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Thursday, 6 March 2014

How to Get a Job With the United Nations


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Edited by Flickety, Jack Herrick, Waited, Krystle and 43 others
Whether you want to prevent environmental degradation, assist impoverished areas to develop their economies, help stop civil wars, or advance progressive causes like social justice and capital redistribution, the United Nations may have the ideal job for you. What’s more, the U.N. is a huge employer and offers opportunities for advancement and career variety comparable to those found in large private companies. Think you’ve got what it takes to work in this truly global organization? Competition for most positions is fierce, but with a lot of preparation and a little luck, you may land your dream job with the U.N.
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Steps

There are two strategies for getting a job with the UN:

Method 1 of 2: Application by Internet

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    Decide whether you wish to join the United Nations as a generalist or a specialist. If you join as a generalist, do you wish to join the secretarial stream, peace-keeping forces or administrative work? If you wish to join as a specialist, do you want to join as a professional officer with particular expertise (e.g., management, legal, environmental, medical, etc.) or as an officer in a particular policy-making area?
    • If you apply to a generalist position (G level), consider that it will be very difficult to move later to a Professional position (P level) or a Director position (D level). G levels are local positions for national staff while P levels are international positions, where you have the possibility to have a rotational position moving to different countries. P staff may have many benefits such as being exempted from local taxes when buying vehicles or others.
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    Browse through the United Nations website (listed below) to get a feel for the areas the U.N. is involved in. Which areas interest you most? Are there areas you are already qualified for? Are there areas you would like to work in but for which you still need qualifications? There are many sites to start your job search such as:
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    Map out a plan. If you need qualifications, get them, with the goal of entry to the United Nations in mind. Perhaps the most important qualification for any U.N. position is fluency in English or French, the working languages of the organization. Fluency in additional languages, particularly Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, or Russian, is helpful for most positions. Education is also important. Some lower-level generalist positions (mostly clerical or secretarial jobs in the General Service category) require only a high school diploma and, usually, relevant work experience, but most positions in the U.N. require at least a bachelor’s degree. Many specialist positions require advanced degrees in the area of specialty.
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    Browse available jobs. Look at the UN employment website (also listed below) to see current vacancies. These are constantly updated, so if you don’t immediately see a position that fits your goals and qualifications, check back often.
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    Register for a “My UN” account. Click on the “Register as a User” option at the top of the U.N. employment website. Registration takes about a minute.
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    Create your “Personal History Profile” (PHP). Once you register you will be prompted to create your PHP. This profile will be your confidential online resume, and includes general information about you, your education, and your employment history. You will only need to complete this once, but you can edit it for different vacancies if you wish. You can complete the PHP right away, or come back later. It will take between 30 minutes to one hour to complete, and you can save a partially completed profile at any time and return to finish it.
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    Ensure that your PHP is thorough, detailed, accurate, and picture perfect. When you apply for a position, the PHP is the first (and, initially, only) thing the recruiter will see. If you don’t do a good job of representing your qualifications, or if your profile is marred by spelling or grammar mistakes, your application will be passed over in a New York minute. You can continue to update your PHP at any time, but make sure it is in perfect condition when you actually apply for a listed vacancy.
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    Select your vacancy (see the External Links below). Be certain you meet all its requirements; if not, either have very good reasons for why the recruiter might overlook whatever is lacking or don’t apply. The U.N. website makes it clear that you can apply for as many vacancies as you like, but your credibility will be hurt if you apply for positions for which you are not qualified.
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    Apply for the chosen vacancy by following the online instructions. You will be prompted to submit your most recent version of the PHP, along with any other information required by the particular vacancy. Update the PHP if necessary before submitting your application.
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    Provide an e-mail address so that they can acknowledge your application. If you don’t get such acknowledgment within 24 hours, contact them again for confirmation.
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    Wait. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted, and this can take some time. Be patient. You can check the status of your application in the “Application History” of your “My UN” account. Many positions require that you pass an examination in order to be considered. Follow the instructions given for the specific vacancy for which you are applying.

Method 2 of 2: Application by Competitive Examination

  1. Get a Job With the United Nations Step 12.jpg
    1
    Visit the U.N.’s National Competitive Recruitment Examinations Programme’s website, linked below. The NCRE program is used to select junior professional officers for specialist positions. Only nationals of participating countries—these are listed on the website—are eligible, and you must be under 32 years old to apply. You must also have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or (outside the U.S.) three-year first-level degree relevant to one of the available occupational groups listed on the website.
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    Apply for the examination before the annual deadline. The P-11 application form available on the website is the only acceptable method of application. Do not send additional documentation.
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    Study for the examination. The applications are screened, and qualified applicants are invited to take the examination and to interview. If you are invited, you will be sent a list of recommended reading, and sample tests are available on the website. You will need to exhibit expertise in the subject area for which you are applying, but you’ll also need to show a good knowledge of current events and world politics.
  4. Get a Job With the United Nations Step 15.jpg
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    Take the examination. The examination takes place on a specified date at U.N. offices all over the world. It consists of a general paper, which tests your ability to synthesize information and write clearly, and a specialized paper that tests occupation-specific knowledge.
  5. Get a Job With the United Nations Step 16.jpg
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    Wait for your results and attend an interview if invited. The tests take some time to mark, but competitive applicants will be invited for an interview, usually taking place several months after the examination. The most qualified applicants are then recommended for employment within the U.N. and are placed on a reserve list for current and future openings.
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Tips

  • Be very, very careful in putting together your application. Check for spelling errors, gaps in information, sloppy grammar, etc. Remember that every little slip-up is an excuse to eliminate your application, and recruiters will likely be inundated with applications. Get a friend to read over your PHP to offer suggestions and help catch any errors you may have overlooked. This is a tough process, tougher than many jobs you might be thinking of applying for, precisely because the whole world wants this job!
  • Apply early. U.N. recruiters tend to frown upon last minute applications. You can also be assured that there will be a lot of applications coming in at the last minute, so yours is likely to get a less thorough review if it’s one of them. Late applications will not be considered at all.
  • Unfortunately, the reality is that people who get jobs in the U.N. frequently know people within the organization. Who do you know? Find out how you can get to know some people who might be able to assist. In spite of lip service to the principle, merit selection is not always the key to employment at the United Nations. Additionally, be aware of country quotas and of country biases. These can operate for or against your chances of entry.
  • Gender is an advantage: Article 8 of the UN Charter indicates, "The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs." However, a rule exists in the UN recruitment policy (ST/AI/2006/3, Section 9.3) that provides an eligibility advantage to women. If you are a female who has been placed on a roster (reserve list of those who did not get selected but were endorsed by the central review body), you will remain there for three years thereby continuing eligibility for appointment during that period. On the contrary, males are removed from the roster after two years.
  • By all means try to find out more information by e-mail or telephone. Things to ask include whether the position is one that an existing lower-level UN employee acting in that position is trying to get permanently. This will give you an indication of what you’re up against. Equally, don’t be surprised if seeking information proves difficult.
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Warnings

  • Be aware that working with the United Nations may not necessarily be the challenging, glamorous, “save the world” job you’re looking for. Do your research and look at books written by people who have worked in the United Nations. While the pay and benefits are great, many employees are quickly disenchanted by the stifling bureaucracy, lack of creativity, inability to utilize initiative, and nepotistic favoritism. All the same, things won’t get better unless idealistic, strong-minded and determined people get in there and change it for the better. Just be fully aware of the downsides as well as the advantages.
  • Don’t send extra information about yourself unless you are asked for it. Doing so will irritate the recruiters, who will view it as trying to go outside the bureaucratic process and they may use it as an excuse to bypass you. If you get an interview, that will be your chance to shine.
  • Be prepared for a rigorous interview process if you are lucky enough to get that far. It may involve several rounds if you are selected to go further in the process.
  • The U.N. does not accept general applications or resumes. Unless otherwise noted, you must use the online application system to apply for vacancies.
  • Don’t apply willy-nilly for jobs for which you’re not qualified as the interviewers have long memories and may take advantage of any excuse to weed out people from a huge employment pool. Prior applications will remain on your employment file, so be judicious.
  • Be ready to wait a very long time after the position closes for any contact. Eight (8) months is not unusual.
  • Though prestigious in some circles, other people may look upon United Nations service unfavourably due to perceived ineffectualness and corruption in the UN itself and because the United Nations is an unelected body that extorts influence on sovereign nations.
  • Don’t put all your eggs into one basket: Map out other employment opportunities that you will seek in the process of trying to enter the United Nations and go for them as well. If you don’t get in after trying for a few years, give it a rest.

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Article Info

Featured Article
Categories: Featured Articles | Careers in Government
Recent edits by: sarah saieed, Anugal, Maluniu
In other languages:
Español: Cómo conseguir un empleo en las Naciones Unidas, Italiano: Come Ottenere un Lavoro alle Nazioni Unite, Português: Como Conseguir um Emprego na Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU), Deutsch: Einen Job bei der UN bekommen
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