Kari G.
About me
| Kari G. | |
| Social Policy and Social Work | |
| Public Policy and Management | |
| Undergraduate | |
| 2009 | |
| Sweden |
My employment
| Communication Officer | |
| European Commission | |
| Belgium | |
| 2011 | |
| £60000 |
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A day in the life of a Communication Officer in Belgium
My career history
I come from an Embassy background (have worked for the British, the Canadians and the Australians) focusing mainly on political reporting and communications / speech writing.
My advice to students considering work
Make sure you get a wide range of experiences, from a wide range of different contexts.
My advice about working in my industry
Check out the EPSO website for opportunities in the EU.
What I do
I work in the communications unit of DG Education and Culture, mainly working on higher education. This means that I draft press materials such as press releases and interviews / speeches for the commissioner. I also coordinate sections of the DG website and our social media strategy.
Skills I use and how I developed them
I was able to draw on some of the theoretical skills (especially with regards to management) to make up for lack of practical experience in the very rigorous recruitment process. I also scored a few points by being able to demonstrate my willingness to learn.
Extracurricular skills:
Leadership skills acquired through volunteering.
What I like most
I enjoy the drafting process and also work in a great team. But above all, the Commission is an exciting work place with lots of interesting long term opportunities.
What I like least
The Commission is a large organisation and I am only a small part of the communication work flow. This means that it can sometimes be difficult to feel "ownership" of a project. Also, the Commission is less flexible and modern than some employers which can be a bit frustrating - opportunities for flexitime and teleworking are very limited. I am not convinced Brussels is that great either.
Next steps...
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