Traineeships

Özge Ozeri

After gaining my BSc degree at the Middle East Technical University in Turkey in 2012, I started on a master’s course but didn’t complete it. However, it was a great opportunity to learn more about software. After leaving, I took up a full-time position at the Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey – a governmental institution focusing on aviation, where I concentrated on the design and development of navigation systems, including displays and thermal imaging technology.

I’ve now been a Quality Engineer for eight years, having moved to BNA - Nurol Air Systems before joining EUROCONTROL. What really attracted me to EUROCONTROL was the opportunity to gain overseas experience in a truly international environment, where the work you do has an impact that’s felt all over the world.

Building my career here has been a very exciting experience, as my colleagues have significantly broadened my experience and taught me so much about aviation. I love to exchange ideas with them, and I love living in Brussels – Belgium has a really strong economy and is much more multicultural than Turkey, with plenty of expats like me.

During my time at EUROCONTROL I’ve overcome some significant technical challenges, built some great relationships and learned about lots of cutting-edge new technologies. It’s an experience I’d recommend to anyone.

Yannis Pachos

During my studies in business and IT, I was involved in several entrepreneurial team projects, one of which won an international award sponsored by the EU. I subsequently undertook a couple of internships in Greece before applying to EUROCONTROL, whose career paths matched my ambitions and goals.

My first year in EUROCONTROL was as a Business Analyst and Financial Adviser trainee. When I completed my traineeship, I was offered the opportunity to become a contractor for one year in the Support to States unit, which I would later join as a contract staff member, additionally taking on responsibilities as a Programme Co-ordinator in the same unit. During the same period, I was still able in parallel to pursue my master’s degree, as ongoing professional development is considered very important at EUROCONTROL.

Two months ago, I successfully applied for a higher role staff position in a different department and I’m now a Business Analyst focusing on Environmental Management and Information Systems within the Aviation Sustainability unit, which has given me a completely new perspective on everything.

One of the best things about working at EUROCONTROL is the interaction with people from all around Europe. In addition, there are lots of out-of-hours activities with colleagues, and I particularly enjoy my membership of the tennis club. I like the fact that Brussels is so compact: almost everything is within walking or cycling distance. It’s also very easy to travel with Brussels as a base – visiting other countries couldn’t be simpler.

Ultimately, a career with EUROCONTROL can take you anywhere you want to go. The people here are very supportive and easy-going and very willing to mentor you with their vast aviation experience and help you realise your goals – whatever they may be.

Dariia Krepak

I studied at the National Aviation University in my native Ukraine to become an Air Traffic Controller. However, it’s super hard to get a job in aviation in Ukraine, so when I got to work with EUROCONTROL for a year during my degree it seemed the perfect opportunity for me.

At the end of my traineeship, I applied for a position with EUROCONTROL and 18 months later I was offered a contract. Since joining, I’ve become a member of the Resource Office within the Systems Testing & Ops team, developing rosters for difficult periods like Christmas and the summer holidays. I’ve also become involved in incident management, in which I look at issues with a business impact on the operational environment, trying to work out what happened and avoid any repetition of the problems.

I feel I’ve developed a lot at EUROCONTROL – I’ve become a lot more confident and stress-resistant, I’ve learned a great deal about incident management processes, and I’ve also learned a fair bit of French as many of my colleagues are French speakers.

The best things about working here are the flexibility and the lack of micromanagement – everyone is treated as an equal and there’s no sense of hierarchy. I also love the multinational office environment – I get to work with talented people from numerous different countries, and of course they all have their own cultures, perspectives and opinions. Finally, I love the sense of freedom I get from working in Brussels. Belgium is a small country, so on a Saturday I can cross over into France for lunch or go to the Netherlands to do my grocery shopping. Joining EUROCONTROL has broadened my horizons to an incredible extent.