Sector

European Union

• Caroline works within EU governance, policy and diplomacy.  

• Why this path? For Caroline, this career offers a chance to tie together the international with the local. In her as the Head of the Political Section, Caroline connects with Dutch citizens to communicate the local impact of important EU policies and reports on local political developments to EU headquarters in Brussels. Her role leverages her experience in stakeholder management across different sectors from previous positions.  

• What’s in the Sector’s Future? The EU institutions are increasingly looking for (young) professionals with expertise and knowledge from multiple fields (e.g. cybersecurity, finance and space science).  

• This opens the possibility for young professionals to first gain experience in other sectors before joining the EU institutions, rather than being limited to the ‘traditional ‘path’.

Skills

Want to find out how Caroline landed the job she’s currently in?

• Journalistic writing – a skill developed as early as in her university minor course on the topic. This skill continues to serve her everyday work in storytelling and connecting with the target group she is communicating with.   

• Stakeholder management and understanding bilateral cooperation – which had its start during her university thesis work investigating the EU wine sector, and a skill she has continued to develop in each subsequent role.  

• Adaptability – as seen by leveraging skills from her different roles and experiences throughout her career to serve her in her current position.  

Advice & Tips

What advice would you give to students and young professionals?

• Start small! “Even small academic projects can develop valuable skills and knowledge that set you apart. Think of every experience as an opportunity toward your future career.” Caroline’s thesis work sparked her interest in EU policy and taught her valuable insights into EU stakeholder management.   

• “Think outside the obvious path; it is good to have support from big institutions and/or companies, but don’t think that if you do not get in the first time, this is the end of a possible career you had in mind.” Caroline collected valuable experiences, knowledge and contacts in other roles within the Eurobubble before landing a job within the EU institutions.  

• “Success often hinges on how you present your experience and strengths, and on thoughtfully applying what you have to offer in new contexts”.  

• Practice pitching yourself and how your current experiences relate to the qualities you need in your future role(s). Caroline succeeded in pitching her skills and familiarity with the sector. This allowed her to climb her way to a high-level EU job, ahead of the normally required EU testing other candidates would have to go through.  

Curriculum Vitae