DEVEX CAREER ROAD MAP

Jobs at the U.N. are some of the most sought-after in international development. Its prestige is an obvious draw, and many of the perks are comparable to those in the private sector. But there’s much to consider when working for such an entity — meaning some new candidates may pursue careers there unprepared.

Given its size and well-established bureaucracy, things tend to move slower “in terms of getting a project through [and] getting it to completion,” said one former U.N. consultant. It’s also important to read the fine print of your employment contract, as there can also be big disparities between the salaries of international staff and national staff.

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If you decide you'd like to move forward, one of the first challenges of landing a job with the U.N. can be understanding the organization’s job categories and levels. These are indicated by a combination of letters and numbers, which reflect the responsibilities and requirements of the position.

Jobs are organized into five categories: professional and higher categories, general service and related categories, national professional officers, field officers, and senior appointments.

There are also eight job networks within the U.N., which are flexible groupings of job families with common, related, and interrelated fields of work and functions.

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• Understanding UN job categories
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Many staffers who end up working for the U.N. started out by doing consulting in some capacity. U.N. agencies are often interested in people who have experience working within the U.N. system and who understand how to navigate the bureaucracy there.

For aspiring professionals, there are several opportunities to break into the U.N. system, including its Junior Professional Officer program.

Candidates of all levels can also take certain actions to strengthen their application. Victoria Fernandes, head of change management with the United Nations Development Programme, recommends looking for certifications to gain, brushing up on a second language, or getting volunteer and overseas experience, to stand out to a U.N. recruiter.

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• What you can do now to prepare for a career with the UN
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Insiders recommend trying to connect with people working in the U.N. agency you are most interested in, to get a sense of gaps in your competencies, the language you are using, or the techniques and approaches you are putting forward.

Reputation management is one important aspect of networking for a U.N. position. According to International Organization for Migration human resources chief Michael Emery, knowing people’s perceptions is very important “because it’s going to impact on reference checks.”

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• Network your way into the UN
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Many applications are screened out at the first stage because of simple mistakes. “With these little things … we lose 60-70% of our applicants in the first step. It’s crazy,” said Maria Jansen, a human resource officer at the U.N. Secretariat. 

There are many other things to consider. If you survive the initial screening of applicants, there may come a time when writing samples or project reports can help to support your bid for a position. But in the first stages of the process, there’s no need to try to squeeze extra information about yourself into the resume template that the U.N. provides online.

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• Your guide to the UN job application process
• Five insider tips for acing a UN online job application