Getting a job in the UN is a dream for many people, as a UN job is an amazing chance to grow both professionally and personally while getting priceless experience. Working for the UN, one should expect working in a team of international experts, competitive salaries, and great career opportunities. So, let's have a more detailed look at job types offered by the UN and clarify how to become a part of this powerful organization.

But the main question is “how to get a job at the un” without spending 10 years to achieve this dream ?

How to Start the UN Career

If you love our planet and people and are eager to change the world for better, you will certainly find an ideal job for yourself in the UN. This organization is a huge employer, offering numerous career opportunities not only for experienced professionals but also for those who are just looking for a dream job. Competition is usually fierce, as there are often many candidates for the same position, which is proof that UN jobs are desirable and popular. Nevertheless, it's possible to become a UN worker. But be ready to prepare for it, as it may not be as easy as people eager to start a career in the UN usually expect. Now, let's have a look at the main steps you'll have to do to start the UN career.

Prepare. The best way to start is to browse the United Nations official website to get a better understanding of what you are offered. This may be super helpful for those who do not yet understand what they are looking for. On the website, you will have a chance to get acquainted with a list of job openings, areas, and qualifications required. Information is everything, so be prepared.
Choose the staff category. As we have already mentioned, there are several staff categories to choose from. So, the next step is choosing the category. You should take into account your skills and interests, as well as work experience (it's essential for some jobs).
Make sure you have enough experience and qualification for the position chosen. Understandably, each position has a set of requirements you should meet for your application to be considered. Sometimes candidates don't pay attention to the requirements relying on luck. It's completely wrong, as in this case people just waste their time applying. We'll discuss general requirements a little bit later.
Register an account. Having selected a job, you should proceed to the next step - registration. To register a personal account, you'll have to provide some personal information (like your date of birth, your name, email, etc). You'll also have to provide some information about your qualification. And the last step is to create a user name and a password.
Choose a job and apply. Think twice whether you meet all the requirements not to waste your time for nothing. You can apply for as many positions as you like. Instead using CV, you will need to use forms as UN p11 form (personal history form). The applying process is not a complicated one, you just have to follow the instructions.
Wait for an interview invitation. Having applied for a job (or several), all you have to do is wait. You will be able to check the status of your application in your account. Be attentive, as only those selected for an interview will be informed about the result.

There are several programs designed to help young people to find a career path in the UN. One of the most popular is the Young Professionals Programme (we'll discuss it a little bit later).

UN Jobs FAQ

How can I get a job in the UN?

Getting into the UN may be challenging, so it's better to be fully aware of all your options and understand the potential problems you may face. The first step is research. Browse the official website to get acquainted with the company's ideology and its job openings. If you are sure you want to contribute to the well-being of humanity working in the UN, you are welcome to choose a position you like the most (or several) and apply. To do this, you'll have to go through the registration and provide some information about your qualification and some personal information. Make sure you meet all the requirements of the position chosen. If you are not experienced enough, you can select one of the internship programs offered by the UN.
What types of jobs are there in the UN?

There are several job networks in the UN, including economic and social development, peace and security, information systems and communication technology, management and operations support, safety and security, public information and external relations, conference management. There is a huge selection of jobs for the potential candidates of various experiences and qualifications, so your possibilities are plentiful. There are different categories of workers, such as field services workers, professionals, national professional officers, general service workers, and several others.
How much do jobs at the UN pay?

Salaries in the UN are competitive. In fact, the sum of money you'll get depends on several factors, such as your category, qualification, type of your contract, and your duty station. For some jobs (general services, national professional officers) people are hired locally, so the salary depends on it. Use our UN salary calculator to know your future sqlqry. Choosing a position from professional and higher categories, you'll get from 37,000$ to 123,000$ and from 31,000$ to 90,000$ if you are planning to work in field services (depending on qualification).
Is it difficult to get a job at the UN?

Getting a job at the UN is certainly not an easy task. The competition is fierce, as there are usually many people eager to get the same position. It's better to immerse yourself into this adventure being prepared and ready for any outcome. Understandably, there are many people dreaming about working in a powerful international organization, but only the best candidates are chosen. All applications are carefully reviewed and chosen candidates are invited for an interview. It will be difficult, but we can make progress only by means of difficulties, so it's certainly worth trying.
Which languages should I know to apply for the UN job?

Every UN job has a set of requirements, like age, work experience, etc. Language knowledge is another requirement that can influence your success. English, French, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Russian are the official UN languages, but usually, candidates are required to have a good command of either French or English. The more languages you know - the bigger your chances of getting a job of your dream. Besides, if you have good language skills, you can become a UN translator, interpreter, language instructor, or a teacher.
What degree/diploma/certification should I get to work at the UN?

It depends on the position you'd like to get, as there are different education and work experience requirements. For some positions, a bachelor's (or higher) degree is required, while you can apply for the others having your High School diploma only.
Can I get a job being a student?

Those looking for chances to start a successful career can do it even while studying in the university, as the UN offers several volunteer programs and internships for young people. For example, the UN Internship Programme makes it possible for students in the final year of a Bachelor program to get into the UN and understand the core principles of its work better. There is also a United Nations Volunteers Programme, which is active in approximately 80 countries nowadays. So, if you are a student and want to get new knowledge and skills, you are welcome to choose any of the UN programs for students.
Where should I apply for a UN job?

The applying procedure is not complicated at all. So, the first thing you should do is visit the career.un.org website to get acquainted with the job openings currently available. So, select the area you like and have a look at those. If you already know what types of positions you are looking for, just use filters to make the search easier. Click the "Search" button and you will have all the jobs in front of your eyes. If you have already chosen a position you'd like to apply to, the next step is registration at inspira.un.org. On this website, you'll have to provide all the necessary details about your qualification (as well as your personal information), write a cover letter and voila - you are ready to apply. Just go back to the vacancy you have selected and click the "Apply" button.

Use the UN career Guide if you are in trouble, it actually helped more than a thousand of candidates to find the job of their dream in the UN. In our guide we offer opportunities for all countries : from France UN jobs to Somalia jobs. Last week Fred got a UN job in south Sudan thanks to our guide.
How much time does a UN job applicant have to wait for feedback whether she/he was shortlisted for the job?

As a rule, it takes from two weeks to four months to go through the selection process. So, you'll have to be patient and wait for the e-mail informing you that you are selected for the next step (as a rule, it's a writing test). We have many written assessment test samples for organisations such UN, UNDP, WFP, and Unicef.

Our UN career Guide provides you the best and most recent UN, WFP, Unicef and UNDP written test.
Then comes the interview (by Skype or personally). After an interview, you'll have to wait for the final decision from 1 week to 1 month.
How to write a successful CV for the UN?

The first and the most important rule you should remember - there should be no mistakes. A single little mistake or inaccuracy can reduce your chances. So, first of all, you are to provide your personal information. Then, proceed to education. Always start with the latest degree you've obtained. You should provide information about years of studying and the full names of educational institutions. Then comes a summary of your skills and proficiency. After this block of information comes professional experience, where you should try to highlight your most impressive achievements. Having done it, you are to provide some additional information (languages, additional training, etc.) and at least three references.

Make the world safer with Save the Children's jobs.

If you have long dreamed of becoming closer to the world, namely to help people, nature, and also help protect children, then good news for you. Anyone who complies with the requirements can get Save the Children jobs.

Opportunities to get Save the Children jobs

The international humanitarian organization Saves the Children has launched a campaign to convince people that even small donations can save the lives of many children. Save the Children is the world's largest independent international organization that performs charitable activities in developing and developed countries.

How to apply for the Save the Children jobs

The first step for getting Save the Children's careers is going to the official page of the organization with the job list. https://www.savethechildren.net/careers/apply There you can find the filters that help to find the desired job. For example, the filter location lets you select the location where you want to work. You can choose one of these countries: Cambodia, Egypt, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria. Senegal, Sudan, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and others. The next filter is the department of the job. This filter includes:

Advocacy, Campaigns, and policy
Awards management
Communication and Media
Finance
Global Assurance
Monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning
Program operations
Program, development, and quality

You also can use the filter for selecting the kind of job. For example, you can select a part-time job, full-time. One more filter help to find a job based on the type of contract. For example, fixed-term contracts, permanent jobs, and so on.

Setting up Save the Children branches is a lot easier. To do this, just send your profile to the office (form P11). If it impresses the personnel department, then representatives of the organization will contact the lucky one. In the questionnaire, you can specify a specific vacancy, but if it is closed, you will have to wait for an answer indefinitely. P11 forms are stored in the UN database for only one year.

If no response for Save the Children careers follows during this time, you can resubmit the application. Some specialists do not indicate the profession in the application. They simply advertise themselves in the profile as much as possible. In this case, the right to choose a position rests with the representatives of the organization. If you put yourself in the questionnaire correctly, the specialist will still achieve a suitable vacancy for him/ herself.

For the position of specialists and managerial posts, admission takes place only on the basis of an interview. To do this, you need to provide a number of identification documents and exclude problems with the law. The diploma certificate is not important, the life principles of the candidate are much more important.

The candidate for Save the Children's career should be responsible, proactive, communicative, persistent, possess analytical and critical thinking, leadership qualities. If a person is going to get a job in his specialty, then he will need, together with the application, to provide the human resources department with a bachelor’s diploma or a certificate of a higher scientific degree, a copy of the certificate. Specialists and foundation workers are required to know perfectly English or French.

If the candidate for Save the Children's career studies at the university, then he or she has the right to practice at Save the Children. To do this, you need the desire of the student and direction from the place of study. Concerning the internship, it takes on average from several months to one year. It all depends on the competence of the specialist and the position itself. Talented specialists are immediately hired without an internship based on interviews.

How to pass successfully the interview with HR

An interview is the first step to getting Save The Children jobs. Here are some tips to help you get through the interview successfully.

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1. Write a resume, not a job description

It is not enough to simply list all the job responsibilities from previous experience. Focus on the achievements and results of your work, indicate interesting projects and specific numbers.

When creating a resume, avoid templates, but you should not try to stand out in any way - it is important to observe the middle ground. There are many interesting formats - for example, with the help of iconography you can succinctly convey all the information about your experience and skills.

And, of course, it is necessary to monitor literacy and ensure that there is no confusion in the resume, for example, with dates. HR specialists pay attention to this, especially if the position for which the candidate is applying requires attention.

2. Take telephone interviews seriously

Having called you, the representative of the organization will pay attention to your intonation - it is important to show that you are interested in the call. Therefore, you must "get involved" in the conversation right away. Think about where you want to start the story about yourself - for example, for what reasons you are looking for a job, that you would like to clarify about the vacancy. But if you are not comfortable talking, then tell about it, ask to call back later, or note that you will call back at a time convenient for both parties.

3. Learn interesting facts about the company

Before the interview, it is important to study the organization, for example, its social sites (for example, there are the Telegram page and Instagram page) and other general information. But do not say the full history of the organization, cause it will be boring. It’s better to focus on something specific, on what interests you in the organization. For example, interesting facts or data. This will be a big plus at the interview. A good example will be this - a candidate for a position in the financial sector may touch upon the topic of the company's financial results, which are publicly available.

At the same time, it is important to prepare for an interview, but do not memorize the answers so that they sound natural. In general, the better the preparatory stage for finding a job, the more detailed the collection of information about industries and employers, the higher the chance to find and become part of exactly the company you are dreaming of.

4. Focus on self-presentation

“Tell us about yourself,” - often the interview begins with these words of the recruiter. Focus on the most important thing you want to convey. Tell why you came to this company, how it is interesting to you, and how you can be useful. Mark your key skills that are important to the position, and qualities that set you apart from other candidates. If you have worked in many companies, tell HR about your last job, as well as those that you are most proud of. Do not try to tell everything at once - such an opportunity will still be during the conversation.

5. Try to control the excitement

Both young professionals and managers are worried about the interview. But the higher the level of the position, the more important is how much a person can cope with his excitement. Indeed, for example, the head will work with the team, motivate other employees. Try to monitor your non-verbal reactions, and if you are worried, it’s entirely appropriate to say this honestly.

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6. Give concrete and detailed answers.

Often companies conduct interviews on competencies: the recruiter asks questions to assess the level of development of the candidate’s important competencies for the organization. For example, it asks to give an example of a situation from your practice where you have shown responsibility or made a difficult decision. Try to answer questions as specifically as possible, give examples — let’s say, of how you interacted with the team, took the initiative, and resolved conflict situations. If the answers are not specific, the recruiter will try to find out this information later, possibly with the help of projective questions.

Answer the questions, not in monosyllables, but in a detailed manner - this is especially important if the position requires openness and communication skills.

But if you still cannot recall an example, or you are asked a question that you do not know the answer to, have not encountered such a situation, it is better to honestly say so. It makes no sense to invent or embellish. Focus on other skills, on your desire and motivation, especially if you are just starting your career. However, if you recall something meaningful during the conversation, you can quite say about it.

7. Be sincere in telling about yourself

An interview is not an investigation, but if you feel that the candidate is speaking insincerely, the recruiter has ways to find out the truth. For example, he may ask a question in different words, return to it several times. If the stated facts or figures are not true, inaccuracies are usually disclosed.

Do not lie about the reasons for finding a new job. Most often, candidates note that the company had no development prospects, and sometimes this is true. But the reasons may be different - for example, organizational changes, the level of wages, relations with the leader or team. You should not speak badly about former leaders and colleagues. But even if there was a conflict, this can be honestly told, and at the same time correctly: for example, the candidate can explain that he did not agree with the leader on an important issue, although he respects his point of view. Again, the more specifics and the sincere answers, the higher the credibility of the candidate.