The sheer number of comments at the main post ‘So I Won’t Be A Commission Official‘ has been causing problems, so all the old comments are here instead, and hence searchable.
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Daniel
the texts were not something quite specific. the french one was about spatial europe and the english one was about biofuels (from the “economist” it was). They were quite demanding…not from the point of view of words but the structure and a lot of…weird expressions…so be sure you have a great command of the languages you speak and then read a lot of things from “europa.eu”…there are a lot of words in there that you could learn…besides you can be sure for nothing in translation…
take care
@ Basile
thank you for your reply. I actually have a couple of things to ask you:
1) what kind of text did you have to translate? I would expect a legal or juridical text but on the website of the EU there are a few texts of a concours in the past and they were articles or “normal ” texts (with a complicated vocabulary)
2) you have any tips about how to prepare for the exam? I have a good command of the languages I would have to translate but is there something you would especifically prepare, like lists of words or something like that?
I thank in advance for your help!!!
greetz
Daniel
I hope it doesn’t work like that. It would be the last and greatest dissapointment of all.:) In any case it should be made an effort to publish the results before locking the CV-s. If not, we will go on hoping for a positive results in our profile….and maybe some interviews offers.
Ah, do you really suspect that they might do that? I guess I am naive, I didn’t really think that far. Still don’t really want to believe that the process would work that way.
I was wondering about the fairness of first watching the CV-s and sending the results after that.
They just said next week… …but I guess the CV:s will be locked on Monday regardless.
Next week after or before the CV-s are locked?:)
Dear All,
For those of you impatiently waiting for the CAST 27 RELEX results, I just had a reply from the EPSO helpdesk that the answers will be published next week. So at least they are on the way…
Daniel
yes…don’t worry,,,,you will have the right to bring your own dictionaries along. At least WE had it. If I can help in something else please let me know.cu
@ Ana and Basile
thank you for your replies. Most appreciated. I also hope that the exam consists of translating two texts into your mother language. I wonder if we can bring our own dictionaries to the exam or not…
anyway, as soon as i hear something from them i will let you know!
good luck to everyone!
greetz
@Christos,
I am not making a carrer change, I have always been an assistant, although overqualified and I don’t feel I lower myself. On the contrary, I would have the chance o evolve, which I don’t have at present.
I’ll go to other interviews, but I’m a bit fed up with exames and interviews. And knowing the Romanians as I do, I’m not sure the choice has been made 100% correctly.
But I’ll keep going, don’t we all?
@Nora
Although I do not know your specific case, I would be more than happy to present it also in my book related blog at http://eu-exams.blogspot.com.
The only issue that comes to my mind is that may be you are overqualified (actually you sent it yourself :-).
However, it is your attitude towards this fact:
Example of Negative attitude- I am overqualified and I am not really intzeresting a position of a personal assistant since I believe that I should have been selected as administrator.
Example of Positive attitude – I understand that I am overqualified, but I am doing a career change and the new post matches exactly my future needs.
Be innovate, dear colleague to be ๐
Thanks for your answer, Basile !
Hopefully the exam will only be a translation.
Good luck!
Actually I have been working in the public service for 7 years and I am used to it; that’s why I am a bit reticent to the private sector. I don’t know it and I’m not very keen in starting now. And I think that a EU institution would give me perspectives I don’t have here, of evolution and change. I really think it is a lot more interesting (not to mention the better salary :)) than working in RO (and you don’t want to know the Romanian public service).
I received today an e-mail informing me that I wasn’t chosen, so mye name is once more available on the list. I’m very curious to why, I’m sure it’s not because I am not skilled enough (I don’t need half of my skills, diplomas, experience to do what they told me I woul have been supposed to do).
Is it perhaps that I’m married and have a kid (and therefore responsibilities?). Since the Romanian are the ones having made the choice, I incline to think so. What do you think?
I must say I’m a bit tired of going back and forth to BL and LU and probably to BL again. Christos, you were right about the sacrifices point, right now I am disposed to o one more trip, but this time I’ll make sure to ask DG Admin them if other institutions woul be intrested in seeing me, because it’a bit too much to ask me to go back and forth all the time, ask for leave from my current employer and advance the money every time.
A couple of questions regarding CAST27:
In the case you are invited for an interview, and you are selected for the job, what happens:
– if you don’t take the job? Will you be kept in the CAST27 and called back for other positions? (I guess yes)
– if you take the job? Are you removed from the list? Or other opportnities could arise under the CAST27 umbrella?
Best,
Oscar
@Nora, agreed, though it’s probably a bit extreme. I don’t agree that the standard is the same though — probably for some commodities, but when you draw the line it’s about two to three times more expensive than RO and BG. What happens is that you have underpaid people from these countries who are either a) Stuck with their job, just because they can’t do anything else in their domain/like it or b) 2nd raters who would do practically anything to get a job with the EU. Now, I have no love for the 2nd kind, but anyhow. What was really interesting though. When I went to the Written exam here in Sofia 95% of the people were nerdishly-looking college students under or about 25. Interesting eh? I expected more government-employed folks in their 30s looking for a better life. Also, if it’s money which matters (and it matters especially when you get 300 euros per month, let’s be real about it) you can always find a better paying job in the private sector even in RO and BG if you have the skills and talent. In theory, ultimately the EU institutions benefit, as there’s greater competition and they can choose and pick. Problem is I get the permeating feeling that smart people 25+ are either long gone or simply found jobs they’re happy with in their respective home country. Anyhow, just my share of random thoughts and observations. Cheers.
@Nora
I fully accept and understand your argumentation, since it is solid and apparently well thought.
However, prepare your answer to the question “Why do you want to work for the EU institutions?”. I am not sure that you will have enough time to argue your case, and surely as you put it – a cynical answer – could be a disadvantage.
However, I disagree with your argument on enthousiam and age. Irrespectively of your age, never loose your humor and enthousiasm.
Smile, makes people wonder why.
Of course I am not going to write to Ombudsman. Or to anyone else. But I just didn’t like the attitude of the notice.
@Kostas
As I mentioned in my previous comment I do not think that there is scope for a complain ๐ The opening is just for an inter-institutional transfer.
Nevertheless, if you wish to launch a complaint for bad administrative habits then you need to address yourself to the Ombudsman.
Cristos, sorry, I didn’t mean you do something! Of course you are not the genie. I ask you if you know anything about raising a petition. Do you, or anyone else, have any idea how we could do something like that, except writing to the Ombudsman?
Christos, trust me, 300-400 euros per month, which is the average salary in Bucharest (where the salaries are the highest than anywhere else in Romania) are just the amout to need to pay the rent of a 1 bedroom appartment in a central zone or a 2 bedrooms appartment in the banlieu.
And please note that the food is more expensive from one day to another. I compared the prices of foods in a Luxembourg supermarket and they are the same as here. While with the salary I would receive as a secretary in BL or LUX I could pay the rent, pay the kindergarden and I think get by decently for the rest of month, I could never do all this with my salary in RO, (and I work in an embassy). So, money would be my first motivation.
The second motivation is security of the job, the advantages (medical insurance + education for the kids) and then the multicultural environment.
I’m sorry if I sound a bit cynical, but the enthusiasm si fine when you’re 20 something and free as a bird, but when you’re 30 something, employee, with a mortgage to pay, mother and wife priorities are just not the same.
Andreea, you could take the bus to wherever the interviw is, it’s about 100-150 euros and you could stay in a youth hostel (and go to Mac Do’s for lunch :))
I received the medical results and I’m waiting for a message from hte institution.
@Kostas
I am just the humble author of a book, and not the mighty genie :o)
Nevertheless, I believe that there is no discrimination vis-รย -vis external people, but simply a post for interinstitutional transfer (if you work already inside the house, you could apply for openings in other institutions).
Look what I found in a new vacancy notice from EMEA (London):
Candidates must be an Official, Temporary Agent, Contract Agent or Auxiliary Agent, employed by a European Union body by the closing date!!!! I don’t blame them! They are absolutely clear and transparent! All other NON European servants, are not qualified enough for them!!!!!
Can we do something about that? Christos, what do you think?
When you say “all that stuff with EPSO” you mean competitions like CAST27? If yes, then I should tell you that it is much easier to get a job as temporary in an EU agency, if you first have some experience, either as a scientist in a EU project or as a Contract Agent.
Of course, you can always apply for the Temp posts of EU agencies, and if you are VERY VERY good, a real talent, with a lot of experience and qualifications, and a little lucky so no other with experience inside EU has applied, then, maybe you get that job. I don’t think this is unfair. So, most of the careers in EU now, I believe start from Contract Agent positions.
Another important thing is the working experience abroad. Have you lived and worked in any EU country other than yours? Then you have a good chance. It is also fair enough, that a lot of Bulgarian/Romanians, will fill posts during the following years, because they are new in EU and their countries need representation at every level of EU Governance.
Is it better to apply for job directly with the EU agencies, than going over all that stuff with EPSO?
Ana and Daniel
I just had the translation test 5 days ago but not for CAST. It was for AD 5 translators (permanent job) 2nd phase of the concours…but I have also applied for CAST translators. I think that the test would be just translation and not other staff. It is more logical. We should wait and see…
@Sasha
A level of post secondary education is a diploma you get with 2 or 3 years of studies, after high school.
Otherwise you have to “exchange” this with 3 years of professional experience after high school.
hi I’m antonio and I had the Cast 27 relex concour on good governance on july. But i didnt get the results…do you know what’s happening? did anybody ricieved the relex results?
I’m a little bit angry about that…..It’s not serious at all…
Hello everyone,
There’s a brand new competition for BG and RO nationals, as of today. It’s on the EPSO site.
A quick question – does anyone know what EPSO mean by a level of post-secondary education – is that completed high school or completed undergraduate degree? Thanks for any help on that one.
Sasha
Hi Daniel,
I’m in the same situation as you. It would be very useful if we knew the format of the exam. To me it would be logical if the exam was based on a couple of text to translate into our mother tongue. But I don’t know maybe they will surprise us with a MCQ test or some subject to develop.
Does anybody have any information about this?
Many thanks
Ana
Sorry… something left out:
Is there (here) anyone or do you know about anyone from FGIV who has already been contacted by an institution?
thanks again
Szofja
Hi all!
I’ve also got a question and would like to ask you to help. The answer is probably clear for everyone except me, ’cause I’m a bit confused about the procesees.
I’ve passed the CAST27 FGIV exam (Economics) and I’m in the final database. Do you happen to know anything about when the reserve list will be published or whether institutions have already received the names of the current CAST27 DB?
Many thanks in advance
Szofja
hello everyone
it was an interesting read this post!
I am a bit desperate and wondered if someone here can help me. Same old story: I passed the first exam of the CAST27 exam for group IV, for translators, but I still haven’t received any information regarding the second test which should take place in December. According to the letter which I received telling me that I had passed I should have received this info in the beginning of October…it is 17th October, the clock is ticking and I am lost regarding the type of exam and what I should prepare/expect.
Anyone out there in the same situation or with useful input? Much appreciated!
Daniel
@dizzy, oh, and thanks for the link. For some reason it gave me the creeps. I mean, there’s an American I know who once asked me ‘Why do you want to work for the EU? I used to work for USAID and thought they were low, but the EU is *the* lowest’. I myself am trying to maintain a more optimistic view but this doc talks about closets & skeletons big time :-] Anyhow, thankfully it’s a great good world, and life goes on with or without the EU as a job opportunity.
@dizzy,
Just back from Brussels — the Selection Board were really nice and friendly (well, at least most of them). They were encouraging and didn’t ask any obscure questions ๐ Some questions weren’t quite precise though, so I wasn’t sure what they expected me to talk about. I was WAY nervous though — absolutely hurt my performance — should have been more to the point. So the advice I can give is — try to relax, think about the question and while giving the answer make sure you’re addressing the question, not just pouring in facts. Yeah, it sounds easy now… Did I make it? No idea, we shall see :-] Anyhow, I was told results for EPSO/AD/46-47 would be available until the end of Oct. at the latest. Cheers.
@mik
Ok, No panic. I will try to give you an explanation, even though it is not legally binding! Only what EPSO and your contract says is legally binding.
All CAs working for an EU agency DO have the right to transfer their pension rights for the working period into question to the country that they choose (normally country of origin).
My comment was refering to the fact that a part of the pension of all EU permanent officials has to come from financial resources from all Member States.
Thus the difference with CAs is that, since they go back to their countries, the remaining Member States do not care about their pensions, because their pensions is the sole responsibility of that country.
I hope that now it make sense ๐
To Christos:
“…Officials will have to get a pension, whereas temporary staff will not have such a need…”
Do you mean that a CA working 5-6 years for an EU agency doesn’t have the right to receive a pension for this working period?
Officials will have to get a pension, whereas temporary staff will not have such a need.
As far as I know, TA get the same benefits as the officials. At least according to the Staff Regulation book
@Stefano
Indeed the special contracts (CAs, TA, etc) are for temporary jobs and not for permanent needs.
The reason why this is not happening like this is money. Member States do not want to commit themselves for permanent resources (officials). Officials will have to get a pension, whereas temporary staff will not have such a need.
Communication is very important. I hope that the new bunch of collegues to be from the latest competition will help the institutions to be even better.
BTW if you and/or anyone else is interested, I would be more than glad if you could post some views also to my book-related blog at http://eu-exams.blogspot.com
@Christos
……..obviously I don’t wait the whole day on top of a computer waiting for the results my friend….but anyway thanks for your advise…
And no, again I don’t agree with your point: the questions that were on the test (at least on my profile) did not depend with the level of preparation of a candidate..believe me.
Of course.. if I study the whole website of the EU and 50 books for 1 year,yes, I might succeed, but is this what it takes to become an EU officer?I hope not…
I totally agree with Maria and that was my point from the beginning..
Unfortunately, we will never know what really happened,but that’s ok,life goes on!
Rgds,
N.
From any side you see it, this whole proced
ure has
@maria
The exams is primarily about studying.
If you are an insider and you do not study, you will fail. There is no other way.
If you are an outsider and you do not study, you will also fail.
The difference is that, in theory, insiders should know and understand the issues at stake better ๐
This is the reason why in my book and my lectures I always stretch the importance of networking. This way the outsiders (which are the vast majority) could study in a more efficient and effective way.
@Christos
I couldn’t help noting your comments:
“Concerning your comments for the รขโฌลcompetenceรขโฌย tests and your suspicion that the competition was created for the insiders, please allow me to contradict you.
The fact that some questions were difficult for you as external candidates is linked to the level of preparation you could do in relation with the people who work already inside and know the way that the jury will problably think. If you work in any company, you understand the issues at stake, their importance and their interlinkages much better than if you have study them at university or on your own.
If you do not have a รขโฌลcoachรขโฌย to steer you throu, the process is extremely difficult and usually frustrating.”
So, basically, if the tests are so much easier for those on the inside, where is the real problem for those who already are CAs? They are already at such an advantage compared to us outsiders.
Regards
@Christos
Dear Christos,
thank you to clarify the reform of CAs. I think it is important for most of the people are reading. I think the reform makes sense, what I do not understand sometimes is because the distinction between CAs, TAs and Officers.
As someone have already told, CAs should cover “temporary jobs”. Now, if a secretary is in a DG today, probably he/she will be necessary also in the next 5 years, because people . Why to look for the CAs instead to propose a post as TAs or a normal officer? This request a lot more responsibility and precision in recruitment phase, but you are sure to avoid this kind of problems and to generate entropy with the annual tests (because it is also true that it is time and money for the EU citizens).
About EPSO there is a lot of confusion. But if everyone have time, go to the telephone list of EPSO and check the number of people are working there…… I think you will understand why every competition is so slow. It is not their fault, and anyway at the end of every competition there is written… “The competition could take also 6 months”. The other problem is that a lot of the EU officers have no idea of how the EPSO works, seems to be a big black box. Some parts of the DGs are also avoiding to use their services to reduce time in recruiting phase (and personally I don’t think this way to solve the problem is transparent) .
Probably it is just a problem of communication with external people. It can be solved rapidly in my opinion.
Thanks a lot again, I would like to have more EU officers to actively participate to this Blog, but I know many of them just read ๐
Stefano
Wow. Such a รยฃ$ discussion!
My history – I have found (like many of you) this blog googling through the internet during my preparation for the 2nd stage of an AD competition. Well, now I am in 3rd stage (interview) of that competition, and in 2nd stage of yet another ๐ Time of high hopes ๐
The money talk. I would not count the euros in Bulgaria or Estonia, nor the housing costs. I would evaluate the level of income and job satisfaction one has. If you are in a middle class position, you tend to change into a better middle class or upper-middle class position, don’t you?
Well, I am not a bottom gainer in my home country, and I tend to prefer work in an international environment, use of several languages, cultures, attitudes. In my case I sense the level of job satisfaction shall increase, and the income, too ๐ I would not aim at the EU job if it would mean a lower level of life with the same level of job satisfaction or lower job satisfaction with the same level of life.
And – during the training course I have attended – I’ve met people I personally would not hire. Their only motivation was the paycheck! Uh. Paychek is important, but it should not occupy the first place of an extremely short list. One should see oneself doing the job, changing the country etc.
And – a lot of people just kind of spill their needs here in posts like ‘I have an exam in 3 days, and I have just realised I need to study!’. So I share the message – go, think, and study. Using the brain is the best way with the competitions ๐ Read the treaties, then – the SCADplus notes. Study the area of your competence from the EU point of view. Invest. Buy the books, some training courses – one never loses when learning new competences!
Good luck!
@Marcel -Netherlands-
>Oh wait, I just remembered. EU officials are >ridiculously overpaid and pay little if any taxes. Of >course. The elitists not only think they know better >than รขโฌหjoe averageรขโฌโข but also that they should have >perks and advantages that รขโฌหjoe averageรขโฌโข will never get.
I would be more than interested if you could back up with real facts this assertion. Which is your body of evidence?
Finally I would like to pose you the following question:
Assuming that the EU institutions would act as an intergovernemental secretariat as in your desired world construction, what is the fact in that scenario which gives democratic legitimacy?
@Nikoletta
If the procedure is not communicated correctly, this is mainly the EU Institutions fault (in particular EPSO) and secondly our own personal mindmap that does not allows us to think outside the box.
However, please take a minute also to see the things from the EPSO point of view. They are currently supporting a dozen of competitions where several thousands people per competition apply. There is literally a potential of hundrends of thousands emails and other requests arriving in the emails, by post, etc. It is not a job for the fainted heart. In addition, it was not EPSO’s decision to hold all these competitions at the same time. The preparation for the last enlargements was not the best one.
Nevertheless, the end result is frustration for the candidates.
Concerning your comments for the “competence” tests and your suspicion that the competition was created for the insiders, please allow me to contradict you.
The fact that some questions were difficult for you as external candidates is linked to the level of preparation you could do in relation with the people who work already inside and know the way that the jury will problably think. If you work in any company, you understand the issues at stake, their importance and their interlinkages much better than if you have study them at university or on your own.
If you do not have a “coach” to steer you throu, the process is extremely difficult and usually frustrating.
Finally, concerning the ASEP exams, I would not bet my money on your believe that it is better. For the sake of example, let me remind you that the reserve list is valid only for two years, while it is usually a lot bigger that the estimated number of laureates, resulting in an even bigger frustration (I had friend in that situation ๐
Frustration for the sake of nagging is pointless. However frustration is fine, as long as you could use your feelings for creating a better future for yourself.
Use the time you wait for the results in a creative and constructive!
Why on earth would anyone want to work for the EU? It has no democratic legitimacy. National sovereignty has been hollowed out and is being overridden by the decrees of political appointees and their bureaucrat cronies. Totally unacceptable to all but arrogant elitists who fancy themselves the new aristocracy.
We need a restoration of full national sovereignties and a reversion to intergovernmental cooperation.
Oh wait, I just remembered. EU officials are ridiculously overpaid and pay little if any taxes. Of course. The elitists not only think they know better than ‘joe average’ but also that they should have perks and advantages that ‘joe average’ will never get.
And of course, as most of those officials have university degrees, I suspect a little subconscious cultural marxism comes into play.
What was so bad about national democracy? Don’t you realize centralization is bad? Just look at communism and fascism. Both centralized and both disrepected national borders. The EU does the same.
We don’t want that kind of malign cancerous rule (the supreme government of Europe which no one asked for).
And as for ‘EU should get the top people’. The top people don’t want to work for the EU. Only the 2nd raters do. The endemic waste and corruption proves it.
The day of reckoning will come for the quislings who sold my country out to supranational rule.
@Christos
Interesting thinking, but in my view, the EU should get the best people available, at whichever cost. There are thousands of young people out there with excellent skills who would give anything to get a job like this and have the knowledge and the experience to do it! Why then do we have to justify and tolerate “incompetence”?In the name of what?
It is a matter of “image”,the EU should recruit the top people, and yes, why not be like a company on its recruitment systems?
And also, the tests were including “competence” ones (not so many questions about EU legislation, for instance) that is, on their field,what they are doing every day:why would it be difficult for someone to fill in a test like that?
And the pass mark is 55%!Come on!
For me it was so difficult, as there were issues I had no clue about. So, first, the questions are drawn upon for them (this is my view) and, second, we lower the pass mark for them as well!Sorry, but I don’t understand this…and I don’t justify it whatsoever!
And since we are both Greeks (!) you know that these things don’t even happen here with the ASEP examinations…it is more trasparent here I believe!
All I am saying is that in general EPSO is creating false expectations to people, maybe they could have reserved some positions for current CAs with the condition of them having passed the exam and the rest should be given to new staff. As it is now, my chances of getting there are completely unknown,independently of how my performance was in the test…
Anyway, sorry for the hustle, I am just frustrated and disappointed of waiting so long for the results,that’s all!
Take care,
N.
@maria
The old system was rather intransparent and contracts could be extended (with various ways). The new system was created in order to solve this problem.
However, even the new system is also not perfect :o)
Letting new staff in is fine as long as you do it in an organised way and the “memory of the house (as we call it internally)” (the tacit knwoledge) stays alive. Do not forget that sometimes that is no writing documentation and although bad, this is a reality.
As I have said elsewhere, it is the people who work for the EU institutions that create the image and nursure or break the contacts with the citizens.
You mention that not a normal citizen but a government official would probably know the answer to my question. This is really amazing, because I would love to live in such an “utopian” country. Apologies, but definitively not convinced ๐
Concerning the CA results I assume that, since “Rome was not build in one day”, all aspiring candidates should wait a little bit more.
@Andreea concerning oral interviews.
This was a good assertive answer. This is the attitude that you should adopt ๐
When I wrote a comment, I do not had anyone particular on mind, but wanted to do a general comment for the benefit of everyone.
Concerning the oral examination process (as the author of the one, only and best reference book on the issue – blowing my own trumpet) I would like to inform you that the EU institutions will do as many interviews as necessary in orfder to fill-in a post with the most appropriate candidate.
It is not uncommon that people will pass i.e. from Brussels and will invited even at the last minute in a series of interviews. Be always prepared (as we use to say in the Greek army).
I could agree with people that it takes a lot of time (usually around two months) to get reimbursed, but this is a fact that you cannot negotiate and/or change.
Finally concerning sacrifies that people do in order to get the job, I meant the extra hours that you had to study for this competition, the time that you could not go out with your friends, or the monetary expenses for buying books, attending courses, etc.
My hidden meaning was that we must have a “battle” plan and not get dissuaded by the small problems that rise. It is our prepareness and physical strength that will make us prevail and claim our gain (our little post in paradise ๐ in the EU institutions.
Good luck with your exams.