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Working for the European Union: A Practical Guide to CAST Contracts

CAST Permanent is an open-ended database where you can register your profile to work as a Contract Agent in the European Union. If positions matching your skills open up, the institutions search the database to shortlist you and invite you to tests and interviews.

Working for European Union institutions doesn't always require passing traditional competitions with rigid deadlines. One of the most flexible entry routes to being hired as Contract Staff is the CAST Permanent system.

What is CAST Permanent?

  • CAST stands for Contract Agents Selection Tool.

  • The word Permanent means there are no deadlines to submit your application. You can apply at any time.

  • Institutions are constantly looking for candidates in various fields: finance, European policies, secretarial work, IT, law, communication, and many others.

How does the selection process work?

Submitting an application does not mean you will automatically be invited to take a test. The process works as follows:

  1. Create your profile: If you don't have one yet, create an EU Profile.

  2. Choose your professional profile: You will have the option to select one or more job categories based on your experience and skills.

  3. Complete your profile: Add the required information, typically educational background, work experience, and language certificates.

  4. Await selection: Whenever a recruitment need arises, EU institutions and agencies search the CAST database and shortlist a limited number of applicants.

  5. Take the tests: If your profile is shortlisted, you will receive an invitation to take computer-based tests (multiple-choice questions on verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning, plus potential practical tests related to your field or language skills).

  6. The interview: Candidates who pass the tests are invited to a final interview and, if suitable, hired.

The Alternative: "Ad hoc" contracts

In addition to the CAST system, EU institutions also publish ad hoc contract positions to fill specific roles (e.g., financial assistant or cybersecurity engineer). Unlike CAST, these vacancies have a strict application deadline and specific application rules detailed in each individual announcement.

If CAST Permanent sounds right for you, start preparing for the online tests today with Laureo, it costs nothing!