, take a bath, and wear new clothes. The exterior is decorated with lanterns, lighting, diyas, and rangolis. The Goddess of wealth and prosperity Lakshmi and the God of Health Dhanwantari are worshiped. Everyone lights fireworks, burns Crackers, meets, and greets each other sharing gifts and sweets. Diwali ends with a ceremony to celebrate the bond between brother and sister.

Kanchan (Product), what are your traditions, and what is important for you during that time?

For me, Diwali is a time for family and friends! It is a time to clear out the clutter from your life and bring in freshness and prosperity. It’s also an excuse to indulge in LOTS of eating and visit friends and neighbors with food.

Diwali for us is also about traditions — making atte ka halwa for the evening prayer and making rangoli (color-filled drawings on the floor). We aren’t an overly religious family but we still love keeping up with these traditions because it keeps us connected to our culture, to who we are.

For example, Diwali has always been a time for deep cleaning of the innermost corners of our homes. Cleaning and decluttering usually start a month before the actual festival and is a LOT of work but so satisfying! Right before Diwali, my mother-in-law and I either prepare or order Indian sweets and delicacies. Typical dishes include laddoos, mathi, namak para, mohanthal, kaju katli, dry fruits like almonds, dates, etc. We also share our good fortune by bringing gifts and sweets for our house helpers and apartment support personnel. On the day of the main festival, we have a nice leisurely brunch and in the afternoon, all the women and girls gather around to make ‘rangoli’, color-filled drawings on the floor in front of the main door. My daughters, since they were old enough to participate, love this part and have to be bathed right after. Men of the house keep themselves busy putting up flower garlands on the doors and hanging up lanterns and decorations. 

As evening descends, we dress up in our fine Indian traditional clothes (making sure they aren’t too flowy as there will be lighted lamps all around the house and can be a fire hazard). We also prepare one final sweet dish (“atte ka halwa” made from wheat flour) to be offered to the Goddess Lakshmi as we pray together in the late evening. In my childhood, we used to burst firecrackers out on the street till late at night. But now we are more environmentally conscious and refrain from smoke and noise-producing firecrackers. The day winds down with more delicious food for dinner, maybe visiting some neighbors to exchange good wishes, and falling asleep to lights sparkling in windows all around the city.

Smriti (Engineering), true or false? People set off fireworks for Diwali.

True. There are lots of varieties of crackers. Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights with its variations also celebrated in other Indian religions. It symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.”

Christmas

Taylor (Marketing), what are your holiday plans for Christmas?

I am flying back to the United States over Christmas. I am looking forward to the time with family, delicious food, and hopefully, there is more snow than in Germany. On the 24th, I will celebrate with my grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins from one side of my family. On Christmas morning I will open gifts and celebrate with my immediate family. In the afternoon I celebrate with my other set of grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins. I will be there for just over a week, so I will work remotely from Michigan for a few days before and after Christmas.

Jon (Product), are you celebrating with your family?

Yes, we will celebrate together! As SimScale employees, we are lucky enough to have the freedom to move countries and we did that this year. We moved from Germany to the UK in August.
Our son asked if we could stop inviting everyone over at Christmas and have a small party to enjoy our new home. So this year, we will do just that and have a few days with just the four of us. Then, we will visit our wider families and then friends for New Year’s Eve. For the record, I don’t like celebrating New Year’s Eve — I prefer to treat all days as valuable. Plus…I need my beauty sleep

Elisabetta (Engineering), do you have a ritual every year?

For me, Christmas morning always means cooking with my father (and trying not to be too late with all the preparations). Our little ritual is to put on some jazz music and occasionally one of the thousand Bublé’s Christmas songs.

Kerrigan (Sales), what are your favorite Christmas traditions?

As the holiday season approaches, my family and I eagerly look forward to the cherished candlelight service at the Biltmore House in North Carolina. This yearly tradition has evolved into a heartwarming ritual, consistently filling us with the festive spirit of Christmas. Yet, the true joy lies in those precious moments spent with family. Introducing new ways to embrace family time enhances the season’s delight, creating a warm and delightful atmosphere surrounded by the presence of our loved ones.

Stefano (Engineering), what is your favorite holiday food?

For Christmas lunch in Bologna, we usually eat tortellini in broth (a typical handmade stuffed pasta in the area between Bologna and Modena) as a first dish, then the tradition is to eat trotter and cotechino with lentils. It is said that lentils bring luck and money.

As dessert in Italy, we have special Christmas cakes called Pandoro (from Verona) and Panettone (from Milan), sometimes served with warm eggnog. The main difference between Pandoro and Panettone is that the latter has candied fruit inside, but the bread has a different taste. I personally prefer Pandoro.

Obviously, wine can’t be missing. I like strong red ones, like Sangiovese, Chianti or Amarone. With dessert a Spumante or Brachetto or, even better, Passito di Pantelleria.

Eid al-Fitr

Ali (Customer Success), what are you celebrating on Eid al-Fitr?

Eid ul Fitr is one of the most important festivals in the Islamic calendar. It marks the end of Ramadan, a month-long period of fasting, prayer, and reflection. The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy by Muslims all over the world.

Eid ul Fitr is a time for family, community, generosity, and gratitude. It is a time to forgive and thank, to strengthen relationships, and to help those in need. The festival is celebrated in different ways in different countries, but the underlying message of love, peace, and harmony remains the same.

In Pakistan, Eid ul Fitr is celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm. The preparations for the festival start well in advance, with people decorating their homes, buying new clothes, preparing special dishes, and donating to the poor. The day starts with a special prayer, followed by a family get-together and a feast. People exchange gifts and sweets, and children receive gifts or money from their elders as a token of love.

One of the most important aspects of Eid ul Fitr is charity. Muslims are encouraged to give to the poor and needy and to share their blessings with others. In Pakistan, many people donate money, food, and clothes to the less fortunate, and organizations set up special programs to distribute food and other essentials to those in need.

Eid ul Fitr is a time to celebrate the end of Ramadan, to reflect on the blessings of life, and to renew our commitment to our faith and our community. It is a time to come together, to share our joy and happiness, and to spread love and kindness to all those around us.

Japanese New Year

Paul (Engineering), how does Japan celebrate the new year? Is it quite different from the Chinese New Year?

In Japan, the New Year, or Shōgatsu, is primarily a family-centric event, often celebrated with grandparents. For those who rise early, the day begins with the year’s first sunrise, known as Hatsuhinode. It symbolizes the start of a new beginning, reflecting hope and renewal.  The New Year’s breakfast features “osechi-ryori,” a range of symbolic dishes served in special layered boxes called jubako. Each dish in osechi carries its own meaning, representing wishes for health, fertility, etc. Mochi, made from pounded sticky rice, is another important element of the New Year’s feast, symbolizing strength and togetherness.

Breakfast is usually followed by a visit to a local shrine, a tradition known as Hatsumōde, where prayers are offered for good health and prosperity. After the conventional celebrations are concluded, many people eagerly make their way to nearby department stores to partake in the exciting tradition of acquiring ‘Fukubukuro.’ These are specially curated bags, their contents unknown, offered at significantly discounted prices.

Paul, do you have a Christmas tree in your house? 

While personal Christmas trees are rare in Japanese homes, the holiday spirit thrives in public areas. Shopping centers and city districts have stunning Christmas tree illuminations, enveloping the surroundings in a festive mood. For those keen on a traditional Christmas tree, IKEA is one of the very few options to get one, so large lines of Europeans can be seen buying the real deal. In our family, we embrace a different approach: my wife and kids paint a large Christmas tree on several pieces of paper, which we then assemble and display on our wall. On the evening of December 24th, my kids even find something nice below the tree.

Thank you all for your great contributions! We are so excited to have you on the team! 

Here at SimScale, we have more than 130 employees from over 35 nations, with over 45 languages spoken. No wonder that so many different holidays are celebrated by our colleagues.

Now all that’s left for me to say is Happy Holidays from the entire SimScale team!

Stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!

The post Home for the Holidays — Let’s Celebrate! appeared first on SimScale.

“When you have balance in your life, work becomes an entirely different experience. There is a passion that moves you to a whole new level of fulfillment and gratitude, and that’s when you can do your best, for yourself and for others.”

Cara Delevingne

Why Is a Healthy Work-Life Balance Important?

Work-life balance is a vital part of a healthy and productive work environment. An individual who achieves this balance successfully dedicates an equal amount of time to work-related tasks and personal matters without experiencing stress or becoming overwhelmed.

Our Work-Life Harmony

Name: Parker Maples

From: United States

Position: Account Executive in North America

Time at SimScale: 2 years

Parker, what does work-life balance mean for you and how do you live it?

Work-life balance is just that, a “balance.” It needs to be a healthy balance for you to succeed at both work and life. Feeling accomplished at work feeds happiness into life, and having time to focus on your personal life allows you to put the needed effort and focus into work. Working from home allows me to be with my 4-month-old daughter throughout the day, giving her my attention as needed, while also having the time to focus on my work duties.

Are you satisfied with your work schedule?

Very much so, yes. Working from home lets me give my family my attention when needed and then get back to my work. If I was working from an office, I wouldn’t be able to run downstairs and help and then hop back on the computer.

Name: Gabriela Falcón

From: Brazil

Position: Growth Product Manager

Time at SimScale: Less than 1 year

Gabriela, you recently started working at SimScale. Do you feel on board now and do you enjoy a healthy work-life balance?

After 3 months in SimScale, I feel completely onboarded and ready to help my team achieve our goals. So far, the work has been well-balanced and I’ve been able to travel around the world while still being able to fulfill my tasks.

Name: Daniel Jovic

From: Germany

Position: Learning and Development Specialist

Time at SimScale: 6 years

Daniel, you have worked for SimScale for quite a long time. You currently work 4 days a week — does this help you keep a good work-life balance?

Absolutely! I have now more time to focus on my personal growth, my hobbies, and my passions. I am grateful for the flexibility that SimScale offers. I feel more fulfilled in my private life — and at my job. The 4 day work week is the perfect middle ground.

What are some healthy actions that you take to keep a better work/life routine?

I try to meditate daily, it helps me to calm my mind. Light exercise (stretching, morning gymnastics) in the morning helps me to wake up. I am a big fan of “focus time” in the morning, that’s when I reach my peak productivity and get most things done. Getting enough sleep every day is super important and should never be compromised, as sleep regulates almost everything: one’s mood, feelings, focus, concentration, creativity, cognitive processes, etc. I dedicate a lot of my spare time to my passions and hobbies, which help me be motivated at work as well.

Name: Sharan Bindra

From: United Kingdom

Position: Sales Development Representative

Time at SimScale: Less than 1 year

Sharan, you have been here for less than a year. How often do you take breaks during the workday to recharge or relax?

I think work breaks are important to keep you performing at a consistent level and keep your motivation high throughout the day. Every hour, I take a few minutes to get up and stretch so that my body doesn’t begin to tire and drink water. During lunch, I like to take a short walk outside to get some fresh air and ideas. Movement and stretching are a necessity and really help me to recharge and feel good throughout the day!

Thank you all for your great contributions! We are so excited to have you on the team!

Here at SimScale we truly believe that a healthy work-life balance is very important because it increases productivity and improves mental health and wellbeing. We help and support our employees with flexible working hours and remote work from across the globe. As a result, our employees have less stress commuting or being stuck in traffic and enjoy more time at home with their families.

Stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!

The post Work-Life Balance at SimScale appeared first on SimScale.

Name: Steven Lainé

From: United Kingdom

Position: Application Engineering Manager

Time at SimScale: 3 years

Steven, what has been your biggest contribution at SimScale?

I feel that empowering my team of amazing Application Engineers and helping them to achieve their full potential is the most impactful thing that I can do for SimScale and for my team. Since joining SimScale, my biggest contribution, in my opinion, has been the transfer of knowledge to the Application Engineers.

What keeps you going every day? 

I am driven and encouraged every day to make SimScale the best that it can be for its customers and for its employees. One of the most satisfying parts of my job is when a potential new customer of SimScale is excited by what we offer and realizes the value that they can gain from using SimScale. As an Engineer with a Ph.D. in Materials Science, I find it really interesting to learn about how our customers would like to optimize their designs with simulation.

What makes you proud to be a SimScaler?

I am proud to be a SimScaler because I truly believe that we are providing an incredibly valuable software and service package to our customers. Furthermore, the working environment and culture at SimScale are amazing and I am truly proud to be part of it. Because SimScale is the first place that I have worked where you really feel like everyone is working together to make SimScale the best that it can be for our clients and for our employees.

What made you join the team?

The vision of SimScale to empower every engineer to innovate faster by making engineering simulation truly accessible at any scale was what really drew me to SimScale. Before joining SimScale, I was leading an Application Engineering team at one of the more traditional simulation providers and the vision of SimScale appealed to me. Once I met the team and founders at SimScale, I was sure that the work environment and culture was a perfect fit for my personality and values. With so many nationalities and cultures in SimScale, there is never a dull moment.

What has been your highlight working at SimScale so far?

I have recently started leading our partnership program and this is really rewarding for me because I love learning about all of the exciting new technologies that our partners are working on. Through this work, my personal highlight of working at SimScale so far was successfully developing a partnership relationship with our sales partner in Japan: Kozo Keikaku Engineering, Inc. to expand into the Japanese market. I traveled to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto to launch SimScale in Japan — this was an amazing experience personally and professionally. I find different cultures and travel really interesting, so this was a great highlight for me.

What are you looking forward to?

I am really looking forward to being part of the continued growth and development of SimScale. Since I joined 3 years ago, SimScale has implemented multiple new physics and capabilities which has given me the opportunity to learn and grow my knowledge in many different disciplines. Some of the upcoming developments on the SimScale platform are really exciting and I am looking forward to seeing how we can disrupt the traditional approach to engineering design and simulation.

Thank you for all of your great contributions, Steven! We are so excited to have you on the team!

Stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!

The post Employee Spotlight – Steven Lainé appeared first on SimScale.

What is your role at SimScale? What do you do?

I’m covering two roles at SimScale — Technical Program Manager for two major initiatives: rotating machinery (RM) and Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC), and as passionate as I am about simulation, I continued working in my previous role as the Senior CFD Developer.

What is your background? 

I’m a civil engineer by training and have always been extremely interested in anything related to water — what behavior it exhibits in nature and how we can use this tremendous power to our benefit without harming the environment itself.

I was born in Montenegro, a small coastal country in South-East Europe. This is where my enormous appreciation for nature comes from, as in my childhood we were able to reach the seaside (Adriatic Sea) and one of the highest mountains in the region (Durmitor, a part of the Dinaric Alps) within an hour of driving. As much as I love my country, I spent almost ⅔ of my life traveling and visiting some amazing places around the globe, until I finally decided to settle down in Munich, Germany after I finished my PhD (guess what, again related to water) and married.

What brought you to SimScale? 

Before doing my PhD, which was a major endeavor in the world of academia, where I understood some different (theoretical) principles, and what could play a significant role in many particular flow patterns, I was working in the industry for the entire four years, solving the day-to-day problems in the engineering field. When I was looking for a new job, I had a strong urge to combine those two fields, i.e., to stay close to research and also have an impact on the lives of regular people and help them improve their living standards. This is exactly what I found within SimScale — constant innovation of what we are doing, life-long learning and development, and extremely supportive teams where everyone is motivated to give 110%.

What has been your biggest accomplishment at SimScale?

Besides the numerous career paths that we can choose from here, I’m delighted that I can follow my personal goals and develop certain skills that allow me to now communicate with a wider range of personalities, starting from the nerdy developers (as I once was and still am ) to the extremely outwards-oriented product managers. This allows me to understand different points of view and combine exactly those elements that each party benefits from. In my opinion, working with people is the hardest work but also a huge privilege.

What are you proud of?

I would not use the word ‘proud’ as it implies only personal achievements, but rather extremely satisfied to have a chance to work with such intelligent people. While not everyone’s cause is to have an impact and move forward bit by bit, I have been lucky to be able to experience that and continuously contribute to it, as a part of my personal efforts or as a part of a larger SimScaler group.

What has been the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge is to understand different cultures and how they shape us as individuals. As this is also my huge love, I gladly go in and explore the limits on purpose, although the results are not always pleasing or at least not expected. In the end, we can only come out smarter afterward.

What excites you?

It never stops exciting me to learn something new about the people and world around me — this is why I love traveling and exploring new horizons, from volcanic islands and black beaches, over Indonesian komodo varanas and Icelandic puffin birds, to extreme diving experiences and delicious food all over the world (it took me some tries to figure it out ). When calm, I love reading a good book, learning new languages, or having deep, meaningful conversations with chosen people.

What makes you you?

This is always a difficult question to answer, but I guess my positive attitude towards life, never-ending motivation to do something meaningful, and strong moral principles that shape my sense of fairness and make people believe me and rely on what we shook hands about.

What do people value about you? 

One more question that has no simple answer. I would rather hear other people talking about it. Yet, if I have to pick something then I guess it would be honesty, integrity, and endless curiosity. The last one might not always be welcoming at the beginning, but as I am one of the “why” persons and ask all kinds of different questions from the deepest place of honesty and curiosity, they also open up with time, which I appreciate a lot.

Thank you for sharing, Nevena!

Stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!

The post It’s Women’s Wednesday at SimScale: Get to Know Nevena appeared first on SimScale.

“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”

Albert Einstein

Name: Sila Altuntas
From: Izmir, Turkey
Working student position: Junior Designer
Current position: UX/UI Designer
Time at SimScale: 2 years

Why did you decide to become a working student with us back then?

I wanted to kickstart my career by gaining practical experience in the field while I was still a master’s student. I was incredibly enthusiastic about applying the knowledge I had acquired during my studies to real-world scenarios. Additionally, like any other student, I wanted financial independence.

What is your background? 

I studied Industrial Design/Design Management in Turkey for my bachelor’s degree and actively participated in diverse design projects. I was eager to advance in my career and pursued a master’s education in Germany, where I discovered SimScale which allowed me to merge the knowledge gained from both degrees and shape my career path.

Name: Sebastian Block
From: Lübeck, Germany
Working student position: Customer Support Agent
Current position: Customer Support Engineer
Time at SimScale: 2.5 years

Could you tell us a bit more about your day-to-day work as a working student at SimScale? What tasks did you perform?

As a working student, I was supporting our community and academic users with the usage of the platform, whether via chat or on the forum. This included helping with their simulation setup or helping to get the academic license for a thesis project. In addition, I was keeping in contact with our sponsorships for student competition teams, as well as supporting the documentation team with content on the platform. 

What excites you?

I really love a good challenge and helping users. Therefore, it always excites me to have a tricky support case, where a user is facing a difficult problem. In these cases, I can challenge myself, expand my knowledge, and help the customer to gain further insight into their project.

Name: Kaan Yenipazar
From: Marmaris, Turkey
Working student position: Customer Support Agent Intern
Current position: Customer Support Engineer
Time at SimScale: 11 months

How many hours a week did you work as a working student? How did you handle working as a student trainee while studying at university?

Although I was a working student, I’ve been working full-time since I joined SimScale. This was possible because I had already completed my coursework, and I was in my thesis period. It was challenging at first to adjust my schedule, but in time it got better. Especially after I decided to include this product in my own academic research as well. 

What are you proud of? 

I’m proud to have taken the courageous step of transitioning my career role from design engineer to SimScale as a Customer Support Engineer. This decision has not only allowed me to step out of my comfort zone but has also brought me happiness and fulfillment.

Name: Nur Ozturk
From: Canakkale, Turkey
Working student position: Application Engineer & Product Manager
Current position: Product Manager
Time at SimScale: 2 years

Why did you decide to take on a full-time position at SimScale after graduating?

I had been working at SimScale as a working student for some time already but my learning curve was still going up every day, and I knew there was still a lot to accomplish. I love being part of a team of motivated people striving for big achievements. And, I knew it was the right decision for me to embrace new challenges and move forward with the team.

What has been your biggest accomplishment at SimScale? 

I’d say my biggest accomplishment has been changing my approach while framing the problems. During the studies, it’s easy to get caught up in the theory and jump into the solution definition right away. Whereas, during my time at SimScale, I shifted my perspective and prioritized the problem definition instead. I now place greater emphasis on gaining a profound understanding of our users’ perspectives before delving into potential solutions.

Name: Fran García Villanueva
From: Valencia, Spain
Working student position: Working Student CFD Developer
Current position: CFD Developer
Time at SimScale: 2 years 3 months

How did your transition to a permanent position go?

I had the opportunity to write my thesis at SimScale, already working on our new Immersed Boundary solver, which meant that during my last six months at SimScale, I worked full-time. Therefore, transitioning to the permanent position was rather uneventful. I simply took a week off with my remaining days off as a working student.

What do people value about you? 

Working in a team with very experienced people, I try to bring ideas about how to do things differently. Although most of them end up discarded, the team appreciates this creativity.

Thank you all!

Stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!

The post Career Path Stories: From Working Students to Full-Time Employees appeared first on SimScale.

Name: Steffen Berbalk

From: Germany

Position: Account Executive

Time at SimScale: 2 years

What are your responsibilities here at SimScale?

As an account executive, I assist potential clients with their evaluation journey of SimScale. My main job is to extend demos and business cases so that the value of SimScale is well-known and communicated. On top of that, I support internal processes with the goal of making our sales team more efficient.

What does your typical day look like?

Generally, there is no typical day in our sales department; every day is something new. However, we start with our sales scrum and discuss important topics of the day. I often prepare some material for clients and attend demos, or search for accounts to support our technology.

What are some of the challenges you have faced so far?

As I am not an engineer by trade, I had to start from zero and learn everything about SimScale and the world of simulation. However, as I see the great value that SimScale has to change the industry, this was not hard and now I feel more than confident to support our new customers with their adoption of SimScale.

When are you the most productive?

I am more productive when I have engaging conversations with clients because this is when I learn the most. Also, I can find new ways to support and build a trusting relationship.

What would you say are three things you can’t live without?

My family and girlfriend. I love spending time with them.  A general purpose to get up in the morning is also very important to me. I couldn’t live without podcasts as I enjoy listening to them daily.

What makes SimScale unique to you? 

For me, SimScale is a company that is driven by a defined purpose, and everyone in the team is driven to fulfill exactly this — we want to empower every engineer to innovate faster. Having this kind of purpose is essential for me to keep motivated and I love this about SimScale. 

Thank you, Steffen!

Stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!

The post My Life at SimScale: Steffen Berbalk, Account Executive appeared first on SimScale.

Smriti is based in Munich and enjoys a hybrid model here at SimScale, working 4 days remotely and 1 day in the office. She really enjoys picking up errors and missing parts on the platform.

7:00 – 8:00 am: I usually get up around 7 am and dedicate 1 hour to household responsibilities, breakfast, and getting ready for work.

8:00 – 9:00 am: I like to have an extra hour before I start working and do some yoga and listen to music. In between, I do lunch preparation.

9:00 am – 12:00 pm: During this time, I start my day by testing and going through the SimScale platform. I usually check if there are any bugs or irregularities, create new tasks, and complete actions needed on the SimScale platform.

12:00 – 2:00 pm: Before lunch, I have a variety of different meetings. Meetings with my team, one-on-ones, sprint refinement meetings, sprint plannings, retrospective meetings, prioritizing tasks, etc.

2:00 – 3:00 pm: Lunch break. I love preparing my lunch and enjoy cooking. Most of the time I cook Indian dishes which are very time-consuming but very delicious. Whenever it’s sunny outside, I enjoy my lunch outside on my balcony. When it’s cold or rainy, I like to eat inside and watch TV.

3:00 – 4:00 pm: I have a team daily scrum for 15-20 minutes. Here we provide updates, daily status, and plan for the rest of the day. During the discussion, some new requirements might pop up, so I go ahead and schedule the rest of the day’s tasks accordingly.

4:00 – 6:00 pm: Working on the automation task and daily analysis of exciting scripts/suites. I also continue interacting with the development team.

6:00 – 6:30 pm: I dedicate some time to investigation tasks about the SimScale platform as it’s a personal OKR for me.

“I really feel that I am close to the product and my day-to-day work makes an impact for SimScale.”

Smriti Suhag, Senior Quality Assurance Engineer

Thank you for sharing, Smriti!

Stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!

The post A Day in the Life of Smriti, Senior Quality Assurance Engineer at SimScale appeared first on SimScale.

Preparing for an interview means taking time to thoughtfully consider your goals and qualifications relative to the position and employer. To accomplish this, we recommend you do research on the company and carefully review the job description to understand why you would be a good fit, amongst others. Continue reading as we share some more common questions that we get asked. We hope they help you prepare yourself in the best way possible.

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I’m possible!“

Audrey Hepburn

How Long Does It Take to Apply at SimScale and What Information Do I Need to Provide?

It can take just 2 minutes to complete the application process, as applying through our career site can be as simple as uploading your CV and filling out some other basic information. The following information needs to be provided for completing your application: your CV (ideally as a PDF), email address, and contact details. We generally don’t ask for a cover letter, however, if you would like to provide one, simply let us know in a few sentences why you would like to join our team.

How Many Steps Are in the Recruitment Process?

We have 4 steps in our recruitment process. 

1. The Recruiter Interview: Meet a recruiter from SimScale during an initial virtual interview and get the opportunity to gain some first insights into the company!
2. Hiring Manager Interview: The hiring manager conversation will give you the chance to be interviewed on your job-specific knowledge and ask questions about the role, daily tasks, and team.
3. Assessment Task: The assessment task allows you to get a first impression of the role’s responsibilities and also helps us to see if it meets the SimScale expectations.
4. Panel Interview: During the panel interview, you get to know your future team members, in-person or virtually, learn more about the way we work, and share your career journey with us!

What Can I Expect After I Submit My Application?

After you submit your application, we aim to get back to everyone within 3 to 5 business days. We will inform you whether we would like to proceed with a first recruiter conversation, or if your application does not align with what we’re looking for at the moment.

I Would Like to Apply at SimScale But Don’t Live in Germany. Can I Still Apply?

Most certainly! Our team consists of people from more than 35 countries and we are continuously trying to grow that number. We offer visa and relocation support and are always happy to help our future team members to start a new adventure in Germany. If you don’t plan to relocate, don’t worry, we also have a growing number of team members working remotely from across the globe.

How Can I Prepare for an Interview?

1. Carefully read the job description: The more you can align yourself with these details, the more we will be able to see that you are qualified for the role.
2. Think about your qualifications and have a good understanding of why you want this job: Explain why you are interested in this opportunity. Go back to your career path, reflect, and talk about your previous experiences which are related to the position you are applying for.
3. Make sure you do research about SimScale: One of the most important parts during the interview is that we understand your motivation and why you would like to join our team. Make sure to research our product, the role itself, and the company culture to get a better understanding of the company.
4. Practice your speaking voice and body language: It’s important to leave a positive impression during the interview process. Since it is just a very small amount of time, you want to make sure you’re able to convey the right message during your interview.

What Kind of Questions Does a Recruiter Ask?

While you won’t be able to predict every question you’ll be asked in an interview, there are a few common questions you can plan answers for. Here are a few common questions from a recruiter during the first interview: 

• Why are you interested in this job and why did you choose our company?
• What is your reason to switch jobs?
• What does your typical day look like? 
• What do you hope to achieve?

What Kind of Questions Should I Ask?

All employers value candidates’ questions during the interview because it shows that you are interested in the position and spent time researching the company. Examples of questions you may ask: 

• What does a typical day look like in this position?
• Why do you enjoy working here?
• Can you share more about the team and the structure?
• What are the next steps in the recruiting process?

How Do I Convince the Hiring Team in a Recruitment Process?

Another very important milestone during the interview process is when you are able to convince us of your skillset and are always honest and transparent. Time is tight and you want to make sure to highlight the very best of you in a short amount of time. Preparation is key. You need to invest time not only researching the role and organization you wish to join but also ensuring that you can communicate clearly and confidently why you are the ideal person for the job. Here are a few dos and don’ts:

Do: 

• Think about the first impression you’d like to make
• Tell the truth 
• Listen and respond accordingly
• Focus on your strengths and expertise
• Take the interview seriously and be prepared

Don’t:

• Assume it isn’t an interview 
• Speak poorly about present or former employers
• Speak over the interviewer

When Can I Expect to Hear Back From You?

We aim to share our feedback with candidates in a timely manner at every stage of the process, with feedback about the next steps given within a few days of each stage being the norm.

How Long Does the Entire Recruitment Process Take?

Our application process, depending on the candidates and internal timelines, can be as short as 14 days but is typically between 25 to 30 days from the initial application to a job offer.

I Have Limited Career Experience. Can I Still Apply?

We encourage you to apply and emphasize your achievements in college or projects you have been working on. We all start our careers at some point. However, at SimScale we look for team members that show us that they are willing to learn and grow.

Why Do I Not Receive a More Personalized Response From the Team?

Our team puts a lot of effort into the recruitment process and values personal communication. As we aim to share feedback as soon as possible and receive a large number of applications every day, it does not always allow us to share individual reasons why we won’t move forward in the process.

What Benefits Does SimScale Offer?

Your health is important to us. We offer health insurance, retirement insurance, a company pension scheme, paid sick time off, and a competitive vacation and relocation package tailored to individual needs. Our Munich team members get to enjoy a gym membership contribution, basketball meetups, and freshly cooked lunches in our office every week. And no matter your location, you can participate in virtual sports challenges, get internal well-being support from our psychologist, and receive regular gift cards so you can treat yourself. As an environment only thrives with a motivated and supported team, we offer fun team events, internal support groups for living in Germany, and regular trips to Munich if our team members join us remotely. Read more about our perks and benefits in this blog post.

Do You Offer a Learning and Development Program?

SimScale fully supports our employees with learning and development opportunities. Whether that is online learning via Udemy, language courses in person or virtually, tech talks, and much more. With the right training in place, we offer our employees the opportunity to further develop their competencies and skill sets to ultimately become more successful and satisfied. Every team member gets to enjoy regular 1:1 sessions with our learning and development specialist, is encouraged to share their interests, and comes up with their ideal learning program. Take a peek here to learn in more detail what learning and development at SimScale look like.

How Would You Describe the Culture of SimScale?

At SimScale, our employees matter the most to us. We know that a great company culture only works with a great and motivated team. We listen to our team members and get inspired by them and their ideas. Read this blog post about our company culture to learn more!

What Is SimScale’s Remote Work Policy?

At SimScale, we encourage each and everyone’s independence by giving our team members the chance to plan and structure their work day. By offering flexible working hours as well as remote working around the world, we want to empower our employees to organize their work in a self-determined way, create freedom, and promote the compatibility of family and career. It is very important to us that we make sure that we do live a healthy work-life balance and support global remote working.

We hope you enjoyed reading these commonly asked questions and find them helpful for your future interview at SimScale.

A positive and pleasant candidate experience is very important to us and we would love to hear any feedback about this topic from you. Stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!

The post SimScale Recruitment Process Q&A appeared first on SimScale.

What Is Company Culture?

Company culture is based on a system of shared values, social norms, symbols, and attitudes that influence how participants within an organization make decisions, act, and feel. Great company culture can be experienced throughout the company. Employees feel valued and their work is appreciated. In addition, customers feel advised. As a first step, you should identify the shared set of values ​​and establish the behaviors that support those values.

What Is SimScale’s Culture Like?

Forward-Thinking

When SimScale was first founded in 2012, our founders were driven by the ambition to democratize simulation! Not only available to experts in large companies, we provide a user-friendly web application that can be accessed by any designer and engineer in the world. We put our tool in the hands of engineers who are making a difference. We contribute towards things like innovative building designs in cities all across the globe, making airplanes more efficient for travel, helping electric vehicles be more eco-friendly, and even optimizing major waterworks facilities for alternative power sources. We strive for a future that enables engineers from all across the globe to easily simulate their dream projects!

“With an extremely low barrier to entry, SimScale really does make it possible for all engineers to benefit from simulation. I work with potential new customers on a daily basis that are looking to introduce simulation into their business processes or are looking for a simulation solution that allows them to serve a much larger audience of engineers than is possible with the traditional simulation tools. It is extremely rewarding to help these organizations achieve their full potential with SimScale.”

Steven Lainé, Application Engineering Team Lead

Diversity

Providing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment is one of the most important topics to us. With our team consisting of people from diverse backgrounds, with different personalities, preferences, as well as interests, we truly encourage everyone to be themselves! What unifies all of us is our curiosity, dedication, and our team spirit! We acknowledge that our employees have different aspirations and perspectives by creating an environment that allows individual career paths, open communication, the possibility to be part of the decision-making process, and a feedback culture that motivates our team members rather than discourages them.

“The diverse spectrum of nationalities and cultures is one of the most interesting and enjoyable aspects of daily work and the social events at SimScale. My team has a range of nationalities that work from Munich and remotely — this enables us to choose the best and most passionate engineers, without having to restrict our search to one geographical area. I have always been interested and attracted by different cultures, you are always learning and expanding your knowledge when you are surrounded by diversity. At SimScale, we also have a very flat structure and a great culture that fosters innovation and excellence. All employees at SimScale are able to have a voice, regardless of title and position.”

Steven Lainé, Application Engineering Team Lead

Flexibility

No matter what company benefits we offer, we are well aware of the fact that many employees desire flexibility when it comes to planning their day! Without offering flexibility, we would be missing out on several benefits that directly impact every employee, their encouragement, and our company’s success as a whole. At SimScale, we encourage each and every one’s independence by giving our team members the chance to plan and structure their work day. By offering flexible working hours as well as remote working around the world, we want to empower our employees to organize their work in a self-determined way, create freedom, and promote the compatibility of family and career. It is very important to us that we make sure that we do live a healthy work-life balance and support global remote working. We truly trust our employees.

At SimScale, our employees matter the most to us. We know that a great company culture only works with a great and motivated team. We listen to our team members and get inspired by them and their ideas. A sense of trust, transparency, and accountability between employees and the leadership team is very important to us. We make sure that we constantly check in with our employees, share achievements and kudos, and provide continuous internal well-being support. Our People Team, along with every supervisor, supports and helps our employees with their professional and personal growth and development.

“I love the culture of flexibility that we have at SimScale. Not only because it allows me to manage my work-life balance, but also because it means that SimScale fully trusts me to achieve my work goals and feel empowered at the same time.”

Matias Degiuseppe, HR Administrator

Did you enjoy learning about our company culture? We hope you enjoyed reading this article and stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!

The post SimScale’s Company Culture appeared first on SimScale.

What you can expect from SimScale 

Opportunities to Grow and Learn

At SimScale, you will work in a dedicated team with high expertise and the opportunity for unrestricted personal growth — start your career with us and become a leader. We strive to provide an opportunity to everyone that allows them to grow into countless new roles and positions, even outside of the team they initially joined. We acknowledge the diversity in career aspirations of our team members and are happy to provide all of the support that is needed, whether that is supporting them to become a leader or develop their job-specific skill set further. Your opinion and ideas matter to us! We will give you space to make an impact quickly through goal-oriented tasks and projects that leave space for creativity.

In addition to various growth opportunities at SimScale, we are very remote-friendly. Mobile working has become an integral part of the world of work in the digital age. With a remote/hybrid working model, we offer a modern workplace with a dynamic and variable mix of face-to-face and mobile work. Be it in the office, at home, or in another place of their choice, our employees have the opportunity to work wherever it suits them best.

A Diverse Work Environment 

At SimScale, we have more than 120 employees from over 35 nations with over 40 languages spoken. Behind our innovative product stands a dedicated and passionate team, where each member loves being a part of SimScale. We strive to hire exceptional people who value stimulating and collaborative teamwork within a vibrant international environment. We embrace diversity and encourage everyone to express themselves by creating an environment that allows individually-crafted career paths, open communication, and a motivating feedback culture. We empower our employees to organize their work in a self-determined way, find their own work-life balance, and promote the compatibility of family and career.

Health Benefits and Retirement Plan

We acknowledge that if you are healthy, you get more out of life and your job. Therefore, your health is important to us. We offer health insurance (medical, dental, vision, disability, etc.), retirement insurance, a company pension scheme, paid sick time off, and a competitive vacation package tailored to individual needs. Additionally, we offer a gym membership contribution in Munich, basketball meetups, virtual sports challenges, and internal well-being support from our psychologist. And not only that, we are thinking of the future as well and provide our team members a retirement plan that will contribute towards a comfortable and secure future. For our Munich-based team members, they get to enjoy freshly cooked lunches in our office every Monday and Wednesday. As we want to include our remote employees as well, we send out regular gift cards and encourage them to treat themselves. As an environment only thrives with a motivated and supported team, we offer fun team events, internal support groups for living in Germany, and regular trips to Munich if our team members join us remotely.

Learning and Development

Learning never stops! SimScale fully supports our employees with learning and development opportunities. Whether that is online learning via Udemy, language courses in person or virtually, tech talks, and much more. With the right training in place, we offer our employees the opportunity to further develop their competencies and skill-sets to ultimately become more successful and satisfied. Every team member gets to enjoy regular 1:1 sessions with our learning and development specialist, is encouraged to share their interests, and comes up with their ideal learning program — all fully supported by SimScale.

Relocating to Germany

Deciding to relocate for a new job is a big decision. Especially when such a decision involves moving to a new city or new country with a new and unfamiliar culture. It can easily become an emotionally daunting experience saddled with many unforeseen challenges. We are aware of these hurdles and offer all of the relocation support possible. This ranges from helping and assisting with the entire visa process, as well as guiding through the actual relocation process to Germany, either internally or via an external relocation partner.

Whatever it is that you are looking for in your next career step, we hope we have you covered! From a diverse team, psychological support, as well as learning and growth opportunities, at SimScale you will quickly realize that there are many reasons why it’s worth joining our team. And, as we continue to grow and have a bigger diversity of interests and needs in our team, we always strive to challenge ourselves by adapting our support according to each and everyone’s needs.

Stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!

The post SimScale’s Perks and Benefits appeared first on SimScale.