General discussion for October 2012

Ok people, I know it's early... But we should start exchanging experianses and sotries about this...

So, who's applying?!





Welcome!

Very early indeed But I have already decided to apply, so I might as well respond

Finally someone! Do you have any preferred DG or ...?

I'm sure more will follow eventually Otherwise it will be very easy to get selected, without any competition

I'm currently still researching all the DG's in detail and matching them with my interests and background, so nothing definite yet. But I do have three DG's that I think are very interesting, so they're probably going to be my choices. They are INFSO, DIGIT and ENTR (in order of preference). You?

hahahaha... that would be awesome if only us two apply

Nice choice, so you studied something in IT, computer science... and similar...

I am still not sure... I study economics, so it will be something related to that. You are already in Brussels as I can see?

Yes, I study business engineering in management information systems, which combines business and IT skills. It's an excellent basis for INFSO and DIGIT

Some advice: from what I've seen on this forum and other websites you need to have a solid ground for your choices and ranking, so choose carefully.

I am lucky to actually be a Belgian, so I live quite near Brussels (relatively speaking). I don't know if that will be of *any* importance though

Hey guys!

I am applying as well. I am currently taking an MSc in Law & Accounting at the London School of Economics.

I am Swiss and Italian, hopefully they'll like the mix. I lived in China for a bit and speak some Mandarin, would love to put that to use.

Still researching DG's.

Woohoo... another one

Well, I am planning.... and I think I will make a mix of my studies, work experiences (which is not so big) and my wished... and choose DGs.

Oh, so you are close to Brussels... so, do you have any inside information?

BTW, I wrote them like a month ago, and they haven't replied me... maybe they are not replying until the process is not reopened???

Welcome giulia!

I have NO inside information whatsoever, sorry!

I have just started thinking about the application process as all my classmates are applying to law firms and banks but...

I am more Government oriented! In fact, most of the elective courses I picked this year are regulation based.

My very first choice of DG is EEAS (European External Action Service), I have to see what else would be cool to do.

Inside information, let me see...

Unfortunately, no. I have been to the European parliament and have seen the European quarter (and brought back a ridiculous amount of booklets and brochures from their information office), but I can't really say I know what's going on inside. All I know is what I found on the internet here and there.

What about contacting them? Have you tried recently? Any response? As I already said, I wrote them like a month ago, and they haven't replied me. Maybe they are not replying until the process is not reopened

I haven't contacted them yet. I'd first like to decide on the DG's and my motivation for them. After that I'll try and contact them. It could be they're only answering questions for the March 2012 batch at the moment or that you sent it to the wrong department and it got lost as they send it somewhere else. If I contact them, I'll let you know.

I think I am going to contact someone at the EEAS soon as well.

Yes, sounds reasonable. I did contacted them really early, and they did replied to me, but than the application period for March 2012 was still open. But I did not contacted any specific DG, just office for general info.

Anyways...

About DG... I think, besides our wished and educational and working background, we should also think to be more reasonable... and maybe include some DG that are not the most popular ones, and with that get more chances to get in. You know what I mean?

As giulia said that her first choice is EEAS, I also read here and other pages, that EEAS may be one of the most popular ones!

That is a very good point. Which do you think are the least popular?

Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

I'd be careful with that. It's more of a matching process than a popularity contest. It won't do any good to pick a less popular DG if you have no relevant skills or background that they can use. Just pick the DG's you are most motivated for and for which you have the best background, then try to find ways to make you stand out. If you have a skill or profile that is special or unique in a particular way and which would interest them, make sure that gets noted.

That's what I'll do anyways. It's still an internship, you have to learn something relevant from it. I have no interest in working for the European Commission in a domain that does not interest me.

I just about finished my research in the DG's and writing down my motivation for each one, so I think I'll contact them soon. See what they're looking for and what they have in store for the applicants.

Yes, you are right... of course you have to take in consideration when you applying your wished, and what you are interested in. It does not make any sense to apply to work somewhere if you don't have any interests in that field.

So yo going to contact the DGs directly? I think that's good idea. BTW you mentioned motivation latterS!? So you wrote 3 different motivation letters? I was thinking it should be only one?

No, no, I wrote only one motivation letter, but in that letter I will briefly explain my motivation for each choice.

I am going to try and contact the DG's directly, yes. After all, they are the ones who choose the applicants and their tasks.

Yes, good thinking...

I should also contact DGs... so far I have six preferred, so I have to decide soon which three.

I did not ask so far... what about languages? Which one do you speak and have certificates.

I speak Dutch (native language) and English very well. I also speak French and German, but less fluent than English. I'm applying in English. And I also know the basics of Finnish, but that will not help me much I think

I have proof I followed language courses form my university, that's all. It suffices I think.

Yes that is enough, I asked them. My native language is not (unfortunately) official language of EU, (Serbian) but I have proficiency in English (and I am applying with it), and also my Italian is let's say good. My German is also getting better, now I am like A2/B1. Also I have some basic knowledge of French.

For all those I have proof.

But I speak also Spanish, but unfortunately I don't have any certificates... winch is the shame...

mdenic85 wrote:BTW you mentioned motivation latterS!? So you wrote 3 different motivation letters? I was thinking it should be only one?

There's one general personal statement, then shorter motivational briefs for each chosen DGs and finally a paragraph explaining your choice of employment area..
It wouldn't be very wise to repeat same things in all of them, so I'd say it actually is more like 4-5 motivational letters (depends on how many DGs are targeted) rather than one.

That's in the application form you have to fill out? Because I was talking about an actual, separate letter to include in the application dossier.

Don't think they will read that. They will focus on your online application first; make sure that your motivations for the three DGs are distinct from each other, since the DGs are able to see the full dossier. So no copy-paste there!

Oh, thanks guys... I did not know that is going to look like that... They still haven't open the application process, so I don't know the whole thing.

I sent an e-mail to my three preferred DG's last week and so far only one has replied. They referred me to the general website of the Traineeships office, but they also forwarded my e-mail to their own HR department. So if you're going to contact them, try to find the e-mailaddress of their HR department. I would have done the same, but I wasn't sure if their own HR dept. had anything to do with it.

I guess now I'll have to wait some more.

Actually, I sent email last week to two DGs (I still cannot deiced which one to put as my third choice). I got reply tomorrow morning from ECFIN, and I have to say that responded to all my question, and sent me trally long email. I was really surprised. After couple of day I got from another one, Enlargement... and found out that I cannot apply for Enlargement since I would be in conflict of interest, because I have citizenship of a acceding country. So now, I have to figure out new DGs.

Hi guys... discussion for October 2012 is not so active, discussion for March 2012 is on fire!

Anyways I wanted to ask did anyone tried to cocntact Directorate-General for Budget and Secretariat-General of the EC?

I contacted Budget DG but U haven't got any response, and has been days...
And about Secretariat-General, I cannot find any functional way to contact them... broken links, no emails...

Any experience with this???

It's started!

I don't get from the application form... there do we get to choose 3 DGs? Either I don't see it or that we pick later.