which DG's have you contacted? which ones have contacted you?

Hi Luna

I really don't think it is only a matter of lobbying. So yes, when we are pre-selected there are more or less 4 for each position. However, the 4 can have very different profiles. Basically we can apply with any degree but most of the positions seem to be for people with a certain type of profile: law, budget and the political sciences/international relations.
I can imagine that many of us will have the last profile and even if there are many vacancies for those profiles it will be more competitive. Therefore, an e-mail might help you to stand-out from the crowd, if you are able to have good correlation with the unit you are contacting. On the other hand, for those with very specific profiles, for example I have a scientific background, it also might be useful as they could not even look at your profile in the database.

In my case I lobbied some specific units I was interested and only received two e-mails (one had no vacancies, the other fwd my e-mail to someone else) and one phone call just asking if I was still available. My e-mails were rather short and a bit generic, 3-4 lines just presenting myself with my professional webpage and CV attached. I think it is very difficult to be very specific on a certain project because there are a lot of things going on at the same time in any of the units!

yes, you are right! thank you very much...lets try again then!!!!!!

Hi all - I made an account because the following information might give those who didn't receive calls more hope:

Yesterday I received a call from the HoU which was supposed to take me that there was a problem: apparently a unit within another DG (EAC - which I didn't lobby at all) had already selected me, this without any communication at all. This means that I wouldn't have found out about it before July. So it is really possible!

A question: the HoU of my prefered unit suggested that I should reject this EAC offer so I could take his offer afterwards. Is there anybody who knows somebody who had to do the same? Just to doublecheck that I don't risk my stage by refusing an offer.

Thanks! And fingers crossed for all of you!

Hi guys!

I'm aware of 3 Units within different DG's (ENTR, RTD and MOVE ) that have selected me for their shortlist. I have lobbied only 4 units (within DG MOVE) out of witch I'm aware that one selected me. I didnt lobbied the other DG's but I've got a phone call from one and an email from the other stating that I'm their first choice:

I want to let you know that your candidature is n.1 at least in our shortlist.

Now of course it will be up to the central Commission services to decide.
If you are finally offered a stage opportunity from several DGs, I presume it will be up to you to choose.

Is it true that we will receive more offers and will chose the one we want or the Traineeship Office will do it without our consent? So in the end we will receive only one offer and if we don't accept it we won't receive another one?

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks and good luck to everyone!!

See you in Brussels!!!

Thanks Emil_T for sharing the above! Well, this is a good question! It is not really clear how the TO will go about it and whether we will be given the possibility to choose from among various offers or whether the TO will just send us the offer of the first DG that reserved us! From the wording of the Dg communication that you cited it seems that they are not really sure either..as they "presume" that it will be up to you to choose.. I think the safest thing would be to actually ask this questions to the TO by an email or something..

What do you guys think? Can one actually still lobby or do you think that all is already more or less decided?

Well, if the internal deadline was the 6th or 7th I suppose that most of units of DGs should have decided who their first choice of trainee is..but then again you have nothing to lose and it might be the case that not all units have decided!

can somebody explain to me what does "lobbying DGs" mean exactly and what's the use? :/

Hi ovca, it was unit B5 i think transparency

can someone please answer me?

So lobbying means that once we got into the second round a lot of us sent an e-mail to the units where we wanted to go, ie the units of which we thought we would fit into the profile; I for one sent emails to some units in the EEAS, HOME and BEPA, stressing why I would fit there and sent an updated CV - some people didn't do that at all though.
Some units sent me a generic mail back sort of 'yeah, thanks we'll consider you' and some not at all; anyways, there are some people here who got a traineeship without any lobbying, as all units also have access to the 'blue book', where all our applications and cvs are in and where they can search for candidates themselves.

And yeah, we kinda know that they had the internal deadline on the 7th, and some had phone interviews before that, lots of us didnt; also some already got the mail that they were chosen, even though official word only comes out on July 7th. We don't know which units tell you beforehand and which don't, but I personally assume that if you didn't hear back from anyone until now and didn't have any phone interviews (as is the case with me), perspectives are pretty grim....

okay thanx, so it's kinda you're promoting yourself via e-mail.

yes, i'm a bit angry i didn't get pre-selected, i was really hoping i'd receive that phonecall/email.

but nothing at all.

i got a call from DG Comp last week. good luck to all.

Hey equitysdarling, I also got a call from DG Comp last week. Which unit contacted you?

Hey!

I have only send out an e-mail to my preferred DG yesterday...do you think it's too late?
Has anyone heard of DG SANCO?

Thank you!!

Hi a.cross! I received a call from DG Sanco last week for a brief interview. I was informed after some days that I was their second choice in their list.

Hey Joan!

Do you know which Unit?
And did you write to them before, presenting yourself or sending your CV?
Maybe I am late then :/
What is your background?

He!

I received two 'positive' responses from DG ENER and a phone interview for DG ECFIN, stating they would start 'procedures'. Has anyone had the same response and would you know what 'starting the procedure' means? Is it positive? I don't know whether to e-mail/call for more detailed information.

Thanks, good luck everyone!

Did anyone hear from DG JUST??

asset wrote:He!

I received two 'positive' responses from DG ENER and a phone interview for DG ECFIN, stating they would start 'procedures'. Has anyone had the same response and would you know what 'starting the procedure' means? Is it positive? I don't know whether to e-mail/call for more detailed information.

Thanks, good luck everyone!

Hey asset,

I don't think "starting the procedure" could be negative in any way. So, I would advise to just wait and see, but I guess it also doesn't harm to ask them what the next steps are if you are really impatient. Did you lobby to that unit that contacted you? And if so, how long did you have to wait between your e-mail and their call?

FYI, I just got a rejection email from DG Trade Unit F1 saying that they chose another candidate. Seems like certain units, if not all, made their final decisions.

Gud luck to all of you!

PS: This IS one of the units that I lobbied!

@ mermaid123: have this Unit contacted you anyhow before (e.g. phone call)?

Thanks and good luck

bocho wrote:@ mermaid123: have this Unit contacted you anyhow before (e.g. phone call)?

Thanks and good luck

No, nothing. Not even acknowledgement email

@bocho
@mermaid123

I received the same e-mail today from Unit F1, the only difference is that they did contact me by phone one week ago.

By the way, has anyone contacted the TO already, to find out whether they have been flagged? I received an answer that I have to wait until mid-july for the official offer and that they couldn't tell anything.. so annoying, why would it be a secret? Deadline's closed already..

He Cloudy,

Thanks for the advice, I think I might send an email to ask for further details since I hear most DG have chosen already. I will be super happy once its confirmed but I fear the silence is not a good sign.
I lobbied several unit for DG ENER and communicated through e-mail, they asked me for a very detailed motivation in french, english and dutch. One unit specifically asked me if I was still available and still interested, and after I replied I got the response they would start procedures. The other unit is waiting until the mid-july deadline to inform if you have a position but were positive about my motivation. But everything was through e-mail to answer your question.
DG ECFIN I lobbied too, but not the unit I had a phone interview with. They e-mailed that they were interested in my profile and invited me to call for a interview at a convenient time, so that was very nice. It was quite an informal interview, I had prepared for detailed questions in different languages, but I was asked if I could write good English and if I was interested in the unit and what kind of work I would do.
Good luck, I hope you are successful !

asset wrote:
I lobbied several unit for DG ENER and communicated through e-mail, they asked me for a very detailed motivation in french, english and dutch. One unit specifically asked me if I was still available and still interested, and after I replied I got the response they would start procedures. The other unit is waiting until the mid-july deadline to inform if you have a position but were positive about my motivation. But everything was through e-mail to answer your question.
!

Hey Asset,

Which units did you contact in DG ENER and which ones contacted you? So far you're the onyl one I've seen who's been contacted by that DG. And may I also ask your background? I've loobied for several DG ENER units too, but I haven't heard anything from them except that they don't respond do lobbying but will only look at candidates in the VBB.

he Lallarn,

I received a response from the units B1, C2, C3, B3 and A3 (briefest way to write it down), 3 responded with questions about motivation and the others stated they select through the VBB. Today I received a voicemail from A3 confirming an unofficial offer so thats great! My background is MSc European Political Economy focussing on EMU and an MA International Relations with a specialisation in the political economy of energy. Which ones did you contact? I wouldn't worry if you didn't get a response, most units don't seem to keen on lobbying, I hope you get an official offer!

Do you guys think one can still lobby or do shall one better leave it to not abuse the DG? I mean not all DG's have selected their trainees yet (at least that is how it seems) and there might be some people that have decided to take up another job?

asset congratulations!

Lallarn I also sent mails to several units in DG ENER and they told me or that they worked with the VBB or that thay had already selected the candidates (it was two weeks ago!)

So let's wait...