One of the most interesting aspects about working for the EU civil service is the opportunity to work with colleagues from across Europe. You could be discussing the details of trade deals with Latvian and Spanish colleagues or sharing a coffee and sandwich with your friends from Germany and Malta.
Meet Wouter and Juan below to hear their thoughts and views of the EU.
Wouter van de Rijt
Council of the European Union
Name? Hello, My name is Wouter van de Rijt. I am 52, I have worked for the EU Council since 1999. Prior to that, I was working for the Schengen Secretariat and before that, for the Dutch Parliament.
Nationality? I am a Dutch national but I spent my youth in France.
Organisation? I am working for one of the organisations that is less well-known than the Commission or the Parliament: the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union is the organisation behind the meetings of the EU Council of Ministers and nowadays also of the European Councils (Heads of State and Government).
How long have you worked for EU institutions? I've worked for the EU Council since 1999
Directorate and role? Inside DG Justice and Home Affairs, my task is to help the EU Presidency and the other member states in their contacts with the main international partners (US, Russia, the Balkans and so on) to develop our policies in justice and home affairs, i.e. issues on visa, data collection, border controls and so on.
What attracted you to a career in the EU institutions? I sincerely believe that the EU has brought and continues to bring peace in Europe, one should never forget that. On a personal level, it is so exciting to work with 27 nationalities, that brings much satisfaction.
What did you study? I studied political sciences - i.e. you learn a little bit about a lot.
What has been your career highlight so far? The highlight for me is the success of the Schengen co-operation, starting at the beginning of my career with five member states, whereas nowadays almost all EU member states are in, as well as Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. Unfortunately, not the UK.
What do you love about working for the EU institutions? Working with people from 27 cultures, that is really a pleasure every day. It makes you travel in your mind and you learn a lot from it.
What advice would you give to anyone who is thinking about applying for a career in the EU? Invest in the preparation and also from a linguistic point of view (French, German and so on), you won't regret it.
Can you sum up your experience in the EU in one sentence? A career in the EU multiplies the facets of your personality by 27.
Do you have an interesting fact about the EU/Directorate/Brussels? From Brussels, it takes no more than an hour to be in five countries.
Juan Luis Ballesteros
Committee of the Regions
Name? Hello. My name is Juan Luis Ballesteros.
Nationality? I come from Andalucía, Spain.
Organisation? Committee of the Regions.
How long have you worked for the EU institutions for? I have worked for the Committee of the Regions for three years now.
Directorate and role? My current role is in the Subsidiarity Unit of the Committee as a policy officer. We ensure that local or regional authorities' competences are respected by the EU.
What attracted you to a career in the EU institutions? Although I absolutely love Granada, I felt the need to go abroad and search for new experiences. It was not easy at first.
Moreover, parallel to my studies I had managed a career in sport as a professional golf player and instructor. One day, after having played a round of golf with a client I came back home and found out that an EPSO competition had just been published, that was back in September 2005. I hung my golf clubs and locked myself in a small room to prepare (at the time there were still questions on EU knowledge). I was successful in the competition and came to Brussels, a city I had never been to before.
What did you study? I studied law and translation in Granada and afterwards decided to focus on EU studies, dreaming of a job in an international atmosphere.
What has been your career highlight so far? I have to admit I did not like it very much in the beginning, horrible weather compared to the south of Spain, a bit too grey panorama, but I realised that I was where things happen, where decisions are taken, and that my hometown was just a very small point lost in the map of Europe. This feeling impressed me very much and is still quite a drive.
What do you love about working for the EU institutions? The thing I like most about working for the EU is the possibility of discovering every day something new (be it new people or new ideas). This helps to broaden and open your mind, which in my opinion is a good thing. I have not worked for the EU for very long, but I must say that thanks to it I have already had the opportunity to debate and work with politicians at high level, which is not something I could even imagine when I was in Spain.
What advice would you give to anyone who is thinking about applying for a career in the EU? Just do it, give it your best shot, do the necessary preparation, if you are young use your time, if you are not so young use your experience. The main thing is not to be afraid because you think it is difficult or there is much competition, just invest yourself and in the end you will be rewarded, for sure.
Content produced by EU Careers.
