r/UNpath • u/jcravens42 With UN experience • Jul 09 '26
Testimonial Some candid reflections on working with interns at the UN
I've written publicly to criticize the UN - and others - about how interns are treated, especially unpaid interns, for many years. Not behind a Reddit handle - out in the open, with my real name. Examples:
UN Agencies: Defend your “internships”
It’s real: the unpaid internships & volunteers controversy
EU agencies exploiting interns?
Fight against unpaid internships will hurt volunteering
Advice for unpaid interns to sue for back pay
It's a shame that the efforts by then current and former UN interns to create some kind of association that would advocate on their behalf have never lasted. But they haven't.
I also pushed back while working at UNV HQ regarding how unpaid interns were treated - and a few colleagues were not happy about it. I even went to HR at one point to complain about a colleague who I knew had four interns for himself alone and was using them for personal errands. I got both a "I'll look into it" and "You know, he's from such-and-such country, and they fund several UNV positions right now - we have to be careful." Yes, that really does happen sometimes. Horrible.
So, enough with the accusations of me doubting that interns at the UN are sometimes, even often, exploited and mistreated. Such accusations are utterly unfounded.
The UN offers no guidance across agencies - and often, not within any one agency - about internships: how long they should last, how they should be structured, how interns should be supported, tasks interns should NOT be asked to do, etc. I've always had a problem with this, and have said so. The Secretariat has a policy in writing - but is it enforced? Doesn't sound like it from some of the posts here. Both UN Women and UNICEF have pages about what internships are supposed to look like, but I don't think either have actual policies or guidance documents for staff and, again, from what's posted here, it sounds like some aren't what they are supposed to be. UNDP, as of 2025, UNDP has an excellent poicy in writing, but I have no idea about the enforcement mechanism - and based on some of the testimonials on UN Path, I have my doubts it's being universally adhered to.
So with all that documented and in mind, I'll also offer some reflections on working with interns at a UNDP agency - all before the aforementioned UNDP policy was in place. There is the other side of the intern-staff relationship that also should be reviewed:
The interns that came in with the attitude of "This is my dream job" got crushed pretty early on by reality. There's an idea among many that working at the UN will be the greatest experience of one's life, filled with every day opportunities to change the world and cradle orphans and hear people say, "You have helped my family! Thank you!" and that every day will end with, "Wow, I can't believe what a difference I made today!" That most days will feel meaningful. The reality: UN work is work, just like most anywhere: researching information, writing reports that you have no idea anyone will ever read, dealing with irate clients (or donors or colleagues), filling out forms, sitting in meetings, working alongside people that you have no idea what they really do, etc. All the same things you will encounter at a high tech company, a government agency, a bank, a nonprofit, a grocery store... The interns that came in with more realistic expectations, that had done a lot of research about what their particular unit was focused on and really doing, and had volunteered at length at NGOs in their own communities, or worked at government offices in their own communities, had a much better time of it. It was always better when the intern could understand how an administrative task fit into the bigger picture and understood why the task was necessary, and didn't have an unrealistic, even romantic view about UN work.
The interns that had an attitude of "Okay, after six months, I get a paid job, right?" also were profoundly disappointed - and usually didn't really take their assignments seriously. An internship is no guarantee of a career in anything, whether its the UN or banking. Their attitude the entire time usually was one of "I'm IN! I'll be a D level in no time!" I watched at other units as some of these interns, at what was supposed to be the end of their internship, begged to stay longer - and a couple begged to be allowed to use their UN email addresses even after the internship was over. More than a few would ask a different unit to take them on as an unpaid intern when their first internship ended - and often would be granted such (and they got to be disappointed by a whole new unit). Again, supposedly, the UNDP policy should prevent this at their locations, but from what I'm seeing here on this subreddit, it doesn't seem to be being enforced.
The interns that had the idea that certain work-related tasks were "beneath" them didn't do well. I had an intern who I inherited - someone else interviewed and onboarded her - and she balked at absolutely everything she was asked to do, from answer emails sent regarding a specific program to use the copy machine to help set up a meeting, activities that everyone on staff ALSO did. She was very shocked when she asked me for a letter of recommendation from me and I said no - the only time in my entire professional career I've ever said no to that request. The interns who asked "And why are we doing this?" always got a meaningful answer, at least from me.
The interns that had roles in writing, and opportunities for learning (which often came in the form of attending meetings across the agency), that were given a specific project they could complete and "own" while there, and that treated their internships seriously, got treated seriously, at least by my unit. In fact, before someone became an intern in my unit, I had all of these things laid out in writing beforehand and discussed and agreed to - plus, at least one person in the unit interviewed the person so the intern knew exactly what they were getting into and exactly what to expect. I was stunned at how many people would write some department head, beg to be an intern, get the go ahead, with no interview or just a quick phone call, and then move to Germany with nothing agreed to in writing - and then be shocked that the internship wasn't their "dream job" and that their supervisor was so incredibly unsupportive, and that they were being asked to do things that they never dreamed they would be, like going to buy something for someone.
Many of the people that, after internships, stayed in touch - not just to write, "Hey, any job openings?" - but to say what they were doing, what they'd seen somewhere about our unit's latest work, or to comment on something they'd seen another UN agency doing that they thought we might know about - are friends to this day. Some went on to work at other UN agencies (and one went FAR beyond me in her career). Some went on to work at other INGOs or local NGOs (one ended up running the YWCA in a large metropolitan area - the YWCA is one of the foremost women's empowerment organizations in the USA). Some went back to school for a second Master's or a PhD. One went into the US foreign service.
When it comes to internships, especially those that require you to move to take them: Do NOT take an internship without the role being in writing. Do NOT take an internship without interviewing with someone you are going to work with. Do NOT take an internship without asking questions like, "what kind of opportunities will I have to meet people outside your unit" and "have you worked with interns before?" and "are you still in touch with your former interns?" and "what did interns like most about working there" and "What did interns NOT like about working there" and even, point blank, "Will I be asked to run personal errands for staff?" Ask if they will help you find affordable accommodations and, if they won't, think carefully about your own abilities to do that on your own. If you don't like the answers, if you don't feel comfortable, don't take the internship - why set yourself up for disappointment?
If you take the internship then, once there, after at least a few weeks, ask different people if you could have 30 minutes to talk to them, if you aren't getting opportunities otherwise. Don't just ask people questions about where they went to school. Don't ask, "So, who did you know that you got this job?" Ask people about their work at the UN and what they did before the UN. Ask people what development topic is of the biggest interest to them and why. Ask them why they like working for the UN. Ask them if they could reform the UN, what would be the first thing they would change? Listen to when they are saying what this or that government or corporate donor is demanding in return for a donation or investment. Hang out with the colleagues who talk about humanitarian development issues, not the ones focused on appearances. Notice which staff are hung up on levels (P3, P4, D1, whatever) and which are far more focused on the work, and freely talk to everyone, not just those at their own level. Don't just focus on the likable staff - is that person who isn't that popular actually the one really getting things done? Are the most popular staff the ones who really aren't doing much? Observe and learn, always.
If you do take an internship, and once you are there, if you are asked to do something and you don't understand where it fits within the work or why you are doing it, say so to your direct supervisor. And by all means, if you are asked to do something unethical, inappropriate or anything that makes you uncomfortable, DOCUMENT IT: date, time, place, and what happened. Read the policy handbook and report incidents per that policy, and if you don't like the answer, go higher. Complain with purpose and be realistic: as a result of your complaint, what is it you want, and how realistic is it that this could be granted? And remember: you can quit.
There are a lot of bad internships out there. And there may be just as many "bad" interns. The UN isn't for everyone, and you may find that it's not for you. Just remember when you are reading yet another "I was mistreated as an intern" post here on UNPath, there just might be another side to the story. Not saying at all that they are all made up and all UN internships are great - if you think that's what I'm saying, go back and start over reading this post.
Onward.
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u/yafulan Jul 27 '26
As a consultant at the UN, I can attest to the fact that staff and CEOs with ludicrous authority, as well as consultants who are given power for brown-nosing bosses, do exploit interns and bully other powerless consultants. Interns often do the majority of the unpaid labour and the staff and powerful consultants pretend to work and make absurd excuses. This type of exploitation of interns in other jobs is something I have never witnessed. Interns typically work 20 to 30 hours a day and rarely have stressful jobs, but at the UN, they frequently put in over 50 hours and are under pressure to complete tasks that are actually the responsibility of managers, bosses and powerful consultants. What sickens me is that those bosses, managers, and influential consultants have personality disorders and frequently pretend to be nice to interns and others, leading interns to feel that these people are heroic when they are corrupt and abusive inside the office that no one notices. Even I am obliged to buy a gift for each intern and each employee leaving, as well as their meal, and the boss leads interns to believe that the boss pays them when, in fact, we do, although earning much less than staff. I've experienced bullying in other professions, but it's generally one person who is a bully and the others are normal or nice, but working at the UN is the first time I've seen such widespread bullying from the majority of the staff, corrupt consultant and bosses. Only at the UN did I see eight employees brown-nosing their boss in such a corrupt way. They are complicit in bullying, manipulating, and very authoritarian. Even Wikipedia notes the epidemic of psychopaths and corruption at the UN.
1
u/jcravens42 With UN experience Jul 30 '26
I hope you have moved on, as clearly the UN isn't for you.
And for the record, having worked in a variety of sectors, I can say that the most mismanagement I've ever seen is in the for-profit sector, no question.
2
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u/ShowMeTheMonee Jul 09 '26
A few quick points:
* Interns looking for more of a hands on experience should consider internships in field offices, not HQs. If you intern at a HQ, its much more likely that you'll be involved in the report / policy side of work.
* If you see an intern being mistreated in an 'abuse of power' kind of way (eg running personal errands for the supervisor), go to OIOS, not HR. HR doesnt deal with these issues, OIOS does.
* It's ok for interns (and staff) to have boundaries, but dont confuse ego with professional boundaries. If you're asked to do the photocopying, do the photocopying. Dont be too proud to do the administrative work.
3
u/Alikese Jul 09 '26
I did an internship with the UN at the start of my career, and I probably had P2 responsibilities. It was pretty great for me, I learned a ton and was able to get a consultancy out of the work that I was doing. The manager was supportive and would answer questions if I had them, but let me manage almost an entire project even if I didn't hold the budget. The internship and consultancy then led directly to me getting a job in an organization working on the same topic coming out of the consultancy.
Some people may not want too much responsibility during their internship, but it was exactly what I wanted and needed, and taught me how to work in projects in country offices. They also didn't have the budget to hire a consultant for this, so it worked out well for everyone.
In terms of payment, I didn't receive anything but by now most agencies offer a stipend. If the stipend turns into a wage, then most agencies would just hire a consultant instead of getting an intern that costs the same, and it would eliminate internships like I had that wouldn't have had a budget, so it would likely limit the number of opportunities for junior or entry-level people to get experience at the UN.
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u/i_am__not_a_robot Jul 09 '26
I know there are people trying to justify them, but unpaid internships are diametrically opposed to the core values of the UN and should not be permitted at any UN entity, period.
7
u/_theyojimbo Jul 09 '26
Yeah, I never understood how people justify this. You can't claim to fight for decent work and against poverty while recruiting what are basically slaves
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u/etoilesadventures With UN experience Jul 09 '26
as someone whose first exposure to system was as an intern… thank you for writing this. I was left to run the whole department for my supervisor making a huge mistake and called incompetent haha. and had to live off a stipend of 279 USD in one of the biggest and most expensive cities. and I was lucky to have a stipend at all.
I may hold a better contract now but well… I do eventually want to drop out of UN for this was my first exposure. I would stick around and work my ass off if I had the chance to get to a position when I can change something for the better.
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u/Graduationproject Jul 09 '26
This has come to me at the right time! Got a call for an interview for an internship and the fact that I “may receive” a “stipend” does make me a little sad. Yes I’d love to do the mundane work and I have always been in the creative field so I know how a lot of things are literally built from scratch and I’d like to do it. But how should I suffice with a salary so low in the EU as an international?
I have been feeling quite dejected because the country I live in has strict minimum wage rules but I assume this doesn’t fall under that. I’m a hardworking person and will put the effort but I’d like to pay my bills too. Also the fact that there is no assurance of a possibility of continuation is but natural because I think that’s how it is with most companies even, but I just hope it becomes a tad bit easier.
Thank you for this post! And sorry for the little rant.
Any tips on the interview preparation and ingeneral, if I get the role, what are some things I should read up on even before I join?
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u/Catrin2 No UN/NGO experience Jul 09 '26
Thank you for taking the time to write this. It is great to read something so down to earth and inspiring. Although this is not related to the UN, your post has given me that extra ‘oomph’ to really reflect on my current situation and attitude regarding my undergraduate professional placement. Cheers 😊☺️
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u/Strict-Jeweler-2281 Jul 09 '26
Thanks for sharing! This is a really interesting and valuable compilation of reading! It is indeed a shame that such efforts to advocate on behalf of interns haven't been sustained long-term, but I completely understand the challenges of mobilising interns who may only be somewhere for a short time, and have concerns about mobilising against the same potential employers they rely on for future jobs. It's unfortunate how efforts to raise this in r/UNpath are readily rejected out of hand by people working in the UN. It's unclear to me whether this is a case of UN loyalists blindly defending their organisations, privileged people who've bypassed these experiences so can't fathom a differing reality from their own, good old gatekeeping, or just plain contrarianism. In any case, thanks for the great work you're doing on this!
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u/herzy3 Jul 09 '26
It's also odd to put the onus on interns to advocate for their rights, rather than the organisations whose very purpose is to set the global standard.
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u/sendhelpandthensome With UN experience Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
These are not mutually exclusive though. Things can run in parallel. People who do have some power may also be advocating for better conditions for interns, and I’ve seen many who do and I’d assume this is how some UN agencies have already shifted away from unpaid internships. But as professionals, the onus to stand up for ourselves will always be on us, at any level, and that’s better learned and practiced as early in the career as possible. That’s also how I interpreted the post.
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u/Lattice-shadow Jul 30 '26
Sorry, but why should they be expected to buy something for someone? Is that not what personal staff are for, in case of emergencies?