How to start a career at the United Nations (UN)?

Getting one’s foot in a Intergovernmental Organisation (IGO) such as the United Nations (U.N) or a international financial institution such as the World Bank, African development bank, is not an easy task and, as some of you may have experienced, the application and interview process is rather complex and very competitive.
There is no golden rule and certainly no guarantee that if you study a certain degree or go on a field mission that you actually get a job at the U.N.
Therefore, understanding the U.N. processes (application, recruitment and interview process) is key as well as understanding the UN organizational core values, a set of shared basic principles and beliefs that underpin the work of the organization and its agencies.

The UN differentiates between UN organizational core values, UN competencies and managerial skills.

Why is this important to know; well, depending on which role you apply you may want to highlight job relevant skills.

Managerial competencies e.g. leadership skills for example are skills that are essential for employees in more senior roles with supervisory responsibilities such as e.g. P4 roles or higher.

So what are these core values that all United Nations staff members are not only expected to follow but will be appraised on and how can you reflect them in your application documents and interviews?

--> This short course teaser video aims to set your expectations for what you can achieve with my this online course. My aim is to help you kickstart your international career and increase your chances to succeed by clearly showing you how you can boost your career after completing my course.

Having seen first-hand the great work international organisations such as the U.N., World Bank, UNHCR, UNAIDS, FAO, WHO and other agencies do AND the opportunity they presents as a career, my goal is to help as many people as possible to achieve their global career goals!

Having worked for the United Nations for over a decade, I will share my insights, lessons learned and advice during this course and in a 45min video lecture on "How to start a career at the United Nations?"

Having worked for the U.N. system for more than a decade and having seen first-hand the great work the U.N. does and the opportunity it presents as a career for those wanting to make a difference, my goal, and the reason why I decided to offer this course, is to help as many people as possible to experience what it feels like to be part of the UNITED NATIONS family!

Having worked in senior positions for the U.N. for over a decade and being familiar with the U.N. system, I will share insights, advice, and tips for you to best prepare for an international career with an intergovernmental organisation like the United Nations.

I am also the founder of The United Career Coalition (UCC), a platform that gives everyone the opportunity to get insights into the U.N. systems processes as well as to network and connect with U.N. experts via personalised video calls.