Job Discussion Forums

[norbdemn]

Has anyone worked for the United Nations, or know anyone who has?

What is it like?, Is it possible to get teaching gigs through them?

Thanks

[mapraopenrai]

That would be the nice set-up, would'nt it....

[movinaround]

[norbdemn]

Wow. I finally got a few replies!

Movinaround, I appreciate your reply although it is rather pessimistic...LOL

I figured out how to apply for teaching gigs through the UN and submitted my details. I'll see what happens from here...

[7969]

best way to get work for the UN is to join the army and end up as a peacekeeper for 6 months or a year. i made a good pile of money in two years doing that. but working for and dealing with that organization can be frustrating.

[takgeyon]

As far as I have heard over the years from the few people that have had any dealings with the UN. Just take your average US government job and multiply all the red tape and beurocracy BS by 10. And that's just the hiring process. Apparently it's kind of like the teamsters. Once those cats get fixed in those jobs they just pass them on to their sons and daughters when they retire or kick the bucket.

[Vanica]

Check out www.un.org fill out your personal profile and keep applying. There are lots of jobs.

Some things to know: P-3 level only goes to age 30, if you have a Master's degree you must be P-4. If you go in a General Services category, it is very difficult to move into a Professional position.

Work on your language skills and you can be a translator or interpreter. I got in as a Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian/French/English translator. The UN can be very insular, very who-you-know and nepotistic. But language needs seem to supercede.

Right now I noticed a need for Bahasa and for Telum (East Timor). Good luck!

[sproket]

hi there,

new to the forum, specifically to ask a question here.

I have applied for a few jobs on the UN website, I was wondering, does anyone know how long the job-application process runs? how quickly after applications closed would i expect to hear back from the UN? Is there a formal interview process, and if so how long do they take to consider the positions?

cheers!

[Vanica]

The closing date is noted in the description. In my case, they called me the next day. It was pretty fast. All my other applications over the years resulted in no contact whatsoever.

Another site with NGO job opportunites is www.reliefweb.org They list the jobs at the UN and at many other agencies, all around the world. Good luck!

[norbdemn]

Wow, it's been nearly six months since I checked this thread. Thanks Vanica for your input, very helpful.

[norbdemn]

[quote="Vanica"]The closing date is noted in the description. In my case, they called me the next day. It was pretty fast. All my other applications over the years resulted in no contact whatsoever.

Another site with NGO job opportunites is www.reliefweb.org They list the jobs at the UN and at many other agencies, all around the world. Good luck![/quote]

I did check www.reliefweb.org out and it seemed that most opportunities require a great deal of experience. Additionally, I did check out the UN site and noticed that the majority of the opportunities require a Master's degree along with a great deal of experience. So, I was a bit discouraged. Is there a site/section of the UN that focuses on more entry level jobs?

Thanks.

[Vanica]

[/quote]So, I was a bit discouraged. Is there a site/section of the UN that focuses on more entry level jobs?

Thanks.[/quote]

That would be the GS (general services) category. A lot of those are local hires, however. I think P2 and P3 don't require a master's degree, but I think you also have to be under 30.

www.reliefweb.org is a great source because it lists the UN openings as well as other NGOs. But to apply for the UN, you have to go through the UN website and fill out the personal history profile.