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.

Šiuo metu esu Europos Sąjungos delegacijos Nigerijoje ir Vakarų Afrikos valstybių ekonominėje bendrijoje (ECOWAS) taikos ir saugumo programų vadovas. Valdau kelias saugumo programas Nigerijoje ir Vakarų Afrikoje. Be kita ko, bendradarbiauju su keliomis Jungtinių Tautų agentūromis ir taikos stiprinimu užsiimančiais suinteresuotaisiais subjektais Nigerijoje ir regione. Labai didžiuojuosi propaguodamas ES vertybes ir interesus šioje pasaulio dalyje.

Mano tarptautinės karjeros pradžia buvo mano studijos. Pirmiausia įgijau tarptautinių santykių ir naujausių laikų istorijos magistro laipsnį Sent Andruso universitete (JK), po to – politikos mokslų magistro laipsnį (specializacija – tarptautiniai santykiai) Paryžiaus politikos mokslų institute (Prancūzijoje). Be to, likus keliems metams iki 10 naujų valstybių įstojimo į ES 2004 m., gavau Europos studijų magistro diplomą Europos kolegijoje Varšuvoje (Lenkija).

ES klausimais dirbu nuo 1997 m. Per visą savo karjerą ES institucijose turėjau galimybę dirbti keliose šalyse – Prancūzijoje, Austrijoje, Vokietijoje, Belgijoje, Filipinuose ir Nigerijoje. Patirtys tokioje daugybėje įvairių šalių suformavo mano asmeninę tapatybę, kuri apima gerokai daugiau nei Prancūziją, kurioje esu gimęs. Man savaime suprantamas dalykas jaustis europiečiu – ir net pasaulio piliečiu!

Europos Komisijoje pradėjau dirbti 2002 m. Šiuo metu esu „Erasmus+“ programų vadovas ir 2022-ųjų – Europos jaunimo metų – komandos narys Europos Komisijos Švietimo, jaunimo, sporto ir kultūros generaliniame direktorate.

Didžiuojuosi, kad pradėjau neįtikėtiną projektą „DiscoverEU“, aštuoniolikmečiams suteikiantį galimybę laimėti nemokamą kelionės bilietą. Mane labai įkvepia tai, kad mano darbas daro poveikį Europos jaunimui. Palaikau ryšius su jaunimo organizacijomis ir jaunimu visoje Europoje – naudoju socialinius tinklus, skleidžiu informaciją ir kuriu „DiscoverEU“ keliautojų bendruomenę.

Baigiau rinkodaros studijas, savo karjerą pradėjau reklamos srityje. Mane visuomet traukė tarptautinė ir daugiakultūrė aplinka, todėl visiškai natūraliai pasirinkau darbą Europos Komisijoje.

"Hi,

I am Ville, legal officer in the Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety and blind since my birth. 
For me working for the EU Institutions was a dream and succeeding it seemed so unlikely that I almost never tried. 
But with the encouragement and support of those closest to me, I did - and now I have been working here since 2013. If I could do it, why couldn't you? 
However, there is no prize without effort. Make sure that your professional skills match the job you are applying for and find out as much as possible so that you are prepared for each step. 

Think what you can give to the Institutions instead of what they can give to you, be honest about your disability if you have one and any special needs. 
Think proactively about how to cope with any issues the disability could cause in your work as smoothly as possible. 
Show that you have the competences, knowledge and initiative to be entrusted with the responsibilities of the job. Be motivated and show it. It may sound a lot and it is indeed a bit unfair. 
As persons with a disability we need to be even better prepared than others, not to admit it would be dishonest, but it is possible, you can do it!"

“Hello, my name is Aléxandros, and I work as policy officer in the European Commission’s Directorate General for Environment. I am currently working in the unit that deals with the safe and sustainable use of chemicals. Before that I worked in policy areas such as ozone layer protection, industrial emissions or major accidents involving chemicals.

Many people do not expect that the European Commission needs staff with technical or scientific expertise but in environmental policy there are a lot of technical aspects that need to be understood and communicated. Together with lawyers and economists we are working in a multi-disciplinary team to develop solid policies and legislation.

With my background in chemistry and practical experience, I can assess technical information that we receive, provide responses to technical questions, advise on practicalities, or communicate with experts in the field.

It is a great feeling to know that my work is contributing to improving our quality of life, protecting the environment and the sustainable development of the European society, and not to forget, contribute to the possibly most important peace project ever.”

“What I like about my job is the exposure to the most interesting topics concerning the economy and financial markets in the EU and beyond.

I joined the Council in 2017 to work in the Financial Services Unit, dealing mostly with banking legislation. Then this year, I moved to my current unit. I provide support to the Presidency in preparing for discussions on specific topics at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council, especially in relation to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the coordination of working parties aimed at identifying ways to support Ukraine’s reconstruction. The work is demanding because ECOFIN ministers meet almost every month and Ukraine is always high on their agenda, but it is also wide-ranging and interesting.”

"My first visit to Brussels was as a university student, when I realised that this would be a great place to work in an international context and contribute to advancing European integration.

After starting my career in the European Commission in the Directorate General for Employment and Social Affairs, I moved to Home Affairs 9 years ago.

I have worked on different files related to migration and security, including a two-year deployment in Italy dealing with the migration crisis. I have dealt with both operational and policy files. There is great diversity of tasks and files you deal with in DG HOME, so it never gets boring.

Working in Home Affairs in the European Commission gives you the opportunity to deal with subjects that are under the spotlight of politics and public opinion, directly related to the welfare and security of our societies.

I have been living in Brussels for 13 years now, it is my second home, a diverse and multicultural city, where it is easy to connect with people."

" Hi, my name is Judit. I am a lawyer and before joining the EUIPO, I worked in the private sector, in a Trade Mark and Patent Attorney and in a Law Office in Hungary.
When I joined the EUIPO in 2008, I started as a temporary agent in a very competent and supportive team. After joining the Office, I participated in several EPSO and also internal competitions. Finally, I managed to pass an EPSO IP competition and in 2014, I became an official.
From the beginning, I have been working in the Operations Department of the EUIPO. I am responsible for taking decisions in Cancellation and Opposition proceedings against European Union trade marks applications and registrations. I mainly work in German and English, but I also have the chance to deal with Hungarian files. I have defended litigation cases before the General Court in Luxembourg as well, and I have prepared responses for the Court, as well as pleaded at oral hearings.
I enjoy my work because of its diversity, it always offers new learning opportunities. Working in a multicultural environment is a great experience, both culturally and professionally. I have the opportunity to meet interesting and inspiring people from different backgrounds. Mentoring newcomers also fills me with energy, and beyond work, I have the opportunity to get to know colleagues by participating in the different social clubs available.
On top of this, I love sunny Alicante.
So, don’t hesitate to apply! You will have the opportunity to work in a dynamic and multicultural environment, improve and grow, both personally and professionally, explore different areas, not only developing your practical knowledge in the IP field, but also collaborating with colleagues from other teams and departments and working on different projects."
 

“Svoju prácu už viac ako 15 rokov, keď som úspešne absolvovala výberové konanie na miesto právneho lingvistu, vnímam ako poslanie. Jednou z hlavných úloh právnika lingvistu na Súdnom dvore v Luxembursku je zabezpečiť, aby právne dokumenty Súdneho dvora boli presne a v súlade s právnou terminológiou preložené do všetkých úradných jazykov Únie. Právnik lingvista pracuje v multikultúrnom a multijazyčnom prostredí. Samotné Luxembursko poskytuje vysokú kvalitu života, kultúrne a športové vyžitie pre všetky vekové kategórie. Ak ste zanieteným lingvistom so záujmom pre právo a európsku integráciu, táto práca a životný štýl v Luxembursku môžu byť pre vás ideálnou kombináciou.”

***

“After successfully completing the selection process for the position of legal linguist, I have been seeing this job as a mission for more than 15 years. One of the main tasks of a lawyer linguist at the Court of Justice of Luxembourg is to ensure that the legal documents of the Court of Justice are translated accurately and in accordance with legal terminology into all the official languages of the Union. As a lawyer linguist, you have the opportunity to work in a multicultural and multilingual environment. Luxembourg itself provides a high quality of life, cultural and sports activities for all age groups. If you are a passionate linguist with a passion for law and European integration, this job and lifestyle in Luxembourg could be the perfect combination for you.”

“I have been working for the European institutions for more than 10 years and I have not regretted a single day. It was my dream to work for the institutions, since I was 16. I must say, it turned out even better than what I imagined at 16. For me, not a single day has been the same. And every day has been great. The job has offered me a lot of satisfaction. You find challenges to resolve. You get opportunities to learn new skills. All this in a multi-cultural environment. I find it amazing to work with people from all over Europe and in a multi-lingual environment.”