"I am a lawyer by training and have been working for the European Commission since 2005. I started my career in the legal team of DG Agriculture, then moved around inside the same DG, dealing with topics as diverse as international trade negotiations and organic farming. But after 10 very intense and interesting years, I moved to DG ECHO. I worked as an Assistant to the Director-General and later joined the Cabinet of the European Commissioner for Crisis Management. Especially these two assignments gave me a good overview of the diversity of work carried out by DG ECHO: From coordinating international emergency response in case of natural disasters in the EU to supporting humanitarian funding across the globe.

More recently, I became the Manager of a Unit of 27 colleagues that deal with the development of the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network, a structure that will help civil protection and disaster management stakeholders to connect better and share knowledge. It also entails assisting in civil protection field exercises, organising expert trainings and many more things.

Working in DG ECHO is very special. Because it is essentially about helping people in need and preparing better for disaster. Ultimately, to save lives. I consider this a great privilege: to be part of what is probably one of the most noble policy areas of the Union. It is not about pushing paper, but delivering concrete help when it is most needed. And the COVID-19 pandemic as well as Russia’s aggression against Ukraine have shown how important it is to stand together in solidarity.

In fact, I would probably not have thought during my studies of international law at Tübingen and Bonn, London and Berne Universities that I would end up here. But I have not regretted that choice ever since.

And by the way, Brussels is also a very nice place to live and to raise a family. I cannot think of a more international and inspiring workplace. For the three children, growing up in an international environment is a huge opportunity. They grew up bilingual from the beginning and the European Schools make sure that they become enthusiastic young Europeans.

The only thing I should also point out: The weather in Belgium is not always what you would like it to be … but Belgian food and drink compensate."

« Je travaille en tant que juriste-linguiste au sein de l’unité de traduction de langue française à la Cour de justice de l'UE depuis huit ans. Les tâches qui incombent à cette unité consistent principalement en la traduction de pièces de procédure dans des affaires portées devant la Cour et le Tribunal et de conclusions rédigées par les avocats généraux. 

Ce métier permet d’allier une expertise en matière juridique et la pratique des langues, en exerçant dans une institution qui joue un rôle essentiel au sein de l’Union européenne. 

Il offre également un environnement de travail propice à l’acquisition constante de compétences au fil de la carrière, notamment par l’apprentissage de langues étrangères et la formation à l’utilisation de nouveaux outils de travail dans le domaine de l’informatique et des technologies. »

"Hi! My name is Cristina and I come from Alicante, Spain. I graduated in Law at the University Miguel Hernández, and I completed a master’s degree in intellectual property right after that. In my early career, I worked at a law firm specialised in trade mark and design portfolios, and a few years later, I spent some time working as inhouse counsel in the private sector, covering Spain and Portugal. I joined the EUIPO back in 2012 on a Temporary Agent contract, and a few years afterwards, with the firm determination to become an Official, I passed an IP Competition. 
I work now in the Opposition division, drafting decisions on relative grounds. In the past I have been in other teams, and I have also been a Team Leader, which has allowed me to work closely with other IP experts. I work in Spanish, French and English, and sometimes I participate in horizontal projects, such as IPforYOU, collaborating with national IP offices in other countries by delivering presentations, seminars and trainings to top users. Currently, I am a structural teleworker, which means that I work 90% of the time remotely and I go to the office a few days per month. This arrangement benefits my work life balance enormously and gives me plenty of flexibility to organise my day.  
The most satisfying part of my job is being part of the core business in an Office which is a reference in the IP world. We set trends and precedents and play a key role in protecting intellectual property rights and innovators across Europe and beyond. I enjoy the working conditions we have: flexibility to organise my work and meet targets while defining my schedule, well-resourced departments that strive for quality, an innovative office that keeps on investing in technology, and amazing facilities that make coming to the Office a pleasure. 
The above summarises why I believe people should apply to work for the EUIPO as IP specialists. Join us and play a key role in the IP world!"
 

“My name is Frederik and I come from Denmark. I am working in the area of transport (DG MOVE) of the European Commission.

Transport plays an absolutely vital role for citizens and businesses, and it is a big economic sector employing many people, which is what makes our work in DG MOVE so interesting and concrete. Transport also brings a number of challenges such as pollution, noise and accidents, which we need to tackle and which, especially for some transport modes, is a greater challenge than for others.

In DG MOVE, as one of the only sectorial DGs of the European Commission, we work on a variety of aspects from environment and social matters to infrastructure, and from state aid to economic regulation. DG MOVE is therefore a DG that offers many opportunities to work in different areas, to learn and to develop.

I very much enjoy working in DG MOVE, with colleagues of all nationalities and with experts in many areas. We also work closely with the industry, member states and other stakeholders, which all together gives a rich and varied job environment.”

I joined the European Commission’s department for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA) financial stability and financial services in 2019. I first worked on digital and sustainable finance policies before joining the press team. We promote our policies to the press, stakeholders and the wider public in close cooperation with policy units, the Spokesperson service and the Commissioner’s Cabinet.

My duties are to design, plan and deliver communication activities on retail and digital finance, such as press releases, events and campaigns, speaking points, press reviews, or content for our monthly newsletter and social media. I am also in charge of coordinating Eurobarometer surveys, i.e. opinion polls directed at EU citizens, on financial services on for the department. Finally, I am DG FISMA’s internal communication correspondent: I promote staff engagement by relaying important news, organising all-staff meetings, and managing our very own “FISMA TV”!

I have a background in public policy, law and economics and hold a Master in European Affairs. I previously gained experience on European political and economic issues in the French civil service and Senate, Commission representation in the UK, Commission competition department, and in a public affairs consultancy.

Jmenuji se Marek a na Soudním dvoře pracuji jako právník lingvista přes 20 let. Právní zkušenost předtím získanou v advokacii mohu využívat i v současné práci, zejména v souvislosti s agendou týkající se duševního vlastnictví. Při používání nejnovějších technologií se v této oblasti podílím zejména na vypracování příslušné právní terminologie a srovnávacích terminologických rešerší. V rámci překladů a revizí právních dokumentů kontroluji mimo jiné správnost a soudržnost používané terminologie.

Heike began her career in the private sector, working in the tourism and hospitality industry in Brussels and Gothenburg, followed by a role in an international audit firm.

She then moved to the public sector and joined the European Commission in 1996, initially serving in the finance and budget unit of the Directorate-General for Education, Training and Youth. Subsequent assignments included positions in the Directorates-General for External Relations and for Transport & Energy.

In 2003, Heike transitioned to human resources related functions, joining the newly established European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) as a competition coordinator. She later worked in the HR unit of the Directorate-General for the Internal Market & Services before returning to EPSO in 2013. Since then, she has held several roles within EPSO, from Team Leader for test development, Deputy Head of Unit for e-selection & test development, to her current position as Deputy Head of EPSO’s Outreach and Communication unit.

“Brussels is a surprising city where everybody can find something that makes them feel closer to home and travel the world at the same time. I am a passionate gourmet and enjoy discovering new places and cuisines to stimulate my taste buds, be it Portuguese bacalhau, Vietnamese bo bun, Senegalese mafé, or the traditional Belgian carbonnade. As an Italian, I’m never too far away from a delicious gelato or fire-cooked pizza. It’s very difficult being homesick in Brussels when it comes to eating!”

“I have been working for the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) since 2016. I work at the Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion and within our unit, I first worked on policy issues related to the Capital Markets Union and for the past two years, I have been working on the economic policies and in particular, the Economic and Monetary Union.

Our institution is one of the consultative bodies of the Union. The members of the EESC represent the organised civil society of Europe and with the opinions they draft, the EESC feeds into the European policy-making process the views, concerns and recommendations of civil society. My job is to support the EESC members in writing opinions on topics related to the EU's economic policies. For my work, I have to be up-to-date about the economic policy developments in the EU, follow the progress on legislative files at the Commission, the Parliament and the Council and be aware of the relevant research in academia, think tanks and the position of civil society organisations. I also organise meetings, public hearings or conferences, and establishing contacts with relevant stakeholders. Every day, I feel like I am at the heart of European policy-making and of building a resilient, sustainable European economy. What I love about my job is its diversity and that it constantly challenges me to stay on top of my game.”

“Being a lawyer-linguist allows me to combine my legal expertise with a passion for languages.

My journey began on the other side of the courtroom, representing Latvia before the Court. Today, from within the institution, I ensure that the Court’s legal texts are clear, precise, and accessible in Latvian. Thus, I contribute to fair and effective application of EU law, ultimately influencing the daily lives of citizens across the Union.

The rapid development of language technologies is reshaping our profession, opening exciting opportunities. We are actively working on finding the most reliable and responsible ways to integrate AI into legal translation, while preserving the accuracy and nuance that only human judgment can ensure.”