Alessandro Da Rold, managing director of EU40, a young veteran of the Euro-bubble and speaker for the night, immediately blended into the collage of our faces looking at our webcams as a peer. As a likeminded and not too much older professional, our discussions shed light on the path one takes after a traineeship in Brussels and what it means to be a young professional in this day and age.

Knowing the difficulties of finding a job in a field with plenty of qualified individuals but only a handful of available openings, Alessandro recommended we internalize the traits of patience and resilience. Something he has shown plenty of after waiting six months for responses to his applications before he received a call from a hydrogen fuel advocacy firm in Brussels. Having the patience of a saint alone, however, does not get you the job. That being the case, Alessandro also suggested to continue tweaking one’s CV and its presentation.

As the managing director of EU40, Alessandro works on incorporating the views of young professionals within discussions in the European Parliament. With 80 members aged between 20 and 40, the EU40 aims to create new narratives and produces fresh perspectives on pressing issues at hand. A project and successful undertaking, that he said was achieved by keeping an overall positive attitude and giving it your all.

Whether we establish our own political organizations, become public officials or change direction completely is yet to be seen. Alessandro allowed us a glimpse ahead in time and gave us recommendations on how to better navigate the present. What happens tomorrow remains a mystery which is what keeps it interesting and worth chasing after.