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Not surprisingly the first thing to see when you open the EU Careers webpage is the "Face a bigger challenge" banner. EU Institutions and their websites do indeed qualify as a bigger challenge than being unemployed.

Most EU Institutions have webpages that perfectly reflect their functioning- messy & disturbing at times. Bad design and user interface which will confuse even the most computer savvy among us is the first obstacle to find, say, an internship at European institutions. Even if you have for some reason lost the battle with EU Institutions though, you still have a chance to win the war. Brussels offers a variety of opportunities at NGOs and think thanks. Here's a short overview of the most important websites for vacancies.

The bibles for every graduate looking for a job or an internship in Brussels are:

• The job site of EurActiv 
• And Eurobrussels

Both offer a very good and up to date database of the current vacancies in Brussels and the region. The websites are really useful, especially for positions in marketing, communications, EU policy or general administration. A user-friendly filter allows you to specify job category, location and your experience (or the lack of it ;)) The downside, of course, is that many other applicants follow the same websites.

Here's one which I personally just discovered. Judging on the quality of the website, it is worth a try.

Something similar could be found here.  Although I have to warn you to look carefully at the vacancies before applying. It is possible that the vacancy is 2-3 years old. Also some of the links are often broken. What this website is highly useful for is that it provides a really good overview of organisations with internship programmes. By simply scrolling down, you can see a very extensive list of NGOs and think tanks. Even if they have no openings at the moment, it is definitely good to keep an eye on them. 

A Guide to Internships at EU Institutions

Ever wondered where and how to apply for an internship at the EU Institutions? Personally, I do it all the time (I mean wondering). The procedures are quite unclear, slow, confusing. Websites are extremely user-unfriendly, but given the potential they're worth giving a try. Here's an overview of the main EU institutions in Brussels where you can apply for an internship.

Traineeships and Study Visits in the European Parliament 

Traineeship at the European Commission  

Traineeship at the European Ombudsman service

Traineeships at the European Economic and Social Committee

Traineeships at the various Community Agencies

And although I am pretty sure that you can do an internship at the Committee of the Regions, I couldn't find any link with further information. 

Connect the dots, said Steve Jobs

If you’re one of the thousands of young graduates that have recently applied for a job, then you most likely know the feeling; the feeling of disappointment when you found out that you’re not going to get the job (internship) you’ve applied for. The bitter feeling takes over you and you start questioning your skills, personality and even the significance of your achievements. The feeling is even worse if the job was one that you appreciated, sincerely wanted and believed to be experienced enough for.

Most HR specialists will always manage to take a rabbit out of their hat and tell you a reason why you are not suitable for a position. To name just a few: lack of experience, not the right qualifications, or an unsatisfactory interview.  As I was reflecting on this today, I came across, not surprisingly given the circumstances,  SteveJobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. It is quite moving, regardless of whether you're an Apple-maniac or not, so if you haven’t heard it, now is the perfect time to do so. To make the long story short, Jobs explains how everything in his life had happened for a reason.  Dropping out of college and being fired from the company that he established was his destiny, the route he had to follow. Without following exactly the same (career)path he wouldn’t have been the visionary Steve Jobs that we knew. 

This made me think and re-think my perspective. Maybe it’s not you, your application, personality or qualifications. What if it is simply destiny? So if you’ve also quit college, have been recently fired, are doing the third (un)paid internship in your life, a PhD, or a third MA or you’re simply not getting the dream job, it is (maybe) because this is your destiny, the route you have to follow. All these things are just dots. And even if now, from the perspective of an unemployed job-seeker, you fail to see how these dots could be related to each other, how these unfortunate career steps could actually be part of your way up, a sort of destiny master-plan for you, one day you will. Because:

You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your guts, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

So next time when you hear that you’re not the person they’ve been looking for, remember that maybe it's exactly the opposite - this is not the company YOU're looking for. A failed job opportunity is just a dot, a dot, which will soon make sense. A blessing in disguise...

Never say it out loud

While surfing on the net today, I discovered a website with different types of "catchy" openings for cover letters. One of the recommendations, obviously suitable for overconfident applicants who target the same type of recruiters, was to start your letter with "You should be crazy not to take me!"

Yeah, right! I quickly closed that page in an attempt to clear my mind from that contagious thought. Truth is every time I start writing a cover letter this idea just gets stuck into my mind, making me believe that I am the only possible candidate who fulfills the requirements and is available immediately. The ugly truth is - I am not. There are at least a couple of more candidates, who if not better, are equally good as me (you). Thinking that "they" should be crazy not to take "you" is wrong on so many levels, so where should I begin?

First, confidence is one thing. Overconfidence is something totally different. It blurs your assessment of where you stand, what your skills and qualifications are and what they need to be. If you start writing a cover letter with that idea in mind, you will most likely fail to identify your weaknesses. By only pointing out how you "fit" the requirements you neglect your vulnerable points. And I honestly believe that mentioning your weaknesses in a positive way in the cover letter is a must.

Second, overconfidence can backfire. HR people are different. You never know what kind of person will look at your application. So in case you are not familiar with the person or organisation your applying for, be careful with bold (opening) lines.

Third, if you're not swearing by the power of positive thinking, my advice is to be moderate in your expectations. This way actually being invited for an interview will be a surprisingly good event.

Last but not least, I've heard already a couple of people applying for jobs they are not qualified for, say the same thing. So even if this thought slips into your mind, never say it out loud.  You cannot imagine how ridiculous it could sound.

Fingers crossed!

ban on Europass CVs

Studied in Harvard,

was a freelance journalist,

speaks Chinese,

interned at NATO

 ....and so on ...

Why, why, why should you put all these brilliant things in a standard Europass CV template? I just don't get it. If anyone has the answer, please, let me know.

European Job Day 1-10-2011

With the annual event for wanna-be Brussels employees in sight I decided to list few reasons why NOT to attend the European Job Day:

1. Job fairs simply don't work. I know that you have a friend, who has a friend, who managed to find a job at such fair. I have a friend too. But believe me, the general rule is that job fairs are the place to be for employers, not so much for job seekers.
2. European Job Days 2011 will offer you the chance to meet the same employers that the EU Job Days 2010 did. A quick look at the website reveals the (OMG) shocking fact that this year's selection is an exact match of last year's. My feeling tells me these companies offer the same positions. Let's hope for the sake of the thousands of people attending that these vacancies are different if existing at all.
3.  It's crowded so if you're up for some pushing or squashing, be my guest. Even if you're able to survive the crowd and you are ready to sacrifice that nice pair of shoes, you need to keep in mind that your attendance will most certainly be unnoticed. There are hundreds of people passing by each stand. HR people are exhausted and pay absolutely no attention to who you are or what you want. It's almost impossible to stand out in that crowd (unless you are naked or something). Moreover, what's the point in queuing for two hours when sending off your CV is 3 mouse-clicks away. 
4. There is only a limited number of actual employers. Most of the stands are occupied by recruitment agencies. Visiting their office could prove much more useful then annoying them on such a busy event. 
5. Just to enter the building you need to bring at least ten copies of your CV. Hmm, ever heard of "Think about the environment" EU policy? Guess not.
6. Last but not least -  it's on a Saturday and I don't know about you, but I can think of at least ten other things to do which are funnier than applying for a job :) 

So unless you have an interview scheduled for that day or you're curious to take a tour in the Berlaymont building, my advice is to skip this "recruitment" event and enjoy your weekend! 

Content-rich CV

I stumbled upon a very creative and slightly creepy (especially, if you’re watching the video on mute) interactive CV. Take a look at how this student integrates technology, design, artistic skills and innovation into his CV. I am not quite sure whether this guy was able to find an internship. I am certain though that he will find a job.
To be honest I hate the photo mostly because I imagine how many hours I will spend Photoshopping my flaws for such a high-resolution pic. But the QR codes are definitely a very fresh idea that will impress any potential employers. Moreover, if you're applying for a communications or marketing related position then you can definitely benefit from such a content-rich CV. You can link it to a blog, LinkedIn profile, twitter account or special webpage with your CV. Choices are unlimited. Still, I have to warn you: be careful with that Summer 2011 Facebook album ;)
So the message is: job hunters respect the basics & add value by experimenting!

QR CODE - Content-rich Resume from Victor petit on Vimeo.