Finding an international career in Brussels: NATO jobs

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, (NATO), has moved far beyond its old Cold War parameters. It's reasonable to call NATO the military force of the EU, but its role extends by association around the world.

NATO's headquarters is in Brussels, with another major office in Mons. The organization and its branches, however, extend across Europe and North America. Its international commitments and various agencies are around the world. NATO structure NATO is a very large organization, and a complex one. It's necessary to understand and be able to find your way around the various facets of the organization. Civilian Military NATO may be the military force of the EU, but unlike the EU, the organization is operated by national governments. The EU itself doesn't have a direct role in NATO. In fact, NATO predates the formation of the EU.

This link shows the various levels of national government of member nations:

The role of national governments includes liaison, support, and, naturally, some cross pollination between organizations, as NATO members supply the staff of the military and civilian components of NATO.

NATO's evolution has created a range of international career opportunities in both military and civilian spheres. It's necessary to understand the structure of the organization to recognize the career paths and high value of NATO jobs in an international career.

NATO Recruitment

Citizens of NATO members may apply for jobs at NATO. A NATO branch will advertise a civilian job on the NATO vacancies page.

NATO jobs are governed by a centralized system of employment policies. The range of jobs, however, is huge. Just about all civilian jobs, in some form have equivalents in NATO. Administrative, technical, IT, and all the career paths of a truly top line international career are available, it's really just a matter of finding them.

Interested people are advised to check out NATO's recruitment methods in detail, and to be a bit patient. These are much sought-after jobs, and you need to get things right. NATO gets a lot of applications, and they state clearly that if the application is incomplete or late, it won't proceed.

Important: Take the time to check out the procedures and requirements for documentation.If you're not sure what you're being asked to provide, ask.

Internships

(See eligibility criteria on the above link)

Note: Security clearances are required for successful applicants.

NATO offers two six month paid, taxable, internships annually in several key areas, including military, political, diplomatic, and logistical areas, among others.

All applications and information regarding NATO internships are done by email.

Advertisement of NATO internships is over a 3 month window period. There's a subsequent screening period of about two weeks. This period is followed by notifications and instructions to successful applicants regarding the necessary procedures for attendance. NATO as a career move The jobs and internships, by any standard, are in the top bracket of their fields, a truly representative CV entry in anyone's international career. In some industries, a NATO job on your CV is like saying you worked for Google in IT. NATO is something you'll learn to recognize as a vitally important thing in any international career: A standard setter, a true international benchmark. In all professions, and all careers, there are these truly high value positions. These are the jobs you really must seek, to maximize your career options.

NATO is also a culture of itself. Many international careers are based as much on the culture of the professions as the ins and outs of jobs. Around NATO revolves an orbiting array of suppliers, partners, governments, and other important elements in both Europe and the world. This is a culture you will inevitably meet, in whatever international career you choose. NATO may be the path to finding your entry into your career.