Hello and welcome!

If you are reading this you have received the link from me and you are at least interested in my application. I thank you for that!

On this page I go into more detail about the following aspects about me:

1. Myself as a person
2. My background
3. My personal motivation
4. My expectations

About me

My name is Philip Saey, I was born on the 12th of June 1988, I live in Zele (Belgium) and I am currently a master student at the University of Antwerp.

I would describe myself as reserved, independent, structured and eager. I am also very creative and driven when working on something that is important to me. I can be open-minded and flexible, though in my free time I prefer a familiar surrounding. I can work in a team, provided I trust the other team members on a professional level. If this is not the case, I tend to pull work towards me – a point on which I try to improve. I am responsible and do what I say I will do, or try my very best.

In my spare time I prefer to be alone or in the company of a few friends. I enjoy listening to music, read from time to time and I write, on this blog and elsewhere. I like being creative in various activities, be it making personalized birthday cards or trying to cook a new dish. For physical exercise I go to the gym or I go for a walk. I very much enjoy travelling and I have many plans to see more of the world. I am also planning to learn more languages, which I always see as a worthwhile investment and which I consider as a part of “seeing the world”.

My background

With “my background” I mostly mean my studies, since I have very little practical experience to speak of. I am hoping this will change with this traineeship!

I study as a Business Engineer in Management Information Systems. I attained my Bachelor degree with distinction and I am currently in my final master year. The content of my study combines knowledge of all the important management domains with insight in ICT and can act as a bridge between the two domains, so as to create business value through the use of ICT. It is, in essence, aimed at aligning the business needs with the capabilities of ICT.

I mention my background often in my application file because it is, I think, the most important reason why I think the European Commission would want to have me as an intern. My profile is rare, but in high demand in the current economy. IT projects are failing in large numbers because the business side and the IT side tell different stories. More people are needed that do not have a solely IT-technical or business profile, but a combination of the two.

My profile is therefore something special. I am not a “standard” European law or business student who had good grades and now wants a internship that will look good on my CV. I present a rare, but much needed set of skills and insights, and I present it because I believe it can be valuable to the E.C.

To be more precise concerning my competences, I have been educated in the following domains (among others): general economics, the classic management domains (accounting, marketing, law, financing, HRM, etc.), ICT (e-business, security management, programming, networks, etc.) and IT governance, system development (analysis, design, implementation) and international business (including but limited to the E.U.). My thesis subject is the market for cloud computing.

For further details I refer to the transcript of records.

I also have some practical experience, though limited. In my studies I have performed an IT governance audit for a large Belgian enterprise using the COBIT framework. Recently I have also worked on a business projects, which was a realistic simulation of a consultancy project for a large bank in cooperation with a global consultancy firm. These practical exercises may only be simulations, but they have given me some idea on how to function in a real business environment and how to apply my knowledge correctly.

Lastly, from October 2008 until June 2010 I was an active member for IMBIT, a young non-profit organization created for and by students of my profile. I helped in the very beginning with the start-up by assisting in the Legal and Finance domain group. This group was a small team and our job was to make sure IMBIT fulfilled all the legal and financial requirements. I learned a lot about the regulation for small Belgian companies while working there.

My personal motivation

As I mentioned in the application form and my cover letter, I have several reasons why I would like to receive an internship at the E.C.

Firstly, I have an active interest in the European Union and its affairs. I believe in its mission, the idea behind its creation, its motto, the economic and social benefits it provides for its citizens and the potential it has for further development. More than for my own personal career plans, I am applying for this internship to learn what it is like to assist in the day-to-day activities and organisation of a European institution. I would like to receive the opportunity to learn how the Union functions as a group of institutions and people with a European mindset.

Secondly, I have a genuine interest in learning about other cultures and mindsets, other languages even, through interaction with foreign people. As stated in my CV, I went on an exchange study period in Finland through the Erasmus programme in 2011. This experience has enriched me greatly and convinced me that I wanted to work and live in a multicultural setting. This open mindset, this willingness to study diverse cultures and how it can be brought together to create more understanding and synergy is something that I automatically associate with the European Union. The opportunity to work for the European Commission together with many other like-minded people from different backgrounds is for me one of the biggest personal motivations for this application.

Thirdly, through the newsletters of various DG’s and the website I have found many initiatives in which I am very interested. These initiatives are either directly related to my background or simply interesting:

• The Digital Agenda for Europe (by INFSO), which contains a lot of research domains that interest me. One particular research subject that appeals to me is cloud computing and related topics, such as service-oriented architecture and the future Internet, which is why I study the market of cloud computing an in my master thesis.
• Another example is the more strategic level of DIGIT like IT governance and the ISA programme, which match well with my background.
• One last, non-ICT related example, is ENTR’s management plan, which focuses on SME development.

Lastly, I want this traineeship to give me a better understanding of the direction I want to take myself after my studies. Working for the E.C., a diverse and challenging institution, will give me a better overview of the possibilities concerning sectors and geographic regions in Europe. Along the way, I will offer something to the E.C. as well and contribute in its activities. I can think of no other institution or enterprise where I will receive the same opportunity and overview as in the E.C.

My expectations

I expect a lot from this traineeship and yet very little. I expect it to be a very challenging job and that I will learn a lot over the course of the internship, but I remain open-minded concerning the actual content of it. I will be happy with any task as long as it is relevant to my interests and background.