Hi,
What is your day to day work Life at OECD as a policy analyst ?
Do you do a lot of drafting ? How much is spent in meeting ?
Just trying to have a clear image of what a job there entails !
Another point, I often see that OECD jobs are mentioned as « golden handcuffs », why is that ?
Thankss !
I always thought I wanted a career in an international organisation. At the moment, I’m studying away from my parents (only about four hours away), so I still go home every month. But honestly, this experience has really made me think about the future and put things into perspective…
I’ve always wanted to work internationally, especially in the field of global health, but when I realise that I already find it difficult to live away from my family when I’m only four hours away, I can’t help but wonder what the future would look like. I mean, if I want to pursue a career in this field, I’ll probably have to be willing to move around and live far away from them.
Looking back, how do you personally cope with living far away from your loved ones?
When it comes to friends, I think I find it easier. I tell myself that you can always meet new people and build a new social circle.
But is it really the same kind of bond you build with people you’ve known since university for example?
I have so many doubts at the moment… The only international organisation I can think of where I could potentially stay relatively close to my parents is the OECD, but I can’t base my entire career choice on that just because I’m afraid of moving away.
I don’t know. I just feel really depressed and lost about all of this.
Genuine question, those who are working in the UN system, are you happy ? By the work you do, the work Life balance, the travel etc Do you find it worth it at the end of the day ? Would you have rather done something else ?
Those who want to work for the UN, in this climate, are you happy Even tho you are not in the system yet ?
I am kinda terrified both by the job opportunities market, but also if I would like my job if I one day get there….
(I am public health médical résident by the way)
Hi everyone,
I’m currently a medical resident in Public Health and I have the opportunity to do an internship at a Big 4 consulting firm in the near future.
The more I think about it, the more I wonder whether a career in consulting could be a good fit for me. However, I find it very difficult to picture what the job actually looks like on a day-to-day basis.
I’d love to hear from people who currently work (or have worked) in a Big 4 firm, especially those who have a few years of experience and can look back on their decision.
Some questions I have:
Looking back, are you happy you chose consulting?
What does a typical week actually look like?
Is it true that the job involves endless meetings?
Is consulting really just PowerPoint and Excel all day, or is that an unfair stereotype?
Do you find the work intellectually stimulating?
How are the business trips in reality? Are they mostly exhausting, or do you actually get opportunities to discover new places and enjoy some of the travel?
What impact does the job have on your personal life?
Does consulting really open as many doors as people claim, or is that somewhat overstated?
What kinds of roles do people typically move into after a few years in consulting?
And finally, an important (and often vague) topic: compensation. What are the realistic salary expectations in a Big 4 firm at entry level and then after 5–10 years? (I précise that I am based in France)
I feel like I currently have a very blurry picture of what consulting is actually like, and I’m worried that I’m either idealizing it or potentially overlooking a career path that I might genuinely enjoy.
For context, my background is medicine/public health rather than business.
Thanks in advance for any insights!
Bonjour à tous,
Je suis actuellement interne en médecine (santé publique) et j’ai l’opportunité de réaliser prochainement un stage dans un Big 4 en conseil.
Plus le temps passe, plus je me demande si une carrière dans le consulting pourrait me correspondre, mais j’ai beaucoup de mal à me représenter concrètement le quotidien du métier.
J’aimerais donc avoir des retours de personnes qui travaillent (ou ont travaillé) dans un Big 4, idéalement avec quelques années de recul.
Quelques questions que je me pose :
Avec le recul, êtes-vous satisfaits de votre choix ?
À quoi ressemble une semaine “classique” ?
Est-ce qu’il y a vraiment autant de réunions qu’on le dit ?
Le travail consiste-t-il principalement à faire des PowerPoint et des Excel ou est-ce une caricature ?
Est-ce que les missions sont intellectuellement stimulantes au quotidien ?
Les déplacements sont-ils fatigants ou permettent-ils aussi de découvrir de nouvelles villes/pays et de rendre le travail plus varié ?
Quel impact le métier a-t-il sur la vie personnelle ?
Est-ce que le consulting ouvre réellement beaucoup de portes pour la suite de carrière ou est-ce un peu survendu ?
Quels types de postes rejoignent généralement les consultants après quelques années ?
Enfin, sujet un peu tabou mais important : les salaires. J’ai beaucoup de mal à savoir ce qu’on gagne réellement en Big 4, à l’entrée puis après 5-10 ans d’expérience.
Je pense avoir une vision assez floue du métier et j’ai peur soit de l’idéaliser, soit au contraire de passer à côté de quelque chose qui pourrait vraiment me plaire.
Si certains d’entre vous ont un parcours similaire (médecine, santé publique, pharmacie, sciences…) ou ont fait un stage avant de rejoindre le conseil, je serais également très intéressé par vos retours.
Merci d’avance !
Hi everyone,
Over the past few years, I’ve seen many students and young professionals become heavily involved in youth organizations, international conferences, policy forums, youth councils, World Health Assembly events, advocacy groups, and similar initiatives.
From the outside, it often looks very exciting and impressive.
I’m asking this question because I have opportunities to become more involved myself, but I’d like to understand what the reality is before committing significant time and energy to it.
For those of you who have participated in these organizations or attended these conferences:
What was your experience like?
What did you actually do on a day-to-day basis?
Did you feel that your work had a real impact, or was it mostly discussions, networking, and advocacy?
Did these experiences genuinely help your career progression?
When applying to organizations such as the UN, WHO, OECD, European Commission, ECDC, or similar institutions, how much value is really placed on this kind of involvement compared with professional experience, research, internships, or technical expertise?
Sometimes, when I look at these activities from the outside, I wonder whether they are meaningful opportunities to contribute and learn, or whether they can become somewhat performative and disconnected from real-world decision-making.
I’m especially interested in hearing from people who have gone on to work in international organizations.
Looking back, was involvement in youth organizations an important stepping stone, or would you have focused your efforts elsewhere?
I’d really appreciate any honest perspectives, both positive and negative.
Thank you!
Hi everyone,
I applied for a traineeship at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) starting in October/November 2026.
At the time of my application, I was still waiting to receive the official diploma for a Master’s degree that I had completed, so I was unable to include it in my application file before the deadline.
I have since received it and would like to provide it as supporting documentation. I already contacted the application support team, but I was told that applications cannot be modified after submission.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Is there any way to send an additional document or have it attached to my application, even if the application itself cannot be changed?
I am not trying to modify my application, only to provide a proof that was not available before the deadline.
Thank you for any advice or experiences you can share.
Hello, je sais que la question a été posé des milliers de fois mais j’avais une question pour sur le mix des 2 si on a une conviction US tout de même.
Je viens de commencer à investir sur mon PEA le mois dernier sur du S&P500. Je voudrais quand même une promotion plus important des US sur le world, pk je n’ai pas investis dessus tout de suite.
Si on a quand même une forte conviction US, faire genre 80/20 S&P500/world serait-elle une bonne solution ?
Hello everyone,
I’m currently a public health resident and I’ve been reflecting a lot on my future career path, especially whether I would rather pursue a more clinical career or stay in public health. I’ve always genuinely enjoyed both public health and clinical medicine, which is probably why I’m still hesitating.
I’ve also always been attracted to working in an international environment, whether that be the United Nations, the European Union, or similar institutions. Given the current global context, the UN is maybe more of a distant thought for now, but the European Union is definitely something that interests me a lot. That being said, I still haven’t made a final decision regarding what I truly want to do professionally.
What I would really appreciate is hearing from people who are more experienced and who have had time to reflect on their own careers. I think what I’m mainly looking for is honest feedback and perspective.
Do you feel, looking back, that you would make the same career choices again? Do you ever feel like you are in a “golden cage”? I think that would honestly be one of my biggest fears. And to clarify, it’s not really about salary for me. With a medical degree, I know I could still have a comfortable income outside the European Commission, so my motivation is not simply financial. What attracts me more is the nature of the work itself.
I know that many positions involve policy work, drafting, coordination, meetings, etc., and I would love to know how intellectually stimulating and meaningful you personally find that work after several years. I sometimes wonder whether the initial excitement of working for a prestigious institution, feeling that you are contributing to something important, remains over time, or whether it fades.
Do you still find your work interesting and meaningful today? Or does it sometimes feel disconnected or repetitive? If you had the opportunity to go back, would you still choose the same path?
I would also really love to hear more concretely about your day-to-day life:
What do your daily activities actually look like?
Do you travel for work?
How much variety is there in your role?
Do you still feel stimulated professionally?
Another important aspect for me is lifestyle. I can see myself enjoying a career where there is some mobility and opportunities to travel for work.
And finally, a perhaps simpler but important question: how do you personally feel about living in Brussels? Since many of these careers require being based there, I’m curious whether people genuinely enjoy the city and the lifestyle, or whether that has been more difficult than expected.
Thank you so much to anyone willing to share their experience honestly, it would really help me gain perspective.