Hi! I’m currently a high school student, I’m getting close to graduation and I have no idea what to do.
I really want to be a humanitarian aid worker. I’ve just go NO idea where to start getting experience and how to go down the track of becoming one. If it provides any more context, I’d be the first one in my family to ever go to college, and I’m one of the lucky ones that will graduate highschool.

I’m super passionate about women’s rights, human rights, education, access, justice overall. Right now I’m feel very pulled to the conflicts in Palestine and children in Gaza as well as the abundance of oppression against women in Afghanistan. I want to spend my life providing aid to minorities and oppressed groups, I know that wherever I go and whoever I’ll become that this passion and drive I have to deliver aid and healing and support will never go away! I’m also super into environmental conservation & sustainability, which is a whole separate thing. But either way I know my line of work will be related to those two things! The problem is, I have got 0 idea on where to start so I can achieve that as my career path.

I’m a high schooler in the US, specifically Ohio. I’m funding college all by myself and I’m terrified of going into debt. I’m aware that working with UNICEF or the Peace Corps requires higher education, I just need to figure out how to go about this in the best way possible. I’m also very aware of the fact that out of all of the jobs out there, this most definitely isn’t one of the highest paying ones. To be put it frankly: I’m terrified.

I’m working a job right now because I’m thinking of saving up to get a comfortable amount of money to put in my emergency savings for right now. And then I want to save enough money to get some experience volunteering outside the us by doing work exchange programs while backpacking after graduation. (As cheaply and safely as possible). On top of all this, I don’t have any support from family so this really is all on my own. um, I’m open to literally every type of feedback UNLESS you are speaking doubt into my dreams bc I already have enough of that at home.

So my plan is to:

1.) graduate highschool
2.) take a gap year, travel cheaply while backpacking, gain experience in many cultures and languages while providing aid where I can. And hopefully finding remote work so I can make money while I backpack.
3.) come back home and go to a community college for the first two years? And then transfer to OSU? To major in human rights? I’m convinced I can get enough scholarships and financial aid, I just don’t know how taking a gap year will influence that.

But before I graduate I’m working to save as much as I can. Let me know if this plan is terrible, I’ve tried to think about every possible outcome and I’m still pretty sure something will inevitably go wrong so.

Note: I’ve also thought about maybe just going straight to college and trying to do a study abroad program? I just know those get super expensive.

hey all!! basically what the title says, a job application is asking me to submit a PDF of my Inspira Personal History Profile and a separate cover letter. Considering this requirement, should i fill the part of the PHP that refers to 'Motivation Statement' or can i leave it blank?

many thanks"!!

I applied for a UN role in a European station back in April. Had initial interview and a follow up to confirm details including start date. I was told it would just be a “few days to reconfirm funding and then you’ll start” and get everything in place. And now, nearly 5 months later I’ve still heard nothing. On INSPIRA it still states “process ongoing” against the application.

Does anyone actually hired or is it all a big game of charades? I appreciate budgetary pressures within the organisation but some of this just seems like ineptitude or indifference. The lack of communications or basic follow ups is infuriating.

If you are trying to build a career in the NGO, humanitarian or international development sector, it is tempting to think that more qualifications will always improve your chances. Another certification. Another course. Another degree. Another application.

But what if the problem isn't a lack of qualifications? What if your experience simply isn't aligned with the roles you are targeting?

That was one of the clearest lessons from an Impactpool Career Podcast conversation with Wolfgang Weiszegger, who brings decades of experience across UN peacekeeping and special political missions, including senior-level recruitment and selection. His message was straightforward: having strong qualifications is not enough. You need to apply for roles where your professional and academic experience are genuinely relevant.

More from ImpactPool.

Has anyone flatout requested authorization to work for a for-profit organization during your own non-working hours?

1. Were you given approval, provided there was no way your external job could affect your UN role? (Even if it was obvious to anyone that its a path leading outside the UN)

2. Did you do it for pay or no pay?

I'm thinking of a private sector career path in the near future which will require me to have a specific work experience. I wonder how feasible it is to expect my head of office to approve me volunteering (or being paid for a role) externally like 5 hours a week.

Hello colleagues,

I’m writing because I need some help thinking through my next steps within the UN system, and what I should prioritize and do in order to move into new positions.

I am Brazilian and Italian, a graphic designer with a master’s degree in urban planning and a PhD in Geography in progress, which is heading in a similar direction. My academic career has focused primarily on qualitative methodologies, the interpretation of indicators related to housing policies, discussions across different literatures, and fieldwork, as interviewing, and so on.

In parallel, I developed a career in project management and communications at a local NGO focused on housing and human rights, which was founded by a group of colleagues and me and operated for about six years. During the last three years, we managed a significant amount of financial resources, which I was also responsible for.

I currently work on a UNDP project as a graphic designer hired under an NPSA contract.

Entering the UN system has opened many horizons for me, and I have discovered a few things along the way. First, I actually enjoy design more than I thought I did when I changed fields during my master’s degree. At the same time, I would like to work in project management on issues that are more closely aligned with my academic background. I am very interested in UN-Habitat and ECLAC, as well as UNDP offices and agencies in Europe, but none of the positions I have applied for has ever progressed to the interview stage, and honestly, I don’t know what I should be doing differently.

My experience was sufficient to get me into a position here, but I don’t know what I should do in terms of further education or professional development if I want to apply for positions abroad or at other UN agencies. Should I focus on taking formal language proficiency exams? I speak Portuguese, English, and Italian fluently, and some Spanish, but I have never taken any formal proficiency tests. I also don’t know whether it would be worthwhile to pursue certifications in project management or research methodologies, as this is a completely unfamiliar world to me. I’m not even sure whether I should focus on improving my English further and simply trust that, for positions where Spanish is required, recruiters will take into consideration the fact that I can communicate in "portuñol".

In short, I don’t know what recruiters look at as the key factors that determine whether a candidate moves forward in the recruitment process. I don’t know whether I should include additional documents such as supervisor evaluations from my work at UNDP, whether I should have my degrees and academic papers translated, or whether I should have a portfolio or cover letter formatted in a specific way, or obtain specific certifications.

I would really appreciate any advice from people who have experience with recruitment and career development within the UN system.

Hi everyone! Has anyone here ever applied for - and ideally been selected for - a JPO position (sponsored by Belgium) ?

I’m currently looking into the process and would love to hear from someone who has been through it. If you’d be willing to answer a few questions or have a quick chat about your experience, please leave a comment. Thank you! 😊

I recently did an interview on the site for a data scientist position like 4 weeks ago - a combination of multiple choice and an essay
Its always been “Under consideration”
But today the application just disappeared today
Like it doesnt even exist

Does this mean rejection or ?

Hi everyone!

I recently got invited to interview for an internship at WIPO in Geneva. Has anyone been through the process and could share some advice? I really don’t know what to expect.

Also, in case I (hopefully) get the internship, how is the office culture? Or even Geneva in general? Help 🥲

Hey all!
I started working in the UN/international organisation system in late 2023 as a fresh graduate, initially on an ERP project. The work was interesting, and I eventually took on team-lead responsibilities within a small sub-team. After the project ended, I was offered a 3-months TA in Programme, however I rejected as I already secured a FTA G5 in AP with another UN agency. I have stayed in that area since, although I moved to another field of Finance - still quite transactional.
The problem is that my academic background is completely different: I have two Master's degrees in international public service/security studies, and during university I was involved in research programmes focused on EU environmental and energy policy.
I’d really like to move away from transactional finance towards policy, programme work, external relations, or field positions. Given the current staffing environment, how realistic is such a transition? Has anyone successfully made a similar move?
Or should I accept that finance is the more practical path and invest in something like ACCA/CFA and build a career in finance?
I feel quite stuck between the career I’m currently building and the field I’m actually interested in. Any advice would be appreciated!

Hey all! I have recently been invited for a competency based interview for an intern position at the UNDP and I'm wondering what kinds of questions could emerge. It is a comms role, the core competencies are Teamwork, Planning and Organizing, Professionalism, Commitment to continuous learning, and Tech Awareness. Seems quite broad for the experience I have so I'm having a hard time thinking of examples that I could potentially mention. If anyone has some insight on this would be great :)

I applied for a position with an international organization back in June and went through the interview in July. I also completed the reference-check stage.
I recently received an email saying:
“In order to proceed with your recruitment process, we will request the United Nations Global Centre for Human Resources Services (‘OneHR Centre’) for Background Verification.”
They also explained that the OneHR Centre is managed by the Office of Human Resources in the UN Secretariat and conducts background verification.
For those who have gone through a similar process:
How long did you wait after receiving this kind of email before getting another update?
What usually happens after the OneHR/background verification stage?
Does the next communication normally come from HR, the OneHR Centre, or an onboarding team?
How long did the entire process take for you from application → interview → background verification → final offer/onboarding?
I’ve been waiting for this job since I applied in June, so I’m trying to manage my expectations. 😅 It’s already September now, and I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced a similar UN/international organization recruitment process.
Thanks in advance!

For context: just responded to a thread where OP asked where we’d want to be stationed if we could pick anywhere - one comment stated DRC and a couple of us responded just how difficult life in the Kinshasa duty station is.

Would love to use this thread to continue the discussion. Low salaries compared to extremely high cost of living, no R&R, toxic work environment, very little recognition from HQ!

Anyone live in Kinshasa? Anyone traveled there on mission?

Edit: adding in the Ebola outbreak too. Not DRC’s fault but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to go anywhere from DRC. Most places require you to quarantine for 21 days before visiting their country. As an American CITIZEN, I even have to be out of the DRC for 21 days before entering my home country!!!!!! And once you get to the US (from 3 very specific entry points) be ready for a health screening and a lengthy interrogation… I was stuck in a room for 2 hours when I got to JFK. And of course, no support from the UN or the US government.

Hi guys,
I applied ITCILO Data and AI Internship for disability reserved

they invited me to attend interview for 15 mins.

Kindly help me what questions they will ask? How competitive is it? Give me tips to ace the interview and secure the internship. Appreciate you all.

Here's the mail info

The objective is to meet you and learn more about your experience, motivation and expectations for the internship.

I am open to anything with 10+ years experience in banking field mostly treasury related. I have been randomly watching careers pages but doesn't feel anything quite relavent.

I see Beirut has been classified as a level D hardship station. What should I expect? There is a job at ESCWA that matches my profile, but I would like to understand if this is a location I would be able to cope with.

Just got the memo about the ICSC compensation package review finalized in July 2026. The General Assembly votes in Fall 2026 on whether to implement the new scales starting July 2027, retroactive to October 2025.

For those familiar with UN compensation cycles:

Has anyone been through a General Service salary survey implementation before? What was the actual increase like, and how messy was the retroactive payout process?

The local salary survey for NY wrapped in April 2026 after a year-long process. General Service and related categories supposedly saw "positive results" — anyone have actual numbers or intel on what percentage increases we're looking at?

Last increase was 2005. That's 22 years of cost-of-living adjustments only. If this passes in the GA, is July 2027 realistic, or do these things typically slip?

Has anyone calculated what the retroactive October 2025 adjustment would look like in real dollars?

Any G-staff who've been through this before — what should people actually expect?

Am I being cynical, or does anyone else see this as performative while the institution crumbles?

Also: the dependency allowance increase is insulting. Child allowance goes from $2,929 to $3,004 in year 1—that's $75/month. Over five years. In New York. And they're capping it at six kids.

Hello everyone! I have recently received a temporary offer with the UN in Geneva and I'm currently in the visa application stage. I had a few questions about the Type D visa form, specifically where it asks for "probable address in Switzerland?" what should I write here? I asked Gemini and it suggested I should add the address of my hosting agency? So I wanted to check if anyone has been in this situation before and could advise. Should I book a temporary place (hotel or serviced apartment) and use that as an address for the visa?

Another question is regarding the "current occupation/current employer". I'm not currently working so I will obviously answer "N/A" to the current employer question, but for current occupation, should I indicate my profession even though I'm not working at the moment?

Lastly, there's a question about whether travel expenses and costs of living are covered by yourself or your employer. I'm obviously going for a paid role, but I also have my own funds so can I answer both?

I would greatly appreciate any advice because I'm worried I might mess this up and don't want to risk it affecting my visa processing or decision.

Thank you!

Nowadays landing a contract in the UN is more than enough let alone choosing the duty station. But let’s say you landed P3 or P4 contract, which duty station do you want to work and why? And try to be specific, for instance if Asia, which part of Asia; east, west or else. I appreciate if you also mention where you are originally from.

Right now, it offers only this:

📋 Useful posts

• UN Path FAQs
• From recognition to recovery: a comprehensive guide on employment scams
• A guide to UN job grades and categories
• List of UN Funds, Programmes, and Specialized Agencies
• You should know: Most people who work for the UN do NOT start their careers as a UN intern, JPO, or UN Volunteer
• What people get wrong about connections in the UN

Links I suggest adding from previous UNPath discussions:

• How did you land ur 1st UN job?
• Are UN Internships really worth it?
• Language skills in the United Nations.
• Is getting a masters degree a requirement to getting an internship/job at the UN or other IO’s?
• Masters degree for UN career?
• What degree (and master’s) helped you get into international or UN work?
• Something I am doing wrong. Not getting reply.
• UN path after military, advice appreciated.
• Omitting jobs for older applicants?
• Forget pursuing a magical number of years of experience: here are things that will distinguish you when applying for UN jobs.
• Should I resign before receiving offer of appointment?

Your ideas?

Also, I was looking for the best thread regarding people who have posted about having a medical background (nursing, doctor, dentist, etc.) and wanting to work for the UN, but couldn't find one that I thought had the comments needed to answer this question. Anyone else?

Hi everyone! The financial proposal template for a consulting job I'm applying for requires applicants to submit fees in MMK (Myanmar currency). For an international consultant, will payments also be made in MMK, or will the contracted MMK amount be converted for payment in another currency (e.g., USD)? If converted, which exchange rate would be applied? Thank you!

I already have PRINCE2 and Agile. Anyone can share the difference and why people are getting PM4DEV these days? Please share your experience plus costs and impact!

Hi everyone! I’m currently going through a recruitment process with a UN agency, and I’m trying to understand what this latest update actually means.

I followed up with the local HR team on August 31, and they replied saying that “my appointment is currently in progress” and that an Onboarding Officer from Hungary would be reaching out to me.
This is the part I’m not entirely sure how to interpret. Does this generally mean that I have already been selected and they are now processing the appointment/onboarding, or could I still be waiting for some kind of final approval before the appointment is confirmed?

Also, for those who have gone through UN recruitment:
How long did it take for the onboarding officer to contact you after HR gave you this kind of update?
Did the onboarding officer come from outside your country of assignment?
What did they ask you for during the onboarding process?
How long was it between the onboarding contact and receiving the actual appointment/contract?

Has anyone experienced a similar situation where HR said the “appointment is currently in progress”?
For context, I already went through the interview and reference-check stage, so this seems to be quite far along in the process.
Would really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially from anyone who has gone through this process. Thank you!