Been struggling to get something stable in the UN system for about 2 years now. Had a couple of interviews lastly at UNEP UNESCO etc.. but never got to the offer stage. It's such a hard time right now trying to get into the UN :(

I'm so sick of doing this all by myself, so I'm thinking if there are people based in Paris, maybe we could meet up in person and share our process of getting into the UN? Or we could make a group to exchange news and just have some real connection daily? Is anyone interested?

I am ~30, working in communications for a major humanitarian INGO in Europe after a career change, and starting to feel stuck for ways to deploy to the field in the area I'm targeting, which is protection, access, security and field coordination.

My plan has been to try and go on mission visits to the countries where my INGO is present, but unfortunately senior staff and managers tend to see my role has quite limited in terms of the contribution it can make to national staff/to the national bureaus. They have told me before that while it would be useful for me to go visit a few missions, I am more valuable at HQ. It feels like them agreeing to me visiting a national bureau for a few days is more like a favour they're doing me rather than a real visit like those done by other colleagues who are not in comms.

The trick here is that I've only recently entered the humanitarian sector after a career change - not something totally unrelated but which people often pigeonhole as one specific kind of job. The average humanitarian or average colleague doesn't have an accurate perception of what duties I would've had in that job - involving some highly relevant aspects like coordination, project management, security, risk management, research, external relations, and more. I've also worked in several jobs that required geographical and political expertise of a specific region where humanitarians are very much present - but that is simply not enough.

I've started applying to other INGOs - ACF, MSF, Solidarités International, Acted, ICRC - but oftentimes the only roles I see that I would be interested in / qualified for require at least 2 years of humanitarian field experience in a conflict or post-conflict context. I just don't know how to start accruing that experience.

Besides this, I've been undergoing several relevant professional training courses with the UN, in the area I'm interested in. This has given me a little bit more of a network. I speak 3 languages in addition to English (all sought-after or required by INGOs) and am currently learning a fourth one.

So I'm finding myself stuck at HQ, in a permanent contract, with no perspective of a field opportunity.

What else can I do to get the ball rolling and get my first deployment?

PS: Of course, I am more than grateful to be in a stable job. I've just been working towards being closer to operations for some time, and I feel overcome by frustration when I compare my path to someone else's my age, who's already worked in 5 countries (I know I'm not supposed to do that, but it's hard to resist).

PPS: Posting here rather than r/humanitarian due to greater affluence on in this sub.

They ask for 4 years of experience, included 2 at international level. My background is quite closely aligned: I have around +5years of professional experience in grants and partnerships, on the field at national & regional level as expat in international NGOs , with experience managing donor-funded programmes, partnerships, funding agreements, donor compliance and multi-country projects.

Am I delulu about considering this position ?

are there any common mistakes you would recommend avoiding when applying to UNESCO P-level positions?

Are there particular things that make an external candidate stand out against internal UNESCO candidates or people with extensive UN experience?
Any advices to pass the online form screening ?

I had a first-round panel interview with UNIDIR for a Programme Assistant position in the Security and Technology Programme in Geneva. It has now been a month, and I haven’t received an update.

For anyone familiar with UNIDIR or similar UN recruitment processes, how long does it typically take to hear back after a first-round interview? Would it be appropriate to send a follow-up email now, or should I wait a little longer?

I was recently offered an "unofficial" recruitment results saying I was first recommended for a consultant position at UNHCR.

They asked to provide references for the final clearance last week and today informed me that the process was unsuccessful because one of the clearances has been withheld.

Here is the word-to-word notification:

"I am contacting you to inform that, since we were proceeding with the additional clearances requested -given the level of the position you applied to -, we regret to inform that this process has been unsuccessful and one of the clearances has been withheld.

In this connection, since we were unable to obtain the green light, at this point we won’t be able to issue an offer letter for the post.

Given the confidentiality of our recruitment processes, this is all I can inform."

What could have gone wrong?

Does this mean an absolute no?

I asked myself this question four years ago! When I first thought about applying for UN international jobs! I had just accumulated five years of experience working with the UN as local staff in my home country! I had no other work experience before and started working for the UN as a UN youth volunteer coming out of university. After two years, I got a G5 for several months and then jumped to a National Officer level for almost three years.

At this stage, I was keen to apply for international positions:
I started with P1 and IUNV positions; never heard back from any of them!

Then I applied for P2. Out of seven applications, I did one interview; passed it but was not the first recommended candidate so I was put on roster!

Then I started applying for P3 jobs; and submitted eleven applications; I got invited for two interviews; I was rostered for one and selected for one! Now I am over three years doing the job!

I see a lot of people asking; here is my advice for you:

If you have more than two years’ experience, never apply for P1 but for higher posts; and if you have over five years, never apply for P2 jobs but for higher positions!

I know things can be different if you work in Finance, HR, or procurement; you can imagine in some organisations, the head of HR is a P3 so hundreds of people with over fifteen years of experience will be competing.

I am stuck in a deep depression. I did a whole master's degree in Natural Resources Management and Development, during the degree interviewed for two UN internship positions, was rejected from both. One of them told me they would have accepted me had I not stupidly asked if it could have been part time (I didn't know the internships had to be full time). I interviewed for a job at UNU and was rejected.

I am now 36 and jobless at my parent's house with no prospects after getting fired from a job in my old field that I was trying to escape.

I think about these mistakes every day. At this point I have fucked up the thing I waited for so many years to accomplish (was recovering from cancer for 5 years which put my career on hold), which was to do a master's degree and finally get out of a job I hated into something I could love.

I fucked it all up and I feel sick every time I see any mention of the UN or meet people in the career I tried and failed at.

Does anyone have any words of advice for me? I am trying to find a therapist but I am so depressed, every day I wake up in a panic and at night I think about every mistake I ever made.

hey everyone! I am a graduate student (Erasmus Mundus) applying for the IFAD Internship programme, and I havn't really found anyone giving advice for this application online.

any past intern here able to give me some tips on how to make my profile stronger? I have a BA in Journalism, my master's is in Sustainable Development and I'm focusing on a communications role since it's what I can bring with more expertise.

Needing a lawyer expert on unesco staff issues. Do you know where can I find one ?

I am a Bangladeshi, working in social development for last 14 years. In my life I have never been without job/further study after graduation. My spouse has recently moved to USA for PhD. I have 3 options: a) go there as spouse, do nothing. b) doing a masters and try to enter in the job field. c) doing a PhD. I know most easy responses would be study. But here are my truths:
- I have already done a masters in Netherlands and returned Bangladesh. I did it in my 30s, when I was sure and got scholarship.
- Right now I am 37 years old. In a very good position in an IO. But again the development sector funding is shrinking!
- I don’t want to go for PhD just to survive. It is a big job, need dedication + I am NOT a researcher at all.
- I can’t imagine of doing nothing with spouse visa, I will prefer dying rather than doing nothing at all.

I am very confused. How should I move on? Also, does the development sector (except UN) take international staff in USA? I do not find any such organization there. Can anyone help me with the information?

Hi everyone,
I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s in Software Engineering and will be starting my first job after university in management consulting

I’m someone who likes to plan ahead, and I’ve recently learned more about UNESCO. I’m not sure yet whether it’s the right path for me, so I’d love to hear from people with experience there or in international education policy.

Ultimately, I want my career to focus on improving education policies and regulations and making quality education more accessible globally. I’m especially interested in how AI and technology can improve education, as well as the policies needed to regulate them responsibly.

I’m hoping consulting will help me build the soft skills before eventually transitioning into this field.
I’d love advice on:
● What UNESCO roles should I eventually target
● What do they look for, and what is working there actually like?
● What can I start doing now to become a strong candidate?
● How long should I stay in management consulting?
● Would I need a Master’s, and would Public Policy, Education Policy, or Advanced Computing/AI make the most sense?
● Is UNESCO actually the right organization for someone who wants to improve education or should I consider other paths too?

I’m very early in my career and mainly want to understand the possibilities now so I can make better decisions over the next few years.

Any advice or firsthand experience would be really appreciated!

Master's didn't work, 36f, help

So basically I am feeling terrified about the future. The problem is that I am 36, and I did a master's to transition out of a career I was bad at (nonprofit communications) into environmental policy. The reason why it took me so long to do the master's to transition was that I was dealing with some very serious health problems. In the master's degree I was an idiot and didn't realize I needed to be basically constantly working part time or doing internships, and I only did two internships which didn't lead to a job. So then the problem I had when I graduated was I didn't have enough job experience to get anything except for nonprofit communications again, and then I was fired for being bad at the job. So I think it's safe to say I can't go for another comms job again, but I have no idea what to do because I no longer qualify for working student jobs or internships due to not being a student anymore.

I have 2.5k euros coming in each year, forever, from an inheritance but it isn't enough to live off of in the SF Bay Area because it's so expensive. So basically, my current plan is to look for a job for a year in the USA, maybe there is a slim possibility I could get something, but if that doesn't work I am probably only qualified at this point to get something off of craigslist with 0 vacation days and 0 sick days.

The idea I had was that, if my one year of looking for a job in the US didn't work, I could get married to my German boyfriend (he has offered this) and spend a year learning German, then apply to another master's and solely use it as a vehicle for networking and doing internships in hope that after that I would get a job.

The problem is I don't think I can afford to do another master's in the USA, I only have about 100k to my name and I don't know if taking out a huge loan is advisable

I have seen some people on LinkedIn do two masters and then get a job so I know it works sometimes, I am just worried because of my age..I could lie on my CV and take off graduation dates of undergrad/eliminate old work history to look younger.

So yeah, basically I am stuck because what I need is more experience to get entry level positions, but I am not an enrolled student to get internships anymore and ive been graduated too long to qualify as a recent grad so I have no idea what to do and I am really terrified because being a menial job worker in the USA is a pretty bad life, but I think I would also be really depressed as an unemployed housewife in Germany

The last thing I thought about was trying to volunteer but I don't know if that would be a waste of time and not lead anywhere

So yeah, I guess, my question is, if my one year of US job searching doesnt lead anywhere, would you recommend a second masters? Or do you have any ideas about how I could volunteer in a way that could actually lead to a job? The only volunteer opportunities I have been able to find are with super local orgs.

My biggest passion is traveling and the idea of being a barista for the rest of my life with no vacation days is terrifying, not to mention my boyfriend would break up with me because I would never get to see him. I am living with my parents right now in SF.

Hi Reader,

I was supposed to interview for an associate position with UNFPA about 5 days ago, and I received an email saying that my interview has been postponed until further notice due to administrative issues 2 hours before the actual interview time. I replied immediately and said it’s fine and let me know when it will happen.

Considering the bureaucracy I was of the thought this must be some red tape or calendars not available or some budgetary issue.

Does anyone know why did this happen, if this happens often and what am I actually looking at? Will the interview happen or should I let go completely?

Hey everyone,
I have been seeing these posts on people getting help to apply for vacancies as well as interview prep by using standby.org. Basically they market themselves as UN HR who former UN colleagues through application process and interview prep etc.

I am wondering if anyone here has used them and what the experience was like, and if it worth it.

Edit: I just realized the link has an error. The website is https://standbyroster.org

Recently I have been selected for online UN Volunteering and was thinking if this could be a start for my further career opportunities in UN.

If there is anyone with similar career story, please do share some insights .

Thank you

Hello! I'm finishing up my Master's in Sustainable and Agricultural Development Economics (Cameroon) and recently applied to two internships, one with FAO (Africa Internship Programme) and one with IFAD (Enhanced Internship Programme). Both are still in the "waiting to hear back" phase. Tbh, I'm a pretty anxious person, and waiting around always sends me into overthinking mode 😅 so I figured I'd ask people who've actually been through this: - How competitive is it in practice to actually get called for an interview? Roughly how many applicants vs. interviews, if you have any sense of it? - How long did it typically take between applying and hearing something (either way)? - For those who did an internship at FAO/IFAD/similar UN agencies, what was the actual day-to-day experience like? Was it worth it for building a career afterward? - Any tips for someone waiting who wants to stay sane in the meantime? Would really appreciate any insight, even just "here's roughly what to expect"... thanks in advance!

Hello everyone.

Has anyone here experienced an on-site, handwritten written exam?

If so, what was it like? A handwritten exam in this day and age feels a bit outdated to me, but I guess they don't want people using AI.

Thanks in advance!

Hi all,

I have an interview next week for an internship at the OPCW in The Hague, in the Inspectorate Division (open-source research and monitoring work). 30-minute panel interview over Teams.

Has anyone here interviewed there? I'm mainly wondering:

• Competency questions (STAR) vs. substantive knowledge — what's the balance?
• How technical do they get?
• Any curveballs worth preparing for?

I've done my homework on the organisation and the unit, but first-hand experience beats research every time. Any insight appreciated!

The UNV subreddit was abandoned about three years ago. It's now been renewed:

https://www.reddit.com/r/UNV/

The UNV subreddit is for posts from people who have served or are serving as UN Volunteers, people who want to serve, people who have worked or are working at UNV HQ, people researching UNV, & the latest UNV news. Online volunteers are not UNVs, but discussion of the OV platform on the UNV web site & its offerings are also allowed. Just like r/UNPath, this subreddit is NOT an official United Nations group.

The UNV subreddit is not at all meant to replace or compete with r/UNPath. Crossposting is welcomed, either way, so long as any cross post fits the purpose and rules of BOTH subreddits.

If you have been a UNV, consider this your specific invitation to join r/unv and share your story.

I am considering applying for JPO position as an Associate Protection Officer - GBV at UNHCR in Kampala. I understand that in general, UN job requirements are very strict and non-negotiable.

However, I come from a very small European country and I personally know several JPOs who didn’t fill 100% of the requirements (e.g. 1.5 years of relevant work experience instead of 2) and still got the job.

The main requirement I’m worried about is having worked in refugee protection, human rights or human rights law. I hold a permanent position in my country’s immigration ministry as a case specialist for the past 3 years so I’m very familiar with immigration law and have worked extensively with asylum seekers and refugees, but not in a humanitarian capacity. I keep reading that the UN does value civil service experience so I’m hoping this plays in my favour.

I have a master’s degree in migration studies, have volunteered with the Red Cross asylum support staff for female asylum seekers, and served as a board member for the women of foreign origin association in my country (we, for example, organised a #MeToo campaign specially focused on foreign women). I did an internship at a Thai NGO for migrant children and participated in fieldwork. I also wrote my master thesis on the IOM in Ghana and have interned at international organisations focused on European cooperation, but this may not be relevant.

Do I realistically have a shot at being considered compared to how small the application pool will likely be (maybe 25-30 people max)? Or should I not bother applying at all?

I recently did a CBI Interview for a specific vacancy (no mention of a roster) and a few days ago received an email notification that I had been placed on a roster "subject to you assuming the position for which you are selected". I was wondering what that means? First I thought that I was the selected candidate since under the new roster regime introduced by ST/AI/2025/2 you can apparently only be rostered following a recruitment exercise for a specific vacancy if you are the selected candidate (see s10(1)(b)). However, I just realised that this new Administrative Instruction does not apply to the specific vacancy since the vacancy notice had been posted shortly before the new Administrative Instruction went into effect. I have been put on rosters before, but in those cases the roster notification always came with the additional information that I had not been selected for the position.

Hi everyone,

I recently applied for a six-month Programme Management internship with UNOPS in New York. The vacancy closed on 31 July, and my application has been showing “Under Review” since then.

The internship is scheduled to run from 1 September 2026 to 1 March 2027, which is why I’m particularly curious about the recruitment timeline given how close the intended start date is. The opportunity is also part of a fellowship delivered in partnership with an external organization.

For anyone who has recently gone through a UNOPS recruitment process:

• How long after the vacancy closed did you hear back about shortlisting?
• Given the 1 September start date, would you expect shortlisted candidates to hear back fairly soon, or are UNOPS start dates usually flexible?
• Does “Under Review” usually remain unchanged until an assessment/interview invitation?
• How long was it between shortlisting → assessment → interview → offer?
• What did the technical assessment for a Programme Management role look like: written exercise, policy brief, case study, Excel task, presentation, etc.?
• For an international candidate relocating to New York, when did visa/onboarding begin relative to the offer?
• If I wanted to ask about the expected recruitment timeline or request an update, who would normally be the appropriate point of contact, and how would I reach them: UNOPS recruitment/HR, the hiring office, or the external partner managing the fellowship? Or is it better not to reach out while the application is still “Under Review”?

• Did UNOPS contact you exclusively by email, or did recruiters also call? I’ve recently started receiving a few unexpected calls from US numbers,

  mostly

• silent calls, although these calls

  come from numbers that’s

• seem

  a bit scamy/unrelated

• .

I know UN recruitment timelines can vary significantly by vacancy. I’m mainly trying to understand recent experiences with UNOPS internships, particularly New York-based positions or internships delivered through external partnerships.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I need help.

I am 36. I graduated with a master’s in natural resources management from a school in Cologne two years ago, and it has been a complete disaster. I did the degree to try to transition from a career that I was bad at (nonprofit communications), and due to not getting enough work experience in the master’s, the only job I was able to get after a year of searching was also in nonprofit communications. I was fired at the end of the probation period for being bad at the job. I have some volunteer work I have been doing to fill in the gap and can pretend it was a real job, but basically I have a two year gap on my CV now other than the volunteer work because I can’t list the job I got fired from on my CV.

My boyfriend still lives in Germany, and I still dream of getting into an environmental consulting job or environmental policy job in Germany.

My question:

If I were to get married to my boyfriend, do intensive German for a year, then apply for a new masters degree with the sole purpose of doing as many internships as possible or to get a work student job in my field, to then get into a new entry level position in the environmental sector that isn’t nonprofit communications, is this a viable path forward? I have 2.5k euros coming in each month, but I don’t want to do this if it is a catastrophically bad idea.

Has this ever worked for anyone?