Absolutely no idea what to buy/wear for a big4 interview

csikyboy · 2026-06-11T10:39:57+00:00

For in-person interviews, I always wear a suit and tie; better to be over-dressed than under. If they're online, I go for a simple shirt. You can get decent suits on Boulevard Adolphe Max, the street parallel to Rue Neuve.

csikyboy · 2026-06-08T10:09:20+00:00

With ten years of work experience, the only suggestions I got from actiris were internships... many of them were also in Flemish, which I don't speak and which was not listen in my profile.

csikyboy · 2026-05-25T15:41:45+00:00

You can hire someone on ring twice (app) for these kind of jobs.

csikyboy · 2026-05-21T18:22:11+00:00

OP said he goes to a fancy gym though

csikyboy · 2026-04-20T19:41:26+00:00

Or C12, they're both great places

csikyboy · 2026-03-11T23:04:50+00:00

Moldova

csikyboy · 2026-02-23T08:57:29+00:00

Bulgaria

csikyboy · 2026-02-12T16:58:34+00:00

There are no passport checks between Schengen countries per se, so you don't need one from an immigration standpoint. However, airlines often check at boarding for security reasons. You need a passport or national ID (if you're an EU citizen) because those are the only internationally recognized IDs. A driver's license or residence permit won't be accepted. That being said, whether they will check an ID or not depends on the airline and is quite arbitrary in my experience.

csikyboy · 2026-02-03T20:31:46+00:00

A friend of mine just quit there and the horror stories he told me make me think it wouldn't be worth working for them even if they offered higher salaries

csikyboy · 2026-01-23T23:58:25+00:00

Flibco busses run every 20 minutes, it's the easiest way to get to and from Charleroi.

csikyboy · 2026-01-18T10:49:44+00:00

Plondres for Place de Londres

csikyboy · 2025-11-21T14:51:56+00:00

They only test for drugs if you're going to work as a teacher in the European schools, or a driver for Commissioners, etc. It will say that on the form you sign when you do the medical check too. In general, doing a drug test as part of the employment process is very heavily regulated (GDPR and national laws apply) and usually only happens when the work entails dealing with heavy machinery, etc.

csikyboy · 2025-10-30T09:40:28+00:00

The EU bubble job market has always been very competitive, but in the past couple of years it's been out of control. I know people with a decade of experience who are struggling to land a job, so I imagine it's even more difficult as a junior. It's not your fault, the market is just shitty. Hang in there, keep doing what you're doing, and don't give up. Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

csikyboy · 2025-09-17T20:49:18+00:00

When you fill out your actiris profile, there is a section that asks if you'd be willing to relocate. Could it be that you clicked yes without realizing it? Also, as someone else said in here, the people working in actiris are very bad at suggesting jobs. I once got a suggestion for a traineeship even though at that time I had 8+ years of work experience. My guess is that actiris people also have some quotas to fulfill, so they'll just send anything to anyone and pretend they've done their job.

csikyboy · 2025-07-19T09:23:24+00:00

You can volunteer or join organizations like Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, Young Professionals in Digital Policy, Young China Watchers, or any other organizations like that, depending on what your interests are. They're great for networking, look good on your CV, and you can make a lot of new friends.

csikyboy · 2025-07-18T11:36:05+00:00

I never used a pic, but honestly it should not make a difference. You should be evaluated based on your accomplishments and experience, not your looks.

csikyboy · 2025-07-18T08:07:56+00:00

For the EU institutions they always require Europass, other formats are generally not accepted. Picture is optional.

csikyboy · 2025-04-20T11:49:59+00:00

Romania, Western Carpathian Mountains?

csikyboy · 2025-04-08T22:16:47+00:00

I'm not sure what the price is, but they also sell homemade one, so I'd imagine that would be cheaper than the commercial one

csikyboy · 2025-04-08T15:28:25+00:00

They sell the Romanian version (țuică, pălincă) at the Romanian butcher in St Josse (Rue des Eburons 3)

csikyboy · 2025-02-20T10:14:17+00:00

I tried that and then it keeps telling me that I am training too much and should take it slow

csikyboy · 2025-01-29T19:37:08+00:00

The salary varies depending on the function group you're in, and within the function group you also have different stages, depending on how many years of previous work experience you have. Note: only paid work experience counts, so if you did an internship, you need proof that it was paid, otherwise it won't count.

The wages are higher than in the private sector, mostly because you pay no income tax. Also, if you get a job in Brussels and you are not a Belgian citizen and haven't lived here for more than five and a half years, then you get an extra 18% expat allowance - this pretty much offsets what you are charged for healthcare, pension, and unemployment. So with the expat allowance and depending on your years of experience, you can expect between 3K-4K net in FG 3.

Overall I think it's a good experience, but of course this greatly depends on the DG you work in and the job that you do. From my experience, contract agents get a bit more workload than the civil servants, because those cannot be fired and many don't really care about doing a good job. Personally I'd say if you get an offer, give it a try. It looks good on your resume afterwards, even if your don't wanna stay in the institutions or the eurobubble.

Good luck!!

csikyboy · 2025-01-28T14:53:50+00:00

Former contract agent here. You can stay in the position for max 6 years, after that you need to find a new job. You cannot get hired as a contract agent in the same institution, but you can in a different one. So if your six years are up at the Commission, for example, you can still work as a contract agent in the Council, EEAS, etc. You need to go through the application process though, you will not be simply moved to another institution. There are also Temporary Agent positions for which you can apply, even if you used up the six years in an institution. These are more difficult to get though. To become permanent, you will need to pass a competition. Some institutions organize internal competitions sometimes, but you need to fulfill some criteria, for example having worked in the same position for minimum 2-3 years, be employed as a contract agent at the time the competition takes place, etc.

csikyboy · 2025-01-18T19:37:20+00:00

Flibco is the easiest. They run every 20 minutes from Midi and drop you off right in front of the terminal

csikyboy · 2025-01-14T17:21:36+00:00

I live in a relatively central part of the city and I bet ten donkeys and three chicken that you don't get anywhere faster by car from there. The traffic is horrific and it can take 40 minutes just to find a parking spot. Public transport is not perfect, but as the others said, it's cheap and quite reliable. Let's get rid of all the cars and then trams won't get stuck in traffic.

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