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.

2,067 Comments

  1. Dear Sorina,

    I will be very pleased if you can send to me the EPA files that you have (or any other material or information).

    My address is irenahenry2000@yahoo.com

    Thank you so much in advance.
    Best regards,
    Irena

  2. @Kalin72 / Sorina
    If you e-mail files to me I can upload them here and make them available to everyone if you wish…

    Generally though: thanks for all the comments folks, as we’ve now passed the 1000 comment barrier here! 🙂

  3. Answer from EPSO (my question was: now what happens with my application?):

    (I took CAST27 FGIII test):

    “Candidates having passed the tests will have their names placed in the final database. Access to this database will be given to the European Institutions and Agencies who will select and invite for an interview candidates who best fit their requirements. The final database of candidates shall have a validity of three years starting from the notification of the final results.

    A candidate can be called in by several institutions or services. The candidate can then accept more than one interview offer at the same time. If a candidate refuses an interview, he/she is not excluded from the whole procedure, but should inform of the reason for the refusal.

    Once a candidate is recruited, this information is specified in the database and the candidate is notified by e-mail.”

    Best,

    Oscar

  4. Kalin72

    Sorina,
    Would you like to send those extra files to me?
    Thank you 🙂
    k.galinov at comcast.net

  5. Sorina

    @Lizzie,
    there is one book “Succeeding in the EU oral Examinations”, by Christos Bezirtzoglou. You can by it on internet.

    If you give me your email, I can send you some extra files that I have.

    Sorina

  6. lizzie

    hey, have a question to the people who’ve taken EPA exams-either AD or CAST- Can you recommend a book or any other source to prepare for the HR questions?

  7. Giango

    @ Stipe76

    That was a second-hand information, so I don’t know other details. I have heard only that the interview was for a post in a delegation in the other side of the world and it was made by telephone.

  8. @frustrated

    That’s right, it sounds unfair.
    But I am optimist and hope that there are not so many friends/family memebers in these 50% (or I am too naive!?!) and that I am invited because of my relevant experience and not just “for quantity”… This would be really unfair!!!

  9. frustrated

    “Just there is one point – you have to have what to invest :)… And when to get to the interview cost you almost half of your monthly salary, or for others, I believe even more (I mean if you don’t live in Belgium or in the neighbourhood )… So the “equal opportunities for all” become not very equal…”

    This sounds blatantly unfair. They probably gave too many people a pass and now it’s turning out expensive to treat every-one on the same footing.

    The only objective system that is fair on all candidates (including those without friends/family on the inside) is a very selective one… letting 50% pass and then picking out the little friends… it’s too obvious to call.

  10. stipe76

    @ Giango
    The interviews have already started? How do you know? Have you been invited for an interview yet? Do you have any info how they invite and for what posts? Thanks for sharing.

  11. Giango

    @ maria

    The interviews for CAST27 Relex has already started.

  12. @Sorina, thank you!
    I also hope that will be enought one or two trips.
    Luckily I can afford them 🙂 ! Otherwise it would be very sad – to be successful in the test and after not to be able to go for an interview, because its too expensive…

  13. Sorina

    @Milda, I know what you mean about the cost of the trips. I am lucky that they pay my trip. I think it would be better if they did it for CAST people as well. I hope you get a job soon and you won´t need to travel too many times. Good luck.

    For airplane tickets, look on traveljungle.com and rumbo.com You can find sometimes incredibly cheap tickets.

  14. @ Sorina

    Just there is one point – you have to have what to invest :)… And when to get to the interview cost you almost half of your monthly salary, or for others, I believe even more (I mean if you don’t live in Belgium or in the neighbourhood )… So the “equal opportunities for all” become not very equal…

  15. Hello,

    Does anybody have any idea when the invitations for the RELEX CA interviews will go out? Or have they already?

  16. Sorina

    @Milda
    You are right. You need to invest for your goals.

    Good luck with your interview!

  17. @Sorina,

    Yes, for me also was a bit strange, I am in CAST27 reserve list. I agreed for interview, booked the tickets and the was informed that the expenses would not be compensated. Of course for one interview, its ok, I can afford to pay for flight, but if I would need to have more, for other possitions if in this would be unsuccessful, so… And interviews are usually not after a month when you can book cheper flights, they ussually are within a week… But if you want to achieve your goals, you have to invest and hope that these investments will be prosperous :)!

  18. Sorina

    @Milda
    I was invited for an interview and they say they will reimburse travel expenses. I am in an AD reserve list.
    Is it different for CAST27 competition? This is a bit strange.

  19. @obnoxious

    Thank you!!! I hope you will have an interview much much sooner, than by the end of 3 years!

    I also was informed, that commision doesn’t compensate travel expenses for an interview (I mean when you are on reserve list already). So those who are planning to have many interviews should save a bit…

  20. Frederick

    #Jon, Comment #637: “you can live very well of 2700 Euro net in Brussels. The city is one of the cheaper capitals in western Europe.”

    What about 2400 Euro net (the salary of a single AST1 secretary with expatriation allowance)? And what about living of 2400 Euro net in Luxembourg, city for which you get exactly the same salary as for Brussels but where (as I heard) living costs are much higher?

  21. hi, does anybody know how the 2nd cast 27 round will be like? it is a multiple choice test – and i wonder how they can check your strategic approaches to pr (i passed comm. expert) in such a test???

  22. obnoxious

    @lifenugget
    So, if I’m correct, the best thing to do for us CAST27 RELEX candidates is just to sit and wait?
    I’m in FGIII – Admin officer and I really hope I won’t have to wait for three years just to get a damn interview :o/
    Oh, and I’m also in the final phase of the AST1 – Secretary competition. If I make it to the reserve list, do you know if I could apply for a RELEX job as AST secretary?
    Thanks for the info ;o)

  23. obnoxious

    @Milda
    I think EuropeAid is in the Rue de la Loi, which is fairly close to the Berlaymont (5mins by foot).
    If you come from the airport to the Berlaymont, you can also take the train to the Central Station and, from there, take a taxi or take the subway.

  24. @Breach

    Thank you for your help, indeed!
    I would need to go to EuropeAid Co-operation Office, I suppose its also located in Berlaymont building…

  25. Breach

    @Milda, well depends where exactly you’re going. Express Bus 12 on week days and 11 on weekends stop right next to the Berlaymont building. EPSO offices are within a 10 mins walk. The bus ride takes 15-20 mins, it’s pretty cheap and decent.

  26. @viking

    Thank youvery much for your reply. With “backgrounds of French” I meant “basics of French”.

    I have one more question, maybe somebody could advise, how long does it take from the airport to get to the Commision’s building and what transport (except taxi) is better to use? Not sure if its possible within one day to arange flights and the meeting…

    Thank you in advance!!!!!

  27. viking

    Hi Milda,

    one language is enough if it is not German (oddly enough, although German is more widespread in the EU then French).

    I do not understand what you mean with the expression: “backgrounds of French”. If your background is French then start improving your English. If the meaning of this expression is that you do not know French that well then is try to pick up this language as quickly as possible – you’ll need it.

  28. Hi all,

    What do you think, is it enought (to start to work in EU institutions) beside your native language to know well only one official woriking EU language, or the second one also is a must? I have now just backgrounds of french….

    Thanks!!!

  29. Isabel

    @Marco
    Thank you very much for the link!
    Grazie mille!!! 😉

  30. @lifenugget
    Hi! you do seem to be an insider! 🙂 thanks for sharing with us what you know. it’s really nice of you.

    well, there would be one more question i’d have, which also breach asked earlier. what do you mean by “canvas”? how are we supposed to get known? emails, phone calls? and to whom? to human resources people, since they are the “list setters”?!

    thanks! btw, if you are indeed an insider, wouldn’t you share with us your experience? i.e., how long it took since you got your reply in the EPSO mailbox until you received an invitation, how many letters of intent you sent, was it once enough to one dg, or kept knocking at their doors, and how often?
    it’d be really greatly appreciated. we are really all in the dark here as to how thinks actually go. at least hearing one concrete experience might give us an idea, however partial. well, you’ve been in this situation, so you for sure know..

  31. lifenugget

    @Obnoxious

    Sorry I am not sure who’s looking for what anymore, the situation changes everyday. But if you are going after a admin role I hope you have a great sense of humour and the patience of a saint.

    @Riviere

    I doubt that it is worth sending there either, what is understood is the Relex Admin enter a few details to the EPSO database search engine and it spits out a few hopefuls that match the search. Only then do the people at Relex see the CV’s. In the past it has always been the case of who you know not what you know hence the introduction of the EPSO CV Database.

    @Lia

    For those who have past AST or AD tests and interviews you must canvass as much as you can and get ‘known’. This does increase your chances but remember your nationality could count against you therefore those resident of the older member states need to canvass ten times harder as favour is given toward the newer member state residents.

  32. obnoxious

    @lifenugget

    Do you know if any delegation is currently looking for administrative officers?

    Thanks ;o)

  33. @student

    Hi, and thanks! Yes, i have. Given that they have a special section where they ask you whether you passed an open competition and which one, I thought i’d better. I believe we should try not to leave anything out that is in our power to secure us a place sooner rather than later… 🙂

    that’s why i think sending CV and letter to DGs we’re interested in might also help. Perhaps just because they’d remember that there was someone (or more) who expressed an interest once, go check their name’s and then their profiles. The more they get exposed to our names I believe, the higher our chances. I am just translating a business book, and i’m at the chapter on advertising, where they talk about the crucial issue of brand/name awareness: it’s important to get yourself in the “consideration set” ;).

    Btw, I believe anyone, both laureates of EPSO open competitions and CAST ones can & should fill it in.

    Good luck to all of us on this forum! It never hurts! 😉

  34. student

    @ lia
    Hi,
    I sent two different mails, one to the competition mail and another (about the famous earmarking 🙂 to the laureates one. I am still waiting. Maybe we are still free cows :-), perhaps the earmarking is done later…
    Btw, did you fill in this online CV form? http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/job/cvonline/index_en.htm
    I think the epso one should be enough, but who knows…

  35. and i was forgetting… even the little statistics table for cast 27 relex they managed to mess up: notice the mismatch between the language mentioned in the headings and in the actual columns

    their ranks certainly need refreshment, don’t they?! 🙂

  36. just noticed the heading on the relex webpage that i’ve just sent:
    “The EU’s relations with his citizens”

    just wondering, who are those editing the commission webpages? it’s not the first time i come across spelling or grammar mistakes, and i’m not a native speaker; so who knows how many other awkward formulation i have not noticed…
    in particular the relex website can become anecdotal i believe; i remember reading on one of its pages while preparing for the exam where they were still waiting for the Nice (nb!!) Treaty to come into force…

  37. @riviere and other cast 27 relex laureates/hopefuls

    try this one,
    http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/cv/index_en.htm

    though, judging by the statistics, the number of laureates far outnumbers the number of places (at least in my profile, political matters adviser…). good luck to everyone!

    @student
    thanks for sharing the info. but how about the earmarking ? ( :), this term really gets one thinking of a cow with a label sticking out of its ear.. =) as breach was saying) have they replied? did you ask them in the same letter, or separate ones?

    i was thinking starting also this week sending CV + letters around, at the DGs i’m interested in. given my political science/international politics background i assume/hope that the Commission is “my” institution, so i’ll try my luck (or better say, lure it in my direction?! :))

  38. riviere

    @Lifenugget
    well you seem to know the inside story – so if contacting Delegations is pointless nevertheless is there any contact point at RELEX HQ to whom one could draw the attention of one’s CV / desirability ?

  39. Lifenugget

    Dear All,

    For those that have passed the Cast 27 Relex there is no point in canvasing or lobbying the delegations. The delegations have no control over who are invited for interview. RELEX sends 4-5 pre-selected CV’s from the EPSO database to the delegations. The delegation then interviews the candidates and hopefully one will be successful. If you send a CV directly to a delegation it will be shredded along with any correspondence.

    For those hoping for IT FG III positions, I would strongly recommend you look elsewhere for positions as the very strong rumour is that RELEX will be removing most of the IT CA’s in delegations and replacing with Local Agents (Cheaper) and remote Admins from either RELEX and/or employ Regional IT Officers covering several delegations. Currently the recruitment of any FG III IT Officers for delegations is frozen. It’s safe to say that all existing IT CA’s FG III’s in delegations are once again in fear of their positions.

    Lifenugget

  40. Isabel

    @ Sebastian
    When you said “the leading case” I thought your referred to a concrete and single one… Now I see you mean the main case law in each case. 😉 I already know some of them from my work and Law studies but I guess they will all be in the EU Law Books.
    Further to your question I still have not signed for any concours since there is no one for Law open at the moment, but since I have a full time job (like 10 hours or more a day…) and not much time to study I am planning this as a long term option, that is, I will study even if they do not open a concours in 2008 and have to wait for 2009 (or so…).
    I wonder where you (and all the others who passed the tests) got all that knowledge; I mean, I don’t mind learning by heart lists of people if that is what it’s required to pass, but I wonder how can I know which lists of stuff I need to learn (e.g. that Sakharov prize or so)…
    One more thing, in one of your posts you mentioned a Spanish yahoo group for the competition, do you have the name or the email adress so I can find it?
    Thank you very much, you are being so helpful!! Danke schön!

  41. student

    FYI: EPSO/AD/46-47/06
    I received a mail from EPSO:

    “According to EPSO rules, successful candidates are not receiving any information concerning their points.

    Thank you for your understanding.”

  42. RELEX pass/fail statistics arrived!
    Check the EPSO website.

  43. sebastian

    @ Isabel: By “leading case” I mean the most famous decision(s) by the ECJ concerning a subject-matter of EC/EU Law.
    E.g. the decisions Dassonville, Cassis de Dijon, Keck concerning Art. 28 EC or Bosman concerning Art. 39 EC.

    My oral exam in AD/26/05 was 90 % pure law, very detailed, they alsways wanted to back me up my answers with examples of case law. There was only one question on possible conflicts at work at the very end and I didn’t have the feeling that the question was very important. Make sure to read the competition’s notice in the Official Journal. This should give you an idea what to expect in the oral exam and also try to establish a personal network with other candidates so you get some information on how the selection board is running the oral exam. Which concours are you taking?

  44. Hi all,

    I have passed the first phase of the CAST 27 selection process. I am applying for Graduate Engineer Profile (Function Group IV- mecanical engineer) and would like to know how I could prepare the competence test. I don’t know what to study!

  45. student

    @ lia
    Hi Lia,
    I don’t know my result neither at the written nor at the oral… The 32,5 out of 50 is the lowest result for Bulgarians at the written (essay + resume) – I met a friend who had failed with just 31,5… However, I asked EPSO and we will see their reaction.
    @ Breach
    As far as I know, everything is acceptable – e-mails, requests for meetings with Heads of Unit, Heads of HR, etc. But I think that first you should know which is “your” institution.
    I’m still waiting for EPSO’s reply to learn who has earmarked me 🙂 As soon as I get their reply, I will start sending CVs + cover letters to the departments I’m interested in.

  46. obnoxious

    Well, riviere, that’s what I would like to know as well.

    I sent my CV and cover letter to some delegations for an administrative officer position and I only received three replies, two nice ones telling me they don’t have vacant posts at the moment, and a more abrupt one from the brazilian delegation telling me there’s no need to send a CV since they will use the EPSO lists when they’re available…

  47. riviere

    ?? WHERE ARE THE VACANT POSTS EXACTLY??

    Does anyone know – how can one ascertain WHICH Delegations of Relex or WHICH Departments of Relex HQ have now or will have during the next year vacant posts, whether for Political Affairs or Legal Advisors ??

    I would rather not be banging off unsolicited applications hither and yon without knowing where – if at all – there is an empty desk waiting for me ??

    Au Secours !!

  48. Sorina

    @Isabel, the oral exam is not general. You have general EU questions, but you will also get plenty of specialist knowledge questions. In my case, this was more than one third of the exam.
    Good luck.
    Sorina

  49. Kostas

    I wander what happened with Andreea. Has she got the job in Italy? What about Oscar? Has he accepted the invitation for the interview?
    Has anyone else got an interview invitation for CAST27 FGIII IT Officer group?

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