The EU Careers Student Ambassadors Training Conference 2025, organised by EPSO – European Personnel Selection Office, took place on 4 and 5 October in Brussels. Mariana Reduto, a third-year student of the Undergraduate Degree in Communication and Cultural Sciences and ambassador for the EU Careers Student Ambassadors programme at FCH-Católica, was present, along with 79 other students from 27 Member States. "In addition to the contact with professionals, meeting motivated colleagues from all Member States was an invaluable gain. We created a network of contacts that transcends borders," says Mariana.

One of the highlights of the conference was the speed networking session, which gave Student Ambassadors the opportunity to meet EU staff and learn more about their career paths. "During dynamic sessions, I heard first-hand their stories, their paths and the reasons that led them to dedicate their lives to European public service. These stories demystified the “high positions” and showed me that careers in the EU are accessible and built with purpose and passion," says Mariana Reduto.

In addition to this session, the conference also featured learning opportunities, with lectures such as ‘Why the EU?’ and ‘The True Art of Public Speaking,’ the last of which aimed to help students improve their oral communication skills. There was also another lecture, entitled ‘EPSO Selection procedures – Traineeships’, in which the head of EPSO's external communication team filled students in on the details of the selection processes.

Back in Portugal, Mariana Reduto has a clear mission: ‘I am now returning as an EU Careers Ambassador, and my greatest motivation is to share this inspiration at FCH. I want to use the knowledge, tools and contacts I have acquired to bring European careers closer to students, showing that the European Union needs our talent, our vision and our ideas.’