Intern (Diversity Scheme) - Public Affairs and Corporate Communications

APCO is hiring one intern to join the Brussels team from July 2023.

This offer is exclusively for our target group:

Individuals of North African, sub-Saharan and Near/Middle Eastern descent.

More info in the job description.

Description

About APCO Worldwide

Founded in 1984, APCO Worldwide is an award-winning, independently owned global communication and business strategy firm with offices in major cities throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. APCO combines a global perspective with local expertise to help clients around the world manage challenges, opportunities, perceptions, and reputations. APCO clients include corporations and governments; industry associations and non-profit organizations; and many top Fortune 500 companies. The firm is a majority women-owned business.

About APCO in Brussels

Brussels is the heart of the European Union, a €14 trillion single market of over 500 million consumers. Decisions taken in Brussels, for example concerning legislation, international trade and competition, can directly shape global policy and regulation in every business sector. Brussels’ relevance to business, politics and society is only expected to grow. This makes it a natural hub for pan-European and international public affairs and communication programs.

INTERNSHIP SUMMARY

The intern will join the Research Team (APCO’s team of junior staff) and will be involved in both public affairs and communication work, in support of projects in one or more of APCO’s client practices. The intern will also carry out research and intelligence-gathering assignments for the general benefit of the Brussels office. Specific responsibilities may include desk research, coordinating with teams by email, database development, and follow-up for client events (media or participants). The intern is expected to demonstrate an interest in EU policymaking process, to be fluent in Englishand have excellent written and oral communication skills. The intern will report to project staff members and the Research Team managers.

INTERNSHIP OBJECTIVES

• Expand knowledge of European and global institutions and apply it in a real-time work environment;
• Become familiar with the logistics and functions of a consultancy, specifically in regard to public affairs;
• Experience first-hand how the policies of the EU and other institutions affect various stakeholders worldwide;
• Develop relations with colleagues and other stakeholders in the public affairs industry and the wider Brussels EU bubble and participate in meetings and events (internal and external) to develop a professional network.

DAY-TO-DAY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following are specific duties performed on a daily basis:

• Participate in ongoing projects for clients and provide assistance to consultants with tasks including but not limited to media monitoring, institutional monitoring, following and reporting back on events;
• Provide support to client work and new business opportunities;
• Draft updates for clients and colleagues;
• Conduct desk research on assigned topics and produce written reports;
• Conduct industry and/or client research;
• Conduct audits and stakeholder mappings;
• Provide support for media relations activities (e.g., producing media lists);
• Support client event organization (e.g., invitations, logistics);
• General admin support tasks (e.g., update databases, document editing).

About APCO’s Diversity Scheme

We recognise that our offices in Europe can be more representative of the communities in which we operate. We do not have exact numbers for our office in Brussels at the moment as it was not previously permissible to track the diversity of our candidates or our current staff members. Several reports from UNIA (Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism) [1], an independent public institution that fights discrimination and promotes equal opportunities in Belgium, attest however to the inequality of opportunities for access to professional work based on origins.

We therefore implemented an “Action Positive” in 2021, which has been approved by Bruxelles Economie et Emploi and which provides us with a legal framework to conduct our efforts in terms of diversity. This initiative relies on three pillars:

• Track and measurethe diversity of our office and of our candidate pool;
• Informour target group about the opportunities at APCO and, more widely, in the European public affairs’ industry;
• Reservefour internship positions per year to candidates of our target group.

Our target group:individuals of North African, sub-Saharan and Near/Middle Easterndescent.

Why did we choose this target group?

This group has been selected based on the current demographic of the Brussels’ Region. Our aim is for our office to better reflect the origins of people who live in the city in which we operate in.

Our Diversity Scheme is designed to directly address the need for greater diversity in the public affairs and communication industry and is primarily aimed at candidates who identify as belonging to one of these groups.

The Scheme is a six-month internshipin our Brussels office for an intern, with a flexible start date in July 2023. It is designed to offer exposure to the public affairs and communication industry by including robust opportunities for professional growth through a learning & development curriculum, mentorship, and regular feedback & goal setting.

We regularly advertise other entry-level opportunities on our career site, including Project Assistant vacancies.

What kind of experience/interests might make this role interesting for you?

• Someone who shares our values of Curiosity, Empathy, Inclusivity and Boldness.
• A passion for and interest in communication.
• Someone who thrives on working across a variety of sectors/areas where no two days are the same.
• Good time management skills and the ability to manage multiple competing priorities and deadlines at one time.
• Good written and verbal communications skills and the ability to listen, convey and articulate complex information.
• An enjoyment of working as part of a team.
• Being creative and contributing your ideas.
• An interest in current affairs and what is happening around the world.
• Someone who loves to consume media in all forms, whether that’s on social media, online news outlets or traditional print press.

What are the core working hours and will I need to be in an office?

Our core working hours in Brussels are 9.00am - 6pm Monday to Friday.

We are committed to a hybrid and flexible working environment, and there may be days that you wish to work from home which will be accommodated on a case-by-case basis. We will not be introducing any kind of formal policy for this as we want to be driven by what works best for each individual at our company. You will be provided with a company laptop and the necessary equipment to be able to do this easily.

How do I apply?

Applications for our Diversity Scheme are now open.

As part of our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, we are introducing blind recruiting processes for all entry-level roles in Europe, meaning that all applications are anonymous at screening stage. While you will be asked to upload your CV/Resume to the job posting, we will be keeping these separate from our initial recruiting process. Instead we ask you to answer the below STAR-method interview questions in writing in order to apply for the scheme. We will be reviewing, and shortlisting candidates based on these answers, and not on CVs. CVs will be viewed only at first stage interview.

We advise you to write your answers in Word initially and to cut and paste them into our application form (which you can find by clicking apply to this posting).

What is your approach to working on several projects in parallel? How do you address competing priorities or deadlines?(250 words maximum)

When is the closing date for applications?

The closing date for applications is Friday 9 June 2023 at noon, after which time we will no longer accept applications.

When does the Scheme commence?

We would ideally like our new colleague to begin early July, we are howeverflexibleshould this not be possible.

What happens once I have applied?

We will review all applications after the closing date. We will then reach out to all candidates, whether successful or not. First stage interviews are likely to take place in the week commencing Monday 12 June 2023.We will conduct the interviews at our Brussels office, although we can arrange a Zoom call if you are not available for an in-person interview. We will do our best to factor in your availabilities. Successful candidates will be informed by end of June.

What is the salary and benefits?

You will receive a monthly pay of €1,000. In addition to this, we offer a range of benefits including meal vouchers, transportation allowance and a tax free monthly teleworking & internet allowance of €75.

Will I secure a job when the scheme ends?

While we cannot guarantee a permanent job at the end of the scheme, there is the possibility that there will be opportunities after the scheme, and we will ensure you are made aware of these as you progress through your time with us.

We have a strong track record of converting colleagues from part-time/short-term roles to permanent opportunities.

We will ensure that we are keeping you abreast of upcoming permanent role opportunities and that you receive regular feedback.

[1]UNIA, Labour Market and Origin 2019, Socio-economic monitoring, Federale OverheidsdienstWerkgelegenheid, Arbeid en Sociaal Overleg.