Working at Afore
If you are considering a career in consulting, eager to understand the interactions between the private sector and EU institutions and/or looking for a workplace full of opportunities to learn and grow, Afore Consulting is a great place to start (and stay!).
If, like I was, you are not too sure about fitting in because you have no experience in the financial sector, no need to worry: you will be surrounded by friendly colleagues that will stand ready to answer any questions you may have, whether it is about the issue at stake, the client’s expectations, or the legislative process.
You will also be given the time to get familiar with the topics and will have the possibility to reconsider the topics on which you are working on a regular basis. If there is a file on which you would like to get more or less involved, this can be arranged.
Given the range of topics around financial services, I’m sure that you’ll find the right fit. Coming from a background oriented towards social/employment policies, I’ve found myself super interested in cyber and digital issues, among others. I would probably haven’t focused on such topics if it wasn’t at Afore Consulting.
After having spent six months in Afore Consulting, I can assure you that if you are ready to learn, willing to take initiatives and looking for some challenges, you will be given opportunities to evolve and to carry more and more responsibilities quite fast, which is very rewarding. I also believe that Afore Consulting has adapted really well its working methods to the current pandemic, making sure that nobody is set aside.
Most importantly (in my view), you will find really great colleagues, from different countries and background, always there to help each other and to enjoy some after work events together.
That being said, we are looking forward to welcome new members as part of the team!
I joined Afore Consulting after spending two years working at the EU institutions. Although at that point I felt I already had a good grasp of the EU’s decision-making processes, I have to admit I found myself somewhat daunted by the prospect of having to quickly digest the world of EU financial services. To my surprise, that feeling rapidly evaporated.
It is commonplace to characterise the ‘Brussels bubble’ as a fast-paced and dynamic working environment. Most who work here know that while the ‘heart’ of the bubble is unquestionably all the many EU institutions, they would not be fully ‘alive’ if not for the work of all the organisations which aim to not only impact policy and legislative discussions, but ultimately be part of them. Not merely to its clients but also to all its team members, Afore Consulting offers just that: access and expertise.
I find that this is because it does things a little differently, and it starts with the people it chooses to welcome to its team: Afore Consulting does not require one to be an expert on the many EU policy issues we cover on day one; rather, it offers the opportunity to become one. We learn by doing, and we start ‘doing’ on day one. For anyone with a proactive, hands-on attitude who is interested in EU policy-making, I would highly recommend joining us.
I can safely say that Afore Consulting is a great place for anyone taking his/her first steps in EU public affairs.
The first thing that Afore Consulting has brought me is the opportunity to grow as a professional. As a junior team member, I was very much worried to remain confined to very basic tasks, that would equate to yet another traineeship. Instead, what struck me at Afore is the amount of confidence I was given as soon as I started, and the diversity of tasks that goes with. Monitoring EU legislative developments of course, but also briefing clients, organising events, carrying out in-depth research: Afore Consulting has allowed me to significantly enrich my skillset and become a multi-skilled, grown-up professional.
You might have read that Afore Consulting is specialised in financial services – I had too, and I must admit it had scared me. Having very little background on the issue, I was afraid to be immersed into a very technical, dry and bland area. I was wrong: this is all about politics, and is as colourful as politics can get. Of course EU financial services policy is technical to a certain extent, but not more than the EU’s fundamental rights, environmental or foreign policy. Plus, for me, it was a real challenge (and reward) to be able to apply my knowledge of EU politics to a new policy area. These six months made me dive deep into the EU’s legislative process and definitely enhanced my practical knowledge of the EU’s functioning.
Finally, I must say that my Afore Consulting experience has been all the more simple by the working atmosphere. Afore is a human-size company, where each and every team member plays a fully-fledged role and where I have found a great deal of solidarity. Contrary to my worries, the other team members have really been here to give me guidance and answer my questions at the start, which made me feel integrated from day one. I also very much appreciated the team’s diversity in terms of nationalities, with members from all around (and even outside) Europe.
In sum, at Afore Consulting, I have come to develop a wide range of skills by working on a challenging EU policy area and as part of a very enjoyable working environment, which I think is what every young EU affairs professional could hope for.
My experience as a junior consultant at Afore Consulting was extremely enriching. It was the perfect place from where to start navigating in the world of European affairs.
It was my first job in the field of European affairs after I graduated, therefore it was very challenging at the beginning. I did not know the topics I was working on and I did not know the dynamics of the firm. What helped me a lot was the very nice team of colleagues I met: whenever I needed help, I immediately received it. This was the case at the beginning but also through the following months. The team is very international and young, which makes all the consultants easy to approach. The directors are also very helpful, they understand your errors and help you grow.
Afore Consulting’s areas of work are several: insurance, payments, tax, digital policies and sustainable finance amongst others. I was working on the sustainable finance agenda and the negotiations of the EU budget for the years 2021-2027. I was lucky, because I was very interested in these areas and I got passionate about them. If that had not been so, I would have had the possibility to change areas and work in a different sector. This demonstrates the flexibility of the firm, which encourages the junior consultants to find a field they are interested in.
As a junior consultant, after the first couple of weeks, I was not only assisting senior consultants, but I was in charge of my topics. This allowed me to gain confidence and expertise. I felt I was responsible and important for the firm.
The main tasks of a junior consultant are several and very diverse. I attended many virtual conferences, which allowed me to learn a lot on different topics. I attended calls with clients and thanks to the webinars I followed I was able to give debriefs and add my contribution to the conversation. I found the calls with clients very important, as I could learn from the senior consultants how to lead a call, properly present an issue and answer questions. I prepared many presentations for clients, an exercise that enabled me to understand topics more in depth. Finally, I followed the European Parliament Committees and the Plenaries, which was particularly interesting as it gave me the possibility to understand how the decision-making process takes place in practice.
Overall, my experience as a junior consultant at Afore Consulting was very motivating and formative. I felt valued in my work and I felt my contribution to the firm was important. I learnt so much: not only on the topics I was in charge of, but also on other policies of the European Union and on the decision-making process at EU level. I believe that this experience was a springboard for my career and helped me reach my current position as a trainee in the Cabinet of EU Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders.