2018 EPSO Administrators & Assistants In The Field Of Archivistics/Records Management Competition Released

EU Training

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) has released the EPSO/AD/362/18  and EPSO/AST/145/18  Notice of Competition – calling forward applications for the Administrators (AD 6) and Assistants (AST 3) in the field of Archivistics/Records Management competition.

  • Reference Number: EPSO/AD/362/18 and EPSO/AST/145/18
  • Open for Applications: 13 September, 2018
  • Application Deadline: 16 October, 2018 (12-noon Brussels Time)
  • Grade: AD6 and AST3
  • Number of successful candidates sought: Administrators - 20 / Assistants - 43
  • This competition includes a Talent Screener

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

Want to join the conversation and talk to other candidates about this competition? 
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Snapshot of the 2018 EPSO Administrators & Assistants In The Field Of Archivistics/Records Management Competition

The deadline for registrations is 16 October 2018, at 12 midday (CET).

The European institutions are looking for Administrators (AD6) and Assistants (AST3) to work on records, archives and information management.

As an Administrator (EPSO/AD/362/18), you will be mainly working on the development, implementation and monitoring of policies and strategies, including capture, selection and retention, digital preservation, content management and information retrieval. You will ensure that the Institutions manage their archives, information and documents in accordance with the applicable legal framework.

As an Assistant (EPSO/AST/145/18), you will collect, sort and index, classify and preserve documents, write contextual historical descriptions of holding, enter document and file references in Electronic Document Management Systems, provide support on records and archives management to colleagues and assist internal and external clients to find and retrieve information and documents.

Please see ANNEX I of the Notice of Competition for more specific information.

Successful applicants can be recruited by any institution of the European Union and therefore available positions may be based in any number of locations.

 

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
  • Must have knowledge of at least two official EU languages:
    • Have a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level) of one of the 24 official EU languages – will be defined as your Language 1
    • 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. (The competition's Talent Screener must be filled out in your chosen Language 2)
  • Qualifications & Work Experience:
    • Administrator (EPSO/AD/362/18) profile: 
      • You must have a level of education which corresponds to at least 3 years' completed university studies attested by a diploma. The diploma must include at least 2 years of studies or training in archives, information/knowledge management or records management or be accompanied by a diploma in archives, information/knowledge management or records management.
      • PLUS at least 3 years’ professional experience relevant to the duties. Professional experience will be taken into account only after the date of obtainment of the diploma in the field.
    • Assistant (EPSO/AST/145/18) profile:
      • You must have a level of education which corresponds to at least 3 years' completed post-secondary education in archiving or records management attested by a diploma, followed by at least 3 years’ professional experience relevant to the duties. OR
      • You must have a level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, followed by at least 6
        years’ professional experience relevant to the duties. OR
      • Professional training (equivalent to European Qualification Framework Level 5, followed by at least 6 years’ professional experience. Both the training and experience must be relevant to the duties.

Please consult ANNEX IV of the Notice of Competition for examples of minimum qualifications.  

 

Selection Process

Please note: You must complete the Talent Screener in your Language 2 – this means in either English or French.

1. Pre-Selection Exam

This phase of the competition is made up of a series of computer-based multiple-choice questions and reasoning tests. If the number of candidates exceeds a certain threshold, these tests 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

Verbal Reasoning

Language 1

20 questions

35 min

 

Verbal + Numerical + Abstract Combined
20/40

 

Numerical Reasoning

Language 1

10 questions

20 min

Abstract Reasoning

Language 1

10 questions

10 min

The results of the computer-based MCQ tests are eliminatory but will not be taken into account in your final overall marks; however, you must reach the minimum pass marks in all tests.

2. Talent Screener

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. Therefore, you should include all relevant information in your Talent Screener answers, even if you 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.

3. 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 will be invited to this phase.

Please note that the Assessment Centre will most likely take place in Brussels and will need to be completed in your chosen Language 2.

7 general competencies for the Assistants profile and 8 general competencies for the Administrator profile, as well as the field-related competencies required for each profile, will be tested through 4 tests:

  • Case Study
  • Group Exercise
  • General Competency-based Interview
  • Field-related Interview

Each competency will be awarded a mark out of 10, with a total pass mark required of 35/70 for the Assistants profile and 40/80 for the Administrator profile. 

4. Reserve List

After checking candidates’ supporting documents, the selection board will draw up a Reserve List of the 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 the profiles 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, click here for the Assistants (AST3) profile and click here for the Administrators (AD6) profile.

 

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Useful reading:

The Motivation Challenge - What To Write In Your EPSO Application?

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13 Best EPSO Preparation Resources - Free and Paid

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