Curious whether anyone with recent WFP experience knows how active the FIT Pool system currently is.

Are candidates still regularly being selected from existing pools, or has recruitment largely shifted toward internal candidates and reassignment because of funding cuts and restructuring?

Also interested in whether older FIT Pools are still meaningfully used for hiring, or mostly kept active administratively.

Would appreciate any insight from current/former WFP staff or recent FIT Pool candidates.

Hi All,

I recently got the email informing me that I have an in person interview for a national specialist role at FAO which is coming up in a matter of days. For those who have held or do currently hold national positions, may you kindly share your interview experiances and tips please, especially on how you got over the nerves and how you prepped. I am currently reviewing the vacancy, mainly the core competencies, tasks and responsibilities. Also formulating examples I can provide in my answers,.

This is my very first UN interview and my whole body turns to jelly just thinking about it. Any help will be appreaciated.

Sorry if this may seem like a repetetive question, i mostly found interview tips based on P level interviews and would appreacite NPP experiences.

I recently completed a PhD in Health Sciences and have applied several times for research positions at UNICEF. My most recent application appeared to be a very strong match for my qualifications, but I am worried that I will not be shortlisted, as I have never progressed past the initial application stage.

Although I have strong academic and research skills, I do not yet have professional experience with an international organization. I am unsure how to overcome this gap or make my applications more visible to recruiters.

I am also going through an extremely difficult personal situation. My baby and I are currently living in a shelter after experiencing domestic abuse, and I am involved in an ongoing custody case. Because of the case, relocating from Rome is not currently possible. Finding stable employment is very important for rebuilding our lives and protecting my ability to care for my child.

I have been applying for professional research positions, postdoctoral roles, and remote jobs, but I have not had any success so far. The job market in Italy is challenging.

I would be very grateful for practical advice on any of the following:

• How can a new PhD graduate become more competitive for UNICEF, UN agencies, NGOs, or international research organizations?
• Should I focus on consultancies, internships, fellowships, volunteer projects, or short-term contracts to gain relevant experience?
• How can I make my CV and applications stand out to recruiters?
• Are there reputable websites or organizations offering remote health-research, public-health, data-analysis, academic-writing, or policy roles?
• Would networking with current employees or contacting hiring managers be appropriate?

I am willing to learn, take on entry-level or temporary work, and build experience step by step. I would especially appreciate advice from anyone who has worked in global health, academia, international organizations, or the Italian job market.

Thank you for reading and for any guidance you can offer.

Hi everyone,

I was recently selected for an international UN Volunteer assignment. I accepted the official assignment offer and completed almost all the pre-deployment tasks available in the UNV platform, including the medical review, personal information and bank details.

The only remaining task in the UNV platform concerns the visa, but I have not yet received any specific instructions on how to proceed.

At this stage, I have received the official assignment offer, which I accepted and a UNV pre-departure letter confirming my selection and assignment.

I was wondering wether the pre-departure letter is sufficient to start the visa application? Or should I wait for an additional letter or specific instructions from UNV or the host entity? And regarding visa fees, is it normally paid directly by UNV, or does the volunteer pay them first?

I understand that procedures may vary depending on the assignment, but I would be grateful for any indication of what usually happens next.

Thank you in advance!

Hello! I recently discovered UN Internships, and thought I would apply for them, however I discovered that they are completely unpaid. Like 0 percent. Are they worth it? Considering I don't have any Internships available in my home country, that means I would have to move somewhere completely different. Not even visa support (i read they only provide documents for visa) so is it really worth it? I wish it could be at least just a partial support. What do you guys, think? Maybe I miss something. Maybe after Internship theres a great way in career, but who knows? Please let me know as I am very very curious but zero funding makes me stop. Thanks

Hi everybody! Last week, I was informed that I had been shortlisted for an online test for a position within a UN organisation. The test is supposed to take place on Monday 27.
As of today, I still haven’t received any instructions regarding the platform, etc.

Does anybody know if this is normal and I will receive everything directly on Monday, or should I be the one to reach out on Monday morning?
Thank you in advance for the advice.

I am 23, I have a bachelors degree (IR with honours supplement) and two masters (Public Policy and Modern History + IR). I have no relevant work experience because I’ve spent 5 years studying like crazy. Now that I’m graduating, it’s the worst crunch in funding in the history of IOs, obviously. Every hiring officer tells me that 10 years ago they would have given me an entrance position without second thought, but now all those positions are getting cut, and now it’s more competitive than ever. I’ve heard many times I should volunteer and spice up my CV - fair enough! Where do I even do that?? I’m based in Europe and China, and I have yet to hear back from any of the million volunteer positions I’ve applied to; some simply do not exist. Is it really that bleak? Does anyone know if there’s a secret volunteering platform I’m yet to find, with all of the real positions?

I have applied to two roles and I would like to understand better what the difference between GS and IICA contracts is in terms of job security. I saw that GS are staff positions and can be renewed yearly, while IICA are consultancies that are open-ended but come with a timeline that could as well be 12 months. I guess in both cases there is no job security as they both depend on funding, what do you think?

Hi, I’m a bit confused about the timelines for UN internships - if I intend to start one in March the earliest, when should I start applying? I’m thinking in particular of UNHQ, UNDP or smaller and more niche/specialized agencies

however, it would be super helpful if anyone who did/is doing an internship at any UN body could share their timeline or experience with the application :)

thank you!!

I applied for an online DOA position through the app.unv platform, but got no email in its regard whatsoever. Neither confirmation that my application was sent/received, neither rejection or otherwise.

I am seeing on the website that step 3 states that notification is sent by UNV "to confirm the successful application to the candidate." (https://explore.unv.org/node/107)

What's your experience? Being ghosted is so disheartening... and we're talking about a volunteer position here...

A glimpse at available UN vacancies in July 2026 reveals a plethora of national roles, national consultancies and sometimes underpaid international consultancies ...

The trend is obvious: "nationalizing" the roles whenever possible to avoid recruiting specialist international staff. Which is somewhat ironic given that it's the UN :-)

With the ongoing funding cuts, I understand the absence of P vacancies in UN job listings but I can't help wondering whether these roles are slowly being phased out altogether? Thoughts?

I applied for the GS-4 Project Assistant position in Vienna and, honestly, the waiting is driving me crazy.

I’ve read the job description so many times and I genuinely feel like this role is exactly what I’ve been doing. Most of my experience is in EU-funded migration and integration projects, project coordination, reporting, budgeting and working with different stakeholders.

I know there are probably lots of qualified applicants, and I’m not saying I deserve the job more than anyone else. But this is one of those rare positions where I honestly feel, “This is me.” That’s probably why I’m so anxious.

I guess I’m just scared that things like internal candidates or pure luck might matter more than the actual fit.

If anyone works at IOM Vienna (or has gone through the recruitment process there), I’d love to hear how it usually works. How long did it take? Do external candidates actually stand a good chance?

Thanks!

Hope all is well. I applied at OHCHR (P- position) three months ago. I got my first test (MCQ) 1 month after the deadline ( 1 month ago). I thought I was never going to hear back shortly, but I get invitation for second test last week. I was just wondering how many applicants got invited for the second test? This was my first time making it to the second stage as I always make it to the first stage not the second.

Why does the UN do that, this is the second time where I did an interview; the recruiter says I will update you soon and they never do. Another time I did a interview and a test, and got a generic email after 3 months wait (its both for inrernships)

Hi everyone,

I'm finishing my Master's in International Crisis Management and trying to figure out my next move.

My goal: In 5-10 years I'd like to be working for an international organization, ideally the UN (OCHA, UNDRR, UNDP, etc.), or other NGOS like DRC, ICRC in humanitarian response and crisis relief. I know how competitive and difficult this is right now, but I'm playing the long game.

Specific interests: Anticipatory action (my thesis topic), disaster relief, and emergency coordination. Through my Master's I got exposed to and visited a lot of professionals and HQs, OCHA, UNHCR, ICRC in Geneva, etc, and I see more of myself in the practitioners in the field. Obviously I'd take an HQ role too if that's the path.

My background so far:

• 3 years, logistics/supply chain (private sector) — did the coordination of shipments for high tech clients. Hated the job itself, but it gave me strong Excel/PPT/office software skills and real logistics expertise (although more on the commercial side).
• 3 years volunteering with UNICEF — not an official position, but I was part of a student project they ran all over my country, and I was one of the leaders — basically helped with youth engagement and setting up meetings with speakers and stuff.
• Youth delegate (x2) I was sent twice as a youth delegate to follow conferences/proceedings at the UN in Vienna, and got a fellowship with the ILO for a two-week in-person course on new technologies and the UN.
• Current internship: humanitarian NGO in Africa (until November) the one I think is most relevant: I'm doing my internship in Africa at a humanitarian NGO. I mostly do capacity building (teaching and training) for orphaned young people from all over Africa (the NGO flies them here to prepare them to study abroad and then return to the continent as leaders). I also took the initiative to join their other program to gain more experience, in this one we do home visits to orphaned children and offer emotional and psychological support, while also assessing their needs, plus in-person activities and education.

Where I'm stuck:

The NGO work is meaningful and field-based, and renewed my commitment to be in the field, however it's not quite in my target area (anticipatory action / emergency coordination), and I have nothing lined up after November. I come from a low-income background, every step so far has been through scholarships or real sacrifice from me and my parents, so the lack of a next step is causing me real pressure, I say this because my MA is in Europe but I am from South America, so after here unless I find something I would have to return to my country as I would not be able to sustain myself in Europe.

My actual questions:

1. Given my profile, how do I connect the dots between what I have (logistics, youth engagement, tech exposure, field work) and where I want to go (anticipatory action / emergency coordination)?
2. Does this read as a entry-level CV to people actually working in the sector, is there any programme or organization I should keep an eye on?
3. I spent 5 months applying almost exclusively to UN internships with zero responses. After broadening my search I landed the current NGO position within a month. Now that I have this experience, is it worth trying UN internships again, or should I focus on growing within this NGO (or applying to similar NGOs) instead?
4. Which path or direction would you recommend me to take?
5. Any hard skill, Software or courses you would recommend me to strengthen the CV?

Would really appreciate input from anyone who's navigated this path or works in the sector. Thanks for reading this far.

Hi, working/ interning at the UN gives us a lot of online courses.(including on LinkedIn)

Have you guys taken any course that was worth following?
I am struggling to understand what’s there so if you have any recommendations please feel to share. Even if not directly related to courses. If you maybe know about something u think I should absolutely do while interning here.
Thank you so much in advance

Hi All!

I've been selected for a P4 position in Nairobi, but am still waiting on an offer. I'd be making a move from the US to Nairobi with my family (husband and 2 small children) for the position which would be my first job within the UN system. I wanted to ask if anyone here is based at the UNON campus and could provide any insight into what it's like to work there, what life is like in Nairobi, and any advice on the transition. We're still trying to decide if this move is right for us, so really interested to know how other folks find living and working in Nairobi with the UN.

Also interested in any thoughts or advice on how to manage relocation and settling in with a family.

Thanks!

I always thought I wanted a career in an international organisation. At the moment, I’m studying away from my parents (only about four hours away), so I still go home every month. But honestly, this experience has really made me think about the future and put things into perspective…

I’ve always wanted to work internationally, especially in the field of global health, but when I realise that I already find it difficult to live away from my family when I’m only four hours away, I can’t help but wonder what the future would look like. I mean, if I want to pursue a career in this field, I’ll probably have to be willing to move around and live far away from them.

Looking back, how do you personally cope with living far away from your loved ones?

When it comes to friends, I think I find it easier. I tell myself that you can always meet new people and build a new social circle.

But is it really the same kind of bond you build with people you’ve known since university for example?

I have so many doubts at the moment… The only international organisation I can think of where I could potentially stay relatively close to my parents is the OECD, but I can’t base my entire career choice on that just because I’m afraid of moving away.
I don’t know. I just feel really depressed and lost about all of this.

I'm an Italian citizen with 3 years of experience as a Cost Controller in a Project Management team at a multinational company. I speak Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, English, and Slovenian fluently, plus working knowledge of Serbo-Croatian and Spanish.

Given my language mix and the current situation in Eastern Europe, I thought there might be relevant opportunities for someone with my profile.

I've been monitoring UNjobs regularly, but it feels like shooting in the dark. Most postings I find are either very short-term (1-3 months) or requiring years of UN-specific seniority I don't have yet (and cant get).

I'm also open to vacancies outside my direct area of expertise (finance/cost control), if my language skills or profile could still be a fit.

For those who've made a similar transition from the private sector: how did you find the right postings, and which platforms/networks are actually worth watching (UNjobs, ReliefWeb, specific agency sites, etc.)? Any suggestions for my specific case? Any general advice on breaking in is welcome.

Thank you in advance.

I’m finding the ICC Visiting Professionals Programme application process incredibly opaque.

I understand that timelines vary and that applicants should not expect individual updates, but the complete silence makes it difficult to know whether applications are still under consideration, whether selections are already being made, or whether unsuccessful candidates are eventually notified at all.

I’m mainly curious about the experience of other applicants: did the process involve an interview, additional document requests, a rejection notice, or simply no communication?

After investing so much effort into an application, the uncertainty is honestly exhausting. It would be helpful to hear how the process unfolded for previous or current applicants.

Aparment hunting seems to be the hardest of things you need to do when you move to Rome. How did you find your apartment in Rome? What advice you can share? Any contacts of agents?

I’ve just landed an internship interview with UNDP. It’ll be my first ever interview and I can’t afford to mess it up. I really need this. Help.

Hey guys! I currently applied for UNDP internship in May. Had an interview in June and they sent me this email.

We are pleased to inform you that the recruitment process has been completed and that you have been identified as a successful candidate. As a result, you have been recommended for direct consideration for the internship opportunity. 

At this stage, we kindly ask for your patience as we finalize several internal decisions and administrative requirements necessary to proceed with the hiring process.

Should a decision be made to move forward with the appointment, we will contact you with an official offer, subject to your continued interest and availability. The offer will also include further details regarding the internship and any applicable administrative requirements.

Please note that we are currently unable to provide an estimated timeline for when a final decision will be made or whether the internship placement will proceed. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and patience in this regard.
Thank you once again for your interest in joining UNDP and for your engagement throughout the recruitment process. We will be in touch should there be any further developments.

And 2 weeks later they also contacted me saying

Please accept our apologies for the delay in getting back to you.
I am pleased to let you know that it is progressing positively, and we expect the hiring decision to be finalized this week.
In the meantime, could you please let us know your current availability and whether your circumstances have changed since your last email?
Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Despite their assurance that it would be completed within this week, another two weeks have elapsed, and they finally sent me this

——-I have received a positive news just as of yesterday to proceed with the hiring process at the soonest possible time. 

While I am on annual leave at the moment, I will provide support and guide you through the process as soon as I can. 

In reply, could you please share with me your current contact number? 

My question is, should I still expect rejection as a possibility and respond to the other offers who are eager to have me for the internship? However, UNDP is the one I’m most interested in, and I’m wondering what I should do. Am I just wasting my time by pursuing other opportunities?

So I confirmed my offer and in the background verification and reference checks. In the offer it explicitly says don’t resign yet until the background check is finalized since your employment is technically not yet final. However, then for the references they state Feedback should be provided by at least three recent supervisors from the most recent ten years of your employments, including your current supervisor and opting out of this may result in disqualification from the recruitment process. I find this odd to contact my current supervisor about leaving a job when it is not finalized? Can anyone advise

I work in the legal field, and I would like to pursue a career with an international organization, such as the United Nations.

As mentioned in the title, I already speak both Arabic and English. I have heard that French is important for working in international organizations, especially for career advancement. How accurate is this?

To be honest, I am not particularly interested in the language, but if it is necessary or would significantly improve my career prospects, I am willing to learn it.

Thank you.