How to Find a Job at the United Nations

If you want to protect the environment from degradation, help impoverished areas grow economically, or promote causes for the advancement of humanity, you will probably find the ideal job at the United Nations. United Nations (UN). The UN is a great organization that offers better career and advancement opportunities than large private companies. The competition for jobs here is fierce, but with good preparation and a bit of luck, you can land your dream job at the UN.

Table of Contents

Preparing to submit your application

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Explore career opportunities at the UN. Search the United Nations website for an overview of the types of work available at the organization. Which field do you like the most? Is there a field you are qualified to apply for? Is there a field you would love to work in but still lack a degree? Get this information before you start looking for a job. See the following websites for up-to-date information:

Official UN website (http://careers.un.org)
UN job search website (http://unjobfinder.org)
UN job listings (http://unjoblist.org)

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What kind of work do you want to do? Jobs at the UN are divided into different categories, each of which requires a certain level of education and a specific area of expertise. The job type is further subdivided into different ranks, and each rank requires a different level of experience. Consider your skills, interests, and experience, and determine the type of job and rank that’s right for you. Here are the options: ^{[1] X Research Sources}

Expert category and higher (P and D)
General Services and related categories (G, TC, S, PIA, LT)
Country Specialist (NO)
Field Service (FS)
Senior jobs (SG, DSG, USG and ASG)

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Make sure you have sufficient education and experience. Each position has its own requirements regarding education and experience. Before applying for a job, you need to fulfill all the prerequisites. Otherwise, your application will not be considered. These are the general requirements for many positions at the UN:

Proficient in English or French, the working languages of this organization. Proficiency in additional languages, namely Arabic, Chinese, Spanish or Russian will give you an edge for most positions.
Bachelor’s degree or higher. Some entry-level general positions (mostly clerical or secretarial jobs in the General Services category) only require a high school diploma and related work experience, but most positions at The UN requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Many specialist positions require a master’s degree in a specialized field.
Working experience in related field. Depending on the position you are applying for, they may require you to have 1-7 years of work experience.

Submit a job application

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Find available jobs. See UN recruitment website ^{[2] X Research resources} for available vacancies at UN Secretariat organisations. You can go to Unjobfinder to find vacancies in all UN organisations. Vacancies are updated regularly, so if you can’t find a job right now, you can find one later.

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Register for an account “My UN”. Click the “Register as a User” option at the top of the UN recruitment website. They will ask you to fill in your name, email address, and date of birth, as well as create a username and password.

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Create a “Personal History Profile” (PHP). After registration, the machine will display a message to prompt you to create PHP. This profile is a secure online resume that includes general information about you, education and work history. You only need to create this profile once, but it can be revised to fit different positions.

You can create PHP now or later. It takes about 30 minutes to an hour to create PHP, but you can save the profile halfway and come back to it later.
Make sure your PHP is perfect, detailed, correct and error-free. When you apply for a position, PHP is the first (and only initial) resume a recruiter looks at. If you don’t demonstrate your qualifications well, or your resume contains many spelling or grammatical errors, your application may be ignored.
You can continue to update PHP at any time, but make sure PHP is in perfect shape when you apply for a vacancy.

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Select the job you intend to apply for. You must make sure you meet all the requirements; if you don’t, don’t apply, or unless you have a good reason why the employer didn’t realize you didn’t meet the requirements. The UN website makes it clear that you can apply for many positions, but your credibility will be damaged if you apply for positions that you are not qualified for.

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Submit your application by following the instructions online. You will be prompted to submit the latest PHP version, along with any other information that the position you are applying for requires. Update PHP if necessary before you apply.

Provide an email address so they can confirm your application. If you do not receive a confirmation message within 24 hours, you should contact them again to confirm.

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Waiting for an invitation to interview. They only contact selected candidates for an interview, and you have to wait a while. You can check the status of your application in the “Application History” section of your “My UN” account. Many positions require you to take an exam to be considered. Follow the instructions for the specific position you are applying for.

Apply for the Young Professional Development Program

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Make sure you are eligible to apply. The Young Professional Development Program (YPP) is for young talents with little or no work experience. Eligible applicants will undergo a written and oral exam to determine if they are qualified to fill out the YPP member job roster. The people named in this roster will be accepted to work under the YPP program when the job is available. To be eligible to apply to YPP, you must meet the following requirements:

32 years old and under
Minimum of a university degree in one of the occupation groups mentioned ^{[3] X Research Source}
Fluent in English or French
Be a citizen of a member state

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Register for an account “My UN”. Click the “Register as a User” option at the top of the UN recruitment website. They will ask you to fill in your name, email address, and date of birth, as well as create a username and password.

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Create a Personal Profile Profile. After registration, the device will display a message to prompt you to create a Personal Profile Profile. This profile is a secure online resume that includes general information about you, education and work history.

You can create PHP now or later. It takes about 30 minutes to an hour to create PHP, but you can save the profile halfway and come back to it later.
Remember to fill in the name of the member country participating in the YPP program in the blank in the “Country of Nationality” field.

Advice

Be very careful when drafting your application. Check for spelling errors, inconsistencies, sloppy grammar, etc. Remember that every mistake will be a reason for your application to be rejected, as hiring boards receive a lot of applications.
At all costs you have to find a lot of information by email or phone. You can ask things like if the position is something a current employee is fighting for to avoid losing a job. This information will give you clues about possible challenges. Don’t be surprised if you find it difficult to find information.
Gender can be an advantage: Article 8 of the UN Charter states, “The United Nations does not restrict the participation of men or women in any role and on equal terms in the primary and its subsidiary facilities”. However, there is a principle in UN recruitment policy (ST/AI/2006/3, Section 9.3) that favors women’s participation if there are many suitable candidates for a position. If one of them is female, the other is male, and the number of female employees is less than male at that level/department, then this position will be given preference to female candidates. Gender balance is also considered for men. However, men typically dominate most positions at the specialist level and make up a minority in general service positions (in contrast to women).
Anyone can be put on the job roster (a list of people who were not selected but have been approved by the central review body). Since 2012, the number of members of this list has become endless. This could change at any time.
Apply early. UN recruitment committees usually don’t like last-minute applications. You can be sure that there are many last-minute applications, so your application is at risk of being overlooked if you are among them. Late applications are not accepted.
People who find work at the UN often know staff in the organization. They found the right way to enter information into the PHP form, and understood how the UN was looking for candidates. Do you know anyone? Find ways to get to know people who can help you. Although you can use contacts, selection through referrals is not always the key to landing a job at the United Nations. Also, you need to pay attention to country quotas and country trends. They can be beneficial or harmful to your chances of joining the UN.

Warning

Remember that a job at the United Nations doesn’t have to be the challenging, noble, or “noble” job you might expect. Research and read books written by people who have worked at the United Nations. Although salaries and benefits are good, many employees soon become discouraged by the suffocating bureaucracy, lack of creativity, lack of initiative, and nepotism. Things will not get better unless passionate and enterprising people join the organization and change it. Be fully aware of all the disadvantages as well as the advantages.
Don’t send more information about yourself unless they ask for it. This will irritate the employer, they will see this as behavior that goes beyond the bureaucratic process and use it as an excuse to remove you. If you’ve been invited for an interview, this is your chance to shine.
Be prepared to wait long after the position stops accepting applications. Waiting periods of eight (8) months are not uncommon.
The UN does not normally accept resumes or job applications. Unless otherwise noted, you must use the online application system to apply.
Do not indiscriminately apply for positions for which you do not meet the requirements because the examiner will not forget your name in previous applications, and will use that as an excuse to remove you from the long list of applicants. Previous applications will remain on the employment record, so proceed with caution.
Prepare yourself for a tough interview if you’re lucky enough to get there. You may have to go through many rounds if you are selected to go further in the application process.

Steps

Preparing to submit your application

Submit a job application

Apply for the Young Professional Development Program

Advice

Warning

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