The European Commission, with the support of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) has just released an official Notice of Competition calling forward applications from specialists who have expertise in the field of sustainable agriculture and rural development, to join the team as an AD6 level Administrator at the Directorate-General Agriculture and Rural Development in Brussels.
Below we explore the specifics of this competition and the selection process that you will need to undertake.
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| Competition Snapshot I Eligibility Criteria I Selection Process I How Can You Apply? |
Competition Snapshot
- Open for Applications: 4 February, 2021
- Application Deadline: 9 March, 2021 (12-noon Brussels Time)
- Grades: AD6
- This competition includes a Talent Screener
- Posts will be based in Brussels
Under this competition, the following reserve list has been advertised, from which the European Commission's Directorate-General Agriculture and Rural Development may recruit new members:
| Competition Code | Candidates Sought |
| EPSO/AD/389/21 - AD6 | 55 |
These specialists will be tasked with developing policies and new legislation, implementing and manage existing legislation and programmes, performing economic analyses and providing policy perspectives. They will also negotiate and/or monitor trade agreements, contribute to evaluation activities on the performance and the EU added value of measures under the responsibility of DG AGRI, and represent DG AGRI in Commission working groups, EU committees, EU institutions, international organisations and fora.
ANNEX I of the Notice of Competition expands on the duties to be performed.
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates will need to satisfy the following:
- Have EU citizenship
- Fulfilled any military service requirements
- Meet the character requirements for the duties concerned
- Have knowledge of at least TWO official EU languages:
- Language 1: Have a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level) of one of the 24 official EU languages - will be defined as your Language 1.
- Language 2: Have a good command (minimum B2 level) of either English OR French and MUST BE different to your Language 1 choice - will be defined as your Language 2.
Qualifications & Work Experience
- Completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in agricultural sciences, Plus a minimum of 3 years of professional experience related to the field of the competition. OR
- Completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma, Plus a minimum of 6 years of professional experience related to the field of the competition.
Please consult ANNEX IV of the Notice of Competition for examples of minimum qualifications.
Selection Process
IMPORTANT: You can complete your application in any of the 24 official EU languages, BUT your Talent Screener MUST BE completed in your chosen Language 2 (English or French).
1. PRE-SELECTION COMPUTER-BASED TESTS
This phase of the competition is made up of a series of computer-based multiple-choice reasoning tests. If the number of candidates exceeds a certain threshold, this exam will be held at the start of the competition process otherwise it will be held at the Assessment Centre phase.
|
Tests |
Language |
Question |
Duration |
Pass mark |
|
Language 1 |
20 questions |
35 min |
10/20 |
|
|
Language 1 |
10 questions |
20 min |
Numerical + Abstract Combined 10/20 |
|
|
Language 1 |
10 questions |
10 min |
- The results of the computer-based MCQ tests are eliminatory and will not be taken into account in your final overall marks.
- However, you must reach the minimum pass mark in all tests and get one of the highest scores in order to move on to the next stage of the competition.
2. ELIGIBILITY CHECK
EPSO will check the data provided by each candidate via their online application against the eligibility requirements of this competition. Remember that you can fill out your application in any of the 24 Official EU languages - except for the Talent Screener, which needs to be completed in your chosen Langauge 2 (English or French).
If the computer-based multiple-choice reasoning tests take place at the beginning of the selection process, eligibility will be checked in descending order of the overall marks obtained during this exam until the number of eligible candidates reaches a certain threshold defined before the tests take place.
3. TALENT SCREENER
You MUST complete your Talent Screener in Language 2 - English OR French.
The selection board assigns a weighting to each selection criterion and based on the information provided in the Talent Screener each candidate will receive a score. Only those candidates with the highest overall marks will go through to the next stage. Therefore, you should include all relevant information in your Talent Screener answers, even if you have already mentioned it in other sections of your application form. The questions are based on the selection criteria included in this notice - see ANNEX II for the list of criteria.
Getting this part wrong can easily jeopardise your chances of moving through to the next stage of the selection process - which you don't want to risk. To better understand how the EPSO Talent Screener works it is advised that you view this webinar recording - Everything You Need To Know About EPSO's Talent Screener.
Need help with your EPSO application or Talent Screener?
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4. ASSESSMENT CENTRE
Those who scored the highest marks in the Talent Screener will be invited to the Assessment Centre. A maximum of 3 times the number of successful candidates sought via this competition will be invited to this phase.
You will be invited to attend an Assessment Centre (online or in-person) over one or several days and will need to be completed in your chosen Language 2. (Further details and instructions will be included in your invitation letter.)
8 general competencies, as well as field-related competencies required for such a role, will be tested through 5 tests:
- Case Study
- Written test in the field
- General Competency-based Interview
- Situational Competency-Based Interview (SCBI)
- Field-Related Interview
Each general competency will be awarded a mark out of 10, with a total pass mark required of 40/80.
In addition to this, the Field-Related Interview will require a minimum pass mark of 25/50, and the Written Test In The Filed a minimum pass mark of 25/50.
5. RESERVE LIST
After checking candidates’ supporting documents, the selection board will draw up a Reserve List of eligible candidates who obtained the highest overall score, until the number of successful candidates sought is reached.
How Can You Apply?
Make sure to ALWAYS check the official Notice of Competition and understand the rules relating to the exams. For full details on this selection procedure read the official Notice of Competition and the General Rules Governing Open Competitions to ensure you have the required qualifications and satisfy the eligibility criteria before applying.
Start your application here:
Administrators in the field of Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Development
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Useful reading:
How To Make The Most Of Your EPSO Talent Screener
The Motivation Challenge - What To Write In Your EPSO Application?
13 Best EPSO Preparation Resources - Free and Paid