Do you want to prevent environmental degradation, help poor countries develop their economies, resolve civil conflicts, or promote social justice and capital redistribution? You can definitely find your ideal job at the United Nations. The UN is a huge employer and offers advancement opportunities and career path choices comparable to those of large private companies. Although the competition for most positions is quite intense, with enough preparation and a little luck you will have a chance to land your dream job at the UN.
Steps
Preparation
- Official UN website (http://careers.un.org)
- "UN Job Monster" website (http://www.unjobmonster.com)
- UN Job List website (http://unjoblist.org)
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Decide which category you would like to work in. Careers at the UN are divided into several categories, each of which has specific educational requirements and areas of specialization. Within each category, there are several levels of positions that differ in the amount of previous work experience required. Based on your skills, interests and experience, choose the category and level that suits you. Here are your options:
- Professional and higher categories (P and D)
- General Service and Related Categories (G, TC, S, PIA, LT)
- National Specialists (NO)
- Field Service (FS)
- Senior positions (SG, DSG, USG and ASG)
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Make sure you have the necessary education and skills. Each vacancy has certain requirements in relation to education and work experience. Before you apply for any position, make sure you meet all of the position requirements; otherwise, your candidacy will not be considered. Here is a list of some requirements that are found in many UN vacancies:
- Fluent in English or French (these are the working languages of the UN). Knowledge of additional languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, Spanish or Russian, is also preferred.
- Bachelor's or higher degree. Some general low-level positions (mostly administrative and clerical positions in the General Service category) require only a high school diploma and usually relevant work experience, but most UN positions require at least a bachelor's degree. Many specialized positions require higher academic degrees in the specialty.
- Experience in a suitable field. Depending on the position, you may be required to have 1 to 7 years of work experience.
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Pass the oral exam. The Oral Examination includes an interview with the Admissions Committee to determine whether you have the skills and characteristics required to work in your specialty at the UN. The results of this exam will tell you whether you will become a member of YPP or not.
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Obtain approval from the Central Examination Council. If you are successful in the interview, you will be approved by the Central Examinations Board for a position on the YPP work roster. When the next vacancy in your specialty opens, you will be offered this position.
- Obtaining approval from the Central Examinations Council does not guarantee a job. Although your chances of getting hired will be extremely high, the offer of a job depends on the number of open positions in your specialty.
- If you fail the final exam, you will be notified that you have not received approval from the Central Examinations Board.
Browse the UN website to learn more about the organization's different areas of work. What areas of activity interest you most? Are there any areas for which you already have suitable qualifications? Are there areas that you would like to work in, but for which you do not have the right skills or experience? Do some research on the organization and its structure before you start looking for open positions. A wealth of useful information can be found on the following websites:
- Gender is an advantage. Article 8 of the UN Charter states: “The United Nations shall impose no restrictions on the right of men and women to participate in any capacity and on equal terms in its principal and subsidiary organs.” However, there is a clause in the UN Employment Rules (ST/AI/2006/3, Section 9.3) that grants women the right to receive preferential treatment in the employment process. If you are a woman and are on the UN work register (a list of candidates who have been approved by the commission but not offered a job), your name will remain on the register at three years", which means you can expect a job offer during this time. Men remain on the register for only two years.
- Be extremely careful when submitting your application. Check spelling and grammar, integrity of information, etc. Remember that every little mistake can be a reason for your exclusion from the competition, especially since employers are usually inundated with thousands of applications.
- Submit your application as early as possible. Employers usually don't take kindly to last-minute applications. In addition, there is no doubt that a large number of applications will arrive at the last minute, which means that your candidacy will be considered less carefully if your application is one of the last. Applications sent after the vacancy has closed will not be considered.
- People who apply for jobs at the UN usually know someone in the organization. Do you know anyone? Think about how you can connect with people who could help you get a job at the UN. Despite the principles and rules, merit is not always the key to employment at the UN. Also be aware of country-by-country quotas and biases about certain countries - these factors can either work in your favor or hurt your chances.
- Feel free to find out more about the vacancy via email or phone. For example, you could ask whether lower-level UN staff are applying for the position. This way you will know what kind of competition you have. At the same time, don't be surprised if your attempts to find out more information about the position are unsuccessful.
For many, working at the UN seems like something unrealistic - akin to flying into space or fighting spies in the spirit of James Bond films. In his interview with Monday, Evald Aliyev explained what the employees of the world’s most famous humanistic organization actually do, and most importantly, whether one needs to have superpowers to become part of it.
Evald Aliev
ex-deputy head of administration of the UN regional office
— How did you get to the UN? From the Ministry?
— I worked as the head of the railway communications service in Azerbaijan. This is a rather serious position - the fifth person in the entire Ministry of Railways, and I was only 25-26 years old at that time. However, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, economic ties also began to break down; as a result of geopolitical processes, the railway found itself in a kind of blockade, the transportation of goods and passenger traffic to the European part of the country and back virtually ceased... By 1993, only one branch was already operating. At that moment, I came across an advertisement for a vacancy: the head of the administrative and economic department of the UN office in the country. I had good English (now I know six languages perfectly), and then I decided to try myself in this simple position.
— Were you worried? Was the prestige of the UN overwhelming?
- No. For me it was a downward step. A conscious step. To turn into a caretaker, albeit in an international organization... This, of course, embarrassed me, but I quickly got my bearings in the structure and within a year changed my position and the attitude of those around me. Made it a real serious position. From auxiliary activities he immediately moved on to serious “operating” work and did it in such a way that not a single project could be done without such a full-time employee. In my hands was concentrated operational support for all UN events in the country, practically the work of all levels of the country office: negotiations, transport, logistics, accreditation, diplomatic correspondence, and so on. A little later, the position grew into the global position of deputy head of administration.
— Was this possible because you are such an active and energetic person, or are such structural changes not uncommon at the UN?
- Both the first and the second, perhaps. This organization gives you the opportunity to realize yourself at any level, and your initiative is not the last factor. I have something to compare with. The UN really quickly determines whether you are effective in a particular field or not. (That is, no one doubts that you are professional; a non-professional simply will not get there!) There are internal systems of tests, reporting on the results of the work done, and a clear hierarchical system of subordination. Together they all provide a complete understanding of the capabilities of each employee. When it becomes clear that you are not as effective in a given position as you could be, you are immediately transferred to another job. You yourself have the right to offer this if you feel that you are bored, you are not 100% in demand, or you are simply not interested in what you do. Such initiative is encouraged.
— Is it possible to extrapolate this system to the business sphere?
— In business, in my experience, everything very much depends on the owners - on their desire, energy, goodwill, and often on a confluence of various circumstances. And in general, they can get fired for such an initiative: “How is it that my employee is not working at 100% and I still have to come up with another job for him?”
— That is, at the UN an employee is given maximum freedom?
— The UN is a deeply humane organization. Human rights are its essence. At the same time, in terms of the level of discipline it can be compared with paramilitary structures. Various kinds of inspections and audits are regular and inevitable, because the UN works with huge amounts of money from donor countries. The system is such that it does not leave a single chance for the project to remain unfulfilled. At least in 15 years of work I have not seen unsuccessful projects. They always achieved their declared goal.
— Tell us about your colleagues? Are they closer to the “Men in Black” or the Progressors?
— Believe me, the UN has the same employees as any commercial company. Although they usually speak several languages, they are erudite, well educated, and deeply intelligent. Not supermen. Not extreme people. Not people who save the world. But People with a capital letter. I saw representatives of all countries of the world, communicated with them and worked: everyone is distinguished by respect and love for humanity, and a readiness for self-sacrifice. These are not big words. At the UN you become a man of peace. I would also note that over the years of work, a special ethics is certainly developed. Among the employees there are public people who have diplomatic status and behave accordingly, that is, they profess the code of a diplomat. There are non-public ones, engaged in routine, operational activities, which, however, does not make them less intelligent.
— Were you a public figure or not?
— My position was a kind of mix, the grunt work was carried out by my entire department, and I often had to speak publicly, travel a lot around the regions, conduct serious negotiations with local authorities, suppliers of products and ammunition necessary for projects - I then worked in Eastern Europe and CIS. As for the topics, they were varied: electrification of virgin but densely populated areas, demining of former war zones in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, introduction of innovative technologies, environmental programs, fighting poverty through job creation, many educational programs, simply restoring housing for homeless people who survived natural disasters, the fight against AIDS, malaria, birth control programs and much more - magnificent and necessary projects! I also took part in all regional conferences on combating drug trafficking and still monitor how things are going, because this project continues to this day, even after I left.
— Why did you leave the UN?
— For personal reasons: I wanted to spend more time with my family, see how my children grow up, give my family a little more warmth. Working at the UN, you experience a lot of stress, both professional and related to your personal life. For example, when you go on long business trips to combat zones. Of course, the UN adequately compensates for all the costs of this type of service; this necessarily includes, say, a week’s leave every one or two months so that you can see your family. However, it is not easy to endure. I remember when the Americans first entered Iraq, the hotel in Baghdad where the headquarters of the UN development program was located was blown up. Thirteen people died, and Henrik Kolstrup, head of the UN development program in Baghdad, was left disabled (a few years earlier he had been my direct patron, as regional director). We spent a week traveling regionally and became very close. By some miracle I was not among those who lived at the hotel. After this, it was decided to relocate the office to Amman, the capital of Jordan. Every day, employees were transported to work across the border, accompanied by special forces and special equipment...
And how many shocks there were when we observed the results of various ethnic cleansings and terrible local country conflicts. Interethnic conflicts are still the worst of the evils in which humanity can become mired.
— After such work, does your view of politics, the world order as a whole, economic crises, and all other social processes on the planet change?
- Undoubtedly. The falsity and insincerity in relations between the authorities and the people become obvious, the mechanisms of crises become clear, as well as how greater harmony could be achieved in relations between all parties to conflicts in all spheres of human existence. The UN of that time was in the wake of innovative processes: a prototype of Wi-Fi existed in each of the countries, employees traveled with IBM laptops and could access the network right on the road. We were one of the first in the world to use global software - ERP, which cost billions, then just crazy money, it was a global system that included all the production processes of a powerful organization all over the world. Of course, the world was a little different then... And we were at the forefront of that world. Naturally, this taught me to see new horizons. Therefore, I believe that every progressive young person should spend at least a month or two in some international company or organization to broaden their horizons and gain invaluable experience in international communication.
— Is it realistic to get into now? UN ? It's not the nineties anymore...
— If you are a star in your industry, you may be invited for a one-time consultation. And if you are the owner of a specific profession, you can simply fall straight into the “inferno of the project.” But in general, the UN first of all looks for candidates for a particular position from among its own employees, from people who have been working in the same organization for a long time and are imbued with its spirit and are familiar with its specifics. Then they invite specialists from UN affiliated organizations and only then someone from outside. The easiest and most direct way to become one of your own is through the volunteer movement The United Nations Volunteers (UNV). When I talk about this, people immediately object: “But they won’t pay me for it!” You will be paid. They will not offer astronomical salaries, but they guarantee a decent level for the country where you will be sent. The volunteer movement is based on the fact that you provide your services where it is now risky to work, where not everyone will go. And this is appreciated; at the end of your contract, with a greater degree of probability, you will find yourself in a stronger position, having received a new offer to move to another organization, under the auspices of the UN and/or to a more serious position. How many people you know would agree to go to work in Africa or the Middle East? But this way you can navigate the structure of the organization and establish yourself.
— What qualities should a newcomer show?
- Absolute practicality. You need to decide for yourself whether you are ready to be practical and make this your life credo forever? Nothing superfluous, everything in essence, on time, with minimal expenditure of one’s strength and energy, with minimal costs for one’s organization.
- Can such practicality be developed or do you have to be born with it?
“I’ll say this: it’s impossible not to develop it once you’re at the UN.”
Last academic year, a pilot group was created at MSLU from the strongest 5th year students of the Faculty of Translation, who, under the leadership of the head of the English Department I.M. Shokina underwent a preparation program for passing exams at the UN in simultaneous translation. A graduate of the translation department of MSLU, Oleg Lovkov, spoke about his internship at the United Nations, the role of the Russian language as the official language of the UN, and employment prospects for graduates of our university.
- Oleg, tell us what requirements are put forward for candidates who want to get an internship at the UN?
Firstly, knowledge of at least two foreign languages that are official languages of the United Nations. I speak English and French. Secondly, openness and communication skills are important selection criteria.
- In which department did you train?
I interned at a verbatim reporting service. Transcripts are taken of all meetings, they are transferred to the English service and translated into English, and then sent to other languages. My responsibilities included translating transcripts from English into Russian.
- Were men or women predominant in your service?
The UN tries to maintain gender balance in all services, since this organization gives equal rights to both women and men.
- Did you have to acquire additional knowledge and skills that you did not receive at university?
During the internship, I learned the specifics of translating transcripts. I'm not sure that this is specifically taught somewhere. The speakers' speeches are quite complex both in terms of terminology and sentence construction. Sentences can be very long, but they cannot be broken up: the same structure must be maintained during translation. Sometimes I struggled for thirty minutes on one sentence, but there is a lot of text, and I need to have time to translate everything. In addition, the honor of the university must be defended! I felt this responsibility. The first text I translated was literally full of corrections. Then we analyzed it with the head of the Russian section, after which I, taking into account previous mistakes, translated the remaining texts much better. But the first damn thing is lumpy, I think it’s like that for everyone. It must be taken into account that when translating excerpts from the UN Charter or Resolution, you cannot change a single word: everything is very strict. The rest of the knowledge and skills acquired at our university were quite enough for me.
- Describe the everyday life of an intern.
The working day lasts eight hours with a lunch break. The schedule is flexible: you can come at nine o’clock or at eleven, the main thing is to fulfill the quota. At first, I was advised to pay attention to quality, not quantity. In addition, trainees do not have a strict standard, but it is advisable to do as much as possible, work quickly and efficiently, since this is a real chance to prove themselves. The norm for employees is five texts in two days. By the end of the internship, I reached this standard.
All interns have a supervisor who notifies us via email about activities and events. In the first few weeks we were shown how different services work. We went to meetings of the General Assembly of the Security Council, visited the simultaneous translation service, the UN library, and watched how it works. The library has its own terminology database, which has been compiled for several years. Now everything is digitized and entered into the UN database. And in the evenings there were jazz evenings: regular employees put together a musical group and invited interns to perform too.
Of course, there were weekends and free time after work. I visited America for the first time, and it was a culture shock for me. There is certainly a lot to see in New York. The city is very unusual, life in it is in full swing all day long. I think this is my vibe.
One of the main goals of the United Nations is to develop friendly relations between countries and peoples...
The UN has a very friendly team. No matter who I meet, everyone is ready to help and answer questions. In fact, this is a clear example of intercultural communication, which is taught at MSLU. I saw different nations at the UN. There were also indigenous peoples who wore loincloths. Employees are, of course, advised to adhere to the dress code. But a strict dress code is adhered to in the UN Secretariat building and in the General Assembly. And where the translation service is located, there are no strict rules.
A translator is a specialist not only in the field of linguistics, but also an expert in different cultures, a person who is well versed in the political and economic spheres. In a word, he is an erudite person...
Yes, definitely. The specifics of working at the UN imply knowledge of the geopolitical situation in the world and professional guidance in all important topics. If you need to clarify the characteristics of a country, for example, Cuba, then you should go to the Spanish section and get an answer to your question from the Cubans working there. You can contact any UN employee for help. I never felt that I was inferior in rank: I was treated as an equal member of the team.
- How would you characterize the profession of a translator? Who is the translator?
A translator is a person who is able to skillfully connect two cultures so that the fact of translation is invisible.
If we talk about the Russian language, which is the official language of the UN, what does this status of a native language mean for our country and for you personally?
The Russian language is in great demand and is on an equal footing with other official languages of the UN. There is a lot of work in Russian because meetings are held mainly in English, French and Spanish, and everything must be translated. But that’s a good thing, because sitting idle is boring.
- Have you ever felt a specific attitude towards Russia or towards Russians?
No, people do not judge Russia because of what they say in the news. Everyone has already understood that you need to get to know a person personally and have your own opinion about everything. There was no prejudice.
Yes, being where all world events are unfolding, attending meetings and translating serious texts of the Security Council, of course, you feel involved. Working at the UN and seeing firsthand what I previously only saw on TV is very cool.
- This is a big step for a future career. What range of opportunities opens up after an internship at the UN?
I would like to try my hand at simultaneous translation. Perhaps I will teach at our university. But now I have been offered another internship at UN television. They have excellent large studios, but there are no Russian specialists at all yet. I have already filled out and submitted the form. If everything goes well, I will go on an internship at the UN again this year.
- What would you wish to our students and graduates? How to achieve the same results that you achieved?
At the UN, first of all, good knowledge of the native language is valued. You must be fluent in your language, be able to speak beautifully, read books, and, of course, learn foreign languages. Everything that our university gives you must be absorbed, because in the end everything will come in handy at the most unexpected moment. During the two months of my internship, I took advantage of a lot of the knowledge that MSLU gave me.
Interview prepared by Natalya Bukina
For many, the UN is a Kafkaesque castle. Alluring, mysterious and inaccessible. Everyone wants to get there, and someone seems to get there, but no one knows exactly how to do it. Everyone has heard about the very labor-intensive application process, going through some interviews and exams, and waiting for a long time for an answer - several months or even years.
This is all partly true. Although there are situations when an applicant gets a job quite quickly and without superhuman efforts. If we get lucky. Whether you will be accepted or not depends on many factors. Both your work experience and, for example, the status of your state can play a role here. For example, if your country is “underrepresented” at the UN, your chance of getting a job there increases dramatically.
About the risks associated with working at the UN
The mission of the UN is to unite peoples, help those suffering and fight for world peace.
Of course, when getting ready for work every morning, UN employees do not mutter to themselves: “Here, I’m going to save the world again.” But in general, this feeling depends on specific responsibilities. I think if a person with a humanitarian convoy goes to the besieged Syrian city of Homs and distributes food and clothing to those in need, he feels that he is doing something very important. Or, for example, an OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) employee involved in the removal of chemical weapons from Syria probably feels that he is making the world a better place. Not to mention those who sit at Security Council meetings and decide “the fate of the world.”
Willingness to work in remote and not the most comfortable places at the UN is always welcome. As it turns out, there are not so few exotic lovers and altruists who want to help starving children in Africa. But not everyone clearly understands the realities of everyday life and work in, say, the Central African Republic, South Sudan or other hot spots.
UN staff intimidated, fired upon, kidnapped, killed
Working in UN missions in troubled countries and war zones can be extremely dangerous. UN employees are intimidated, shot at, kidnapped, killed. However, everyone knows about this from news reports.
By the way, if an employee dies while on duty, his family and friends are paid generous monetary compensation.
About UN Headquarters in New York
I personally work at the UN headquarters in New York, in the General Secretariat. Everyone, of course, remembers the emerald skyscraper with the flags of all the member countries of the organization lined up along it. It is beautiful, comfortable and absolutely safe here.
All employees of the secretariat are proud of their work, although they try not to show it and in conversations over lunch in the canteen they like to discuss the bureaucracy prevailing in the UN and the inefficiency of the organization. In fact, everyone here feels like they are part of some kind of elite club. The bus that goes along 42nd Street in Manhattan (its last stop is called the “United Nations”), every morning becomes a platform for a vanity flash mob. At the entrance to the UN, many passengers begin to take UN passes out of their bags and pockets and at the same time secretly look around: who else is taking out the same blue ID? And the one who gets it last does it with special relish: yes, yes, don’t think, I’m “yours” too.
On the other hand, this is done primarily for convenience, so as not to dig through your bag later at the entrance to the territory of a huge complex under gusts of strong wind from the East River (the UN building is located right next to the river).
How they joke some leave the UN just feet first
About salary, schedule and working conditions
One of the reasons why many people strive to work at the UN is, of course, high salaries (8-10 thousand dollars per month on average) and social guarantees. Good health insurance, pension benefits, 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 you work, subsidies for rent (if you have to move to another region for work). And that's not all that the world's most powerful non-profit organization will offer you.
If you are accepted into the UN for a permanent job, then this is, in fact, a guarantee of employment for life. As some joke, people only leave the UN feet first.
About UN Radio
I work for UN Radio (the radio service is part of the Department of Public Information of the UN Secretariat). Many people, when they hear this phrase, are surprised: does the UN have a radio? In fact, it has been around since 1946. By the way, the founding day of UN Radio is considered World Radio Day - February 13th. We talk mainly about the activities of various UN structures and bodies (there are countless of them: the Security Council, the General Assembly, UNESCO, UNICEF, the World Bank, the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, UN peacekeeping missions in countries affected by conflicts). Reports, interviews, and daily news programs from UN Radio can be found (including in text form) on the official website. As a rule, all these materials are regularly used by our partners. In the case of a Russian-language service, this is, for example, “Echo of Moscow” in some CIS countries. UN Radio broadcasts in eight languages - English, French, Russian, Swahili, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Arabic. All employees are located on the same floor, and real internationalism and friendship of peoples reign here.
Once, walking along the corridor, I saw through the door in one of the offices of the Arabic Service of UN Radio a woman in very beautiful clothes - dark blue, embroidered with silver threads. She prayed to Allah. I walked by delicately, although I was very attracted to her bright attire. The next time, passing by the same office, I expected to see her again. But a completely different lady was sitting there - in boring office trousers and a sweater, with her hair down. I involuntarily caught myself thinking: where did that Muslim woman in beautiful religious clothes go? Of course, it was the same woman, she just changed her clothes specially for prayer.
The building is literally swarming politicians, celebrities
And Nobel Prize laureates
from all over the world
In general, there are not so many people in national costumes walking along the corridors of the UN headquarters. Of course, you can occasionally see Sikhs wearing turbans or women wearing hijabs. But most of the employees dress in a fairly standard office style.
The situation changes when some conference, say, dedicated to African women, is held at headquarters. Then permanent employees are guaranteed a multi-day exotic show. Everything is filled with the rustling of lush multi-colored dresses and headdresses a meter high. Sometimes it can even be difficult to walk down the corridor. And when they leave at the end of the conference, it becomes empty and gray.
The biggest beauty of working for UN Radio is this: firstly, the authority of the organization allows you to get almost any interview, and secondly, you don’t have to look far. The building is literally teeming with politicians, celebrities and Nobel laureates from all over the world.
About the Northern Salon of Delegates
Of all the endless halls and rooms of the UN headquarters, the most attractive is the Northern Delegates Lounge, or, as it is also called, the Delegates Lounge. Here you can have an excellent lunch or dinner while admiring the view of the East River - albeit through the “Knots and Beads” curtain, consisting of 30 thousand porcelain balls. This is the decision of the Dutch designer Hella Jongerius, who took part in the large-scale restoration of the bar.
The result, by the way, irritated many. They allegedly turned a luxurious and mysterious diplomats’ nightclub, shrouded in twilight in the style of James Bond films, into an environmentally friendly school canteen.
The delegates' lounge is almost always full. The most interesting things happen here, and happened, of course, in the evenings. Many in the UN generally believe that all major decisions are made here, and not at all at meetings of the General Assembly or the Security Council. Tipsy (and sometimes downright drunk) and relaxed diplomats allegedly quickly find a common language and in a matter of minutes agree on issues that had previously been fruitlessly discussed for hours in a bureaucratic setting.
UN old-timers say that the atmosphere in the Delegates' Lounge was once even more relaxed. During the Cold War, diplomats were allegedly even visited by girls of easy virtue.
I don’t know how much you can believe everything they say about the Northern Salon, but mission employees clearly perceive it as their personal territory, where they can throw away etiquette, forget about protocol and loosen the knot on their tie. One day, my colleague and I showed up there with a camera and tried to photograph the legendary Lounge. A couple of minutes later, a representative of the Chilean mission was running towards us across the entire hall, waving his arms. He demanded that we not “point the camera at him,” even though we weren’t filming him at all. The man, very emotionally and in a raised voice, stated that it was impossible to film here and threatened to call security.
Illustrations: Masha Shishova
The world is looking to the United Nations to solve complex problems. The issues the UN deals with are as diverse as the career opportunities on offer. The UN's activities cover all the challenges that humanity faces: peace and security, human rights, humanitarian action, socio-economic development and much more. Working for the United Nations gives you a sense of satisfaction because you don't just work for the UN - you work for the benefit of all humanity, you want to make the world a better place.
How to apply for a job
All announcements of vacancies in the UN Secretariat are published on the website. Persons with disabilities may apply for employment with the United Nations for positions under all types of contracts, in full compliance with the UN Charter. The organization offers various methods of employment. For professional positions, you must apply through the website Careers Portal or pass the relevant exams. For General Service and related positions, including secretarial, clerical, security and other support positions, please contact your local UN office directly.
Competitive exams
Junior Expert Program
Employment Opportunities in the UN System
If you are interested in working for other United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, please visit their websites for information. Links to most websites are available on the International Civil Service Commission page.
Memo to candidates
Job advertisements and job offers sometimes state that employers are affiliated with the United Nations. Please note that the United Nations does not require payment at any stage of the application process. Read more about.
Volunteers
You can contribute to improving people's lives by becoming a volunteer. The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program is based in Bonn, Germany, and operates in 100 countries around the world. Work can be carried out both locally and online.
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