Many EPSO competition applicants wonder what type of jobs they may get after passing a competition. As the EU deals with so many issues inside and outside Europe, there is a large pool of options available to you in the course of your EU career. Do you have a specific job, a country or a post in mind? Have a look at some examples below and check out our tips on how to get them!
1. Assistant to the Director of DG SANCO in the Commission (Brussels): if you passed a competition for assistants, you can be recruited to various posts, for instance in the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs (DG SANCO) as an assistant to the Director responsible for consumer affairs. Daily tasks include arranging public consultations, correspondence with citizens, personnel issues of the directorate and providing logistical input to the upcoming legislative proposals in this field.
How to get it? Aim to pass an assistant (AST) competition, and highlight your organisational, IT and multi-tasking skills at the interview. Show interest in consumer affairs and make sure you study the organigram of the Directorate General before the interview!
2. Administrator at the Internal Market Committee of the European Parliament (Brussels/Strasbourg): as most competitions are inter-institutional, the selection committee at the oral exam will ’flag’ your name based on the EU institution they think would best fit your profile. This way you may be ’flagged’ for the Commission, Parliament, Committee of the Regions or any other institution. Many European Parliament officials have to travel to Strasbourg once a month to the plenary session, so you get a chance to travel and work in both cities.
How to get it? Try publishing a few studies on issues related to the Committee’s work and make sure you emphasize this at the oral exam, along with your strong preference (and good reasons) why you would like to work in the European Parliament as opposed to other institutions.
3. Desk officer for India or Australia in DG RELEX of the Commission (Brussels/New Delhi/Canberra): desk officer posts in DG RELEX require a solid background in international relations and a good understanding of the region you wish to deal with. Except for targeted competitions, most administrators go to the external relations DG after spending some time in other areas of the Commission, or even if it is their first post, they start as a desk officer covering a specific country or region with frequent travels to the Commission delegation in the capital. And of course, being so close, you may as well go for a nice diving weekend in the Maldives (from India) or a relaxing surfing trip in Australia.
How to get it? Be patient. Even if you enter the Commission services as a civil engineer, you can dedicate sufficient time and effort to profile yourself for this job by attending language classes, learning about Asian affairs and showing the necessary motivation. Sooner or later you will find a vacancy notice and with your well positioned profile, easily get your dream job.
4. Translator at the Court of Auditors (Luxembourg): given that the EU uses 23 official languages and most documents must be translated into all of them, there is a significant and continuous need for translators and interpreters. The job may include carrying out translations from one or two languages to your mother tongue, or you may do proofreading of other translations. Apart from becoming fully familiar with EU terminology, you will know the institution inside-out.
How to get it? As a start, apply to be a freelance translator at private agencies that are contractors to EU institutions, or you may also try to contact the institutions themselves directly. When a position or a competition opens up, you can demonstrate your solid expertise in the field.
5. Press officer in the Commission’s representation in Bucharest (Romania): The European Commission has one or more representations in every Member State where political officers, press officers and other staff work as a connection between the Member State’s press, media and politicians and the European Commission, along with various project officers.
How to get it? Given the relatively small size of the representations, it may not be easy to get a job there. Nevertheless, if you speak the local language fluently (you don’t need to have the citizenship of course) and you are familiar with the political landscape and the local context, you stand a good chance to get this job. Given its sensitivity, make sure you present yourself as an unbiased analyst who has objective and balanced views.