Concours open now – How to apply for a job in the EU today!

The final article of EU Careers week is this really useful post about the application process itself – concours opened yesterday (Thursday 13 March) so why not visit http://europa.eu/epso/apply/index_en.htm and apply today?

Application process

Having set out the various different roles available to you earlier in the week, below is a quick rundown of the application process itself, which takes approximately nine months, start to finish.

1. Create an EPSO account here and let us know if you are going to apply: both of these can be done today!
2. Concours are announced by EPSO in a ‘Notice of Competition’ so it’s a good idea to keep a lookout on their website, or follower them on Twitter @EU_Careers. Once this is published the application process can begin!
3. Complete the online application form. You will need to fill out your education and professional experience (if any is required!), complete the language assessment section (you will need to use your second language at the Assessment centre) and answer the motivation questions (how is your education and experience relevant to the profile you are applying for).
4. Validate your application and book the Computer-based (CBT) pre-selection tests.  Don’t wait until the last minute to do this, slots fill up quickly so book early to avoid disappointment.
5. Take the CBT tests. The test will assess, among other things, your Verbal, Numerical and Abstract Reasoning skills. It’s a good idea to start practicing early as you’ll need to be speedy during the test!
6. Assessment Centre in either Brussels or Luxembourg. On the Assessment day you will be tested on job-related skills and it will be competency-based. On the day you will have to do a group exercise, an oral presentation and a structured interview, all in your second language. There’s also a separate written test on the specialty.
7. The Reserve List. Successful candidates are placed on a reserve list, a database which Heads of Units use to recruit according to the profile sought.

The quickest, and easiest way to access the latest hints and tips from those people who have gone through the very same process as above, is by joining the UKinEU network online. This is a network where British EU officials, in a bid to help increase the number of Brits in the Institutions, offer their advice, tips and sometimes time as British candidates move through the process. In addition there are in depth guides to the application process, with some sample tests; a forum for you to ask questions; descriptions of the types of jobs available…and so much more!

So what are you waiting for?! Contact  eucareers@fco.gov.uk for an invite if you haven’t joined already!

Case Study: My EU Career by Nikolas Lane

Today as part of EU week on the blog, we have an article from Nikolas Lane, about how he get into the EU and what he loves about his job!

Employer: European Parliament, DG Presidency

Occupation: Acting Director for Presidency Services

Studied: Modern History, International Relations, Oxford

As an undergraduate I didn’t have a clear idea, indeed any idea frankly, of what I wanted to do in life, so I hung around university for a while in the hope that at some point the fog would lift. However, I was always interested in politics and international relations and from a young age the idea of living abroad had held a certain attraction. An EU career would seem to have been a nice fit but at this stage it didn’t really occur to me.

If truth be told it was a romantic interest that brought me first to Brussels (and I’m still married to her!). In Brussels I managed to get a job working for a British Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and then moved into the private sector by which time I had decided that a job in the EU Institutions ticked all the boxes. The first “concours” (recruitment procedure) that came along was one for Administrators in the Parliament. I took it, managed to pass and found myself not long afterwards working for a Parliamentary committee helping to draft EU legislation. A few years later I moved to the secretariat that assists the work of the two political bodies which run the Parliament. Subsequently, I joined the communication and public relations department at a time of enormous change in that area generated by the advent of new media. Currently, I work mainly in the fields of legislative planning and interinstitutional relations which means a lot of contacts with the European Commission and Council and advising the political leadership in Parliament in its management of legislative business.

The European Parliament is perhaps not the first place that would come to mind if you are thinking for an EU career. But it is a dynamic institution, nothing to do with the image prevalent in the public mind, and an interesting place to have viewed successive Treaty changes of which it has been the principal beneficiary.

Because it must agree to virtually all EU legislation, the budget, and trade and other international agreements, there are jobs in the Parliament dealing with most policy areas. What’s more you are, more or less, obliged to move every few years so there is no risk of getting stuck in a rut.

MEPs and Parliament officials are a pretty diverse bunch and to make sense of that diversity it helps to be interested in and to follow developments in European politics and society. But you don’t have to be starry-eyed or unconditionally committed to everything to do with European integration. Nor, I would stress, do you have to be a professional linguist. I shudder to think what my French was like when I sat for the concours. I’m still fairly hopeless at languages; the only difference is that daily practice has made them a little more serviceable.

Politics and policy, an international environment and an interesting employer – those were boxes that I ticked when I decided I wanted an EU career. They’d be my boxes today and I’d still tick them.

Thanks Nikolas for that great article! If you would like more information about a career within the EU, you can have a read of Monday’s post: EU Careers – are you ready? and there will also be a great article on Friday with more information about the application process, so come back then!

EU Careers – are you ready?

This week is EU Careers week on the blog and today we have Charlotte, who works in the UK’s Foreign Office, to tell you a bit more about the recruitment process and the opportunities available to graduates.

In the challenging times that Europe and the world face today, we Brits need to be putting the best and brightest forward to work in the EU Institutions. It’s not an easy road to take to get there, but if you like a challenge – we’re here to help.

The European Union Institutions have loads on offer and whether you’re a final year student or a recent graduate they’re a great place to kick start your career. Working for the EU really can take you anywhere- based in the heart of Europe, you can enjoy a fast-moving international environment and real responsibility from your first day, where the future roads to take are endless.

So, why isn’t it so easy? – Well, considering we’re one of 28 member states who can apply, we Brits are competing against thousands of others with the same eligibility. The good news? – Like I said, we’re here to help, and as native English speakers we are really in demand too.

Let me introduce my role here: I work in the UK’s Foreign Office in the EU Staffing Unit – and we are here to help reverse the decreasing number of Brits working in the EU through building awareness, offering guidance, practice sessions and, well, almost everything EU recruitment related really! I’m going to tell you a bit about what’s on offer and the challenges they each require- and most importantly, to get you involved.

Let’s take a look at the different profiles on offer as an EU Civil Servant. Actually, first, it’s probably best to clarify the potentially confusing acronyms (which you’ll see a lot of in the EU by the way!) attached to each job profile, which cover three roles; Administrators (ADs), Assistants (AST) and secretaries/clerks (SC) – these are then complicated just a tad more as they are followed by numbers ranging from 1-16 which represents the level/ grade required.

Administrators play an important part in drafting policies and implementing EU law, analysing and advising. The roles vary depending on what EU Institution they are working in, whether it is the European Commission, the Council, the European Parliament etc. To apply to be an Administrator you need to be a university graduate or be in your final year at university. Most concours (the name of the recruitment process to join the EU Institutions, also known as competition to non francophones) call on candidates who have at least a B2 level (Good A-level) in their second language. As a native English speaker, you’d have to choose between French or German for your second language, unless you’re bilingual in another EU language. Graduates start an Administrator’s career in European Institutions at an AD 05 grade and are able to climb up the grades throughout their career.

Assistants take part in the internal management of the EU Institutions. They are generally employed in supporting roles including a good chunk of administration with a spice of policy development and implementation. To apply for an Assistants concours you need to have at least a secondary level diploma (A Levels) and three years of relevant experience. Here again, you also need good knowledge of French or German as a native English speaker, typically a B2 level (Good A-level) in your second language. New staff generally apply at grade AST 03.

Secretaries and Clerks perform most of the secretarial and purely administrative tasks like organising meetings, bookings, managing documents, filing etc. To apply for an SC concours, you need to have at least a secondary level diploma (A Levels). Here again, you also need good knowledge of French or German as a native English speaker, typically a B2 level (Good A-level) in your second language. New staff generally apply at grade AST 01.

 

So if you are a final year student or graduate, you can start applying for entry-level positions in the above roles, which really are the key starting points to an exciting and door-opening career. The EU also regularly recruits Graduates with work experience, administrative personnel and experienced professionals in a wide range of fields as well as translators and interpreters.

Some more good news? – Applications will be opening soon! These tend to happen on a yearly basis by the way. This means that the ‘concours’ that I mentioned earlier, will be taking place this month on the 13 March for AD05 level (that’s Administrator level where 05 is actually the entry level for this role). You apply from home and we have loads of info to get you started.

Working for the EU Institutions means working for a better future for the UK and all of us in the EU – so, are you ready for the challenge?

You apply direct on the EPSO website here; the first step is to create an account. If you are interested at all in applying or maybe just thinking about it, please do get in contact with us. We can help you along the process and would really love to hear from you.  Just send us an email to eucareers@fco.gov.uk.

Friday’s Featured Vacancy – 03/01/2014

Fat Media Ltd, based in Lancaster, are looking for a Front End Developer:

We are looking for a talented, innovative Front End Developer. You will be working in an award-winning cross-functional team that specialises in innovative and leading-edge solutions.You will be responsible for:
•Producing outstanding code and markup.
•Remaining at the forefront of technology, proactively applying new development techniques to projects.
•Working efficiently to meet client deadlines and production targets.
•Communicating effectively with your team and clients.

Essential Skills
•A fluent knowledge of HTML 5 and CSS3
•Ability to create cross-browser compatible layouts that work across multiple devices.
•Ability to hand-code semantic and accessible markup.
•Optimisation techniques – minification, file concatenation etc
•Photoshop or Fireworks.
•Understanding of Javascript – Vanilla JS as well as jQuery.
•Version control – Subversion or Git
•Happy working in a cross functional team.

Nice to Have
•Advanced JavaScript knowledge would be great
•Experience with server-side coding.

We will consider recent graduates with relevant degrees and self-taught applicants who can demonstrate the required skills through their portfolio.

For more information, and to apply, please visit http://www.fatmedia.co.uk/careers

Working abroad: tips and insights

Working abroad is a popular idea. A recent survey by Tredence suggested that 22% of graduates expected to go abroad to find work, although some would argue that this is more of a reflection on UK employment prospects than a fully formed strategy.

Certainly international experience can be a great asset to your career as this global outlook is a characteristic many employers look for. Networking internationally is useful for sharing ideas and information and can pave the way to more advanced projects once back in the UK.

However there are barriers for UK graduates when seeking career success abroad. Some may not be as globally focussed as those from other countries, who may have already had international placements while at university. Perhaps the biggest obstacle is skills as most international positions require language proficiency as well as technical skills. Although America and Australia have always been popular locations, career mobility across Europe is now highly desirable for graduates and companies. This means that graduates who can speak a second or third language are in a particularly strong position.

Where are the opportunities?

There are worldwide skills gaps which present opportunities for those who can fill them. Countries such as India and China are hot markets with strong growth in GDP. Mexico and Brazil hav skills shortages, particularly in engineering, life sciences, finance and oil and gas. Singapore and Hong Kong are also attractive partly because it’s relatively easy to hire from overseas but also because English in widely spoken.
The hardest to fill positions across the globe are generally in IT, engineering, sales, production and research and development, although this differs between countries so it is worth researching if you have a particular location in mind.

How do I get started?

Structured graduate schemes with multinationals are one way in to an international career. Many international companies have a base n the UK and advertise jobs to start in London. Look for companies where you can relocate after being taken on, rather then holding out for an international position straightaway.

You could also consider taking up international work and study placements such as the Erasmus programme which allows you to study in EU universities for set periods of time.

The Association of Graduate Recruiters carried out research with the Council for Industry and Higher Education to explore what businesses need from global graduates. The most prized skills were the ability to work collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds and countries and excellent communication skills. Stress these, as well as your adaptability, flexibility, resilience and self-awareness in your applications.

If you need any further information or advice on the idea of working abroad contact the careers service on careers@cumbria.ac.uk

(Taken from an article by Clare Whitmell in Guardian Professional, May 2013)