Working in the European Commission - Sinead Quinn

Working for the European Commission can be a rewarding and challenging experience. I worked in the Directorate General which deals Research for three years and really enjoyed my time there.

I was employed as an assistant to the Director of Life Science, Biotechnology, Food and Agricultural Research. On a day to day basis my job varied depending on which issue was burning but generally I followed up important correspondence and briefings prepared by our directorate for the Commissioner and the Director General. I was in charge of the coordination of the Directorate comments to interservice consultations and the follow up of my Director's electronic mail.

In my job it was necessary to have good interpersonal skills. Apart from daily communication with the public, a directorate can consist of over a hundred people so if you work with a Director you will have contact with a lot of people! Also if you are interested in working in the European Commission it is helpful if you can speak two or more languages.

The European Commission is a great place to work if you enjoy an international environment and would like to use your languages skills. Financial it can also be very rewarding as you don't have to pay regular taxes you need only to pay a community contribution.

I found my job by applying through an interim agency which worked with the Commission in Brussels called Vedior. I started working as an external employee but after six months I received a contract with the Commission. Unfortunately with this kind of contract you can only stay a maximum of 3 years. The system has change now therefore if you are interested in working for the European Commission you need to apply for a competition which is essentially the European civil service exams. You can find more information regarding future competitions by visiting the EUROPA - Gateway to the European Union website.