Tekst achterflap

The Brussels “EU Bubble” is a high-pressure, fast-churn and competitive environment where career success can often come at a high personal cost. Drawing on his own experience and the collective wisdom of many Brussels insiders, Jeroen Reijnen explains “the art of working and living in the EU Bubble” − in other words, how best to achieve a positive work-life balance in a city where people come and go, and burnout, rootlessness and loneliness are all too common. As Jeroen explains: “Where ‘Big in Brussels’ started out just as a book about making a career, it evolved into one about how to live the ‘Good Life’ in the EU Bubble.” His advice is practical, realistic and engaging. If your own road leads to Brussels, make sure to take this book with you on your journey. PART I: HOW TO GET IN Living like a Sultan From idealists to careerists Endless summer The rule of at least two internships Some reading and watching tips To Bruges or not to Bruges? Sex in the city The Blue Book PART II: HOW TO LAND A REAL JOB Making a life choice When a good sense of humour pays off Are you red, yellow, green or blue? How to get in and how to fit in the Holy Trinity The powerhouses: the cabinets Best first job ever: “APA” Create your own dream job Lobby is my hobby The dynamics between the Commission, the EP and the Council Girl Power is on the rise Off the beaten track Where’s the money? From hero to zero Softies have the future Revolving doors? #MeToo in Brussels Qatargate PART III: HOW NOT TO GO NUTS Be ready for some bitching about the EU Should I stay or should I go? No nine to five Burnouts are on the rise The Brussels Happiness Curve Challenges you will face if you choose to stay in Belgium The six basic needs of every human being Why do many guys behave like assholes in Brussels? The loneliness How to feel less stressed In a midlife crisis? It will only get better! Get in the flow PART IV: HOW TO MAKE BELGIUM YOUR NEW HOME Don`t get stuck in the Golden Cage The “CCP” Make an effort to integrate Are your children becoming “citizens of nowhere” or super-Europeans? Nine tips to stop bitching and start loving Belgium La Belgitude The Belgians rule How to become “Big in Brussels Afterword ANNEX: SOME (FUN) FACTS Why Catholics like the EU more than Protestants do How the “Whim of the Gods” replaced Brussels’ last brewery Many James Bonds in Brussels Is the EU a Catholic conspiracy after all? Why Brussels became the EU Capital The troubled birth of the European anthem How Politico made Brussels sexy Where does it happen? Author: Jeroen Reijnen has almost a quarter of a century of experience in Brussels, including lobbying, the Commission “stage” and jobs in two European institutions. He did multiple internal and external concours (entry exams to become a European civil servant), passing some and failing others. All while ending up managing a family of four children with three nationalities, mixing four different languages. In short, he played Brussels by the book; now he has written it.

Details