Online Application Manual

http://www.eu-careers.eu

1. Introduction: Tips to help you with your application 3

2. The EPSO account 4

3. The interactive tests 6

4. The on-line application form 7

A. REGISTRATION DATA 7

B. MY PROFILE 8

1. EDUCATION AND TRAINING 8

2. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 8

3. EDUCATIONAL OR CAREER BREAKS 8

4. EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES 8

5. LANGUAGE SKILLS 8

6. TALENT SCREENER 9

C. MOTIVATION AND STRENGTHS 9

1. EXPERIENCE 9

2. INTEREST 9

3. YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE EU 9

4. STRENGTHS 10

D. ELIGIBILITY 10

1. GENERAL CONDITIONS 10

2. SPECIFIC CONDITIONS 11

E. OVERVIEW 11

F. DECLARATION 11

CONTENT

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This Manual will help you while you apply for the competition or selection procedure that

interests you. It will guide you through all the stages of the on-line application procedure.

It is divided into three parts:

How to create an EPSO Account A guide to the Interactive Tests How to apply for a competition or selection procedure.

You can print the manual or open it as a separate page to consult on-screen.

HERE ARE FIVE TIPS TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR APPLICATION:

1. You will need to have an EPSO Account before applying.

2. Read the Guide to open competitions and the Notice of competition1 or the Call for expres-sion of interest carefully.

3. Check that you have all the necessary documents at hand (qualifi cations, contracts of em-ployment, references etc.) and start your on-line application in good time. You may need sev-eral hours to complete it. Don’t forget to save it regularly!

4. All the boxes marked with an asterisk (*) must be completed or you will not be able to validate your application.

5. Validate your application before the deadline. Before validating it be sure to check all the information you have entered. After validation you will not be

able to change or delete it.

1. Introduction: Tips to help you with your application

1 The Guide to open competitions is only applicable to open competitions and not to other selection procedures.

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The EPSO Account is the electronic interface between you and EPSO. It holds your personal details, allows them to be updated, keeps a record2 of the applications that you have validated and enables EPSO to communi-cate with you.

You can create your EPSO account at any time, even if there are no competitions or selection procedures open. Go to https://europa.eu/epso/application/passport/

It is strictly forbidden to have more than one EPSO account. All applications for diff erent com-petitions or selection procedures must be done through the same account.

If you create more than one EPSO account you will be excluded from the competitions or

selection procedures concerned and all your accounts will be cancelled.

CREATING YOUR EPSO ACCOUNT

EPSO Login (user name)

Your login is important. It is used to identify you when you log in to your EPSO account. Choose a login that is easy to remember, your email address for example. You can check to see if the login you have chosen is available by clicking on this icon “ ”.

If you forget your login you can fi nd it again via the website.

Password

Choose a password with at least eight characters. Try to make it one you can remember easily. You will be asked to enter it a second time.

If you forget it you can reset it via the website.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

You should enter information about yourself, including your fi rst name, your surname and your date of birth. Make sure the information is the same as on your passport or identity card or on any other valid offi cial document bearing your photograph that you use to prove your identity. You will need to show this at EPSO’s request.

Main Language

Your main language must be one of the 23 offi cial languages of the European Union.

2. The EPSO account

2 In accordance with Personal Data Protection regulations. For further information go to http://europa.eu/geninfo/legal_notices_en.htm#personaldata

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Citizenship

Your citizenship must be the same as that shown on your passport, identity card or other valid offi cial document.

Second Citizenship

If you have a second citizenship you should enter it in the box intended for this. It also must be the same as shown on your passport, identity card or other valid offi cial document.

Your Residential Address

This must be the address where you currently live. It must be updated whenever you change your address. It will be used to propose an examination centre for the admission tests. This ad-dress will also be used later in the selection process to calculate any contribution to your travel expenses, should this be applicable.

Your Email Address, Telephone and Fax Numbers

You should use a valid email address. Please give the international and area codes for telephone and fax numbers.

SAVING YOUR PERSONAL DATA

If you have completed all the information correctly please save by clicking on the button.

Your EPSO account has been created.

If you have to make changes to your Family name at birth/Family name/Date of birth/Citizenship send us, by email (EPSO-PERS-DATA@ec.europa.eu) or fax (No +32 (0) 2 2979617), a copy of an offi cial document justifying the change (copy of your passport, national identity card, legal de-cision, etc.).

Once your request has been accepted by EPSO, the change will be visible in your EPSO Account. Please note that your request for change of personal details will be denied if no proof is pro-vided within fi ve days.

All subsequent changes to your personal information, residential or email address must also be saved in your account.

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The admission tests give access to the open competition or selection procedure. They are a series of multiple-choice tests3.

According to the competition or selection procedure chosen you may have to undertake

one or more of the following tests:

Verbal reasoning Numerical reasoning Abstract and logical reasoning Situational judgement

To assist you in preparing for the admission tests we have provided interactive tests which are designed to help you gain an understanding of the nature of the computer-based admission tests and the level of diffi culty that you will be faced with depending on the competition or se-lection procedure that you have chosen. They are available in English, French and German only. We recommend that you take them in a language other than your main one.

Please note that for some competitions there may also be admission tests in your main lan-guage and even, for some competitions for linguists, in your second and third language. EPSO provides a separate interactive test in order to help you assess whether your knowledge of the language chosen as your main language is suffi cient for the level of diffi culty of the competition.

These tests are not compulsory but we strongly recommend that you try them before starting your on-line application. There is no penalty for wrong answers given in the interactive tests. At the end of the tests EPSO will give you feedback to help you decide whether to apply.

3. The interactive tests

3 The languages for the admission tests will be indicated in the Notice of competition or Call for expression of interest.

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A. REGISTRATION DATA

Check that you have chosen the right competition or selection procedure and the right fi eld, option and/or channel.

Please be aware that as soon as you start your applica-tion, the system will give you a temporary reference number (T-XXXXX). When your application has been validated this number will change to your actual application number. Your application number will appear on the screen, at the top of the form. It is the same as the temporary reference number but without the “T”.

You should enter the number of your passport, identity card or other valid offi cial document bearing your photograph that you will use to prove your identity when asked to do so by EPSO.

You are requested to indicate the CBT test centre at which you are likely to take the admission tests.

Language 1 is your main language. It must be one of the 23 offi cial languages of the European Union. You should have at least a thorough knowledge (level C14) of it. For some competitions, you will need to have a perfect command (level C24) of it.

You should have at least a satisfactory knowledge (level B24) of your choice for Language 2. For some competitions for linguists, you will need to have a thorough knowledge (level C14) of it. It must be diff erent from Language 1.

For more information about the choice and the required level of languages you should refer to the Notice of competition or Call for expression of interest.

For some competitions, selections or calls for expression of interest, notably linguist competi-tions, other language skills may be requested. Again, please refer to the Notice of competition or Call for expression of interest.

For the language for correspondence with EPSO you can choose English, French or German.

Special requirements

If you need any special assistance when taking part in the tests please indicate this here. You will need to send a certifi cate from the competent authority or a medical certifi cate to EPSO in order for your request to be taken into consideration. For more information go to http://europa.eu/epso/discover/selection_proced/equal/index_en.htm

4. The on-line application form

4 See Section 4.B.5 Language Skills.

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B. MY PROFILE

1. EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Firstly you should enter the qualifi cation that gives you access to the competition or selection procedure. Check that it matches the qualifi cation requirements of the competition or selection procedure. Then you can enter all other qualifi cations that you consider relevant.

You should enter each stage of your education or training (provided you have a certifi cate for it). Start with the most recent but it is not necessary to mention your primary schooling. You should concentrate on the qualifi cations that are most relevant to your application.

2. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

If professional experience is required you should describe all the jobs you have had that you consider relevant to your application, starting with the most recent.

If you are looking for your fi rst job you can mention any contact you have had with the working environment, such as work experience or work placements.

3. EDUCATIONAL OR CAREER BREAKS (if applicable)

Please give details of time not accounted for (including start and end dates) when you were not in gainful employ-ment or attending educational institutions. This informa-tion is of particular relevance for your career record over the past fi ve years.

4. EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

(if applicable)

Please provide details of training, voluntary work and other activities which demonstrate that you can build positive relationships and contribute creatively to society. This may include activities such as sports and charitable work. You may mention skills and non-work related experiences or qualifi cations that you feel are relevant to your application.

5. LANGUAGE SKILLS

You must enter here all your language skills even though you have already entered certain languages in the fi rst part of the application form under the section “Registration Data”. You must enter your main language here too.

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There is a self-assessment grid on the EUROPASS website to help you evaluate your skills. Go to http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/europass/home/hornav/Downloads/CEF/LanguageSelfAssessmentGrid.csp;jsessionid=FC8C4D286437ADCCE3192124AB38F945.worker_portal_cms

To remind you – you must have at least a thorough knowledge (level C1) of your main language and a satisfactory knowledge (level B2) of your second language. EPSO does not take into ac-count any languages where your knowledge is at level A1.

6. TALENT SCREENER

This section is not applicable for all competitions or selection procedures. If you have chosen a competition or selection procedure for specialists you will be asked to give certain details about, among other things, your qualifi cations and your professional experience.

C. MOTIVATION AND STRENGTHS

This information is very important as your answers will be read by the Selection Board and may be used at subsequent stages of the selection process. Please take time to think carefully about how you want to present yourself and what you want to write here. We encourage you to use the full word count to answer each question and to give all the information you feel necessary.

1. EXPERIENCE

How is your education and training relevant to this particular profi le?

2. INTEREST

You should explain why you have decided to apply for work in the European institutions/agencies.

You should also explain why this particular profi le interests you.

3. YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE EU

What specifi c contribution do you think you could make to the work of the European institu-tions and agencies?

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In what role could you best contribute?

What particular strengths would you bring to your work?

4. STRENGTHS

Outline two of your main achievements. Describe what they are, the process you went through and their positive outcomes for you and for others.

For AD and AST3 competitions or selection procedures you should describe a project or activity that you were involved in and where you undertook a leading role or made a decisive contribu-tion. Set out the main steps and explain your input from the beginning to completion.

D. ELIGIBILITY

In order to be able to validate your application you have to fulfi l these conditions. Click on the button in each case.

1. GENERAL CONDITIONS

You need to fulfi l all the conditions when you apply.

For condition a you will need to prove your citizenship with a valid offi cial document (passport, identity card or other valid offi cial document).

For conditions b, c and d, no proof will be required at this stage. You will need to provide proof upon request before recruitment.

a. I am a citizen of one of the Member States of the European Union.b. I enjoy my full rights as a citizen of the European Union.c. I have fulfi lled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws concerning military service.

You must have already fulfi lled any military service obligations required by your Member State. If you do not have military service obligations you should answer “yes”.

d. I meet the character requirements for the duties involved. For detailed information concerning character requirements please see “Title II” of the Staff Regulations: Rights and Obligations of Offi cials. Go to http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/consleg/1962/R/01962R0031-20060701-en.pdf

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2. SPECIFIC CONDITIONS

You will also need to prove (with diplomas and/or contracts of employment), when asked to do so, that you fulfi l conditions e and f.

e. I meet the minimum requirements concerning Qualifi cations as specifi ed in the Notice of competition/Call for expression of interest (including professional experience or training if applicable).

f. I meet the requirements concerning Professional experience as specifi ed in the Notice of competition/Call for expression of interest (if applicable). If no professional experience is required you should answer “yes”.

The specifi c requirements for qualifi cations and experience for each competition or selection procedure are set out in the Notice of competition or Call for expression of interest.

g. I meet the language requirements as mentioned in the Notice of competition/Call for ex-pression of interest. Please refer to Section 4.A. Registration Data.

E. OVERVIEW

You have an overview here of all the information you have entered. If anything is in red it means you have not fi lled it in correctly. You will need to complete it in order to be able to validate your application. All obligatory information must be completed.

F. DECLARATION

You must click on the button “validate application” for it to be validated and taken into account. Please remember

that after validation you will not be able to change

anything because the application will be processed

by EPSO. It is at this point that you will be able to see your actual application number at the top of the screen. From this point on you will not be able to delete your ap-plication. Everything you enter in your online application form must be accurate and comply with the supporting

documents that you provide when asked to do so. EPSO informs you that should this not be the case, your application for the competition or selection procedure will be considered null and void.

For those competitions or selection procedures with admission tests you will receive in good time the link to use to book a date for the tests. Please note that your proposed examination centre will be based on the residential address in your EPSO Account. It is your responsibility to ensure that this is kept up-to-date.

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To print your on-line application form click on the button “Print application form”. A new win-dow will open with a printable version of the form.

Unless it is otherwise stated in the Notice of competition, EPSO will inform you when you need to:

print out, sign (your signature must be handwritten), attach supporting documents and submit

a copy of your application form.

You will be able to view your application form via your EPSO Account at any time throughout the selection process.

If you have any questions please contact us. You will fi nd information on how to do this on our website in the section “Candidate Contact Service”.

EPSO wishes you good luck!

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