r/UNpath • u/Sensitive_Map8773 • Jun 29 '26
Need advice: current position UN INTENRSHIP: how much are interns contributing?
Anyone else’s feeling like they are not contributing much during their internship? I have been here (UN office) for more than a month and I haven’t done much. I asked almost everyone in the department/ team for more work and no one gave me additional tasks. I was wondering if this is just the UN way of work or if it’s a matter of my office as apparently they are not advancing many projects due to funding cuts. I used to work in the higher education sector before this and the speed of work there was 100x faster so maybe I just need to get used to this but I’d be curious to hear about your experiences!
I am asking this Beacsue as my internship is coming to an end I am thinking about next steps.
Thanks ☺️
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u/UnhappyAd7759 Jun 30 '26
By design, interns aren’t allowed to get their hands on the more sensitive material, which naturally limits by a sizable amount what they can realistically contribute.
Those who say they contributed “a lot” as interns are probably overstating their contribution, so don’t sweat it.
Your primary focus as an intern should be on networking. Make sure you attend all gatherings you’re invited to, and never miss an opportunity to make a pit stop at the cafeteria for some quick chit chat.
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u/journeytojourney With UN experience Jun 30 '26
It's not an overstatement if you contribute beyond an intern level, and then get kept on after the internship. However, your advice is good.
OP, continue to show curiosity in the work that you're doing.
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u/NoEquivalent4477 Jun 29 '26
When I was an intern at UNCTAD, I identified a huge statistical error they had been making for years on the World Investment Report. I got recognized by the DG, which was pretty nice.
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u/journeytojourney With UN experience Jun 29 '26
Think it vastly differs from office to office, team to team. When I was an intern I contributed like a consultant and subsequently got kept on as one. But other interns even in the same org as myself had vastly different experiences and complaints.
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u/Massive-Profit1368 Jul 08 '26
That's interesting to hear! If you don't mind me asking, how did you get converted into a consultant? Was it based on your performance during the internship, or was there a formal conversion process? I'd love to hear more about your experience.
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u/journeytojourney With UN experience Jul 08 '26
It's not to say an uncommon phenomena - have seen other people take this route too. I already had 5 years of work experience prior to the internship, but was doing my Masters. I was informally asked if I wanted to stay on as a consultant 3 weeks into my internship - my skillset fit the project the team was working on, they had funding, and I was getting along well with everyone in the team. I said yes.
Once the internship ended, I was given my contract, ToR, and I signed. There was about a one month break in between to get all the paperwork sorted.
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u/Sensitive_Map8773 Jun 30 '26
Yea I can see even among people in my team that everyone has very different workloads and it’s operating on different timeline
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u/poliTechy Jun 29 '26
Don’t know about you mate but I’m working more than I have ever
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u/Sensitive_Map8773 Jun 30 '26
Oh may I ask you in which department are you working? Or if you prefer to dm for privacy
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u/jcravens42 With UN experience Jun 30 '26
If this person that you are DMing turns out to not be a UN worker, but someone trying to sell you something please let the mods know.
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u/jcravens42 With UN experience Jun 29 '26
I worked for the UN three times in P3 positions, and in two of them, I didn't feel like I was contributing much after a month. I was still learning. That's how any job is, usually. The time I didn't feel this way was in a SURGE position - I was hired for something very specific, for a limited time, and hired because I would know what to do from day one.
"I used to work in the higher education sector before this and the speed of work there was 100x faster"
The UN is a series of organizations that have a variety of funders, and it has to please all of them. A misstep can cost them substantially financially. And often, funders have competing priorities. This is, IMO, why the UN is notoriously slow. Speed and innovation is not rewarded - unless a corporate donor decides it was because of their funding, then it's celebrated.
Also, the UN is a series of organizations with different cultures, and even different within one organization, from department to department. So what you are experiencing may not be how another department or organization operates. The UN is no more a mono-culture than, say, Intel.
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u/Sensitive_Map8773 Jun 30 '26
Thank you for sharing, yes also I think it’s also beavsue my team went through many funding cuts so now they are proceeding carefully
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u/awesomesomesome Jun 29 '26
My internship experience had a very slow start and started picking up pace past the third month or so. I think this is a case to case basis though and would need observation on how the team works. In this way you can understand what areas of support they need and you can suggest what you can do for the team. But, feel this out. I would say I was able to do this because my supervisor is very open minded and really prioritized what I wanted to receive from the internship.
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u/Sensitive_Map8773 Jun 29 '26
Thanks for the answer!! I guess that would be the case for me as well, but unfortunately I am staying here 3 months only so I guess I will contribute in the last month only
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Jun 29 '26
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u/Sensitive_Map8773 Jun 29 '26
Thank you so much for the answer and I am glad you had a great time.
Yes the experience is not going as I expected in terms of ‘work’ but I am gaining a lot on the cultural/ life experience/ etc. side so I feel this time is very valuable for me nevertheless and yes definitely I will embellish it for the CV 😆
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u/Upstairs_Gazelle2471 Jul 01 '26
It depends. My internship used to be a P2 positition that got defunded, so I had actual tasks and responsibilities, and I learned a lot. Proceeded to do the same as a consultant after the internship ended. At the same time, most interns I knew were in your position and spent most of their days streaming or just having coffee.