Design and writing of the EPSO profile

1. Experience: how is your education and training relevant to this particular profile? How do you phrase this paragraph to convince you have the “right” educational background? What are your subjects, thesis that interest them?
2. Interest: why did you decide to apply for European Institutions or agencies? Why a public service? Why this particular public service? Why this profile in this public service? Why is this appealing for you? Why now in your career?
3. Your contribution to the EU: what specific contribution do you think you could make to the work of EU? What is the role you would like to play? What particular strengths would you bring to your work? Why are they needed?
4. Strengths: What are two of your main achievements? What is the process you went through and the positive outcomes? Did you play a leading role or decisive contribution? What was it? What did you learn from them?

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Coaching and practice for the pre-selection tests

1. Verbal reasoning: tests to assess verbal ability. Each question consists of one paragraph and four options. The right option should be selected. It is necessary to get a minimum score to pass this test.
2. Numerical reasoning: test to assess numerical ability. Each question consists of a graph, table and four options for response. The right option should be selected. A minimum score is calculated from the numerical and abstract tests together.
3. Abstract reasoning: test to assess the abstract thinking. Each question consists of a series of diagrams, series, grids, with an implicit logic and four options. The right option should be selected. A minimum score is calculated together with the numerical reasoning test.
4. Situational analysis: tests to assess the behaviour in working situations. They present the candidate with hypothetical but realistic work-based scenarios in which they are required to make decisions. For the moment this is a non-eliminatory test, but the outcomes remain with adjudicators for the following phases.
5. Professional skills: accuracy and precision. The test involves spotting mistakes, types, grammatically errors, misspellings or other discrepancies in charts and tables, without dealing with the concrete content. The only competences tested here are the attention to details and the ability to work under enormous time pressure!
6. Professional skills: prioritising and organising. The test consists of various data and you are asked to make decisions based on the data. Some time you have to make small calculations and find in this way the right answer. Anyway, the sense of the test is to assess your ability to decide the priority and to organise the tasks required in the best way.
7. Professional skills: computer literacy test. The tests is aimed to assess the practical knowledge and the ability to use in efficient manner the IT tools and Microsoft Office applications. Therefore, it is a very concrete, practical test simulating the very tasks of an assistant.

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Simulation of the assessment centre

1. Case study for AD and AST levels in the chosen field of competence: written essay to test knowledge, analysis and synthesis skills, and written communication abilities
2. Structured interview for AD and AST levels: interview with a human resource specialist to better assess your motivation, personality, strengths and weaknesses and career plans
3. Oral presentation for AD levels: presenting in front of a panel to test the ability to communicate in a clear and convincing manner
4. Group exercise for AD and AST levels: exercise together with other candidates, the evaluators’ focus will be on assessing the competencies displayed against the EPSO competency framework
5. In-tray exercise for AST level: you will have to answer a number of questions. The documentation you will need is contained in a mailbox you have 50 minutes to read though the emails and complete the questionnaire.
6. Practical tests for AST level: the test involves the preparation and procession of a word document. You will be asked to type a given text, incorporating various instructions and handwritten notes. You will have about 45 minutes for this test.
7. Business briefing exercise for AD12 and above: you will have a 1 hour, 30 minutes for this exercise. You will get some background information documents in the form of a project update. During the individual preparation time, you will prepare your approach for a briefing to be given to a hierarchical superior who will raise questions during the briefing, this happening in a role-play with a psychologist.

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Selection and recruitment interviews

1. Curriculum Vitae writing: will shed the light on strengths, knowledge and skills, in the personal as well as professional domain. This will allow one to use the CV as an indispensable tool (short, precise, concise) for “marketing”.
2. Letter of motivation writing: will present, in first place, your interest for this job, that is, why this job is your ideal job, then respond to their questioning as why you are the right person for the job, from your professional career point of view and, last but not least, from your personal traits point of view
3. Coaching for selection/recruitment interview: through simulations that will prepare as well on the verbal and non-verbal aspect of the communication. In this way, one will be prepared to respond to all type of question, even the unexpected ones.

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