Hi,
about one month ago I submitted my application to the Oct session of the Blue Book. The deadline was last week so the preselection results will only come out around late April at the earliest. I am a bit impatient since I'm currently stuck in a job I don't like, but I also want to be realistic.
I'm an Italian citizen in my early 30s. I have an interdisciplinary BSc + MSc in geography, GIS, + land management, and a second international MSc in GIS and Cartography, which technically was an Erasmus+ programme although I just presented it as a regular 2 year MSc. Other than my native Italian I also speak English and German (both C1 - English would be C2 but I had no certificate for that). I also speak Spanish and some French but I couldn't add them to my documentation. After my 2nd MSc I got an internship at a research institute, then a short stint at a private company as a GIS Analyst, then a 6 months intern contract at UNICEF in NYC also as a GIS Analyst.
I passed the CAST FGIV a few months back but I decided to apply for the Blue Book because most FGIV posts require more experience than what I have.
With my background, I'd love to join departments such as Eurostat, or CINEA, or DG-Regio.
My problems are two fold:
1. my qualifications are nothing special for a Blue Book applicant, and I'm Italian, which means the competition will be a lot higher;
2. I have much less experience than what people normally have at my age; this was the result of an unlucky mix of years of unemployment because of the terrible job market in my country (I actually volunteered for a while but I have no piece of paper to prove it), + Covid, + poor luck, + dumb decisions.
OTOH, I do have two MSc + international experience + knowledge of multiple languages + a degree in an underrepresented field.
What are my odds of making it at least to the preselection, if not to the end?
It's all a question of how
It's all a question of how you frame it and present it, and for traineeships, aside from the basic/core qualifications, I don't think they do any formal checks so even the volunteering experience can be added or declared without needing formal 'proof'.
Maybe play around with this:
https://chat.openai.com/share/a1ee1dc8-3fee-44ac-a02e-f01e620cfbef
Hi bluebookappl,
Hi bluebookappl,
I am no position to assess whether your qualifications ultimately will be amongst the highest scored amongst applicants. However, from what you have mentioned they do seem reasonably good. Especially having two Master degrees, several languages, international experience as well as a rather rare study degree would be all factors for which you likely may be awarded points. I think the Commission has not provided information on the grading system on its Bluebook Traineeship page this year. It did so in the past. So personally, I think with your profile you do not have to worry too much. I am aware of blue book trainees, including Italian citizens, that have fewer formal qualifications than the ones you have listed.
I would just like to add that applicants are required to provide evidence of (most of) the qualifications that they have declared, including volunteering experience. For these, applicants need to submit supporting documents. These supporting documents are formally checked. Applicants are asked only to include elements in their application for which they can provide supporting documents. Without such supporting documents, applicants will be rejected. - see: https://traineeships.ec.europa.eu/process-overview/application-procedure...
Very much depends on the
Very much depends on the profile of the other Italian candidates of course, but your profile does not sound too bad at all. It may well be that you proceed to the final Blue Book.
However I need to stress one thing, and that is the importance of being able to document EVERYTHING you claim in your application. I really mean every single thing.
"I don't think they do any formal checks so even the volunteering experience can be added or declared without needing formal 'proof'."
Sorry but this really is not true. The applications are checked thoroughly (there are hundreds of volunteer Commission staff doing this on top of their normal job) and everything has to match. If you claim certain work experience (even volunteering), you need to prove it, with a paper which is signed by the employer's representative, and has the exact dates of the experience (which must match the dates you put in your application). If you claim to have work experience you can't prove, your application will be marked NOK (not OK).
If you have put that you have C1 in English, you need to prove it - preferably with a certificate which states the CEFR level. I you have done your degree with that language, that is considered enough proof. If you claim a level of language knowledge and do not have a supporting document for it, your application again will be marked NOK.
I have just finished checking my quota of the October Blue Book applications and of the 24 If was assigned to check I had to reject 7 because they did not have supporting documents, or for other errors (even quite small).
Also, in the application there is no motivation etc. part so there is no place where you can put any "creative" text trying to sell yourself. You cannot "frame it and present it" in any way.
I think you have a pretty
I think you have a pretty good chance - education and international experience are weighted heavily. Languages help too, and any kind of work experience, even if volunteer is also a good bonus. Keep in mind blue book is specifically for people at the start of their careers, so you don't need huge amounts of work experience. If and when you get pre-selected you should then start to send emails to the units you are most interested in.