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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Questions
- How many applications does the EPO handle every year?
- I have applied before and was rejected. Should I try again?
- Can I apply for more than one vacancy at a time?
- Do nationality quotas apply at the EPO?
- I am not a national of an EPO member state, but I think my country is going to become a member soon. Can I apply?
- Who or what is the selection board?
- I learnt French at school for three years, but that was ten years ago. Will this be enough?
- What do the language tests consist of?
- I failed my language test. Can I re-apply?
- I have only two of the three languages and wish to apply for a patent examiner's job. Am I wasting my time?
- I wish to apply for an administrative job but have only one of your official languages. Should I bother?
- I have been placed on a reserve list. What does that mean?
- I am on a reserve list. Do I have to do anything?
- Your application form is quite detailed. Do I have to answer all the questions?
- I don't have time to fill in the complete application form right now. What shall I do?
- I don't have a password. How can I save the application form?
- How should my browser be configured?
- How can I delete a document I have uploaded?
- What is a work certificate?
- I cannot ask my current employers for a work certificate as they would get suspicious. Can I still send my application?
- Do I need to translate my certificates into one of the official languages of the EPO?
- What do you mean by "References" in section 6 "Additional Information"?
- How many references are needed?
- I cannot send my application without agreeing to the statements, but agreeing to the EPO verifying the correctness of information and documents with regard to previous employment/occupations is a particular problem for me, as I don't want my current employer to know that I am applying for a position at the EPO. What can I do?
- Is there a deadline for sending applications for patent examiner posts?
- I cannot select more than one specialisation field.
- I have filled in all the fields as carefully as I could. How do I send the form?
- I have just applied online for a position at the European Patent Office and would like to change and add information to my application. How can I do this?
Answers
How many applications does the EPO handle every year?
The EPO receives around 20 000 applications per year from potential candidates. Around 15 000 of these are for examiner posts.
I have applied before and was rejected. Should I try again?
Since the EPO recruits on a post-by-post basis, you will have received a rejection for the post you originally applied for, unless otherwise indicated in your letter. This means you are free to try again.
Can I apply for more than one vacancy at a time?
Yes, you can. You should indicate this in your application and submit a separate online application for each vacancy.
Do nationality quotas apply at the EPO?
There are no strict quotas for recruitment, although the EPO does make every effort to ensure a good balance of nationalities within locations, individual departments, and sections of those departments. This can be a factor in the recommendation of the selection board.
I am not a national of an EPO member state, but I think my country is going to become a member soon. Can I apply?
Perhaps. In some cases the EPO accepts applications from countries that are due to join soon, provided the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation has agreed. Information is normally available from the website.
Who or what is the selection board?
The selection board is a panel nominated by the EPO to recommend the most suitable candidate for a vacant post. Its composition depends on the post a candidate has applied for and the stage of the recruitment procedure. The members of the selection board are usually drawn from the following bodies: department with the vacancy, staff representation, Human Resources department.
I learnt French at school for three years, but that was ten years ago. Will this be enough?
Probably not. The EPO works in the three official languages – English, French and German – and most staff don’t have one of these languages as their mother tongue, so we often find ourselves communicating in a foreign language. The standards therefore have to be quite high. The required level ultimately also depends on the post in question.
What do the language tests consist of?
For some posts, candidates are required to sit a computer-based language test prior to the interview. This written test is complemented by an assessment of the applicant’s language skills during the interview. For other posts, the computer test can be conducted after the selection board has concluded that one of the official languages needs to be improved prior to an appointment.
I failed my language test. Can I re-apply?
Yes, of course. But please improve your language skills first! If you received a letter asking you to resit a language test, this means we are still interested in your application. But you must improve your language skills before we can offer you a position.
I have only two of the three languages and wish to apply for a patent examiner's job. Am I wasting my time?
No, you could apply anyway. Under certain circumstances, the EPO invites candidates with a good working knowledge of only two of our official languages and a willingness to learn the third before starting as an examiner. In this case you would have to learn the third language and resit the language test before the EPO could offer you a job.
I wish to apply for an administrative job but have only one of your official languages. Should I bother?
Realistically, there will be a very large number of other candidates who do meet the requirements, so it's very unlikely that the EPO would continue with your application.
I have been placed on a reserve list. What does that mean?
Candidates are placed on a reserve list if they have been recommended as suitable for a particular post, but were not the candidate of first choice. This can happen when we have numerous very good candidates but only a limited number of posts. Rather than "lose" the candidates, we prefer to place them on a reserve list and look at them first when new posts arise. However, being on the reserve list doesn't guarantee an eventual job offer.
I am on a reserve list. Do I have to do anything?
No. Your name will always appear at the top of our lists when we are seeking to fill new vacancies in your specific field.
Your application form is quite detailed. Do I have to answer all the questions?
Please fill in all six sections of the form carefully, making sure you at least provide information in all the fields marked with an asterisk (*), but preferably completing the entire form - especially if this is your first EPO online job application.
You can move backwards and forwards between the different sections of the form.
I don't have time to fill in the complete application form right now. What shall I do?
You can save your draft application at any time, simply by using a password (“private identifier”) of your choice, which will permit you to retrieve the draft later. We will then send you an e-mail containing a link to your form. Draft applications saved in this way are stored for 30 days and then deleted automatically.
I don't have a password. How can I save the application form?
You can enter a password of your choice. That will enable you to access the form if you want to modify or complete the draft before submitting it. But please remember that drafts are only saved for a maximum of 30 days. Important note: passwords must not contain blank spaces.
How should my browser be configured?
You need to set your browser preferences to allow:
- Java script
- SSL (secure connections)
- caching (saving temporary internet files). If you are using a computer which does not allow writing in the hard drive (e.g. some company laptops), you will not be able to save temporary internet files or send your application form from that computer.
Important: some browser configurations (for example, in a company network) do not allow changes. Please try a different browser.
How can I delete a document I have uploaded?
You can use the wastepaper basket symbol that appears on the left of the name of the uploaded document.
What is a work certificate?
A work certificate is a document proving that you have worked for a certain company for a certain period.
I cannot ask my current employers for a work certificate as they would get suspicious. Can I still send my application?
You can send your application without this document. You will, however, have to present it if you succeed in the selection procedure and we offer you a position, as you will need it to prove your previous experience.
Do I need to translate my certificates into one of the official languages of the EPO?
No, you don't need to translate them.
What do you mean by "References" in section 6 "Additional Information"?
A referee is someone who can give us information about you as an employee, for example a previous employer or a university professor.
How many references are needed?
This is for the applicant to decide.
I cannot send my application without agreeing to the statements, but agreeing to the EPO verifying the correctness of information and documents with regard to previous employment/occupations is a particular problem for me, as I don't want my current employer to know that I am applying for a position at the EPO. What can I do?
We accept this of course and we will not contact your current employers before giving you the opportunity to inform them yourself.
Is there a deadline for sending applications for patent examiner posts?
There is no deadline for examiner posts. We are recruiting on a permanent basis. The list of fields with vacancies is updated regularly.
I cannot select more than one specialisation field.
Keep the Ctrl key pressed while you select the different fields. If this doesn’t work there might be a problem with your browser. Please try with a different one.
I have filled in all the fields as carefully as I could. How do I send the form?
When your application is ready for despatch, click on the “Send to EPO” button on the last page. You will then no longer be able to access it online.
I have just applied online for a position at the European Patent Office and would like to change and add information to my application. How can I do this?
You cannot change your application after submitting it. This is to ensure the integrity of data sent to the selection board.