Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
Added: Friday, 03 July 2015
Deadline: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
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 ?
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.
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).
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Each person works for earning as much money, as he/she can. Cause our needs are not unlimited and for covering them, we need to work hard. In this case, the person can use the UNDP salary calculator and understand how much will be a monthly and annual salary of a worker in a certain position.
The UNDP is the United Nations global development network. The main function of the UNDP is to help the whole world providing experience, knowledge, and different programs. So, the international organization tries to increase the human living level as higher as it can be. Cause, if peopleโs living level is high, they start to work for development. They create something new, try to help each other, all this is interconnected. The standard of living of the population is associated with a large number of points. For example, the UN also recommends a list of conditions that affect the standard of living of the population:
Today, the UNDP works in three thematic areas:
The UNDP is the aggregate work of the member countries of the organization. All decisions are taken by consensus. And if among the permanent member countries at least one is against and vetoes, the decision is blocked. Thus, the whole world receives really necessary and important programs that will help solve certain problems.
Working in the UNDP department is a dream of a lot of people. Cause, in this case, a person will be able to not only increase his or her own welfare but also to help the whole world become better. There are more reasons that make people want to apply for working in UNDP. In addition to an interesting environment and work and strong colleagues (very professional and open), there are a lot of positive things in work at the UNDP. One of the most significant reason is the salary level. Of course, the UNDP department will not hire everyone. Only the best specialist that fit the criteria will be hired.
In addition to the high salary, another advantage of the work is - benefits for officials. High-ranking professionals are provided with a whole package of benefits, which includes:
Another advantage of work-life balance. There is a requirement for the number of hours that must be worked out per day and per week. Nobody will be engaged in micromanagement, so there is an opportunity to regulate your working day as necessary.
One more advantage is a good working environment. Typically, offices create good working conditions for service - cafeterias, a library, a gym, and a garden. Such a criterion helps people relax in the field of important negotiations, and tune in to a new project. Yes, and in other matters, when mental work is interrupted for a short rest, the productivity of the work is always higher.
If you always wanted to help the whole world to become better, to help solve human problems at the global level, then you can definitely find the ideal job for you in the United Nations Development Program. The UNDP is a huge employer and offers career opportunities and career path choices comparable to those in large private companies. However, not everyone will be able to get a job at the UNDP. Itโs no secret that the selection criteria are quite strict, so not everyone passes them. For years, specialists have come a long way to fully meet the requirements of the department. So, what are the selection criteria for the UNPD job?
Historically, the UN has two working languages - English and French, and six official languages (English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish). It is impossible to get a job in the structure of UN organizations without knowledge of English. Know more foreign languages - this will add you points when passing through the stages of employment, but English - must-have. The dominant working language, whether in Geneva, New York, Vienna, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Paris, Bangkok, remains English. Without it, you donโt even need to start talking about finding a job at the UN. This fact is the subject of debate and demarche on the part of francophone countries, they insist that the French play the largest possible role in the life of the UN, but the realities show a different picture.
Theoretically, if you have only French, you may not be excluded from the recruitment procedure, but there are other reasons not to hire you. The most important thing is that without English it is almost impossible to integrate into the UN secretariat system.
Since the UN deals with important aspects of the whole world, the organization cannot take a person to a high position without experience in a certain field. In such cases, if a person has clearly defined for himself that he/she wants to work in the UNDP department and has decided on the field of work, he/she must get experience. With small steps, a person will be able to achieve his goal. All efforts made to get a job will justify it in the future.
Working as a team, a person is obliged to possess developed soft skills. Indeed, without communication, not a single thing will work out. Therefore, a person who wants to work at the UNDP should be able to quickly find a common language and be as open as possible to the conversation.
This item is required wherever there is career growth. Without higher education, a person will not be able to get the desired high position, because this requires special specialized knowledge.
Itโs just half of the main requirements but they are very important. Nevertheless, just have such points for applying for a job is not enough. If you are really determined to get a job at the UN, you should read some recommendations that will help you achieve your goal. There are many such recommendations, the main thing is to stand out for yourself the main thing, and clearly follow your goal. For example, you are able to read an article with which you can get good tips and advice on how to successfully get a job at the UN (just go to website) But since the whole world is now sitting in social networks, you are able to access to the Telegram channel, which has a lot of practical tips and news.
A career at the UNDP begins with the position of the trainee, who in most cases does not receive a salary at all. So, it can last from 6 months to a year. During this time, the specialist gains good experience working in an international organization, and if he or she performs well, then this type of internship can guarantee that he will be hired.
Well, as it was mentioned, one of the reasons why many aspire to work at the UN is, of course, high salaries (8-10 thousand dollars a month on average) and social guarantees. Good health insurance, pension accruals, a flexible tax system (the UN pays most of the taxes for its employees), allowances (that compensate for the cost of living in the city where the person work), subsidies for renting a house (if a person has to move to another region). And this is far from all that the most powerful non-profit organization in the world will offer to its workers. But, for reaching this all, the worker should every day increase the level of own knowledge and skills. There is one important rule that must be remembered. If you do the same tomorrow as you do today, you will have what you have today. If you want other results, do something else. And for this - learn. Similar tips are also in the uncareer.net portal book about how to get a good position in the UN and grow, you can download it right now and get one step closer to your goal. As for the salary, when a person receives a position, he already dreams about how in 3 years he will receive many times more. Such thoughts may exist, but it is better to focus on the UNDP salary calculator.
When a person works for a long time in an international company, he already has some idea of what the salary will be. But, when a person just starts work, he/she does not know yet. In order for everyone to navigate the future salary, the UNDP website created the UNDP salary calculator (to get to the site, follow the link Skip Navigation Links SalCalcInt).
The first thing you see on the site will be a small introduction, and then the calculator itself. At first glance, the siteโs interface is quite simple. All presented icons have an explanation, which means that even a novice user will be able to understand it. Despite the number of working days in a month, the calculation of the salary according to the salary has a formula in which a person who has worked a whole month receives a fixed amount of salary. The salary system can be combined with bonus, piece-rate pay, in which the employer, in addition to the salary, pays bonuses for the performance of any indicators for the whole company, structural unit, branch, etc. You need to select the items that correspond exactly to your data, for example, you need to indicate how many years you have been working in the UN, how many years you have been in a particular position, in which country you are working in, what your rank is. These items will help you calculate your salary. But, in addition to salary, with the help of the UNDP salary calculator, you can find out what allowances will be given to you. For example, you need to fill out a column about health insurance and others, and then the UNDP salary calculator will calculate the size of allowances for you.
One of the advantages of the UNDP salary calculator is that the calculator considers your first gross salary, and then after deducting the Staff Assessment (the internal tax that the organization each time takes from gross salary), the person sees net salary.
Despite the fact that the calculator is quite simple, here are some points that are worth explaining.
The rest of the items are ordinary helpful. But, the main thing to remember, if you want to know exactly how much you can get to calculate your future costs, then you need to completely fill out the calculator without missing any detail. Any changes in the work of the UN, and other news, can always be found on the Instagram page (you can click on the link).
Letโs fulfill the appointment details step-by-step just for example using random variations, for a better understanding of how the salary calculator works.
* There are several main categories of staff at the UN - these are P-staff (professional-staff), G-staff (general-staff), national officers (national professional officer), field-staff.
P-staff are the so-called international employees who enjoy all the immunities and privileges that work at the UN gives. There are several levels of positions:
(The highest salaries are received by the heads of the commissions and the chairmen of the committees. Their salary reaches $ 200 thousand net).
Well, fixing this data the UNDP salary calculator fix for the worker:
Total โ 7,841.71 USD.
Calculation: Net Salary * post adjustment (%) multiplier = post adjustment amount.
Allowances
Total โ 873.87 USD.
Staff contribution to Pension Fund โ (1,078.21) USD.
In this case, the workerโs monthly salary will be 7,637.36 USD. And the annual salary will be 91,648.37 USD.
Such a calculator can be useful both for beginners and experienced workers.
So, you calculated approximately your future salary and thought about how you can increase it. If you are planning to work in the UNDP department for a long time than it's important to understand that this organization each day demands from workers constant development. What does it mean?
Well, if a person wants more, he/she should work more for it. He/she should develop own skills. For this, the UN always hosts a huge number of different conferences and meetings that you can go to and listen to, various pieces of training on personal development are also organized here (for example, how to solve conflicts, how to quickly find a common language, how to understand what the interlocutor thinks about And so on). The UN has language courses that are absolutely free. However, with the help of these courses, it is possible to learn and improve knowledge only in the official languages of the UN (and there are only 6 of them). You need to learn to look at yourself through the eyes of the employer. No one will increase your salary just out of pity. It's simple: you benefit the company; the company rewards you for it. Think about what you have changed in your work lately, how it affected the quality and effectiveness of your work (you learned how to use the new task management system, mastered and applied especially tricky time management techniques, etc.). Any entrepreneur is more willing to pay for the result than just a salary.
Itโs no secret, that the more your work experience is, the more salary you will get. Everything connected with the experience. Cause when a person has some years of experience, he or she is able to solve more issues in the work. In this case, the person growing up the career ladder, and he or she has more responsibility. All this affects the fact that a person's salary is growing. But, remember, to get a leadership position, you need to have a higher education with a master's degree in business, procurement or commerce. Permanent employees sign a new contract every year.