EU Professional Careers - Opportunities in the European Union
EU careers: how to become an EU official
The European Union boasts a diverse workforce of over 40,000 professionals across its variousinstitutions and administrative services. These roles span a wide spectrum, from legal andeconomic experts to interpreters, translators, political analysts, and journalists.
In this truly international and multicultural working environment, the EU welcomes candidates from diverse professional backgrounds who are keen to build a varied career and make full use of their linguistic and personal skills. These roles also offer competitive remuneration, internal mobility within the EU institutions and the opportunity to contribute to the future of Europe.
To encourage and facilitatethis recruitment process, the EU offers its professionals a competitive salary, internal mobilitywithin its institutions, and the opportunity to shape the future of Europe.
How Can I Pursue a Career in the European Union?
The EU's workforce primarily falls into two categories: autonomous professionals (freelancers) andstaff hired under various contract types, each with its own admission criteria. Among thesecontracts, the primary ones include indefinite contracts and fixed-term contracts, each with uniqueselection processes.
Civil Service Positions
Within the realm of civil service, there are three distinct categories:
#AD - Administrators:
Administrators are responsible for policy development, implementing EU legislation, andconducting analysis or advisory tasks.
They specialise in areas such as law, finance, economics, communication and science. Translators and interpreters can also be recruited as administrators.
To enter at the #AD5 level, a university degree is required, with no priorprofessional experience necessary.
#AST - Assistants
Assistants handle various administrative tasks, including finance, policy development, and more.
To enter at the #AST1 level, a secondary education degree is the minimum requirement.
#AST-SC – Assistant-Secretaries
Assistant-Secretaries manage office operations and provide administrative support within EUinstitutions.
To qualify at the #ASTSC1 level, applicants should hold either a post-secondaryeducation degree related to the job functions or a secondary education degree coupled with atleast three years of professional experience pertinent to the role.
Temporary Agents
#CAST - Contract Agents for Specific Tasks
Selection process
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What does it involve? These selection procedures often involve carrying out support and administrative tasks when there is a shortage of officials.
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Duration: The minimum contract period is generally 6 to 12 months and, in some cases, the contract may subsequently become open-ended.
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Application: Access to temporary staff positions follows a selection procedure and inclusion on a candidate list. The procedure may include CV screening and written, oral or practical tests related to the duties of the post.
Practical information on working for the European Union
Admission Requirements
The first thing to consider to present yourself to a selection process in the European Union is tofulfil your admission conditions.
- Enjoy full rights as a citizen an EU Member State,
- To have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the EU (level C1) and satisfactory knowledge (level B2) of a second official language. In the case of translators and interpreters, these levels become C2 and C1, respectively.
In addition to these general conditions, each EPSO competition may set specific requirements regarding academic qualifications and professional experience. In general, at least an upper-secondary qualification is required to start a career in the European Union.