At the Commission, career development is supported through continuous learning, internal mobility and opportunities for progression.
You can broaden your experience across different roles, departments and locations in the EU and around the world.
Learning and development
Working at the European Commission, you are part of an organisation that takes learning seriously. Your expertise matters - and the Commission invests in helping you develop it throughout your career.
The Commission supports continuous learning. There are many training courses on offer to maintain and develop the knowledge and skills you need to do your job effectively.
Training opportunities include language courses, in-person training, self-directed learning, study visits to EU countries, job shadowing, coaching and mentoring. In addition, staff can also pursue learning and development opportunities outside the institution.
Internal mobility
A career in the Commission gives you the opportunity to work in different areas and move to other teams, Commission departments or EU institutions.
There are also opportunities for temporary assignments inside the Commission, in another EU institutions or national governments.
Career advisers are available to help staff identify the best steps to develop their career.
Career progression
The Commission offers many opportunities for you to change roles as your career progresses. You may choose to move into a management position or continue developing as a specialist in your field.
Career paths can also evolve through different types of contracts. For example, you may begin with a traineeship, move into a contract staff or temporary staff role, and later become a permanent staff member. These pathways allow you to build a long-term career while adapting to new roles and interests.
The Commission also offers targeted development opportunities for early-career talent. For example, trainees and young recruits can apply for the junior professionals programme, which aims to retain and develop young talent through a comprehensive learning, development, and mobility programme.
Working in the EU
Most Commission staff work in Brussels and Luxembourg, but there are opportunities to work in other locations.
Brussels and Luxembourg are headquarters for many EU institutions and international organisations, and they offer a good quality of life in an international and multilingual environment. Over the years, Brussels has become a major political centre. It is an attractive place for young graduates as it offers many opportunities to make friends and find jobs.
Luxembourg is a financial, legal and digital hub and a beautiful city. It is becoming increasingly attractive for skilled professionals due to the expanding job market and continuous economic growth.
Working around the world
More than 3 000 staff work elsewhere in the EU, at the Commission's local offices located in each EU country (‘representations’) and the Joint Research Centres in Belgium, Italy, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.
There are more than 140 EU Diplomatic Representations managed by the European External Action Service, one of the largest diplomatic services in the world. Commission staff can apply to work in them, managing EU cooperation programmes or developing trade, for example.