EPSO Profiles – Economics/Statistics

EPSO Profiles – Economics/Statistics

When EPSO Competitions are organized for Economics / Statistics these are the main requirements per profile

Economist

The following are the functions of EU economists:

• Ensuring fair competition across EU countries
• Reducing poverty and raising the standard of living
• Working closely with senior decision-makers
• Delivering statistical and economic analysis
• Shaping new plans in areas like financial institutions, markets, economic integration and development, pan-European trade, public finance, structural reforms, and the single currency

Suggested Qualifications:

• Good command over at least two European languages, of which one must be English, French or German
• For Grade AD 5 (entry level), must hold a degree in Economics or be graduating this year
• For Grade AD 7 (a much more senior level), several years’ experience is required in a related field

Statistician

The following are the functions of EU statisticians:

• Designing and implementing statistical programs
• Defining methodology
• Applying arithmetic models
• Undertaking qualitative and quantitative analysis
• Regulating statistical activities
• Explaining and circulating information and data
• Executing project plans
• Supervising and advising colleagues

Suggested Qualifications:

• Good command over at least two European languages, of which one must be English, French or German
• At the administrator level, you must have a degree in statistics, economics, mathematics or a related discipline, or be graduating this year (Grade AD 5), and for Grade AD 7 (a much more senior level), several years’ experience is required in a related field
• At the assistant level, you must have either a post-secondary (higher) education in a related subject and three years applicable professional experience. The job may also require a secondary education and minimum six years of applicable professional experience

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EPSO Profile – Policy Officer

Tags : epso competitions, EU Policy Officer

EPSO Profile – Policy Officer

Through all the AD/AST/Linguists/Specialists EPSO competitions lifecycle  there are several profiles that appear on a regular basis. This is the initial article from a series aiming to describe those common EPSO Profiles duties and qualifications required.

EU Policy Officer: 

The following are the functions of EU policy officers:

• Drafting policy analysis
• Implementing policies and work programs across Europe
• Coordinating inter-departmental work with external stakeholders
• Closely supporting decision-makers
• Resource management- human and financial

Qualifications Required:

• Good command over at least two European languages, one of which must be English, French or German
• For Grade AD 5 (entry level), must hold a degree or be graduating this year
• For Grade AD 7 (a more senior level), several years’ experience is required in a related field

External relations Policy Officer

They maintain diplomatic relations with countries and represent the EU abroad. They work with multilateral organizations; define EU’s foreign, security and defense policy. They have impact on the lives of people not only in Europe, but around the world.

The following are functions of EU Policy Officers:

• Negotiating and implementing bilateral and multi-lateral agreements between EU and third countries or organizations
• Coordination of external actions of the EU with member states and other EU institutions
• Working closely with EU delegations and embassies
• Promoting EU interests; strengthening EU diplomatic relations with other EU partner countries
• Representing the EU board
• Drafting political reports, scrutinizing notes and briefing for decision-makers
• Organizing and taking part in meetings, subject to official protocol

Suggested Qualifications:

• Good command over at least two European languages, of which one must be English, French or German
• For Grade AD 5 (entry level), must hold a degree or be graduating this year
• For Grade AD 7 (a much more senior level), several years’ experience (six or more) is required in a related field

If you want to apply make sure to closely follow EPSO competitions announcements.

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My First EPSO Exam – 5 Things I should have known before

Tags : EPSO Competition, EPSO Tips and Tricks, Epso Training

My First EPSO Exam – 5 Things I should have known before

When it comes to EPSO Competitions it is not always easy to succeed on your first try, but not impossible either. Speaking from personal experience, I consider that these several steps taken before the exam which could improve your chances.

Understand the Epso Exam structure – Do EPSO Account, CBT, SJT, AC, Interview, Reserve List ring any bell? Do you know how these link between themselves? Is there an order between all these? Are there any special cases where the EPSO selection procedure might be slightly different? These would be among the first questions a potential EPSO candidate would pose himself before applying. The response to all these questions you’ll find by browsing EPSO Site,  our site and other internet resources. If you already have some experience with EPSO Competitions you can directly head to the notice of competition from the Official Journal.

Know the 4 W’s  – Who is eligible? If you want to apply you need to make sure that you will meet the eligibility requirements – general and specific. Those are usually expressed under 3rd chapter of a notice of competition.  What will the whole selection process consist of?  When will it take place – know when you can start applying, what the deadline for applying is and when will you will then be scheduled for the exam. Where will the exam be held? You need to know where each phase will be held. It is usual that last phases of the competitions are held in Brussels but initial exams are held in numerous different cities. Does your city have a EPSO Test site or will you have to arrange for travelling to the nearest test site?

Closely follow EPSO communications with candidates – After registering for the competition you will receive notifications from EPSO (on application validation, booking of preselection exams, etc). You need to pay close attention to the messages especially those concerning deadlines. A considerable number of candidates found themselves disqualified only because they forgot to either validate their application or the scheduled date for the exam. You wouldn’t want this to happen.

Benchmarking – Wouldn’t it be useful to actually know what to expect in terms of competition, candidates, available places? Before taking the exam , I would use history of EPSO competitions as a predictor of what is to be expected in the future. I would try to estimate the pass mark for the preselection tests to know what I would need to score and I would look into the ratio between registered candidates for the competition and the number of places on the reserve list. If you look at 2011 and 2012 statistics you will have an idea of  what goal you’ll need to fulfill.

It’s all about training or practice makes perfect. Or, at least good enough to pass the preselection tests 🙂 I’ve saved this tip for the last as I consider it the most important. Preselection tests are the most important step of the selection process as they are the most difficult in terms of competition. If during the assessment centre phase you’ll find yourself usually competing against 2 more candidates for the reserve list, during the preselection phase, you could even be competing against 99 other candidates. Knowing already the structure of the tests, the time needed to complete those tests, how the tests and the computer test interface look like is a great asset in your challenge of passing the EPSO Exams.

BONUS Tips

• If you want to succeed you must be serious in your preparation from A to Z
• It is very important to know what is expected from you and what every type of exam tests
• Try to know yourself and bring out the best during the exams
• Relax, no one needs 100% score to be sure to pass the exam
• Practice (did I mention this already?)

What about you? What are your thoughts now after taking your first EPSO Competition? Share your thoughts!

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My Epso Account – The Gateway to EPSO Exams

Tags : epso exams, eu competitions, my epso account

My Epso Account – The Gateway to EPSO Exams

This article aims to be a concise tutorial on how an EPSO exam application from “my epso account” should be completed. It will be a part of the beginners guide to Epso competitions.

You’ve decided that you want to apply to an EPSO Competition. Sounds great! First thing you should ask yourself is : do I meet the eligibility conditions as expressed in the notice of competitions/ call for expression of interest and the general admission conditions (Member State citizen, full rights as citizen of the EU, military service obligations, etc )? Cool! Let’s go on!

Next thing you’ll need is an EPSO Account – the electronic interface between EPSO and you.

You’ll use this account to apply to one or more competitions. It is recommended that you create your EPSO account as soon as possible, this way you’ll have time to familiarize yourself with the site’s layout.

Now that you have an account, you are watching EPSO’s indicative planning to see the upcoming EU Competitions for which you might be suitable. Once a competition has been announced, it is time to apply! Our suggestion is to never leave the validation of the application close to the deadline as EPSO’s website might encounter technical problems due to high traffic.

As soon as you start completing your application in your EPSO account you will receive a temporary reference number (T-XXXXX) which will change  into the actual application number (XXXXX) once your application is complete and is validated.

Filling out the epso exam application could turn out to be a lengthy process so you’d better have something prepared in advance. You’ll notice that the application is split (more…)

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