BMW AG

In almost a century since its founding, BMW’s logo has remained the same. The distinctive blue, black and white checkered insignia has become a symbol for reliability, class and luxury. The company’s operations on the other hand have been anything but static. When founded in 1917 by Josef Popp, Max Frix and Camillo Castiglioni, BMW’s expertise lay in aviation. Move forward but five years and the company had been floated, forming Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, and had begun manufacturing motorcycles. Although BMW is best known for its cars, ironically automobiles were the last mode of transport it started making in 1929. However, the Bavarian engineers refocused on aviation upon the outset of the Second World War. Many German aircraft fleets had BMW engines, prompting the allied forces to confiscate the company’s tools after Berlin had been toppled.

No such embargoes prohibit BMW today; the automotive giant has 17 thriving production bases across the UK, US, China, Austria, South Africa as well as its native Germany. Furthermore, BMW has assembly sites in Indonesia, Russia, Egypt, Malaysia, Thailand and India. The Middle East and Asia are the company’s fastest growing markets, with BMW looking to expand to satisfy the growing number of nouveau riches’ appetite for performance vehicles.

In the UK, BMW has plants in Hams Hall near Birmingham, Oxford and Swindon; furthermore, the company has a sales, marketing and aftersales division in London, as well as a Financial Services business division also in the City. The latter offers dealers, corporate and private customers around the world customised financial services revolving around automobiles: from financing and leasing, via insurance, to the management of large vehicle fleets.

Like most other international engineering firms, research and development into more energy efficient vehicles has been one of BMW’s top priorities. The company’s Research and Innovation Centre in Munich employs more 8,500 researchers, tasked with scrutinising a myriad of engineering ideas for their energy saving potential. BMW certainly isn’t without ambition either; in its 2007 Annual Report the company outlined its plan to cut carbon dioxide in its vehicles by 100%!

BMW offers a range of opportunities to both students and graduates, from accounting to engineering to car sales. The company also offers a Graduate Programme. During the 15 month scheme, you will work in various parts of the company, contribute to a joint team project and take two secondments abroad.

Practice numerical tests and verbal tests used by actual employers.

Graduate Recruitment Info

The BMW Recruitment Consultancy
31 Harbour Exchange Square
London E14 9GE
Email: BMWrecruit@kha.co.uk

Stats

Staff in the UK: 19,000
Dealers in the UK: 148

Departments

BMW dealers
Corporate sales
Customer Services
Financial Services
Media