EU Jobs

PropertyHunt

Just wondering for anyone with experience of working for or applying for jobs with EU institutions.
Most of them refer to requiring two languages, obviously, we have English and possibly Irish, I wouldn’t, so if you wanted to use French or German, and had leaving cert from back in the day, what level or standard would you need to meet?
How is it assessed or measured? At job interview only? Or some sort of exam?
Would a course at a language school one day a week for a few months get one up to speed.
Always wondered on the above.

Riskymove

The EPSO websites sets out the requirements

https://epso.europa.eu/how-to-apply/eligibility_en

generally you need "B2" in the second language. an example of what this means is

for "listening"

I can understand extended speech and lectures and follow even complex lines of argument provided the topic is reasonably familiar. I can understand most TV news and current affairs programmes. I can understand the majority of films in standard dialect.

speaking:

I can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible. I can take an active part in discussion in familiar contexts, accounting for and sustaining my views.

Jim2007

PropertyHunt wrote: »

Just wondering for anyone with experience of working for or applying for jobs with EU institutions.
Most of them refer to requiring two languages, obviously, we have English and possibly Irish, I wouldn’t, so if you wanted to use French or German, and had leaving cert from back in the day, what level or standard would you need to meet?
How is it assessed or measured? At job interview only? Or some sort of exam?
Would a course at a language school one day a week for a few months get one up to speed.
Always wondered on the above.

You will need to be at B2 level in the second language, which basically means that you need to be able to conduct all of your professional work in it. You will need to submit appropriate documentation to show that you have C1 in your first language and B2 in your second language and you should be be surprised if interviews are conducted in your second language if you get that far.

Although I expect this will change, but as it stands when the UK leaves the EU, English will no longer be an official language of the EU, since it will have no sponsoring member state, unless Ireland or Malta switch.

heffo1

Has anyone completed the MCQ tests in Irish? Is there anywhere that can prepare you for them? (if selected of course!) Or more importantly if I have selected Irish as my second language, is there any way of doing the entire process through English? Just wondering would there be any loophole as my Irish language would not the strongest, just secondary school level!

blindsider

So, your Irish is not B2 then?

heffo1

blindsider wrote: »

So, your Irish is not B2 then?

It would have been, but haven't used it in so long I wouldn't feel 100% confident with it, was querying if there were any other options to do the mcq test in English.

Jim2007

heffo1 wrote: »

It would have been, but haven't used it in so long I wouldn't feel 100% confident with it, was querying if there were any other options to do the mcq test in English.

B2 is around 80% in honors Irish plus first year college. You need to be able to conduct business through the language not just everyday living. No way had I that level after the leaving. After three years working I could just about argue a tax case through Irish.

The requirement is to demonstrate in two languages, so I’d suggest you get some grinds.

As an aside, because most people speak English, there is not such a demand, so English speakers often end up working in their second language. There may be a lot of Irish in your future ;-)