
Your competition success starts here.
Clients
Exam pass rate
Coaching since
European Commission
European Parliament
Other EU institutions
EU Delegations and Agencies
Written case studies
Presentations
Motivational questions in interviews
Competency-Based Interviews (CBI)
Situational Competency-Based Interviews (SCBI)
Dealing with exam nerves and psychological pressure
$47/m
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$97/m
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$147/m
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The Concours Coach with over a decade of experience helping 350+ candidates achieve their dream positions in European institutions.

"Day-to-Day Negotiations"
and
"The Art of Influence"
Since 2008
"Writing With Impact"
“Storytelling in Presentations
"The Art of Influence"
"Creativity at Work"
How to Excel in your Written Test
How to Excel in your Interview
How to Excel in your Internal Competition Presentation
How to Conquer Your Nerves & Perform Well in Tests

Expert Guidance Since 2008: As a trainer at the European School of Administration (EuSA), I have helped over 350 candidates develop the skills and confidence to succeed.
My Approach is Personalised:
Navigating the Process: From case studies to group exercises, I cover every stage of the internal competition.
Certification Expertise: Between 2014 and 2024, I designed the writing course on the Certification programme (annual programme to promote ASTs to AD grade), training and coaching the candidates to pass the writing, presenting, and negotiating tests.
Proven Results: My coaching aligns with the latest trends in the competition, resulting in an 81% success rate for the oral test.
Tailored coaching designed to turn your EU career goals into reality.
Master the analytical skills needed to excel in written tests.
Concours written case studies tests.
Comprehensive planning and editing methodology
Practice case studies
Personalised feedback
Develop compelling presentations that engage the jury.
Structure and flow techniques
Content Tips
Delivery
Q&A preparation techniques
Build confidence and competence for your interviews. Stay calm.
Competency-based questions
Behavioural interviewing
Mock interviews
Feedback and improvement
Book a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your goals and create a personalized coaching plan that fits your needs and timeline.
$47/m
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$97/m
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$147/m
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Case Studies
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One of the most frustrating aspects of internal competitions is that candidates often do exactly what they’re told-and still don’t succeed.
They:
· Follow internal advice
· Collect “model answers”
· Rehearse endlessly
· Polish their language until it sounds institutional
And in the process, something essential disappears.
What juries encounter isn’t a real colleague under pressure-it’s a performance that feels safe, rehearsed, and strangely hollow.
This is where many strong candidates lose trust without realising it.
Over-rehearsing is rarely malicious. It usually comes from:
· Well-meaning colleagues who passed their competition years ago
· Managers who reward compliance over clarity
· Training courses that confuse structure with substance
The result is predictable:
· Lived experience gets replaced by second-hand language
· Real judgment gets buried under frameworks
· Candidates stop sounding like themselves
Nothing is wrong with the answers - but nothing feels grounded either.
Juries don’t fail candidates because of small mistakes. They fail them because they don’t feel anchored in reality. And over-rehearsing is one of the fastest ways to create that disconnect.
This is one of the biggest misunderstandings I see.
Juries are not primarily asking:
· Can you produce the most impressive answer?
· Can you eliminate all uncertainty?
· Can you sound flawless for 30 minutes?
They are asking:
· Can you think clearly under pressure?
· Can you acknowledge limits without panicking?
· Can I trust you as a future colleague?
Internal competitions are not academic exams. They are simulations of real professional stress.
When candidates try to eliminate uncertainty instead of managing it, they often unravel-not because they don’t know enough, but because they no longer believe what they’re saying.
Ironically, the stronger your professional identity, the harder this process can be.
Smart candidates:
· Feel they should perform perfectly
· Fear exposing doubt or emotion
· Over-structure to protect themselves
But credibility doesn’t come from perfection.
It comes from coherence-between experience, language, and behaviour.
When those elements don’t align, juries feel it immediately.
This is the core of my work, and the point where many candidates initially feel uncomfortable.
Vulnerability + Authenticity = Trust
Not vulnerability as oversharing-but as professional honesty.
Vulnerability means:
· Admitting mistakes
· Talking about difficult moments
· Naming uncertainty without collapsing
It demonstrates resilience, not weakness.
Authenticity means:
· Speaking from real experience
· Using your own language, not borrowed phrases
· Allowing tone of voice, facial expression, and gestures to match what you’re saying
Together, these elements create trust-the one thing juries must feel before they can score a candidate highly and imagine working with them.
Candidates who perform well:
· Don’t pretend to have perfect answers
· Don’t overclaim or over-structure
· Stay anchored in real, sometimes difficult experiences
This is especially visible in oral tests, where credibility is built moment by moment through interaction, not content alone.
Near-misses are some of the most instructive moments in internal competitions.
In 2025, 21 of my 26 coached clients passed the oral test.
Of the five who didn’t, four missed the cut by just one point.
Those outcomes are not random.
In almost every near-miss case, the issue wasn’t knowledge or preparation. It was hesitation, over-control, or a sudden retreat into “safe” answers under pressure.
The difference between passing and failing is often not ability-it’s trust.
Preparation should not be about memorising better answers.
It should be about becoming more recognisable under pressure.
That means:
· Practising how you think, not just what you say
· Learning to stay present when challenged
· Allowing imperfection without losing structure
When candidates prepare this way, something shifts:
They stop performing at juries-and start engaging with them.
That’s when credibility emerges.
Internal candidates already have:
· Institutional experience
· Operational judgment
· Real examples that matter
The problem isn’t absence-it’s suppression.
When candidates stop trying to sound like the “ideal” version of an EU official and start sounding like the professional they already are, juries can finally see them clearly.
Yes - when it’s professional. Vulnerability is not emotional dumping. It’s the ability to acknowledge difficulty, limits, or mistakes calmly and coherently. Juries trust candidates who can do this without losing structure.
Authenticity doesn’t mean ignoring institutional language-it means using it accurately. Borrowed phrases without lived experience are far more damaging than clear, personal explanations grounded in real work.
Structure matters-but it should support thinking, not replace it. Over-structuring often signals insecurity. Simple, flexible structures allow juries to follow your reasoning without feeling managed.
Earlier than most people think - but not in the way they expect. Preparation should focus on mindset and performance habits first, not content accumulation.
Yes, though it shows up differently. Written tests still reward clarity, coherence, and grounded judgment. Over-polishing and borrowed language are just as visible on paper.
Book a 30-minute call to discuss your competition goals and get personalised advice.
+44 7979 246660
2 Martin House
179/181 North End Road
London, W14 9NL
Monday - Friday
09:00 - 17:00
Saturday - Sunday
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Expert coaching for EU Concours success. Transform your career with personalised, professional guidance from a certified trainer with 15+ years of experience.
Case Study Preparation
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Group Exercise Training
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