“I am currently leading a team of economists providing scientific support for digital policy initiatives. Working for the European Commission has been so far an incredible experience, both personally and professionally. From a professional perspective, it has been a real challenging intellectual journey, facing difficult requests that require a combination of analytical and problem-solving skills. However, even if these are relevant, it is necessary to complement them with soft skills such as collaboration, teamwork, communication and resilience. Personally, I’ve had the opportunity to meet some of the most interesting people I have ever met: intelligent, responsible, caring, amusing… All that in a multicultural environment where you can learn and enjoy every day, while you contribute to the greater good. Can you imagine a better place to work?”

“My name is Joséphine, and I work in the Secretariat-General of the European Commission, focusing on combating racism and discrimination. As a young racialised woman, joining the EU institutions has been both a personal and professional journey towards inclusion and representation. I started as a Blue Book trainee back in 2023, unsure of how my identity as a racialised LGBTIQ person would fit into the institutions. What I found was a diverse and dynamic environment where different perspectives are valued, and where I could actively contribute to shaping policies that promote equality.

Today, I have the privilege of working on crucial issues to ensure that the voices of marginalised communities are heard at the highest levels. The EU’s commitment to promote a Union of Equality is not just a principle, it’s something I experience every day through the support of my colleagues and the real impact of our work. As a young professional, I feel empowered to grow, and help build a more inclusive Europe. If you’re looking for a career where you can be yourself and drive meaningful change, this is the place to be.”

“I’m a Policy Officer in the governance unit of the European Commission’s climate department (DG CLIMA), where I have worked with both EU Member States and international partners to accelerate the climate transition. One thing I particularly enjoy about working for the Commission is that you can get a lot of responsibility at an early stage of your career. For example, I have been directly involved in negotiating ambitious climate targets for the Energy Community Contracting Parties. I have also been working with other Commission services and EU Member States to better integrate climate action across some of the largest EU funds. The negative effects of climate change become ever more acute - think of the droughts, heatwaves and storms that have hit Europe this year. Many people are also experiencing hardships because of our dependence on fossil fuels. I therefore very much look forward to seeing the programmes and policies I have been working on being implemented on the ground. It doesn’t happen overnight, but I’m confident there will be more and more tangible results in our day to day lives.”

“I have been working in the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Seville for almost eight years. Currently I coordinate the maintenance and update of EUROMOD, a model that allows estimating the impact on households of reforms of taxes and benefits in EU Member States. Although I started as a contract agent, two years ago I managed to pass an AD6 competition and, very luckily, continue working on my previous project.

Before coming to the Commission, I was an associate professor in the University of Vigo (Galicia, Spain). Although I liked my work, I always felt the need of working closer to the policy world, and the JRC represented a unique opportunity to work at the crossroads of research and policy-making.”

"I am Diogo and I work as a programme manager at European Social Fund Plus(ESF).
I was 21 years old when I had my first office job. Then, still at the private sector, I was not out at work and for a few months I made a point of it. With time, I gained more confidence in myself and since then I am proudly out to my colleagues. Why? Because it is not possible or admissible for me to live a double life. I started working for the European Commission in 2020 and my attitude was no different: I am open about myself and my family since the first day, and always felt welcomed. My work in the LGBTQI+ staff association Égalité made me realize that my experience is not true to everyone, and many colleagues still don’t feel comfortable in being their whole selves at work. Since I started I’ve seen direct policies to combat queerphobia and to make LGBTQI colleagues feel safe. There’s still work to be done, but I am happy to work for an European institution where the internal efforts match the external public policies put forward. And because I want all new comers to feel as safe as I did here, I will continue to push for more LGBTQI awareness and inclusivity.”

“I joined the Directorate-General for Energy in 2015, after four years in the European Parliament, where I had followed a range of topics related to external relations of the EU, including the external security of energy supply. In ENER, I first worked as a liaison officer for relations with the EP, then as international relations officer in charge of Turkey and Western Balkans, and now I handle external communication of all our policy initiatives. Over these seven years, I have seen a very impressive evolution the EU's energy policy. In 2015, the word on everyone’s lips was ‘Energy Union’. Designed as a political reaction to Russia’s first invasion of Ukrainian territories in 2014, it gave important impetus to the roll-out of renewable energy sources and to greater, targeted focus on energy efficiency. An impressive body of legislation followed, translating policy priorities into concrete targets, tools and measures, and putting people at the heart of the clean energy transition. Energy is also one of key sectoral policies of the European Green Deal – it underpins many proposals that will allow us to deliver on a climate-neutral Europe by 2050. Finally, over the past year I have been able to witness how European policies bring responses to crisis situations, defying the usual perception of slow bureaucratic processes. The actions undertaken by the EU since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, such as REPowerEU phasing out our dependence on Russian fossil fuels way before 2030, are an inspiration, and contribute to a new page in the history of European energy policy.”

"I am Stéphane, I work at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. I am responsible of the unit in charge of defining and delivering services to researchers everywhere in Europe, to help them turn the results of their research work into new products, services, and knowledge useful to our local, regional, or national public authorities.

I was born in Marseilles with French, German and Senegalese origins (at least as far as I know!). I’ve always felt very attracted by the European project, and I’ve always had the chance in my professional career, before joining the Commission, to stay safe from racism and discrimination. So, I did expect neither more nor less than being treated as any other European citizen in this institution, which is the feeling I’ve got throughout this fantastic professional experience”.

"I am Frédéric and I 've been working for the EU institutions since 1998. I used to be in charge of accessibility for people with reduced mobility at the OIB (the European Commission's office for infrastructure and logistics) for many years.

I am currently working at the Diversity and Inclusion Office at the DG Human Resources and Security (EU Commission) as a policy officer specialising in disability and mainstreaming accessibility initiatives across learning and development, outreach and communication.

The handicap is an advantage here! I present it in a joyful way. I do not give the impression of dragging all the misery of the world behind me. And because I have a dog, it helps, it is the mascot."