Internal Competitions

Training offer for certification & internal competitions

Administrators, Assistants, Certification, Education, Events, Internal Competitions, Newsletter - 2023-12-01, Secretaries and clerks, Temporary Agents, Training Print This Post

*Update 15.12.2023, check out our 2024 training.* Generation 2004, in collaboration with Yasemos Europeos, is offering online trainings and webinars to assist you in preparing for the Certification exercise and internal competitions.

There is a special price for all participants to  the certification  training.  The talent screener  webinar is free for all staff.

You can find the video recording and the PowerPoint presentation of the free webinar here.

Continue reading Training offer for certification & internal competitions →

Language choice in EPSO competitions – beware the consequences of automatic translation

EPSO, Internal Competitions, Newsletter - 2023-11-14, Professional mobility Print This Post

*16.11.2023, thanks to the colleague who confirmed that the disinformation/misinformation issue outlined in footnote 1 has since been fixed.* Original article: For some time already, EPSO is moving towards monolingualism: we are seeing  competitions that are by-and-large English-only. This appears to completely disregard the 16.02.2023 outcome of the EPSO case where the Court of Justice confirmed the unlawfulness of artificially restricting the choice of the second language of competitions to 3 languages: English, French and German. Continue reading Language choice in EPSO competitions – beware the consequences of automatic translation →

Welcome to the Hotel Commission

Cost of living Luxembourg, EPSO, Internal Competitions, Luxembourg, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2023-11-14 Print This Post

*Update 23.11.2023, thanks to the colleagues who shared their ideas on this situation, we have added their observations below.*

Original article: Luxembourg is a great place to work,  you just have to find somewhere to live first! In its increasingly desperate attempts to do nothing of substance (12 actions for Luxembourg, for example), while still claiming to be working on increasing the attractivity of Luxembourg as a workplace, the Commission now seems to have resorted to the roadmap set out in a classic song. Continue reading Welcome to the Hotel Commission →

Webinar on EEAS internal competitions

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Generation 2004, in cooperation with Ya Semos Europeos, has organised a webinar on the application and competition process for the internal competitions in the External Action Service (EEAS). These don’t happen very often and we understand that you want to make the best of this opportunity.

We focus on practical aspects of the application:

  • work experience requirements
  • tips for the talent screener for those competitions which have it
  • the most common mistakes done by the candidates

You can find the PowerPoint presentation  here.

MCQ and written tests: training

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*Update 08.09.2023 EPSO intends to use automated proctoring.**Update 17.03.2023 Ombudsman opens inquiry into how EU staff recruitment test was carried out.* *Update 07.03.2023, here is the presentation.* Original article: Join us for some training in preparation for the forthcoming internal competitions multiple choice questions (MCQ) and written tests [1]. We will analyse all the key aspects.  As regards the MCQ, we will see a study methodology, go through the lessons learnt from previous competitions, and recommend materials and topics to cover the knowledge you need. Continue reading MCQ and written tests: training →

2022 internal competitions, where are we?

Contract Agents, EEAS, EPSO, Events, Internal Competitions, Newsletter - 2023-02-22, Professional mobility, Temporary Agents Print This Post

*Update 19.02.2025: ‘By default, all [internal] competitions will be cross-category.’ (Stay tuned: A new approach for internal competitions) This is excellent news and should now put the Commission on an even footing with the Parliament and other EU institutions. We hope that this inclusion is genuine and that the competitions are not  otherwise skewed to reduce participation.* Continue reading 2022 internal competitions, where are we? →

Internal competitions – excluded again?

EEAS, Internal Competitions, Newsletter - 2022-12-19 Print This Post

*Update 19.02.2025: ‘By default, all [internal] competitions will be cross-category.’ (Stay tuned: A new approach for internal competitions) This is excellent news and should now put the Commission on an even footing with the Parliament and other EU institutions. We hope that this inclusion is genuine and that the competitions are not  otherwise skewed to reduce participation.* Continue reading Internal competitions – excluded again? →

DG GROW: Reorganisation? Maladministration? Or how to pave the way for…what?

Internal Competitions, Junior Professionals Programme, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2022-12-19, Social Dialogue Print This Post

Our institution as well as our working and private lives have, in the recent past, undergone substantial change. So much so that the word reorganisation stopped soliciting any surprise. We are used to it and it happens everywhere and at reasonably regular intervals, such as before the arrival of a new Commission or Cabinets: the outgoing one might look to perhaps reshuffle things in order to accommodate their loyal staff within the services of the Commission. Continue reading DG GROW: Reorganisation? Maladministration? Or how to pave the way for…what? →

Help! My languages are in the wrong order!

EPSO, Internal Competitions, Newsletter - 2022-12-19, Professional mobility Print This Post

*Update 09.10.2025 we see that the internal competitions to allow flexibility in terms of which language is used as the first language (see p.6 of the FAQs).* 

Original article: You asked, we acted! A number of colleagues got in touch with us to ask for our help with regards to the internal competitions.  Continue reading Help! My languages are in the wrong order! →

Contract Agents: what does the future hold?

Contract Agents, EPSO, Events, Internal Competitions, Newsletter - 2022-09-15, Newsletter - 2022-09-27, Newsletter - 2022-11-29, reclassification, Staff Categories Print This Post

*The presentations from previous events can be found at the bottom of this article.*

Original article: Generation 2004, the only staff organisation with all representative staff categories in its team, is here to listen to you and your concerns and to develop together with you our positions on many work- and well-being-at-work- related issues. The Generation 2004 team has made a solid contribution to defend the interests of Contract Agents (CAs), the category of staff with the most uncertain future. Continue reading Contract Agents: what does the future hold? →