Public serviceGroup A1

Civil Servant / Policy Officer

Help design and run the services and rules governments deliver, from transport to education.

Top grade: university degree plus one of the hardest competitive exams, leading policy and management roles. What does this group mean?

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Typical pay: €28k–€55k
Usual education: Degree
Outlook: Steady, with structured graduate and apprenticeship schemes across the EU and national governments.

A day in the life

Research how another country solved a problem, draft a briefing for a minister, meet stakeholders, and analyse consultation responses.

Ways in

Government graduate scheme
Public administration apprenticeship
Any degree

What to study at 16

The subjects you choose for the final years of secondary school can shape which degrees, exams and careers are easiest to reach. This is about choosing courses, not choosing a school.

Spain

Bachillerato de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales

Portugal

Ciências Socioeconómicas

Italy

Liceo classico / scienze umane

Netherlands

Profiel Economie & Maatschappij

Austria

AHS Oberstufe

Belgium

ASO – General secondary

See related careers

Exams you'll need

The gates between you and this job, and when each one comes.

Optional

EPSO competitions

The route into the same kind of work inside the EU institutions.

Required

Oposición Grupo A1

Entry to this post is through the competitive exam for its group.

Browse all exams

Skills that matter

Communication Writing Research

Best courses to take

The study routes that lead most directly into this career.

Degree

BSc Economics

How markets, money and policy interact, with a strong quantitative core.

Highly valued in government analysis roles.

Helpful school subjects: Maths, Economics

Degree

BSc Politics & Public Policy

How government decides, with economics and policy analysis.

Directly relevant to policy work.

Helpful school subjects: Politics, History, Economics