Tell us a little about yourself and what brought you to CERN?

Hello, my name is Jack, I am a 20-year-old from the UK, currently a graduate on the ORIGIN Programme here at CERN. I studied in the UK until I was 18, focussing on French, Spanish and Graphic design and I decided not to go to university at that point because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but one thing I was sure about was that working with people in some form or another was definitely something I was interested in.

The way I ended up coming to CERN was quite funny – one random Monday afternoon, I received a message on LinkedIn from Priscilla (in talent acquisition) regarding a HR role in Switzerland, and I almost didn’t respond as I initially thought it was spam, and then after looking into it a little further I quickly realised it was in fact real! I applied straight away and after having interviews and being offered the position I was having to think about packing up and leaving the UK for Switzerland!

What do you do at CERN?

I work in the People eXperience and Engagement (PXE) team within the HR department, currently looking after the Student and Graduate populations in the TE and ATS-DO departments. In PXE we take care of personnel from their first day at CERN up until (and beyond) their last day, and our main priority is ensuring everyone has the best experience possible while at CERN. Our days can vary completely in what we do, and when working with people the best thing is you can never be 100% sure what will happen during your day!

What is working at CERN like for you?

Working at CERN for me could be, I guess like a dream come true, I always wanted to work with people, and in an international environment, and CERN is exactly that! The people I work with and meet on a day-to-day basis are incredibly fascinating, and I have learned so much already, about HR, Physics, Engineering and so much more. My weeks are always so varied, and I never have two days that are the same – the thing I love about my job is that I really can have an impact on someone’s experience here, and it’s very rewarding.

Being in Geneva is also one of the advantages of working at CERN, I’m surrounded by some of the most amazing landscapes whilst being in the centre of Europe, which makes it so easy to travel and explore!

What have been the main challenges you encountered along the way?

Ironically, despite studying French for several years, one of the main challenges I have encountered has been the French language – this has never been an issue at work but outside of CERN in the area I very quickly realised I needed to brush up on my language skills! Thankfully, I have great colleagues who are more than happy to help me practice and even teach me l’Argot (thanks Anne-Laure!). The rest has been plain sailing for me thanks to having great colleagues who have supported me since joining in May.

What advice would you give potential applicants?

For anyone considering applying to CERN I say don’t hesitate; go ahead and apply! It has been such an amazing experience so far and I’m sure it will only get better!

Inspired? Picture yourself launching your career at the forefront of scientific innovation by joining CERN's early career graduate programme: ORIGIN. A path to develop the next generation of scientific, technical, and administrative experts. This is not just a job; it's an invitation to be part of an international community shaping the future of particle physics (not matter your field of studies).

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