Work visit to EU Institutions in Brussels: ‘It is okay to be a generalist’
A group of eighty humanities students visited the European Commission and the Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the EU. This work visit was organized by Career Service Humanities.
In the morning, we were welcomed in the auditorium of the European Commission, where international conferences are normally held. Several alumni shared their stories about how they, as former Leiden University students, found their way to the European Commission. In a panel discussion, Olivier Fajgenblat (Policy Officer on Digital Affairs) and Jana Vinkel (International Relations Officer) talked about their experiences within the EU.
Community
Olivier: 'The EU is not a country, but it does have a capital; that’s what makes it so unique.' Jana explained that EU-employees often spend longer periods away from home, which creates special bonds among colleagues: 'This builds a community, you have to be each other’s family here.' Alumnus Dimitar Radoslavov (Policy Assistant and Blue Book Trainee) also spoke about his experience within The European Commission. He was very enthusiastic to be on stage himself this time and to share his story; just a few years ago, he joined this very visit as a student! The final speaker of the morning was Kysia Hekster, EU-correspondent for the Dutch broadcaster NOS, who gave us an insight into her working life. She shared her daily experiences and explained that political neutrality is essential for an EU-correspondent. She advised the students to trust only their own eyes and never rely on just one source.
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Former Humanities assessor Olivier Fajgenblat has been hosting this work visit for the last couple of years; thank you Olivier! -
Flags in Brussels -
Kysia Hekster, EU correspondent to the NOS (Dutch Broadcaster) -
Casper de Boer on useful skills -
Valuable insights were shared by Tristan Schyns and Max Valstar
Permanent Representation
In the afternoon, we moved to the Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the EU. Here, several speakers gave insightful presentations, including Tristan Schyns (Adviser Dutch Presence in Brussels), Kaja Flieder (Accredited Parliamentary Assistant at the European Parliament), and Casper de Boer (Policy Officer/ Country Team Leader, DG JUST European Commission). The special guest was Max Valstar, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Belgium.
Atypical study or career trajectory
The alumni emphasized several important tips. Many speakers noted that, in the end, it doesn’t really matter what you studied and that career paths don’t always need to follow a straight line. An atypical study or career trajectory can even be an advantage. What matters most are the skills you develop during your studies. As Casper de Boer said: 'It is okay to be a generalist' and 'Be a Swiss army knife.' By this he meant that being versatile can truly set you apart in the professional field. He also stressed the importance of thinking carefully about how you present your CV, since you decide how you portray yourself and how you connect the experiences listed on your CV. Finally, most alumni emphasized that within the EU, everything revolves around networking: the people you know can help you with finding an internship or a job, and you can help them.
We ended the day with a networking reception. It was an inspiring day filled with new ideas and valuable connections!
The alumni and their (Leiden) background
Olivier Fajgenblat (BA Film and Literary Studies, MA Media Studies)
Jana Vinkel (BA English Language and Culture, MA EU International Relations and Diplomacy)
Dimitar Radoslavov (BA International Studies, MS Public Administration International and European Governance)
Kysia Hekster (Master Social History - not a Leiden alumna)
Tristan Schyns (BS Political Science International Relations and Organizations, MA Comparative and International Politics: European Politics, MA European Political and Governance Studies)
Casper de Boer (BA International Relations and International Organization, LLM Public International Law)
Kaja Flieder (BA European Languages and Cultures, MA International Relations, MA History)
Max Valstar (Japan Studies)