1. Career opportunities with the European Institutions

2. My Role To promote EU Careers Point of contact in Durham
To post relevant information via Facebook

3. Data Protection Supervisor
Choose EU Careers
Economic & Social Ctte
Commission
Council
Ctte of Regions
Parliament
Ombudsman
Court of Justice
Data Protection Supervisor
The EU Institutions employ 40,000 women and men from a wide variety of cultural, educational, and professional backgrounds who are united by their passion for Europe.
Throughout their career, employees have the possibility to move from one department or job-profile to another (mobility). In this way they have the opportunity to discover different policies and services in the Institutions and also to broaden their skills and competencies.
Court of Auditors
… and many other agencies of the EU

4. Why EU Careers? A career with the EU Institutions gives you:
A lifetime of different jobs
Interesting and challenging work that makes a real difference for Europe
An environment where you are encouraged to learn new skills and languages
The opportunity to work and travel abroad, and work with people from all over Europe
An attractive benefits package

5. What is an EU career?
Two categories of staff – wide variety of profiles:
Administrators (AD) e.g. policy officers, lawyers, auditors, scientific officers, translators, interpreters, communication & press officers …
Assistants (AST) e.g. secretaries, HR assistants, financial assistants, conference technicians, accountants, ICT specialists…
The type of job profiles available in the institutions of the European Union are as wide as the activities of the European Union itself. Some examples:
Policy officers, project officers, communication & press officers, accounting officers
Lawyers, auditors, scientific officers, contract administrators, socio-economic analysts, case handlers
Translators, interpreters, lawyer-linguists, proofreaders
Secretaries, HR assistants, financial assistants, conference organisers
ICT specialists, web designers, audiovisual technicians, conference technicians
Doctors, veterinaries, nurses, social workers
Civil servants in the Institutions are divided into two functions groups – administrators and assistants. In parallel, there is a linear career system which consists of 16 levels (grades).
The administrator function group (AD) covers grades 5 to 16. New staff generally enter this group at grade 5.
The assistant function (AST) covers grades 1 to 11 (overlapping with Administrators in grades 5-11). New staff usually enters at grades 1 or 3.

6. What they look for Best candidates across Europe
Motivation to work for Europe
Strong analytical, organisational and communication skills
Ability to adapt easily to a variety of environments and stakeholders

7. Do you have what it takes?
You would like to use and enhance your language abilities
You have the drive to deliver results and the ability to work effectively as part of a multi-cultural team
You are eager to learn and develop your knowledge and skills
Following a comprehensive job analysis of all entry grades of EU officials across the Institutions, aimed at identifying the key characteristics and behaviours of effective officials, a set of core competencies emerged – common to all institutions and equally valid at AD and AST levels. The seven core competencies identified are as follows:
Analysis and Problem Solving Identifies the critical facts in complex issues and develops creative and practical solutions
Communicating Communicates clearly and precisely both orally and in writing
Delivering Quality and Results Takes personal responsibility and initiative for delivering work to a high standard of quality within set procedures
Learning and Development Develops and improves personal skills and knowledge of the organisation and its environment
Prioritising and Organising Prioritises the most important tasks, works flexibly and organises own workload efficiently
Resilience Remains effective under a heavy workload, handles organisational frustrations positively and adapts to a changing work environment
Working with Others Works co-operatively with others in teams and across organisational boundaries and respects differences between people
A further competency applies to AD grades:
Leadership Manages, develops and motivates people to achieve results

8. How to apply Single point of entry: Entry is by open competition
European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)
Entry is by open competition
Notice of Competition published in Official Journal of European Union, also available via
Organised in annual cycles for general profiles
More specialised profiles “on demand”
Apply online at:
EPSO selects candidates
Selection procedure = 5-9 months
Institutions recruit from selected candidates
The European institutions select future officials through open competitions, which involve a series of competitive examinations Competitions are open to all citizens of the European Union who meet the specified requirements. This procedure gives all candidates a fair chance to demonstrate their abilities and guarantees selection based on merit while observing the principle of equal treatment.
A Notice of Competition (23 languages) setting out the requirements for each competition is published in the Official Journal of the European Union and can be accessed via the EU Careers website. Online registration to competitions is via the same website (in English, French or German).
A selection board is appointed to select the best candidates in the light of the requirements set out in the competition notice. The board compares the candidates’ performance in order to assess their suitability for the duties described in the notice. Its task is not only to evaluate their knowledge but also to identify those who are best qualified in terms of merit.
Competitions are organised:
- either in annual cycles;
- or to meet specific needs of the institutions.
More on the annual cycles of competitions on a later slide.
Candidates who pass a competition are placed on a reserve list from which the institutions draw recruits as and when they need them. The aim of a competition, then, is not to fill a specific post, but to constitute a reserve pool for recruitment.
The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is the interinstitutional office responsible for organising competitions .
Two-stage procedure:
Selection
Recruitment
EPSO is responsible for the selection procedure.
The Institutions are responsible for recruitment.

9. linguistic skills test -
When to apply
AST
Registration +
Self-assessment
CBT
Assessment
Recruitment
Registration +
Self-assessment
CBT / professional
linguistic skills test -
CV sift
Recruitment
Assessment Centre
ADL
Self-assessment
Registration +
CBT
Assessment Centre
Recruitment AD
December
March
June
September
This diagram illustrates how the new annual cycle of competitions operates.
From 2010, competitions for generalist profiles are being organised in annual cycles. Registration for competitions for Administrators open in March, for Linguists (translators and interpreters) in July and for Assistants in December. The registration period is usually open for one month. The selection procedure lasts 5-9 months depending on the number of candidates.
In addition to the annual cycles for generalist profiles, competitions for more specialised profiles will also be organised throughout the year, depending on the recruitment needs of the institutions.

10. 2010 cycles November/December 2010: Assistant competition
March 2011: Administrator competition
July 2011: Linguist competition
These are the fields included in the AD5 Administrator competition for The fields for 2011 and subsequent years will depend on the recruitment needs of the institutions.
In total, approximately 320 successful candidates are being sought for the 2010 competition. For the final figure and the breakdown per field, refer to the Notice of Competition (published on 16 March).

11. Current Competitions
The 2011 graduate 'administrator' selection procedure will open on 16th March.
This year we will be selecting within the following six fields: -European Public Administration -Law -Economics -Audit -Finance -Statistics
Lawyer linguist and other specialist competitions will be organised differently. Details of the eligibility criteria, the competition structure and the types of tests will be provided in the Notice of Competition.

12. www.eu-careers.eu Where to apply
The EU Careers website is divided into three pillars:
Discover EU careers: to find out about the range of job opportunities and types of employment in the EU institutions and what to expect during the selection procedures.
Apply here: create an EPSO account needed to apply online, apply online for a competition and monitor progress of (existing) applications.
Successful candidates: information for those who have passed a competition.

13. The competition

14. Who can apply – basic requirements
Citizens of the 27 Member States
Knowing at least 2 official EU languages
Currently 2nd language must be EN, FR or DE
Officials working in the EU institutions must be citizens of one of the 27 Member States of the European Union and enjoy their full rights as a citizen, and speak at two of the official languages of the European Union. In addition, they must meet the character requirements for the duties involved and have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by the laws on military service.
Currently, candidates in competitions must choose either English, French or German as a second language, as these are the languages in which the tests are conducted. It is not possible to take the tests in your native language (i.e. someone with English as main language must take the tests in either French or German).
These are the minimum requirements and there may be specific requirements depending on the type of competition, i.e. translators and interpreters will require additional and specific language knowledge. This information is set out in the Notice of Competition.
There is no age limit.

15. Who can apply - qualifications
For Administrator grades:
University degree (bachelor)
For Assistant grades:
Higher secondary education (at least)
Relevant professional experience
NB: Specific requirements for each competition – see Notice of Competition
The minimum qualifications required for an Administrator competition is a 3-year university degree (or equivalent). Depending on the field of the competition, this qualification may need to be in a specific subject (i.e. a law degree for a lawyer competition). AD5 is the grade at which graduates enter an administrator’s career in the institutions. Administrators recruited at this grade can undertake, under supervision, three main types of work in the institutions: policy formulation, operational delivery and resource management. For competitions at this grade, no professional experience is required. We are particularly looking for candidates with a potential for career development.
Generalist Assistant competitions may be organised at two different entry grades, AST1 and AST3. The entry requirements differ between the two levels. For AST1, a post-secondary qualification in a subject relevant to the field of the competition (e.g. secretarial diploma for a secretary competition) OR a higher secondary school diploma AND relevant professional experience (e.g. 2 years working as a secretary for a secretary competition). For AST3, more years of relevant professional experience will be required.
Details of the qualifications/professional experience required for each competition are set out in the Notice of Competition.

16. Competition structure – general overview
> 50,000 applicants
1. Admission Tests (CBT) – multiple-choice tests in EN, FR or DE – cognitive abilities
– test centre in Edinburgh or London
– all applicants
2. Assessment Centre
– EPSO assessment centre in Brussels
– competency-based
– fixed quota
3. Reserve list
See Notice of Competition for details
typically
1 : 3
This is a simplified diagram of the structure of a competition, which does not reflect all possible variations for different types of competitions.
Online registration and booking of CBT test appointment (via EU Careers website and EPSO Account)
Sitting computer-based admission tests (may not apply for specialist competitions) – details of types of tests on later slides.
The candidates who achieve the best marks in the admission tests are invited to attend an assessment centre in Brussels – details on later slides.
The candidates who achieve the highest aggregate marks at the assessment centre will be included on a reserve list (subject to proof that they meet all the eligibility requirements) and are then available for recruitment by an institutiton).
< 300 successful

17. Competition structure – by type
This diagram illustrates the different stages of a competition by type of competition.

18. Computer based tests - overview
Verbal reasoning
Numerical reasoning
Abstract reasoning
Situational judgement
AST: Professional skills
Linguists: Language skills
(EU knowledge is no longer tested)
in second language (English, French or German)
Where competitions require it, EPSO organises tests for admission to open competitions as described in the competition notice. Candidates take these tests on a computer in centres that specialise in this kind of test.
If you satisfy the conditions specified in the competition notice for the admission tests, you will be invited, via your EPSO account, to reserve a date within a range indicated in the invitation. As a rule, you will be offered several possible dates and centres.
A list of centres throughout the European Union (and possibly in some non-member countries) will be sent to you via your EPSO account..
Depending on the competition you have applied for, the tests may include the following:
Verbal reasoning – short passages of text, multiple-choice questions.
Numerical reasoning – tables/graphs, multiple-choice questions.
Abstract reasoning – series of diagrams that follow a logical sequence or contain a set of underlying rules, task is to choose the next diagram in the series from a number of different answer options.
Test(s) in the field chosen.
Situational judgement test – questions describing a work-related scenario linked to a block of four possible actions (MCQ format). Out of these, you are asked to choose the most effective AND the least effective action to take, in the light of the given situation. At first, SJT will be deployed as an additional non-eliminatory element and the results will be provided to the Selection Board for advisory purposes at the assessment centre.
A key principle in developing EPSO's enhanced selection methods is the shift from knowledge to competency-based assessment whilst continuing to respect the principle of fair and equal treatment at the same time. This approach will also be applied at the admission test stage of future open competitions.
That's why EPSO has enlarged its range of cognitive ability tests by replacing the EU knowledge test with an abstract reasoning test. This test - which is free of linguistic elements - offers a range of advantages for conducting fair and impartial assessments of candidates from 27 different EU Member States. Essentially, the abstract reasoning test has been proved to be:
• An objective, reliable and fair testing tool
• Largely unaffected by differences in ethnicity, education, gender and cultural background
• A good predictor of future job performance. .
What will CBT look like for the first AD cycle in March?
Candidates will take a total of four tests within a 2 hour time period (including a short break): verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, abstract reasoning as well as the non-eliminatory Situational Judgement Tests. There will be a minimum pass mark for the verbal reasoning test, as well as a combined minimum pass mark for the numerical and abstract reasoning tests. Thus, a candidate would be able to compensate a lower score in one test by a better performance in the other one.
Please note that key parameters for all admission tests like number of items and time available per test may vary for each competition. This information shall be published well in advance in various sources, namely Notice of Competition, Instructions and Booking letters.

19. Verbal Reasoning - Example
More sample test questions available on the EU Careers website.

20. Verbal Reasoning - Example

21. Numerical Reasoning - Example

22. Numerical Reasoning - Example

23. Abstract reasoning (sample question)
More sample tests are available on the EU Careers website.

24. Situational judgement (sample question)

25. Assessment Centre Depending on the competition:
Case study in the field in question
Exercises relating to professional skills
Oral presentation
Structured interview
Group exercises
Practical language tests
Under the new competition procedures, EPSO uses a standard « assessment centre » model, based on competencies. This model has been chosen by the institutions to be able to identify the most suitable and competent candidates for the profile required. After the admission tests, candidates are invited to an assessment centre session, which is normally held in Brussels.
In the assessment centre, candidates will be tested by appropriate instruments. A detailed explanation of these items will be given in the « Assessment Centre » brochure that candidates will receive when invited to take part in this stage of the procedure. The competition notice lists the items used for a particular competition.
The assessment centre for the Administrator competition published in March 2010 will contain a case study, a group exercise, an oral presentation and a structured interview. The exercises will be undertaken in the candidate’s language 2. The candidate’s main language will also be tested during the case study. The specific competencies in the field of the competition will be marked out of 20 (pass park: 10) and the general competencies will be marked out of 10 (pass mark: 3 for each competency and 50 out of 80 for all 8 general competencies.

26. Conclusion - Reserve list
List of successful candidates
Basis for recruitment by Institutions
Valid for at least one year – may be extended
No guarantee of a job…
Following the competition, the selection board draws up a reserve list containing the names of successful candidates. The list is then sent to the institutions, since responsibility for recruitment rests solely with them. They will also be sent a document known as a “competency passport” setting out your performance at the assessment centre, which they may use during the recruitment procedure and with a view to your career development.
If your name is included on the reserve list, you may be invited by an institution for an interview, but this does not mean you have any right to or guarantee of recruitment.
Under the Staff Regulations, recruitment depends on posts and funds becoming available. Recruitment will be at the grade indicated in the competition notice.

27. EU Careers – recruitment process
Institutions check profiles of successful candidates
Candidates invited to job interviews
Job offer
Candidate accepts job offer, or remains on reserve list
More information on the steps following establishment of the reserve list are available in the third pillar « Successful candidates » of the EU Careers website.

28. EU Careers – the whole package
An environment where you are encouraged to learn new skills and languages:
Strong focus on training and development
Language training encouraged (3rd language required for 1st promotion)
Flexible working conditions:
Flexitime, part-time, telework, parental leave, career breaks …
A great package of benefits:
Salary, allowances, pension, European Schools, childcare facilities
The Institutions offer a competitive remuneration package. There is a single pay scale for AD and AST positions with 16 grades (each with 5 seniority steps). Staff automatically advance through the seniority steps within a single grade. They move up one step every two years until they reach the last step in the grade, where upon further progress requires promotion into the next grade. Each promotion up the ladder from grades 1 to 16 provides an equal percentage of salary increase.
The remuneration package also includes a system of allowances – household allowance, dependent child allowance, education allowance, expatriation allowance, annual allowance towards the cost of travel to the place of origin, and others.
Basic monthly salaries (on 1 July 2009):
AST1 (step 1): €2600
AST3 (step 1): €3300
AD5 (step 1): €4200
The salaries paid by the European institutions are subject to a Community tax and not to a national tax in any of the Member States.
More information on the working conditions is contained in the Staff Regulations, available via the EU Careers website.

29. Other employment possibilities
Temporary staff: temporary agents
Contract staff: contract agents
Traineeships (5 months)
Seconded national experts (typically 1-2 years)
Interim Staff (6 months, drawn from local agencies)
Commission Ambassadors: Training Seminar

30. More profiles and EU-tube
Follow Durham EU Careers Facebook page:
General EU Careers Facebook:
Follow our “raconteurs” (blogging about their lives in the EU institutions) on:
....
Read profiles/watch videos of officials in the EU institutions:
Watch a video about EU Careers:
All accessible via

31. More information, questions …
You will find more information and the latest news regarding competitions on the EU Careers website. The Discover EU careers section has information in 23 languages, the other two sections are in English, French and German.
Specific questions can be asked via the contact form on the website.