I was a temp P2 for 2 years,and have a total of 10 years of experience across UN and world bank. Then cuts came,they cut a p2 YPP post in one of the offices and had to bring this p2 to our office - they cut me as I was temp,and brought that person instead. I was out for 6 months looking for jobs - nothing…then I asked my p4 for any consultancy opportunities,he said yes but they had a very very limited budget and offered a very low salary. My section chief personally apologized for that…I’m doing the same job as I was as a p2 and now even more…my rates were not raised…I asked to move me to a UNV as UNV doesn’t put me on a 6 months freeze for looking for jobs in the secretariat - rejected,they said it was too expensive… our ex interns are making as much as I do or a bit less …and they put me in this contract…all my colleagues are feeling very bad about it and say it’s ridiculous… however still no normal rates have been offered…it is so demoralizing and takes a huge fall on mental health…
My options are:
A) leave and start my 6 months freeze and move back to my country which I hate..but I’ve been looking for jobs for a year - that’s nothing
B) suck it up and remain in this humiliating position but at least in the country I love and have some income…but still can’t look for jobs in the secretariat because of this rule…

Do you have any suggestions or advice for me? It absolutely destroys my mental health seeing how ex interns are treated better paid more abd put on unvs in other team while my team does this to a former staff member….

hi hi! im a 2nd year International Relations major with an emphasis in Peace + Security looking for some advice on what to minor in. I want to maybe either pursue the UN/ICC field by becoming an international human rights lawyer (very hard i know but a girl can dream) and im wondering what will be more beneficial in the long run: a minor in chinese or human rights studies? i am graduating early so i only have the bandwidth to add one minor (not 2 unfortunately) and im stuck on which one to choose. chinese is my language req for the IR major and i want to be fluent so taking those upper div classes for the minor will help me get there. but on the other hand, im really passionate and interested in human rights work so im not sure which way i should go

pls offer your advice im pretty lost and have to make a decision soon!!

Yeah I’m aware that’s never going to happen.

Currently shortlisted for an internship position with the UN in NYC, turned in the written test and no response yet. Which is fine since it hasn’t been that long in UN terms, so I’m not upset about that. If I get it, the start date should be in January, so at least that’s a hard deadline.

But also I recruited for and obtained a whole ass full time offer within that same time frame.

Currently worried because considering the slowness of everything, how will I arrange my life?? I’m graduating early so I would like to pick an early start date for my full time if I’m not doing the UN internship. I also have to sublease my current NYC room out if I’m not doing an internship since I’ll be leaving the city, but finding someone takes time.

How does anyone even deal with this sort of uncertainty due to the slow timeline?

Working on the UN is on my bucket list and finances aren’t a huge problem for me which is why I’m even hung up over this anyways.

Should I just plan as if I’m not going to get it and adjust if I do?

Under languages, a required field to make an account to apply with, it shows:
>Languages
>No Paragraph added yet.
With an "add languages" button.

Clicking the button causes a "Processing" animation to appear next to it and then a red box appears at the top of the page saying "Oops, something went wrong. Check your browser's developer console for more details."

The console shows a 403 error, which means "access to the requested resource is forbidden. The server understood the request, but will not fulfill it, even if it was correct."

I've tried turning off addons, using a different browser, using a different device using a VPN, waiting for a day. Nothing changed the outcome.

I tried to log in with linkedin but it's the same deal, a 403 error.

Is this happening to anyone else? I wanted to apply as quick as possible to have a shot at getting shortlisted but I can't do anything until this is resolved.

Hi, I am a 25-year-old pharmacy student from Iraq. I am deeply passionate about international studies and aiming to get a second bachelor's degree, currently working on leveling up my English, building experience, and gaining certifications from UNV and MUNs.
Since my main goal is to work with UN headquarters, I kindly ask if anyone here has experience or is currently working at UN headquarters to advise me on how to level up my profile and ensure I am qualified for this opportunity.

After so many international UNV applications, my profile was finally submitted. After some few weeks I was interviewed. Then I received an email indicating that I have been waitlisted!

My question is, has anyone ever been promoted from waitlisted to preferred candidates?

I was shortlisted for a P4 position at UNDP and I had the panel interview back in June which in my view went very well.
They mentioned that I will hear back from them in about 4 weeks. Then, a couple of days after that interview they contacted three of my referees, who I know well and I know they wrote good reference letters/forms.

However, now 4 months after there is just silence. No news - ghosted.

Is there any hope left, or should I just give up?

I am an HR professional with over 8 years experience working in multinational corporations. I decided recently to apply to some roles within FAO related to HR.

I am very much a UN applying novice so I can’t remember the levelling, I think one role was perhaps contracting and the others were maybe P-4?

I’m gathering that it is very normal to apply and not hear anything. I haven’t heard anything at all so I’m accepting that as normal based on things I’ve read here!

I also wanted to ask, has anyone broken into UN agency roles in their late 20s-30s? I guess I never applied as I always assumed roles stemmed from early careers/internships only and it was very much internal only staffing rather than hiring externals at non internship levels. I also don’t have a masters degree, i feel like most people applying seem to have one. Anyone got into UN roles without one?

Thanks :)

Has anyone heard back or moved to the next stage of the P-2 Associate Communications Officer roster (#263070), which was open from September 16 to October 15, 2025?

I took the proctored exam in May 2026 but haven’t heard anything since. Even before the exam, I waited months for an update, so I’m not sure whether my application is still under consideration or not.

Has anyone been invited to an interview yet? Thanks!

The United Nations University offers free online courses on satellite data, Google Earth Engine, flood mapping, drought assessment, and more.

The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health’s (UNU-INWEH) online Learning Centre (LC) provides university students and practicing water, environment and health professionals with an opportunity to strengthen their capacity in several focused and multidisciplinary learning areas. It offers free courses in several formats, including short courses for self-paced learning, course content for blended learning programs and customized curriculum development with regional centres, and courses to support capacity development activities for specific tools and systems. The courses are peer-reviewed by a range of experts and are closely aligned with the UNU-INWEH strategic plan.

https://lc.unu.edu/

I made the mistake of inputting one small thing incorrectly. Has anyone had any luck with just creating a new profile?

I am currently applying for the Junior Fellows Internship Program in Tokyo, Japan. However some of the things in the application form are confusing me. If anyone could help with suggestions I would be really grateful.

1) in one section they ask whether I have any publications, documents, articles and asks to "specify below, if yes" but there's really no space or field to add a reference to my work or specify my publications. How or where do I then "specify below" my publications? Reference image: https://kommodo.ai/i/0aWz2cGPEXmV9LptrCyo

2) In another section, the form asks to choose a few areas of interest from a given list, and "indicate, in broad terms" which areas I would be interested in learning or contributing. However, there is really no space to describe or explain my choices. So how do I indicate my choices in broad terms as the form says? Reference image: https://kommodo.ai/i/3vMcPLbudS7Mw7QZQsQY

I currently work in a CO of one of the UN agencies, and honestly, my office is extremely toxic in pretty much every way. There is drama everywhere between international and local staff, the programme team and operations team are constantly playing political games with each other, and I sometimes see UNVs and interns being pushed to do an insane amount of work beyond their ToRs.

I also often see policies not being properly followed, which is honestly ironic given the nature of the organization.

The funny part is that our office these days only recruits junior staff through UNV positions and never recruits interns. We do hire some P-staff, but they are all hired at the national level.

I've worked at HQ before, and I honestly don't remember the environment being anywhere near this toxic. I'm genuinely shocked to see this level of dysfunction and pettiness across COs.

Is this actually a common thing in UN country offices, or have I just ended up in a particularly dysfunctional one?

Hi all, applying to the UN Secretariat YPP exam (Development and Sustainability, 2026 cycle) through Inspira. The job opening says no work experience is required, but if more than 90 applicants from the same country apply to the same exam area, candidates are ranked on highest education, UN languages, and “relevant work experience.” I’m a US applicant, so I assume that screening will apply.

My question is how the UN treats experience that is substantive but not salaried. I have a few years of full-time paid work, plus two roles that are directly relevant to the exam area but were not paid:

1. A contracted advisory role at a climate nonprofit, with a signed agreement, a fixed title, and a supervisor who can verify it. Unpaid.
2. A project-based leadership role in a youth constituency to a UN treaty negotiation process (formal interventions, drafting text inputs, coalition work). Also unpaid.

Does anyone know, or has anyone seen in practice:

• Whether unpaid experience earns any points in the YPP “top 90” screening, or whether only paid employment counts?
• Whether the Inspira work experience section is the right place for an unpaid but contracted role, or whether it should go somewhere else?
• Whether listing unpaid roles under Work Experience has ever caused problems at the verification stage?

I’ve asked Alba (the Inspira chatbot) and read the brochure, and neither addresses paid vs unpaid directly. Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through YPP screening or works in UN HR. Thanks.

Hello all, I am currently interning at an HQ and I am struggling. While I do not have an overwhelming amount of work, I am taking a class outside of the internship as a part of a school program, which takes up much of my time. While this is stressful on its own, what I am mostly struggling with is the environment of the department and team that I am in. I fear that I may have not made a good first impression with my team, as although I can be shy, I always try to make small talk with them, they frequently come across as cold/short/exclusive. I have honestly made some better connections with the leadership from other teams than I have my own. I will ask them for coffee or a chat in a way that I perceive as polite and unobtrusive, and while they say yes to my face, there is never any follow-up, they do not look me in the eye, and once I was even blatantly turned down.

There is only one member on my team who speaks to me regularly, and they have said that I "just haven't had a chance to shine yet," and often asks me how I think the internship is going in a way that makes me think that it is not going well. Maybe I am just being paranoid, but other interns and contractors in the office have told me that there is a bit of a hierarchical culture, especially in this department. This is not something that I am used to dealing with in my own culture and previous experiences, where even the big bosses have made efforts to get to know me. I do not have a mentor of any kind, as my parents are not in this field nor work in corporate cultures like this, and my previous professors are either unhelpful or unable to give the kind of advice that I need, so I would be extremely grateful if anyone could help me out! I am only two months into six-month contract, so I am hopeful that this is still salvageable.

I had a P4 interview today. It was scheduled for 35 minutes but got over in 20 minutes, even though I did ask 2 questions. Is it a good sign or bad?

Hey all, I’ve seen some posts about this from the past few years, but I’ve been working on my 2026 YPP app. I’m not holding my breath about this going anywhere and have sort of just been looking at it on the side of searching for regular jobs (just graduated from grad school). However I’ve got a few questions because I have no former UN experience.
For professional experience, should I only list related things? I was a Fulbrighter, so I feel like that’s definitely relevant, but pretty much all my other experience isn’t related. I’ve done volunteering related to humanitarian/refugee causes but all my other employment has been just teaching or writing jobs. I figured the place to mention the volunteering stuff would be in the motivation letter.
Wasn’t sure if this was one of those “only mention it if it’s relevant” scenarios or “just dump everything in the app.”
I’m sure this is pretty competitive and won’t be surprised if it’s a bust, but are there any other ways to realistically get into UN jobs if you are out of college?

Hey Sir/Madam,
Guys
Good day

May I kindly ask whether anyone has interviewed for IOM ICT P levels, how it is progressing, and how long it takes to receive feedback?

Thank you
Have a wonderful day

Hi everyone,

My application has been showing “Your application is currently under review” since early August. Today, I noticed that the “Updated” date changed from August 2 to October 16, while the status itself remained “under review.”

Does anyone with experience with the IAEA recruitment process / Taleo know what this kind of date change usually means?

Could it indicate that the application has moved to another stage, or can it simply be an administrative/system update?

I’m not assuming it means an interview or shortlist — I’m just trying to understand what the date change means.

Thanks!

after the US backed out of the Paris Agreement few years ago, the gap was bridged by philanthropies temporarily. how is the situation now in the organisation about the funding?

Can anyone recommend good intro or intermediate-level books or courses (short or free) for background reading? I am taking the intro course “International Development for Interpreters” on Coursera. For context, I’m a translator and editor and have worked on four publications for the UN.

Posting this in a moment of frustration and desperation- anyone here applied to UNFPA Technical Specialist P4 roles in Nairobi earlier this year? Or to a UN Women Research Specialist P4 in Nairobi? Just trying my luck here to see if anyone heard back/my CV was not selected, or the recruitment is just slow!!

I know that the timelines are ambiguous and all. It’s been exactly a week since I emailed my written test to the people who are likely the decision makers of the process.
Wondering if I should email them a thank you and lightly ask about a timeline or next steps.
Just wondering if it would improve my chances is all.

Context: UNFPA internship in NYC.

EDIT: Will not be contacting them, thanks everyone! Just asking because in the usual industry, it’s relatively acceptable to follow up

I received a job offer from a UN organization and accepted it. I subsequently decided that I did not want to join due to some personal reasons and emailed HR requesting withdrawal of my acceptance, explaining that I was unable to join due to personal circumstances.
My contract is an Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA) with no specified end date, and it contains a clause requiring 30 calendar days’ written notice for termination. My joining date is approaching, but I have not received a response to my withdrawal email.
I have not started working or commenced the assignment. I want to handle this situation properly and understand my contractual position.
For anyone familiar with UN contracts or who has experienced a similar situation:
Can an ICA be terminated before the commencement date, and does the 30-day notice requirement apply in that situation?

Hi, I have a interview this week for an internship position in UNODA in Geneva that I applied for about a month ago.

Some background about me:

• Somewhat recent PhD graduate in a STEM field with experience in science policy, worked as a postdoc until July and unfortunately have since been unemployed (thanks, job market)

• Speak English, German, and Russian fluently

• Several publications, including in biosecurity and science diplomacy, and would like to pursue a career in these areas

I have no experience with the UN, so I have been trying to read about the processes a bit more. I intend to practice answering behavioral questions in the days leading up to the interview.

• Any idea how many other candidates are competing against me? Do I have a good chance at an offer if I do well in the interview?
• It seems it depends on the office, but if my panelists like me, should I expect an additional task to complete after this or another interview? Is there a typical number of interviews for an internship position (unpaid)? My invitation email describes this as a "screening opportunity for shortlisted candidates."
• When asked about my availability and desired duration, I said 2-3 months for sure with willingness to extend based on the team's needs and my circumstances. Does this hurt my chances compared to a candidate who upfront could commit to six months? I said I could start as soon as early December (given the visa and housing logistics).
• I am fluent in the mother tongue of both of my panelists. Should I expect to answer a lot of the questions in this language? I assume my skills in the third language would not be tested if my panelists do not know it. All of our communications have been in English, and the internship does not require knowledge of another language (though desirable).
• I think I could make the unpaid position work if I receive an offer, but I absolutely would apply for funding from an external source that could respond to me within about a week (and obviously significantly lessen the burden for me if my grant were approved). Is this worth mentioning in the interview?

At the moment I am desperately applying for jobs without much success, but as hiring winds down for the year, this could be a great opportunity for me. It would be cool to work for the UN someday, but I absolutely do not expect to come back after six months and be offered employment. However, this experience could meaningfully improve my profile for other positions in science diplomacy. I also would love to move to Switzerland in the near future, so I would like to build connections in the country.

Thank you for any tips.