3 Things You Should Know Before Applying to the UN
My last video on Four Entry Points into the United Nations has been very well-received by the Hippy in a Suit community so I thought I would do another quick video to tell you a little bit more about the application process. Here are three things you should know before applying to the UN.
#1 - Qualifications matter
Modern working professional blogs or LinkedIn articles will often present advice something along the lines of “if you have 80% of the qualifications, apply!” While I think this is good advice generally, in the United Nations the qualifications that are listed in a post are followed extremely closely. If it says you need a Masters Degree, you need a Masters Degree. Period. While different UN Agencies use different softwares for managing the hiring process, the main system used by the Secretariat (called Inspira), is very strict with requirements. It eliminates candidates that do not meet certain essential requirements listed in the job post or profiles that have discrepancies/abnormalities. What that means in reality is that no one will even see your CV if it doesn't match the essential requirements of a position.
There are some tricky things to be aware of when filling in your PHP, as well. If the post requires a Masters degree and 5 years of experience, the hiring manager may only count the experience gained AFTER your Masters degree. Or if you have ever had a “side hustle” that you do outside of your full time job, this may appear as a discrepancy on your PHP and cause your CV to be eliminated (no one could possibly work more than full time, right?). I raise those two examples specifically, because they both happened to me!
What’s a PHP?
A PHP stands for Personal History Profile and it is comprised of all the information about your education, experience, etc. that you put into the UN hiring system.
#2 - The process can take a really long time
The timelines for hiring in the UN can vary a great deal. Internships tend to be quick processes compared to staff or consultancy positions. When I first applied for internships at the UN, I got an interview call back approximately 1 month after I submitted my application and the whole process from submission to a contract offer took about 2.5 months total. However, I have friends and colleagues who work in the UN that have had hiring processes take 6-12 months, and even one friend who submitted an application, heard absolutely nothing, and received a call-back 18 months later!! UN hiring usually follows a pretty standard recruitment process (but it does varies agency-to-agency):
Long-listing - a first cut of the applications, usually based on ONLY the requirements of the position
Short-listing - a second cut to get a group of people who will be invited to do a test or interview
Test (optional) - sometimes a written test is provided, this could be a mock work assignment or a test of technical knowledge
Interview - a panel interview usually with 3-4 people, most UN jobs only have one interview
Reference Check - call 1-3 references to ask for feedback on the candidate
Offer - contract offered to the successful candidate
The timing of the process depends on how urgent the hire is for a team (and sometimes, the funding window available for the role), the pool of candidates that are received, and the support from HR and the team to move the process along.
SIDE NOTE: Your Cover Letter
A Cover Letter should NEVER be an unchanged template!! I was working on a project related to the SDGs and I often received cover letters that talked about passion for humanitarian response, human rights, or peace negotiations. While these are noble areas of work they are very different systems and realms in the UN universe so I felt the candidate would not be a good fit. When I receive a cover letter that very obviously is cut and paste and tells me nothing about why the candidate is interested in working in my team, I usually do not pursue an interview. Of course, you may have a standard format you use for your cover letter but make sure to personalize it to the position if you are serious about getting a role.
#3 - Some positions have an incumbent
Because of the way UN contracts work, there are times that you could be competing against someone who has already been doing the role. Here’s an example: perhaps a team opened a 1-year consultancy to support a new project idea and near the end of the term they received funding to make the post a staff position. The person who has been doing that work has the right to apply for the staff position. The hiring processes always ultimately hire the best candidate for the role but someone who has already successfully completed the role can be tough to beat! This is why my number one piece of advice when applying for the UN always is DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. Not receiving a call back is not necessarily a reflection of your skills or talent, there are so many factors that play in. So dust yourself off and keep trying :)