European Commission Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was really good. The panel was professional and asked direct questions. The questions were challenging, but if you do your research, you'll be prepared. I was a little surprised by a question about Cambodia's current environmental policies, so make sure you know about the more specific aspects of the traineeship beforehand too.

It was a classical question type of interview. They really wanted to know if I had good knowledge of EU institutions and the legislation process. I was asked about the major commissioner and had to show my knowledge of all procedures and legislation in the relevant field, which for me was transport. They also asked in details about development plan and financing possibilities, for example grants and funding for research and for SMEs.

There were several rounds of interviews with the hiring manager and a panel of experts. The interviews focused on questions related to expertise and competition. There wasn't much dialogue, and it felt more like a test of how to perform in an interview rather than a genuine assessment of whether someone would be a good fit for the team. It lacked warmth and opportunities for a two-way conversation.

After some confusing initial steps involving submitting and verifying various documents, I got an interview invitation. The interview itself was quite tense. I was interviewed by the Head of the department and another staff member. They asked me 'what kind of work do you think we do?' and then some questions about my application letter. At the end, they told me I'd need to be more broadly interested to work for the European Commission, which made me think I hadn't met their requirements. However, a few weeks later, I got an automated offer through the application platform.