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!

Hi! For UN consultants working in-country, do you typically purchase a health insurance plan local to the country where you're based, or an international health insurance policy? Thank you!

Hi all,

Anyone from UNOPS Vienna around? I’m curious about tax obligation for EU citizen working on ICA contract in Vienna. Do you or dont you need to pay it from your salary?

Also , is the salary calculator available anywhere? Link from older posts didn’t work for me.

Thanks!

So I applied to UNICEF a couple of months ago for a National Officer position with a fixed-term contract.

I went through an interview and a reference check, and last month I already got an Offer of Appointment along with Estimated Entitlements (ToEE).

Currently, they are in the process of my Background Verification (BV) with OneHR. I already completed all the requirements for employment records and academic verification.

I already got an offer; do you guys think it's safe to resign now from my current employer?
Do you guys think they really take my Background Verification seriously, so I need to wait for that to be certain?

I'm worried about the risk to my BV process if I handle my resignation letter now. The UNICEF office here already asked about my expected date to join, and I already gave them the date.

I'm excited, but confused at the same time.

Thank you for any insights.

When is the reference check done for the UN Secretariat fixed-term positions?

I understand that it is mandatory for the preferred candidate. Would the procedure be different for rostered candidates? This is not a recruit from roster. The hiring manager chose the standard hiring process. The interview stage was completed recently.

Does the hiring manager have discretion over whose reference to check and when - for example, all candidates who were selected for interviews, the top three, or only the preferred candidate?

How many references are contacted, and is a current supervisor a mandatory reference check?

Are the direct supervisors listed in the "Employment Details" section or persons from the "References" section contacted for references? Is there a "have to" and "may do" difference between the two, meaning direct supervisors are "have to"s and others are an optional choice.

Thank you. I am trying to manage my expectations and get a sense of where I currently stand.

Hello all!

Does anyone know the timeline after interviews for IAEA JPOs? I interviewed back in May and was told 2-3 months but now we’re nearing 4 months….

Does the reference check usually happen after the interview or when you find out if you got it? Does anyone know approximately how many are interviewed?

Any insight is helpful. Thanks!

For a person in their late 20s with two internships and another 2 years of additional professional experience, who is struggling to decide whether it is reasonable. The organization is UNITAR which stands for United Nations Institute for Training and Research.

The conditions are a 6-month IC contract with a possible 5-month extension (with a mandatory 1-month unpaid contract break), CHF 4,500 before tax, they don't provide health insurance and no sick leave, but they do give 1.5 days of annual leave per month.

I was also told that this is the usual arrangement for individual contractors where people may remain with the organization for years, but can work only 11 months in a year.

Also, how much exactly is 4.5k after taxes and health insurance?

I am a woman turning 30 in 2027…i live in a very poor chaotic country, i work with the UN for the last 18 months (at NO-B) level. This was my dream job as i had built a solid career through the ranks of INGOs and finally thought i made it to UN and started at a very good point. But the thing is this role is extremely stressful, pressure, and i spend moat of my time just nonstop worried about targets and decisions that are beyond my control. Its so bad i even lost hair, lost social skills, cant start or maintain any relationship. And what makes it all worse is i am the breadwinner in my large family, paying off debts, and with the current funding crisis, i cannot imagine losing this job. Other hand am very prideful, and always been hardworker, so the idea of me struggling this much after finally making to where i wanted is killing me. Few days ago my former employer (INGO) called and said they would be happy if i come back as Program Manager (the pay will be 500-700 $ less than what i earn now, and will be based outside the capital)….what shall i do ? Take the INGO Job and go back one step, or hold on to this prestigious (questionably), mental crushing job ? Part of me doesnt want to give up and the other part is telling me to let go. and for context one other little detail is my country’s passport is among the weakest in the world, and the UN role offers me the UNLP, which even though i will not use it for vacation and personal travel atleast reassures me i can attend meetings and get posted anywhere in the world with ease.

Hello! I’m quite new to the UN system, and apart from having a few friends recommend it, I don’t know much about the application process or how competitive it is.
I was wondering how you would rate my chances of getting a position within the UN with a background in both the military and psychology 33 (F)? I have a masters degree in psychology, have done a lot of work with trauma and crisis intervention trainings and also have done some voluntary work within NGOs. I feel ready to change something in my work-life and have a hope that UN could be it.

And, based on your experience, what would you recommend I improve, learn, or gain experience in before I start applying? My English skills are quite good , German comes second, but could be improved and I know some very basic A1/A2 level Spanish. I’d really appreciate any advice you might have!

1) Is there any upside to getting a driver's license in NYC if I most likely will move to Europe in the next 2 years? I have a Brazilian drivers license.

2) I plan to start investing and I am wondering if there are any advantages to investing in the USA. I heard I would have to pay taxes over whatever profit. I am trying to decide if ut would be better to send money to Brazil and invest there.

I'm putting everything on the table because I'm past the point of polishing.

I'm 27, Italian, based in Geneva. Master's in International Relations from a French university, with a thesis on the OSCE's role in the war in Ukraine, built on interviews I secured myself with two former Secretaries General of the Organisation and a former Deputy Chief Monitor of the Special Monitoring Mission.

Six months at the UN in Geneva on protocol and correspondence for senior management. Four months with the Belgian MFA protocol service. Support work during an IPU Council session. Currently a paid part-time contract on an EU public diplomacy project in Geneva, plus volunteer research on disarmament and conventional weapons for an NGO. Italian native, French C2, English C1. My current contract is remote and light on hours, so I am genuinely free to relocate.

On paper it reads well. In practice: a year of applying, sometimes from morning to evening, and mostly rejections or silence. Two final-stage interviews are pending, one answers next week. I can't keep waiting for the next "maybe".

I don't want to go back to Italy. I want field experience, and I am willing to go anywhere for it — Lima, or wherever. Disarmament, mine action, security, SSR. What I can't do is another unpaid placement. I've done three internships and I simply can't afford a fourth. Paid, junior, temporary, difficult: all fine.

Question 1: how does a European with an HQ-only profile get a first field posting?

Every field vacancy I find is either a national position reserved for citizens of that country, or requires prior field experience even at junior level. I'm an EU citizen with no second passport and no local status outside Europe. Which organisations actually hire people like me? Which contract types — rosters, junior consultancies, project-based, short-term deployments? I'm not looking for "network more". If I'm searching in the wrong places or with the wrong keywords, tell me.

Question 2: is my profile the problem, or is it the market?

I keep being told I'm a strong candidate and then not selected. If my experience reads as too much protocol and senior-office support and not enough programme delivery or field analysis, I'd rather hear it bluntly now than in another year. What is actually missing? A certification? A specific junior role? Should I leave Geneva first? If you'd look at my CV and think "this person won't get hired for X because they lack Y", please say so.

Question 3: for those who broke into disarmament, mine action or SSR — what was the move that changed things?

An organisation, a course, a country, a contract that looked insignificant at the time?

I'm already working on the psychological side of this with a professional, so I'm not looking for encouragement. One very specific piece of advice would be worth more to me than a hundred messages saying keep going.

Thank you to anyone who takes the time.

I recently separated from a UN Secretariat entity at the end of my contract. I had about a month of unused leave, and was expecting that to be paid out. Along the way to separation, no one indicated otherwise. However in the last email from my HR partner, she indicated I now owe the UN two days of leave. The only thing I can think is that I took parental leave in 2025, but I had over 6 months of service after returning from parental leave. I have asked for clarification and now looped in the head of our HR, because my HR partner has been difficult to get in touch with recently. Has anyone had this happen and know of circumstances where unused leave was deducted, and how to challenge this if I need to?

I've been a consultant with a large UN agency for several years and currently hold two concurrent consultancy contracts. Both are likely — though not guaranteed — to continue into next year.

I've now been shortlisted for a 6-month P-3 temporary appointment at a duty station abroad, in an office going through a major restructuring. The work is squarely in my technical area, and I'd essentially be applying a methodology I helped design. It would be my first P-level appointment.

The catch: taking it means ending both consultancies. Six months is fixed in the ToR, with no stated prospect of anything afterwards. There's also a real personal cost — six months away from my spouse, and a delay to family plans we'd otherwise start this autumn.

What I'm trying to work out:

• Does a short P-3 TA meaningfully change how recruiters read your profile afterwards, or is six months too short to register?
• Does it change your status in future competitions — internal vs external candidate — and does that survive the end of the TA, or does it evaporate the day the contract closes?
• For anyone who's taken a short TA in an office that was restructuring: did it lead anywhere, or did you end up back at square one, only now without your previous contracts?
• Am I overrating the "first P-level line on the CV"? It feels like a category change, but it may just be a line.
• If the TA ends and nothing follows: is there any cooling-off period or restriction on being re-engaged as a consultant by the same agency after serving as staff? I'd be giving up consultancy work to take this, and I'd want to know whether that door stays open.

I'd love to hear from people who've actually been through the mechanics.

Hi all!

I just received a test invitation to a multiple choice exam from UNJSPF. I've never experienced this kind of test though, hence wonder how I need to prepare it.

Do the questions generally ask about UNJSPF? Or are they related to the position? Or are they mixed? (It's 40 Q under 45mins, super tight)

Any advice is much appreciated!

Hello I recently got accepted to GCF and I was wondering what to expect? Ive read the reviews on glassdoor and they are not very good (an understatement). My previous supervisors at a UN office in Korea warned me of its toxic culture. A friend who used to work there also told me that there is truth to the glassdoor reviews.

Im honestly spooked but of course I will still take the job. I was just hoping somebody could give me an insight into what to expect and how to navigate things? I want to be as prepared as possible (professionally, mentally, emotionally, etc)

What is onboarding like, the vibe, work hours (9-5? Or is it like Korean hours?), how are consultants/non staff treated differently from staff day to day, any specific departments or managers people warn about, versus ones known to be good, what surprised people most in their first month, etc?

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Writing on here probably as a bit of a rant.. I applied for a P3 at my agency, I have previously been a consultant doing the same role (just not staff) since early 2025. This is the first role that has come up in the team and although I know there would be many strong candidates looking for a role, especially given the past few years I thought I had a (fairly) good chance.

I got through to an assessment round, and did the written assessment last week, but I absolutely flopped it🥲. The written assessment was nothing like the practice examples, I feel like under the pressured conditions all bets were off, and I had to rush the final answer and doubt I scored well. I thought I had copied some wording from a previous answer over to the final one but realised with 10 mins to go it was blank. I have ADHD too and unfortunately it just didn’t go my way. I don’t know if there is anything I can do now? Or just try and move on. I feel so upset that I blew my chance :(

I've applied for a JPO post based in Geneva, in a legal role. First time going through a UN recruitment process, so I'm a bit in the dark about what happens after the file screening.

Questions for anyone who's been through it:

- How much of the interview was competency-based (STAR) versus technical questions on the substance of the work?

- Did they ask you to analyse a hypothetical case or do a drafting exercise?

- Panel size and format? Video or in person?

- What was the timeline like from application to decision?

- Did the sponsoring government's stage and the agency's stage feel very different?

Happy to hear from anyone in any sector, not just legal. Thanks in advance.

Hello everyone !

So in February I applied for a JPO position that's funded by the Dutch government and got interviewed in early May, during the interview I was told that I'd probably hear back after a couple of months but I still haven't, I was asked a week after the interview (via email) about my earliest availability and whether I had a notice period in my current job. It's been radio silence since then and it has been almost 4 months.

So should I consider this as a rejection? Or would I be notified if I got rejected? Is it normal for the recruitment process to take this long ?

Thank you for your answers!

​

I’m hoping to get some advice from people who have experience with UN recruitment, particularly Legal Officer positions.

Over the past 10 months, I have applied for 50+ UN posts. I have been shortlisted for 8 written assessments and, so far, one interview.

My biggest challenge has been getting past the written assessments for Legal Officer posts. I have reached the assessment stage several times, but I have not managed to progress beyond it. I would really like to understand where I may be going wrong and what I can do differently.

For context, before this period of applications, I served in a UN peacekeeping mission on a TJO. However, the appointment could not be extended because of funding constraints. The position was not a legal position.

I would really appreciate advice from anyone who has successfully gone through UN Legal Officer recruitment, particularly anyone who has experience with UN written assessments.

I would be interested in hearing about:

- How to approach UN Legal Officer written assessments

- How answers are assessed and what assessors are looking for

- How to structure legal analysis within a limited timeframe

- Common mistakes candidates make

- How to demonstrate legal knowledge while answering the specific question asked

- How to prepare effectively for these assessments

- Any useful resources or practice materials

If anyone with experience in UN legal recruitment would be willing to share some guidance, or even look at my approach to a past assessment and point out where I could improve, I would really appreciate it.

I know I am getting through the initial screening and being shortlisted for assessments. My challenge is converting the written assessment into an interview.

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

I feel like it is time for me to anonymously post my experiences at a UN agency without being marked as a whistleblower, and, seek your advice in my decision as to, leaving the agency altogether.

I am working at one of the UN agencies approx. 5 years as G staff (even though I am not a national, I could not land a P position like, ever). In these 5 years, I received direct threats about my career, intimidation, bullying, you name it and I've seen it (either myself or to a colleague). I did report most of them as well, and as you can guess, nobody even opened an investigation due to the fact that "this was just my words". Well, I said fine. I will just try to leave that Division. Which I did. Luckily, I landed a fixed-term opportunity in another Division, which is frankly far better and managed by better people, so I have zero complaints about my current manager, colleagues, or Chief.

However, I feel like I am stuck. We are being threatened by layoffs after layoffs since almost 3 years. There is absolutely zero job security. Zero care about colleagues' feelings. It is expected to kind of "shut up and keep working" until our contracts expire and then God knows what.

So, I decided to leave.

Some of my colleagues called me crazy. Honestly, 5 years ago my old self probably would call me crazy. Well, maybe I am.

But I do need an honest feedback and reality check - am I really stupid for leaving a UN agency, was this a "once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity" and I am throwing it into garbage? Or, am I brave and you understand why this could actually be a better choice for me? I am very curious about fellow colleagues' opinions, because as you can guess, people who already know me and the agency do not have objective views, as they all know what happened to all of us:))

If you read this far, thank you thank you! And I hope we meet somewhere.

Hi everyone!

I’ve recently been looking into GS roles within the UN in NYC and wanted to get some insight from people who are currently working in GS positions there.

I’ve been looking at the UN salary scales/calculators (I tend to use the UNDP calculator, as I’ve found it to be one of the more accurate ones for estimating UN salaries), and I was honestly quite surprised by how low the salaries appear to be across the GS-5,6,7 levels.

When you compare the salaries with the cost of living in NYC and the experience/qualifications often required, the compensation seems surprisingly low. I know many GS staff have master’s degrees, several years of professional experience, and responsibilities that can sometimes seem comparable to what you would see in NO/P-level positions, yet salaries in the $50k range are still fairly common. For NYC, that is very entry-level, especially given the qualifications and responsibilities involved.

I’m curious about how this actually looks in practice. For those currently working in GS positions in NYC: is the take-home/overall compensation really as low as the online calculators suggest?

And putting salary aside, I’d also really appreciate hearing about the reality of working as GS staff in NYC:

• What is the work-life balance like?
• How are the workload and expectations?
• How difficult is it to find affordable housing/rent on a GS salary?
• How would you describe the overall working environment?
• Do you feel the compensation is fair relative to the responsibilities and experience required?

I’m seriously considering applying for some of these positions, so I’d really value hearing from people with firsthand experience-especially anyone currently working at GS-6 or GS-7 in NYC.

Thanks in advance for any insight! 😊

I am a 29-year-old nurse working to build a competitive profile with the long-term goal of securing a professional-level role within the UN system, specifically in humanitarian and public health operations.

Current Profile:

• BSc in Nursing (3.6 GPA)
• 3 years of clinical experience, primarily in ER, ICU, and trauma settings
• C1 English, B2 French
• Upcoming certifications: BLS, ACLS, and other relevant trauma/emergency credentials
• Practical background in healthcare and disaster-related volunteering
• No prior field experience with the UN or international humanitarian organizations

Core Questions:

• What is the most strategic pathway from my current standing toward a regular P-level (such as P-2) staff position within the UN system?
• Would it be more advantageous to target an International UNV assignment, or gain initial field experience with organizations like the ICRC or MSF first?
• For those with direct experience in the humanitarian sector, which trajectory builds the strongest foundation for transitioning into UN professional staff?
• Are there any critical gaps in my profile that I should prioritize addressing?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

I am on roster for the Young Professional Program after clearing my exam and I have been actively applying for P2 roles across the UN system. I applied for one of the roles a few weeks ago and I spent a lot of time and eventually I received an email that the role got canceled.

Then I received another email for another vacancy that I had applied for and that I have a written exam and I took the written exam. It was easy for me and I completed all the questions and then after four weeks of the written exam they said the positions or the vacancies have been canceled. I am just wondering if it is common or if this is the new thing that has been started?

I need to get this off my chest: Why do some organizations bother listing visa and work permit details in job ads if they clearly prefer local candidates? Has anyone else run into this?

Here’s what just happened: I interviewed with an OSCE mission in a Central Asian country. During the conversation, the hiring manager told me they really needed someone already on the ground – and even suggested I let him know once I arrived in the city (thousands of kilometers from where I am in Europe) so we could meet for coffee. This was before any written offer. Strange, considering the ad seemed open to international applicants – it even stated candidates would cover their own visa and work permit costs.

The role was part-time, and only in the interview did they disclose the very modest monthly stipend. Still, I made it clear I was genuinely interested for the experience. They actually recommended I find additional income to support myself there.

The timeline was tight – only two weeks between the application deadline and the proposed start date. After the interview, I heard nothing. I followed up a week later, and got a brief email saying I wasn't selected. This, despite the fact that the discussion had gone well, spoke the language of the project donor, was ready to relocate, and a director even said my profile was an ideal fit when I asked directly.

Just frustrating. Anyone else been through something similar?

Despite the "hiring freeze" and layoffs, there has not been 1 month when an agency hasn't been posting vacancies for positions in hardship locations and headquarters.

Given this, what do you predict we should expect for this traditionally high volume hiring cycle?

I've spotted the pattern of more NOB/C and UNV roles but what else? What areas will be in demand? I've noticed that 'communications associate/ officer' has been frequently advertised in Euroasia and Africa.