Traineeship offer at the Council of the European Union

23 March 2012

The Council of the European Union is the EU's main legislative and decision-making body, together with the European Parliament. It is composed of one minister from the government of each EU member state. The ministers attending Council meetings vary according to the issues under consideration. Therefore the deliberations in the Council take place in different Council configurations depending on the subject discussed. Reporting to the Digital Communications Officer in the Directorate for Communication and Media, the trainee will be responsible for identifying gaps in the online visibility of the Council and the European Council, for making recommendations to address these gaps, and for implementing some of these recommendations. This is an unpaid traineeship for students that have a compulsory traineeship as part of their university curriculum. General tasks o o o o o Develop a quantitative and qualitative study on the online visibility of the Council and the European Council on national government sites and EU-related online portals. Develop a quantitative and qualitative study on the online visibility of EU Member States on the sites of the Council and the European Council. Suggest other sites to analyse depending on the preliminary results of the studies. Propose a set of recommendations to address the issues identified as a result of the two studies, and implement some of them. Compile a list of digital communication contacts for each Member State and each EU institution to serve as a basis for the setting up of an informal network.

Education and experience o o o o o o Bachelor in communication, marketing, digital studies, international relations or political science. Excellent command of English, and a working knowledge of French. Good knowledge of digital communication channels and techniques, and of social media sites. Attention to detail, creative and service-minded. Ability to communicate in a clear way ideas and concepts. Previous experience with quantitative and qualitative research would be an advantage.

Place and duration The traineeship will take place from 4 September 2012 to 31 January 2013 at the Council of the European Union in Brussels, Justus Lipsius building. Conditions for applying The applicant must be a national of one of the EU Member States and currently enrolled in a university degree, of which the traineeship is a compulsory part. No application shall be accepted from any person who has already received more than eight weeks' in-service training in any department of a European institution or body or an agency or an office of the European Communities, whether paid or otherwise.

How to apply? Application forms can be obtained from the Traineeships Office by e-mail (stages@consilium.europa.eu ). The application file for a compulsory traineeship must be received by the Traineeships Office on 1 April 2012 at the latest, and should include: o a completed application form; o a curriculum vit; o a letter stating the reasons for the application; o a legible copy of a passport or identity card; o an official certificate from the education establishment certifying: either that the applicant is required to complete a training course as part of his course of study or for access to a profession or that he is required to do research for a thesis or a doctorate; o a copy of the diplomas or official certificates held; o copies, where necessary, of attestations of professional experience; o proof or a substantiated declaration of knowledge of the languages stated on the application form. For details on the traineeship project, pleasecontact Ms Aurelie Valtat at aurelie.valtat@consilium.europa.eu or by telephone +32 2 281 47 95.