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Many EPSO competition applicants wonder what type of jobs they may get after passing a competition. As the EU deals with so many issues inside and outside Europe, there is a large pool of options available to you in the course of your EU career. Have a look at some examples below and check out our tips on how to get them!

1. Assistant to the Director of DG SANCO in the Commission (Brussels): if you passed a competition for assistants, you can be recruited to various posts, for instance in the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs (DG SANCO) as an assistant to the Director responsible for consumer affairs. Daily tasks include arranging public consultations, correspondence with citizens, personnel issues of the directorate and providing logistical input to the upcoming legislative proposals in this field.

How to get it? Aim to pass an assistant (AST) competition, and highlight your organisational, IT and multi-tasking skills at the interview. Show interest in consumer affairs and make sure you study the organigram of the Directorate General before the interview!

2. Desk officer for India or Australia in DG RELEX of the Commission (Brussels/New Delhi/Canberra): desk officer posts in DG RELEX require a solid background in international relations and a good understanding of the region you wish to deal with. Except for targeted competitions, most administrators go to the external relations DG after spending some time in other areas of the Commission, or even if it is their first post, they start as a desk officer covering a specific country with frequent travels to the Commission delegation in the capital. And of course, being so close, you may as well go for a nice diving weekend in the Maldives (from India) or a relaxing surfing trip in Australia.

How to get it? Be patient. Even if you enter the Commission services as a civil engineer, you can dedicate sufficient time and effort to profile yourself for this job by attending language classes, learning about Asian affairs and showing the necessary motivation. Sooner or later you will find a vacancy notice and with your well positioned profile, easily get your dream job.

3. Translator at the Court of Auditors (Luxembourg): given that the EU uses 23 official languages and most documents must be translated into all of them, there is a significant and continuous need for translators and interpreters. The job may include carrying out translations from one or two languages to your mother tongue, or you may do proofreading of other translations. Apart from becoming fully familiar with EU terminology, you will know the institution inside-out.

How to get it? As a start, apply to be a freelance translator at private agencies that are contractors to EU institutions, or you may also try to contact the institutions themselves directly. When a position or a competition opens up, you can demonstrate your solid expertise in the field.