An interview for an EU job is (not) like any other job interview

It is a good thing to be Croatian these days. European Institutions are busy looking for Croatians that are capable and motivated to work on EU policies and programmes. Getting a job interview based on your nationality is strange enough but this is not the only odd feature of job interviews for an EU post. Of course, everything else is just the same: the awkward moment in the office or elevator while you wait for the interview to start, the glass of water you may or may not get, the usual questions and the usual answers.

But what strikes the job candidate in Brussels nowadays, wherever they go for an interview, is the enormous emphasis EU institutions put on people and communication skills. Not only do they want you to be a team player- you need to prove it. And if you don't have a story up your sleeve better run home and think of one. The old wisdom, the one our parents still believe in, says that the best person for the job is the most qualified. This is not going to land you a job in the EU. Your older brother may warn you about the many years of experience you need to have. The employers look at your short CV and don't even blink. They don't care much about where you worked and for how long. What counts is who you worked with, how well you got on with them, how quickly you learned about your job and how well you swam when someone pushed you in the water (preferably water full of sharks). 

So next time you need to go to the assessment centre and have an EPSO Structured interview, don't waste your time memorising their website or reading the reports they already forgot they wrote. Jump straight to the point and prepare your Oscar winning script in which you fought the dragons and won. Contact us and let Target Talk help you through EPSO interview coaching.