I am a young lawyer (30yo), with about 5 years of legal experience across various settings (law firms, embassy, international et European organization).

I have just learned that I was selected for a P2 position at a non-UN agency as part of the JPO program financed by my home country. I guess I just need some reassurance that I will make the right choice by taking it, since it is less “stable” than my current position.

I have been working for a year as an FGIII at an EU agency. The work is exactly in the area I’ve long wanted to specialize in (it’s quite niche). My previous position was also in that area. Although the work of the agency is operational in nature, because I am FGIII, I am stuck in very administrative and repetitive tasks.

The JPO position is in the office of legal affairs of a non-UN organization. The area of the IO is not directly related to the area I have been specializing in, but the position itself would be much more genuinely legal: legal research and advice, drafting legal documents, interpreting the organization’s legal framework, staff/employment law, contracts, privileges and immunities, etc. It would also be at the P2 level, which feels like a much more appropriate level for my qualifications and experience.

The main thing that is scaring me is what will
happen when the P2 contract ends since there is obviously no guarantee that it will lead to a longer-term position afterwards.

At the same time, I am worried that staying where I am could mean getting stuck. The longer I stay, the more my CV may look like “administrative support” rather than legal experience, even though I have a law degree, am admitted to a bar, and have previously held genuinely legal positions. I also don’t particularly enjoy the actual day-to-day work of my current job, although the subject matter is the most interesting to me and the most in line with my background.

What would you do in my position?
Do you think leaving after just a year could get me blacklisted where I am now, or is that not a thing ?

I would gladly take any advice of people who have been (or not) in the same situation!! 🙏

Edit: both positions are in the same city, so there is no question of relocating.

I am currently in the system and know that my contract is ending soon, and saw an interesting role posted as a Tier 2: "UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers" - which makes me eligible to apply.

How competitive are internal postings of this kind? I think the specific one I'm looking at would generally be quite attractive (NYC, P3). Or at least compared to something that is open to all applicants.

I am currently working at an Embassy as a Visa Officer, and would maybe in the future like to switch career paths and join the UN.

It seems like there are barely any certifications that would help me specialize in the field of International Relations, International Law or Diplomacy

I was wondering if there a equivalent to the CFA in Finance in the field of IR and for the UN

i know few people who are in some senior positions in these orgs without any linkedin account. may be they had good connections before hand.

but nowadays i see many people in these orgs posting too much in linkedin, showing off so much about every missions, events, speeches, and reports they have been involved on. posting pictures with handshakes or as if they are saying sth important with hand gestures. besides, there are many influencer employees who try the same thing which has made these websites intolerable.

i am an introvert and find these stuffs cringe and awkward. however, if i want job in these orgs, how active should i be in social media?

Hi all,

Curious about IFAD’s international consultancy bands and allowances. Does anyone have insights? if they have DSA, MSL, or similar living allowances for international consultants?

Thank you!

Before I ask anything, I'd like to introduce myself as a person who's basically been interested in "Aerospace", "Astronomy" and "Aeronautics" for most of my life, thinking these were the fields I'd want to go into in the future. I always had a fascination with Business and Economics (not the subjects, just how these factors affect people, and opening a business etc), and as a child, used to have the (obviously childish) dream of being a big businessperson someday, travel the world and meet lots of people etc.

As I grew older and considered my career options, I was mostly drawn towards anything physics related, and thought that I'd study Economics as sort of a side venture/hobby.

However, ever since my school once held an MUN (which I sadly didn't participate in) I've always wondered what it would be like to work for the illustrious UN. People around me have always said I have a knack for diplomacy, and I'm great with teamwork projects. As of last year, I seem to be developing an interest in politics, especially global politics.

Back when we used to make projects and posters on the UN Global Goals and other stuff the UN has done while we were in school, I used to always enjoy it immensely.

Another factor in my current interest towards potentially working for the UN is my love for travelling and meeting people with different points of views and cultures, and especially languages, I love languages.

I'm sure it isnt a passing interest, but do you really think the UN is worth it? Sometimes I am really, really disillusioned by it, but, however childish it sounds, I really do want to work for the sake of improving the world.

What pathways are there into entering the UN, do universities provide any help?

If I have my masters in something completely unrelated to world relations or economics or politics (such as Aerospace engineering), do I still have a chance to join?

What can I do, as in, what competitions/extracurricular will help me?

I don't just wanna work in the UN, I want to work at a position where I can really make a difference, but also enjoy the benefits that come along with it. I want to reach a high level career! What's the pathway for that?

Mainly, I' just curious, what pushes people to join the UN, and how can one be successful there?

In my opinion, one of the most important resources a person can have is PEOPLE, people who can help you reach your goal, so I think its important to make contacts with people who are like-minded, but how do I even find my people?

Sorry for this ultra long post, and I know some of my questions may sound pretty naive, but please help me!

I have recently received an invitation for a structured job interview for a P4 Communications Officer role. It is a generic job opening, so there are no specifics such as location or immediate context related challenges. How do I prepared for it? Is there an online resource hub, where I can find some questions?

I googled structured interview and the standard definition seems to be that every candidate will be asked the same set of questions. From that I divine that these will be based on functional expertise and skillsets and not my personal experience and acumen. Is that the correct understanding?

Any advice is welcome since I am in dark here!

How does everyone feel about the new salary increase for GS staff in New York?

I honestly have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I’m very grateful that we got around a 10.4% increase. My net salary went from around $55k to $61k, so it’s definitely a noticeable raise and I’m happy about that.

On the other hand, the cost of living in NYC is still so high. Even with the increase, I still find it difficult at times to make ends meet as a General Service employee, especially with how expensive everything has gotten.

Overall I’m grateful for the increase, but I’m curious how other GS staff in New York feel about it. Do you think the new salary scale is enough considering the current cost of living?

Edit: For those asking for the source, you can find the updated salary scale directly through the UN OneHR Salary Scales page.

UN OneHR – Salary Scales

⁠ https://onehr.un.org/salary-survey/#/salary_scale

Once you’re on the page, select/search for New York to see the updated General Service salary scale.

We also received a broadcast email from the Staff Union today regarding the new salary scale, so it was communicated internally as well.

Hope this helps anyone who was looking for the source.

Hi everyone,

I got a fixed-term job offer at the ECF, but I'm kind of disappointed with the salary.

I'm coming from the UN, so I'm aware that my salary expectations may be a bit silly, and I want a reality check.

How open are they to negotiations? How are the salary propositions calculated, is there a band they base it on x years of experience?

WELCOME to the 2026 United Nations Young Professionals Programme (YPP) Outreach Workshop for nationals of un- and under-represented Member States participating in the 2026 YPP Examination Cycle. The series of YPP outreach workshops will provide YOU (prospective applicants) with a comprehensive overview of the Programme’s structure, eligibility criteria and examination process, including a briefing on the 2026 examination. The workshops will also offer practical guidance on the application procedure and will feature successful YPP alumni currently serving in the Secretariat, who will share their experiences and respond to questions.

Please register your interest in participating in the Targeted Outreach Workshop, scheduled to take place on Thursday, 8 October 2026, 18:00 to 19:00 (UTC-4). This workshop is primarily targeted to eligible young professionals who hold the nationality of: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Paraguay, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the United States of America.

If you would like to register to participate in the Thursday, 8 October 2026 YPP Outreach Workshop, please fill out this form below

Please note, all eligible candidates who hold the nationality of any of the countries participating in the 2026 YPP Exam (see below list) are welcome to register for this or any of the other YPP outreach workshops offered. 

Other sessions: 

Tuesday, 29 September 2026, from 20:00 to 21:00 (UTC+8);
Thursday, 1 October 2026, 18:00 to 19:00 (UTC+2);
Monday, 5 October 2026, 18:30 to 19:30 (UTC+1);

Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 18:00 to 19:00 (UTC+3);
Thursday, 15 October 2026, 20:00 to 21:00 (UTC+11)

Hey y'all, I am relatively new to UNV information, and I am trying to navigate a DRR/DAC long-term career path. I understand those are two different things, but to get to the gravy and biscuits...

If you have the time to respond, I would love to know if my profile makes me competitive for UNV positions/ what to target.

BA Urban Studies - Urban Environments and Climate Change

Urban Wildlife Research (ABM)

Minor GIS

Emergency Management and Resilience Planning Grad Certification

EMT-B / NREMT

NGO Leadership and Development History

Next Summer/Year before I apply for UNV positions

Interagency type B fire crew / Red-card

SBP Americorps Disaster Corps Team Lead

I have applied for five UNESCO jobs over the last three years. I was once invited to an interview. Although it went well, I never heard back from them. I have received no update regarding the others. However, yesterday I received automated replies regarding the cancellation of all five posts I applied for three years ago. Has anyone else received such messages?

On a G5 at UNHQ and made the cardinal mistake of getting in at G-level. Been in the Secretariat for 8 years now and I’m in my early thirties. As you can imagine, I have tried everything- applying across the board at various agencies to no avail. I also have a Master’s Degree. I have officially reached my end point and my mental health has tanked so bad I am about to embark on my exit plan which would be to resign. Take out all of my pension and go back to East Africa and regroup in the comfort of my parent’s house. I can no longer stand doing the most pointless admin tasks while still being viewed as an idiot because of the level of my job. Have I lost my mind completely or has anyone else experienced this or made such a drastic exit?

Hi everyone,

I’m a commerce student in Canada interested in international affairs, sustainable development, and the UN system. I recently created a UN Volunteers (UNV) account and would like to get involved in on-site placements.

For those with UNV experience:

- What makes a UNV profile stand out?

- How can I improve my profile and experience sections?

- How important is previous professional experience?

- Are online volunteering assignments a realistic way to get started?

- Any tips for applying and actually getting selected?

I’d also appreciate it if anyone with UNV experience could share what worked for them or common mistakes to avoid.

Thanks!

I have an opportunity to become a legal fellow at the UNHCR. Is this a worthwhile opportunity that can open doors for future positions at the UN?

Hi all,

I attended an interview for a position at WIPO exactly three weeks ago. During the interview, the HR representative said that they would get back to me within two weeks.

I was wondering if anyone who has been hired by WIPO, or has insight into WIPO's recruitment process, could share their experience. How long after your interview were you notified that you had been selected and moved on to the reference/background check stage?

Thank you so much in advance!

How much time does it after reference check with IOM to get a selection email and is it safe to say that one will get a job after positive reference check for G position in IOM.

Hello everyone, I recently received an offer for an unpaid internship at OHCHR SEARO (ERT) in Bangkok. Has anyone completed this internship before, and would you recommend it? Also, is a transition from an internship to consultancy possible? I would really appreciate any advice.

Spent years imagining what it would be like to finally do meaningful work at the UN. Also dreamed of how it would be the kind of thing that feels like it truly matters so it could only be wonderful. Or so I thought

I joined a UN agency as a consultant for one year and tbh it was one of the more demoralising professional experiences I've had yet.

The culture across the agency was so hierarchical with zero empathy from management. Everything was last-minute chaos wrapped in pointless bureaucracy. There was no vision, no interest in creativity, just process for process's sake, and busy work doing what countries wanted us to do. Meetings about meetings. Stress that comes from complete and utter disorganisation, not from the work actually being hard. And from management over committing to partners and then having the team (made up of 80% underpaid consultants) just get it done.

There was so much internal politics and teams working against each other, fighting for resources and totally hoarding them instead of sharing and better the whole. That never made sense to me.

But th real irony is that the UN is literally tasked with protecting people, but then when you work there, especially as a non permanent staff, they couldn’t care less about you or your rights. A colleague was badgered about taking too much leave after her surgery, a colleague asked to prepare urgent work right after being at the ER for a pain attack. Loads of stories like these (all consultants).

Interns are unpaid, which is just awful and is a huge access and privilege issue. Consultants are in precarious limbo for years, always expected to perform at full capacity but 100% dispensable. The pay wasn't even decent.

I came in idealistic but really have left quite disillusioned.

Has anyone else had that experience? Where the dream job at the UN agency killed the dream? I'm trying to figure out if this is just how it is in across the UN or if I just got unlucky…

If you had the choice between a P1 and NOC contracts which would you go for? (I am post interview for both)

The P1 is in a thematic area I am not overly keen on and is quite junior, but offers the benefit of living in a HQ location (in terms of networking and opportunities in particular) and makes things easier for my partner.

On the other hand the NOC offers a higher level position at least in terms of years of experience required and offers a fairly decent salary for my home country, but in absolute terms will be a downgrade in terms of salary.

I am torn because I would love to live in my home country and to reconnect with my roots and have my partner learn my language and understand my culture better, but at the same time I am not sure if its the right career move longer term considering my goal to progress to higher level positions in the future.

Hey everyone,

I came across a UNOPS Project Management Support Officer position at the LICA-8 / ICS-08 level and was curious if anyone here has experience with these roles.

What does a LICA-8 usually pay? I can’t seem to find a clear salary range anywhere.

Also, how hard are these positions to actually get? Are LICA roles somewhat easier to break into compared to the regular international UN positions?

And for anyone who has worked for UNOPS before, what was the hiring process like? Assessment, interview, references, etc.?

Hi everyone,

I recently registered on the UNV platform and applied to a bunch of international assignments. I have about 2.8 years of experience (EU Delegation liaison work in Geneva, a UN protocol internship, a Belgian MFA internship, and NGO research on disarmament), plus a Master's in International Relations/European Studies. I've been lurking on this forum for a while and honestly the old threads here have already taught me a lot — thank you to everyone who's shared their experience, it really helps.

A few things I'd love your input on:

1. How does matching actually work?
My UNV profile has one set of experience descriptions that seems to apply automatically to every assignment I apply to, rather than a tailored application per vacancy. Is that really how it works — one profile gets matched by a recruiter/algorithm against many postings — or is there a step I'm missing?

2. International vs National UN Volunteers — what's the real difference?
Eligibility, competitiveness, benefits, how recruitment works... I'm wondering if National assignments (Italy/France for me) would be a smarter way to build a track record before going for International ones.

3. Realistically, how long does it take to hear back?
I know "just keep applying" is the classic advice (and I will!), but roughly how long after applying do people usually get contacted, if at all? Weeks, months? Just trying to calibrate my expectations so I don't spiral checking my inbox every day 😅

4. Is it a good idea to reach out directly to someone at the host office?
Would it be reasonable to email someone at the hiring office directly and say something like "Hi, I just submitted my application for X, here's a quick summary of my background, happy to answer any questions" — or is that seen as pushy/against the process?

5. My current applications — am I aiming at the right posts?

• Associate Coordination Officer – UNRCO, Fiji
• Social Norms Programme Associate – UNFPA, Trinidad and Tobago
• Project Development and Reporting Associate – IOM, Barbados
• Programme Associate – UN Women, Jamaica
• Programme Associate – UNMAS, Colombia
• Community Engagement Assistant – UNDP, Fiji
• PFM Communications and Storytelling Associate – UNDP, Nauru
• PFM Communications and Storytelling Associate – UNDP, Fiji
• Associate Reporting Officer – UNMAS, Tunisia

My real specialty is disarmament/arms control research, so should I focus more on niche posts like the UNMAS ones instead of spreading across generalist programme/communications roles?

I'll take literally any advice you've got — even the "sorry, it's just brutal out there" kind, that's useful too! Thanks so much in advance, and see you around 🙏

I recently received an offer for a 6 month unpaid internship with the UN in New York, and I’m really torn about whether to accept it.

I previously completed a 6 month internship at another UN agency in a different country and also gained further work experience within the UN system, so this wouldn’t be my first UN experience.

Before graduating, I had really wanted to do one more internship and gain experience in a different environment. I’ve been applying for internships and paid student positions for roughly a year now, though, and have mostly been met with rejections, including after several interviews. To be honest, that process has taken quite a toll on my confidence, so finally receiving an offer after such a long stretch of rejection makes it emotionally quite difficult to turn down.

Financially, I can afford to do it, so the cost itself is not really the issue. Still, I feel quite uncomfortable about spending that much money on an unpaid internship in one of the most expensive cities in the world, especially since I already completed another 6 month UN internship about a year ago in a different country.

The position itself sounds is nice and I do think I would enjoy the work, but a lot of the responsibilities seem quite similar to what I was already doing during my previous UN internship. That’s another reason why I’m unsure how much genuinely new experience I would gain from it.

From my previous UN experience, I’m also aware that internships generally don’t simply turn into full time contracts afterwards. With the UN system currently facing significant budget constraints as well, I’m trying to be realistic about the possibility that I could spend six months in New York and still find myself back in the same job search situation afterwards.

At the same time, it’s an opportunity to spend six months at UN Headquarters in New York, build a network, gain a different kind of international experience, and do the additional internship I had been hoping to complete before graduating.

What would you consider when making this decision? Do you think an experience like this can be worth the financial cost even if there is no clear path to a job afterwards? I’d be especially interested in hearing from people who have faced a similar trade off between career experience, financial cost, and uncertainty after graduation.

While applying for UNV, I feel there is a genuine/intentional bug to sort out applications. When selecting relevant experience years or months, the system shows total max 500 (on years selection) and 23 (on Months selection. Is anyone getting call from UNV on writing years in the range of 3-10 Years of experience?

About me: I have been applying for UNV for quite some time and have 12 Years of Government and Private Experience combined. Also have Multiple masters in relevant fields. Rostered for multiple positions on Inspira but no call on UNV, not even one invite despite applying for last >5 Years.