2017 EPSO Competition For Experts In Media And Digital Communication Released

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) released the EXPERTS IN MEDIA AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATION Notice of Competition !

There are two open competitions, with four profiles total for administrators and assistants, as follows:

EPSO/AD/347/17 — ADMINISTRATORS (AD 6)	Successful Candidates Sought
1. Communication Specialist	55
EPSO/AST/143/17 — ASSISTANTS (AST 3)
1. Webmaster	13
2. Communication Assistant	30
3. Visual Communication Assistant	34

While you can apply to both competitions separately, you can only apply to ONE profile PER COMPETITION. It is important to note that you will not be able to change your choice once you have confirmed and validated your online application form.

Most of the positions sought will be offered in Brussels. However, some will be based in Luxembourg for the Court of Justice, some will be based in one of the 6 regional branches of the European Parliament’s Information Offices located in Member State capitals (Munich, Milan, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Wroclaw or Marseille), and lastly there will be some posts based in Strasbourg as well.

Below we will explore some of the more important specifics of this competition and the selection process that you will need to undertake.

Getting ready for the EPSO Experts in Digital and Media Communication Competition?

Join the conversation about this EPSO competition in the 2017 EPSO Experts in Digital and Media Communication Facebook Group.

Access practice packages here (these are Administrator Question Packages, but are useful for AST as well. Before you begin the practice test you can change the profile to AST).

View our list of webinars available to help boost your knowledge and confidence. For example:

Beginner’s Guide to the EPSO Verbal Reasoning Test - FREE

Pro Tips for the EPSO Verbal Reasoning Test

Snapshot of the 2017 EPSO EXPERTS IN MEDIA AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATION Competition

The deadline for registrations is: 14 November 2017 at 12.00 (midday), CET.

The different tasks required for each Competition, within that, each profile, are detailed in ANNEX 1 of the official Notice of Competition. Please make sure to read all the details there.

Here is a brief overview:

(EPSO/AD/347/17) Communication Specialist– there is a wide range of responsibilities listed for this post, including:

Conceive, plan and implement communication strategies and campaigns
Maintain public relations
Create and coordinate digital content, engage on social media
Monitor media coverage, organise press conferences
And much more…

(EPSO/AST/143/17 - 1) Webmaster – design, develop and maintain the Institutions website and web applications

(EPSO/AST/143/17 - 2) Communication Assistant – support Communication Specialists

(EPSO/AST/143/17 - 3) Visual Communication Assistant - help create visual concepts to inspire and inform

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 2 of the EU’s official languages
- One language at minimum C1 level (thorough knowledge)
- One language at minimum B2 level (good command)
Qualifications & Work Experience:
(EPSO/AD/347/17)
- A level of education which corresponds to completed post-secondary education of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in communication studies, followed by minimum 3 years relevant professional experience in a field directly related to the required duties.
- OR A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma, other than Comunication studies, followed by minimum 6 years professional experience in one of the following fields: press agency, TV broadcaster, PR agency, a web company, journalism, communication consultancy, web and/or external communication in public or private organisations, project management.
EPSO/AST/143/17
- 1. Webmaster - A level of education which corresponds to completed post-secondary education of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in the field of IT, followed by at least 3 years’ relevant professional experience.
- 2. Communication Assistant - A level of education, which corresponds to completed post-secondary education of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in the field of communication, media studies, journalism or public relations, followed by at least 3 years’ relevant professional experience
- 3. Visual Communication Assistant - A level of education, which corresponds to completed post-secondary education of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in the field of visual communication and design, followed by at least 3 years’ relevant professional experience.
- OR, for all 3 of the above profiles, a level of education which corresponds to completed secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, followed by at least 6 years’ relevant professional experience directly linked to the duties concerned.

Competition Highlights

You must have knowledge of at least 2 official EU languages. You should have thorough knowledge of one of the languages, minimum C1 level and satisfactory knowledge) of the the other, minimum B2 level.

How to choose your Language 1 and your Language 2.

Language 1: This will be the language used for the computer-based Multiple-Choice Question tests

Language 2: Must be English or French, because these are the two main languages used for these competition profiles. This is also the language used for filling out the application, for the Assessment Centre and for communication between EPSO and the candidates who have submitted a valid application. This must be different from language 1.

Selection Process

1. APPLICATION FORM

On the application form you will have to select your language 1 (one of the competition languages) and your language 2 (English or French). PLEASE NOTE: You will have to fill out the application form in your chosen language 2 (English or French).

To apply you will have to prove your eligibility and you will be asked to provide further information relevant to the competition (e.g. diplomas and work experience information)

2. MCQ TESTS

This phase of the competition is made up of a series of computer-based multiple-choice questions and competency-based tests that will include the following:

Tests	Language	Question	Duration	Pass mark
Verbal Reasoning	Language 1	20 questions	35 min	10/20
Numerical Reasoning	Language 1	10 questions	20 min	Numerical + Abstract combined: 10/20
Abstract Reasoning	Language 1	10 questions	10 min	Numerical + Abstract combined: 10/20

3. ELIGIBILITY CHECKS

Your proof of eligibility (see above) will be checked on the basis of the information you provide in your online application. EPSO will check if you meet the general eligibility conditions while the Selection Board will check the specific eligibility conditions.

There are 2 possible scenarios:

If the computer-based MCQ tests are held at the beginning of the competition, before the Assessment Centre, candidates who passed will be checked for eligibility in descending order of the marks obtained until the number of eligible candidates reaches the threshold defined for each competition and profile. The remaining candidates’ files (those who did not pass) will not be checked.
If the computer-based MCQ tests are not held before the Assessment Centre, the files of all candidates who validated their application form by the deadline will be checked for eligibility.

4. TALENT SCREENER

During the application process, you will be required to complete a Talent Screener. Be careful how you fill this section out as your responses will be awarded points! Therefore, what you include in the Talent Screener may help you greatly in the selection process, when your qualifications are being assessed against other candidates.

You may be interested in reading this short Tips & Tricks article to get better acquainted with the specifics of the Talent Screener and how to maximise your score - How To Make The Most Of Your EPSO Talent Screener.

4. ASSESSMENT CENTRE

A maximum of 3 times the number of successful candidates sought will be invited to the Assessment Centre.

If you passed with one of the highest overall marks and met all the eligibility requirements then you will be invited , most probably to Brussels, to attend the Assessment Centre component of the competition where you will take the tests in your chosen languages 2.

Seven general competencies for the AST competition, and eight general competencies for the AD competition, as well as specific competences required for each competition and profile, will be tested through five tests:

General Competency-based Interview
Group Exercise
Case Study
Specific Competency-based Interview
Field-specific Test

5. RESERVE LIST

After checking candidates’ supporting documents, the selection board will draw up a Reserve List, for each language, of those eligible candidates who have obtained the highest overall competition scores, until the number of successful candidates sought is reached.

How to Apply

Make sure to ALWAYS check the official Notice of Competition and to fully understand the rules relating to the exams. For full details on the this competition and the 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.

To start the application process for the Experts in Media and Digital Communication competition, click on your desired post below:

EPSO/AD/347/17 - Communication Specialist (AD6)

EPSO/AST/143/17 — ASSISTANTS (AST 3):