LSE AAB Careers Panel Discussion 2021

February 24, 2021

Once again – but virtually for the first time – the LSE Careers together with the LSE AAB organised the annual Careers panel discussion for future LSE graduates who want to better understand the professional opportunities in Brussels. On February 24, five distinguished alumni shared their stories and experiences in the ‘EU bubble’ and beyond with over 40 LSE students. Our panellists were Ava Lloyd, Senior Manager in Global Government Affairs & Policy at AstraZeneca; Carlos Carnicero Urabayen, Journalist, Public Affairs Specialist and Communication Consultant; Dr Bernd Spanier, Specialist on EU Communication at the European External Action Service; Benjamin Ledwon, Head of Bitkom’s Brussels office and Vice-Chair on Privacy & Security and Digital Transformation at DigitalEurope; and Salvatore Berger, Junior Professional at DG MARE, the European Commission.

The event was chaired by Maria Sotiriou, President of the LSE AAB. She started the discussion by providing a brief overview of the LSE AAB and the range of activities organised, then gave the floor to the speakers who explained their career paths and what brought them to Brussels. The event concluded with a Q&A session. Here are four key take-aways from our speakers:

1. Choosing between the EU institutions, trade associations or consultancy:

*EU Institutions: good to start there before specialising. It is very much valued by the private sector, even if one does not plan to remain in the institutions throughout one’s career.

*Trade Associations: give high exposure to multiple industry groups, companies and government stakeholders.

*Consultancies: provide very good management experience, such as running multiple accounts or problem-solving with different clients (Businesses, NGOs, Governments).

2. Getting job application rejections: finding a job is not a straightforward process. It is also a matter of being there at the right time and the right place, or at the wrong time and the wrong place. You can work on raising the odds of being lucky (by networking or taking ‘that coffee catchup’), yet resilience and perseverance are key. That is, if you get 20 rejections, write 20 more applications

3. Preparing for the ‘EU bubble’ life:

*Network: building a network is an imperative element of the ‘EU bubble’. Without it, navigating this community will prove difficult. You would need to attend many events, that often represents an integral part of the job.

*Skills: having strong communication and analytical skills is obviously required as in other sectors – but if you are from the LSE that should not be much of a concern.

4. Building a strong social media and digital presence, as new opportunities arise with the pandemic: although it was undeniably a tough year, there are also new professional opportunities that arise with the COVID-19 crisis. As most activities currently take place virtually, it is even more important than before to actively develop an online image. This can include maintaining a strong LinkedIn profile, for instance. Posting articles or recording interviews or podcasts are other examples that some alumni undertook to stay active online.