Interviews

choco gongratulations and thank u for all informations provided! Lucky boy hope see u in brux!!

yes, choco, you are absolutely right, I know we still have plenty of time left, it is just the anxiety, you know... and I see now also that you were talking about COMP and not COMM, so my confusion is over And christian.fiore, indeed, hope to see you all soon!!

Hi everybody,

I have also been preselected and I have already sent a number of "lobby" emails to the HoU.
But now I have a little problem and I hope you can give me some advice.

I was approached by a Unit which I did not lobbied, asking me if I would be interested in the activity of their Unit. However, my background does not quite match their activities, and even though I have some knowledge, I don't feel overly confident.

So, my question is, if I will say yes, and will be considered for an interview, doesn't this mean that I will be flagged in the VBB and not be able to be contacted by Units that I am really interested in? But I also don't want to lose an opportunity to work in the EC, even though I am not very happy with what I do.

When I was offered a stage at the Unit that called me yesterday, I was told not to accept offers from other Units as this would cause some administrative problems in the procedure- unless I receive an offer from a DG that I always wanted to work at. Because, they said, it is important that I feel enthusiastic about the work.
(Thankfully, this was really ma dream DG)

I hope this was of any help:)

Thank you choco! just one thing: u send email directly to the HoU or to te deputies? thanks!!

Hello. I was offered a stage at the Unit that send me a mail.
The Head of this Unit said me that he has submitted my name as the preferred candidate for his unit.
He told me that these preferences are submitted to DG HR, which will eventually contact and offer a stage.

Is this a good thing?
What I have to do? Have I contact someone? Or simply wait?

Can be useful to contact other Unit of others DGs in which I'm interested, to have more chance, if this will not go?

Wow! Some DG/Units are very fast!

Gongrats, guys

crvdatoc, can I ask u which is the DG that contacted you and also, which are your main languages?

Snoji, it's DG COM. My languages are english, spanish, and portoguese.

What do you think about this mail from that unit? Is this a good thing?

For me the procedure is a bit confusing. I got two calls from the same unit on Friday but they mainly asked if I am sill interested and told me about their work. He sent me an Email some minutes later, stating that I will recieve notification from the trainee office. He was positive, but did not give me approval for the internship. So, I fear I have to wait until mid January to get an answer?

I have an appointment for another interview today and I am not sure if I should tell them about the previous call. And today in the morning I got an Email by a HoU I am very interested in and he wrote that he hasn't received the Blue Book list yet.

Is it possible that we get "reserved" in the Blue Book and do not get the offer at the end? I think a clear and coherent selection procedure would be advanterous both for the EC and for us...

Hey guys!

After knowing I was pre-selected, I sent a number of lobbying e-mails.

I got a reply from a HoU I had lobbied to saying she indeed thought my CV suited that unit and that she would consider me as a candidate. Afterwards I got a call from her assistant in order to confirm my candidate number, as she was searching for it in the Blue Book. Afterwards the HoU sent me an e-mail asking wether I was available for an interview and, as I said yes, we scheduled it for today.

So, I had the interview today, conducted by the HoU and by another HoU and the questions were:

- what was my occupation at the moment;
- if I had already worked in the area of that unit;
- why did I want to join that unit in particular;
- if I had already worked with european legislation of that area;
- as I replied yes, she asked me which one;
- if I enjoyed the work of analysing documentation/legislation and then writing a note about it.

*then she started speaking french and asked*

- how is my level of french;
- if I would be able to write a note in french;
- if I was willing to work in french and improve my knowledge of that language while in Brussels;

In the end she stated this was a non-binding interview and that they would communicate me the results in the end of their selection process.

Hey!

I was actually called from DG HOME one day after receiving the pre-selection email, without having lobbied anyone and without even having said anything about that DG in my motivation letter (but I did mention some others). I was so surprised to receive a call so fast that I didn't even know very well how to react.

Anyway, after telling me about the work I would do if I was accepted and asking me if I was interested, she asked me if she could flag me as their preferred candidate. She warned me that in that case no other DG would be able to contact me or select me, so as I was not 100% sure I asked her not to because I would like to see what the options were first.

I haven't heard anything from her since, and after thinking about it I decided that I am actually really interested in the work she was telling me about, but now I'm getting worried that I kind of declined her offer when I asked her not to flag me. I was even thinking about contacting her and telling her that after thinking about it I am very interested in her offer, but I don't remember which specific Unit was she from (I don't think she even said it), so I don't know how to find her.

What do you guys think?

Try to remember and send email or call!

Sgd83:
You ungrateful person!!! DG Home is my dream and now you not only refused them, but you stuck my hopes in the trash, ´cause now I know they have been calling people already!!
But can´t you see the the number the lady called you from? I´m sorry for you, really, this flaging thing isn´t really fair, because as well as them, we want to have our choice (but if we find out in the end we have no choice, we´re happy to have something hanging in there)

I'm sorry kaca! Now I really regret having "rejected" it, because the position they offered me was really good! But at that moment I was not thinking straight, and I hadn't even had the time to really check what the options were, or start lobbying or anything, so I got confused.

I might try to just call the DG later today and try to find out who called me. It showed up as a Private Number

Aaarggghh!! I'm so stupid sometimes!!

It´s normal you didn´t think that fast, the process is so long that after receiving the e-mail I though we had like two weeks before something would start moving again, if someone had called me the next day I wouldn´t know what to say at all.
But maybe they have chosen you anyway, even without flaging you, just try calling the HR from the DG and they should tell you more
And don´t forget to tell us after which unit it was (so that I can be jealous )

As far as I unterstood it every unit can make a "ranking" with prefered candidates. If someone is the prefered canidate of several units, the traineeship office somehow decides who gets who. From this perspective, there would be no "reserving" of candidates.

But of course, this is just the information I got in the interview from one person, we cannot be sure if its correct or the same for all DGs.

@sgd83 normal reaction. I was also surprised by my first call, and it didnt went well...

Gyus, is someone interested in DG ELARG? Any message from this DG? I got one phone call yesterday from them. Nothing special, just interview...

I got a call from DG COMM to check if I was still interested. They say they want me in their unit but that I have to wait until january to know if I'll get the contract. It was a non binding interview.

Hi KitKat, first of all, congrats to you on your success!! Great for you!!
May I ask you which unit it was from COMM? Just because I also contacted them, but so far, no news for me... Thanks for all the info!

Hi etusje. In fact the person who talked to me didn't mention the name of the unit, just explained me which kind of job they want me to do. But I'm almost sure it was not the unit I lobbied because the type of work doesn't match.I'm still not sure if I succeeded because the final choice is not from the person who called me. I tried to understand which unit called me by doing some research at the page of the DG COMM staff, but I was not able to figure it out.

I'm a bit nervous about all this, because I have a job I like in my country. On the other hand, one must take risks if we want to follow our dreams right?

Wish you all the best and hope you get a call soon!

Hi KitKat! Indeed, you are right, you need to risk sometimes to follow your heart. I have a similar situation. Perhaps you could ask for unpaid leave at your current job? And if they say 'yes' you can still have the time to think about what's next later. Well.. I am sure you will figure it out what's best for you. I also have a job, but I do not like it that much, so for me it will be easier to leave that - which I think I will do anyways, I have put now all my hopes into this traineeship, to finally follow my heart. Considering I have no call, nothing yet, I really don't know what to think... I guess I have to keep on waiting for still some weeks (!) to find out, and I am really impatient
Thanks once again for your info and fingers crossed for you too!!

Thank you for your encouragement! If everything goes for the best we shall meet in Brussels!

Good luck

I received another phone interview today from another Head of Unit I had lobbyed to. He called me and said all Heads of Unit from his DG needed to suggest 3 trainees which they should rank in their order of preference to the Traineeship Office until 5pm today. So he said I was one of his 3 selected trainees and he wanted to confirm some of the information I stated in my CV. He asked why I was interested in his Unit, explained the work there performed and asked if I used to do similar work and asked about my language level. He said the next contact would be from the Traineeship Office, who would communicate me whether I was picked or not.

Do you think that contact will only come in January? Because I would like to know if any of the 2 units which interviewed me "officialy" picked me already, or if I should continue to accept interviews / insist on the lobbying!

I'm afraid we'll have to wait until January to be informed about the official decision or at least until the end of this month. I don't think that there is any way we can know if we were officially picked. But if, by chance, they have told you that you are their "top candidate" I believe your chances are high. And you have two units interested which is a good thing right?

Good luck!!

Hello guys, I just registered, mad with anxiety, to share my worries with somebody!

However, I have not heard from anyone until now, so if what ECandidate has been told is right, les jeux sont faits....I guess I have to give up.
Maybe I just didn't send enough emails...are 21 enough??

Whatever...I'm just so sad....I really believed I could make it this time...

I'll keep a tiny hope until tomorrow,then I just have to chin up and go on I guess

Hi lilli84. ECandidate said "said all Heads of Unit from his DG needed to suggest 3 trainees which they should rank in their order of preference to the Traineeship Office until 5pm today." This doesn't mean that all other DG's have the same deadline. Plus, I've read stories of ex-trainees who got a placement without having received a call.

Don't lose your hope!

One unit said me that I'm one of his priority trainees, but it is not the definitive selection.
Do you think that can be a good idea to lobbies other Units in the same DG, to have more chance?

KitKat wrote:Hi lilli84. ECandidate said "said all Heads of Unit from his DG needed to suggest 3 trainees which they should rank in their order of preference to the Traineeship Office until 5pm today." This doesn't mean that all other DG's have the same deadline. Plus, I've read stories of ex-trainees who got a placement without having received a call.

Don't lose your hope!

Oh my, what an idiot!! I got it all wrong, thanks to my cosmic pessimism!
Thank you so much KitKat, you gave me a more hopeful end of week!
Tomorrow I will make more backup calls anyway!

Hey guys, do you know if EEAS started to interview? Also, anyone for DG budget?

Hello I would like to ask you if anybody have already had an interview from DG SANCO or DG AGRI?
I would be grateful for you answer.
Kind regards