From Quitting my Job to Landing My Dream Job: A One-and-a-Half Year Review
How I quit my job during COVID, started writing online, took an internship, landed my dream job in one of Brussels' leading NGO, in this one-year-and-a-half review.
How I quit my job in the middle of the pandemic
I took the most daring decision of my life when COVID was at its peak, in the first half of 2021: I quit my full-time, decently paid job that I was occupying at the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA).
At the time, I had been EERA’s Office Manager for a little more than a year. I liked the job, it fitted well with my personality and my skills (I was trained as a business manager). I was running the day-to-day operations of an office of 12 collaborators, and I was happy to be able to help such talented people to deliver on the association’s mission to decarbonate Europe’s energy industry.
Yet, it was not the job I wanted deep down. See, since I joined Brussels in 2018, and after being involved in the French 2019 European election campaign, I knew I wanted to get closer to European policymaking, European institutions, etc.
At the start of 2021, I decided to look elsewhere. I knew what I wanted to do, but not how to get it. I did not have the training or skills to take on Public Affairs positions, let alone anything other than Junior.
I knew it would not be easy. I lacked the skills, knowledge, and practice of lobbying and European policymaking. I did not even know how EU laws were made. So my first resolution was to start writing.
How I started writing online
Around that time, I came across a blogger (whose name I forgot), who talked about “Building in Public”. In short: build your skills by showing what you learn to an audience.
With this method, I created LinkedIn and Medium (Power the Transition) publications, where I decided to write weekly pieces on European energy legislation and issues.
This effort allowed me to quickly learn the basics of EU energy policies. It also forced me to stay focused while I was looking for another position.
For a few months, I read books, articles, did research on the policymaking and energy policies of the European Union. I learned a lot during this period. But I soon realised that there is so much I could do by myself.
Why I took an internship
While writing articles and doing research on my own helped me develop my understanding of energy policies and European policymaking, it did not teach me the technical skills of lobbying, policy monitoring, etc. I had to learn these competencies in the field.
And while no employer would give me a chance at my dream job without these basic skills, I knew I could have a shot to enter through an internship. Someone used recently the analogy of the nightclub and its three entrances.
The three doors to the nightclub
Every club has three entrances. What you mostly see is the front door. That’s the normal and usual way to enter any sector. But this entrance is rarely wide open: if the club is crowded, it is unlikely that you will be able to enter. The bouncer will only let the VIPs in.
So you can try to enter through the window. That’s the illegal/unethical way. That’s claiming you have the skills when you don’t, falsifying your CV, etc. That might get you in the club for a while, but if you get caught, there is no way in anymore—even through the main door. Don’t try the widow.
The third option is the back door, the door to the kitchen. It’s not glamorous, it’s not fancy. It’s a lot of work, and a difficult one at that. But at least you are in the club. And at the end of the evening, you might get a chance to go to the dancefloor. Perhaps you will befriend the bouncer, so that he can let you in on special occasions, etc.
Consider the third door in the main one is shut.
Why internships are great to start a new career
Internships were my back door. In January 2022, I was offered an internship in one of Brussels’ leading consultancy on public affairs: BCW. I joined the Sustainability team, working on topics related to energy, chemicals, industrial policy, etc.
This internship taught me extremely valuable skills. You can read what it taught me here.
I also quickly understood that consulting was not for me: impossible hours, jumping from one task or policy file to the other, etc. I understand now that I need to commit to one topic at a time, and dedicate time off work to take care of my other engagement (political activism, building this newsletter, theatre classes, sports, etc.).
For four months, I learned everything I could at BCW: how to work in a competitive and always changing environment, how to take meeting notes, how to monitor the news, how to write briefs and reports, how EU policymaking works, etc.
One day, a friend of mine told me about an open position at one of the leading European NGOs: the Union of European Federalists (UEF).
How I found my dream job
The Secretariat of the UEF was looking for its new Policy and Communications Officer. I applied, was asked to perform an interview, and the UEF proposed me the job. I started on 9 May 2022 (really).
Since then, I have been helping the UEF with its Communications (mostly through written content such as press releases and social media), and covering the advocacy aspect of federalist ideas.
Since May 2022, I have been advocating, with the UEF and its members, for a federal Europe, sovereign and democratic.
Where I stand
While I write these lines, I continue my exciting work at the UEF. With the European elections coming up, 2023 and 2024 will be thrilling years to work with the federalist network. There is so much to be done.
On the other hand, I want to develop this newsletter, going deeper and deeper in understanding EU policymaking and lobbying. I see The Beubble as a journal where I write my discoveries and pass along the knowledge that I gathered.
And there is the entrepreneurship part. I want to turn my expertise into a side business. I am still building on this—quite literally, my website is Work in Progress—but I hope I will be able to soon put my services forward. I talked about it earlier this year.
Now, I hope this story was interesting and perhaps invigorating. Leave a comment to start the discussion :).