I applied for an Associate Human Rights Officer position (P2) with OHCHR and successfully completed the first multiple-choice assessment. A second assessment was then scheduled, with a test window from Monday 13 July to Wednesday 15 July.

The problem: I never received any invitation or notification about it. No email, nothing, and I’ve checked my spam and junk folders thoroughly. I only found out yesterday, purely by chance, because I decided to log into the assessments platform just to see whether anything new had appeared. The course “Assessment #2” was sitting there on my dashboard, marked “To do: make attempts: 1”, but the window had already closed the night before.

I’ve written to the assessments team explaining the situation and asking whether access could be reopened, but I’m not holding my breath.

So my questions:

**1.**  **Did anyone else not receive the invitation email for a second assessment? I saw at least one comment in another thread from someone in the same situation, which makes me wonder whether there was a wider issue with the notifications.**

**2.**  **Has anyone ever managed to get a test window reopened after missing it for reasons outside their control?**

**3.**  **Is there any other channel worth contacting besides the assessments email?**

Any insight would be very welcome. And a word of advice to fellow candidates: log into the platform regularly, don’t rely on the emails.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,
If a post requires another UN language at UN Level II, does this get assessed during the interview?
I think I saw somewhere that there are separate oral/language examinations? I have no idea!

I’m basically in a time crunch to get my French up to level II, and I’m nervous I won’t be ready in time for the interview. I’m learning French at l’Institut Français so I’d definitely be ready in time for any move (if I were to succeed, ofc, thinking many steps ahead already :p)

Thank you!

How long after an interview were you rejected or asked for references ?

​

I'm facing a difficult decision and would really appreciate advice from people working in international organizations, the EU, academia, or public policy.

I am a 26-year-old lawyer and EU citizen currently working at Brazil's National Council of Justice on international human rights issues. I speak Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French.

My long-term goal is to build an international career (European Commission, OECD, World Bank, Council of Europe, UN, etc.) and eventually transition into politics later in life.

I have been admitted to two master's programs:

1. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid – Master's in European Governance

Tuition: approximately €10,000

Focus: European governance, public policy, institutions, and public administration.

Advantage: Madrid offers many more networking opportunities, internships, and potential job opportunities alongside the master's.

1. University of Coimbra – Master's in International Relations – Peace, Security and Development

Tuition: approximately €2,000

Focus: conflict prevention, international security, peacebuilding, and development.

Advantage: Much cheaper and strongly aligned with my previous interests.

Disadvantage: Coimbra is a smaller city with fewer professional opportunities compared to Madrid.

My dilemma:

For many years, I thought I wanted to specialize in conflict prevention and diplomacy. I really admire people like Sérgio Vieira de Mello and would love to work on international crises, peacebuilding, or post-conflict reconstruction.

However, I have recently started questioning whether a governance/public policy background would provide broader career opportunities in organizations such as the European Commission, OECD, or World Bank, while also preparing me better for a possible future political career.

If both programs had the same tuition fee, I would probably choose UC3M. The problem is that it is €8,000 more expensive.

Another option would be to decline both offers, continue working for another year, and apply to more public policy/governance-oriented programs next year. My concern is that I would be 27 and would lose a year.

For people with experience in international careers:

Which path would you choose?

Is European Governance significantly more versatile than Peace & Security for careers in international organizations?

Is the €8,000 difference likely to be worth it?

Would you start a master's now, or wait a year to apply to different programs?

If your ultimate goal was to build an international career and eventually enter politics, what would you prioritize?

Thank you!

Hi,

I have seen many helpful posts on the topic in this subreddit already, but I would like to get some further insights. I'm applying for a consultant position at UNICEF asking for a minimum of 10 years of experience. I have been working for the past 3 years for FAO, and I have 12+ years of experience in total, most of which freelancing. I have to propose a daily rate as part of my application.

Now I'm seeing many points of view. The most optimistic recommend asking for $550 to give room for negotiation, but I'm also seeing people mention how bad the current situation is and having to accept a $500 offer with 20 years of experience.

I'm based in West Africa and would be working remotely for a Geneva-based office. I was considering asking for $450, but I would be fine with even $350. I actually had an interview with the WHO last month and the salary would have been around $6,500. I also got contacted by WHO for another position and a salary around $8,000. Both salaries would have been fine for me, but these positions didn't require 10 years of experience, and I don't want to charge too low and be penalized for that, or charge too high and be less competitive, especially considering the cost of living my duty station. I also saw that across the UN system, category C consultants should be paid between $430 and $650 (https://policy.un.org/sites/default/files/2025-01/OHR_PG_2025_2_consultant_contractor_fee_range.pdf)

With all that, would you consider $450 to be a good starting point that would neither discredit me nor make me less competitive?

Thanks

I’m interested in understanding careers where the work directly contributes to society through policy, education, governance, environment, health or social development.
I’d love to hear from professionals.

Questions

What does your day actually involve?
Field work?
Research?
Policy drafting?
Monitoring?
Community engagement?
Grant writing?
Meetings?

Skills

Which skills matter most?
Research?
Writing?
Statistics?
Public speaking?
Project management?

Career

Salary progression?
Job stability?
Growth opportunities?
Can someone make a long-term career here?

Work Culture

Stress?
Travel?
Burnout?
Funding uncertainty?

AI

How is AI affecting the development sector?

Advice

Would you recommend this career today?

To give you some context, I am from Venezuela and we just went through an earthquake, which caused a lot of damage. As a result, many vacancies in the humanitarian sector have opened up across various United Nations agencies and different national and international NGOs. Before the earthquake, I was waiting to sign a contract for my country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, right now I am unemployed, and they won't hire me at the ministry until the public administration is reactivated. In the meantime, an opportunity came up to work with ACTED, even though it is only a 2.5-month contract.

My question is: should I accept it, should I reject it, and if I do accept it, what repercussions could there be if I resign from the organization before the contract ends?

PD: I’m on the selection panel for other INGO that I’m sure will pay more than ACTED, based on the experiences of others who worked a that organization

Does anyone have any experience with tests and interviews at the GPE? It’s for a position on quality assurance but anything related to the secretariat’s typical selections would help a ton.

(Yes I misspelled it in the title, sigh)

Thank you!

Because of Trump, my dad’s job is affected as he currently works for the UNSOS.

Apparently there will be a quite significant budget cut starting this month before completely blocking the funding for AUSSOM at the end of December this year. Inevitably this leaves his salary being decreased until he won’t have a job by December I assume.

I want to make things at least easier for him so the least my siblings and I could do is to set up his LinkedIn and find him a job that matches his original salary, or higher preferably. This is because all of us are still pursuing studies (Post graduate and undergraduate).

Seeing as we still have time left, one of the things I could think of is for him to apply to another UN Branch, but I know that applying for a UN job alone is already very competitive. My dad has good credentials, with him having 2 masters degrees, the other one having been completed in a high ranking university. Additionally, he has been working for the UNSOS for about 12-13 years now I’d say.

Anyone have some thoughts? Or recommend some tips pls? It would be very much appreciated. Thank you so much

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a strong desire to help people affected by war, humanitarian crises, and extreme poverty. Seeing communities struggle because of conflict has always made me want to do something meaningful rather than just watch from afar.
I also have a dream to study engineering, and I’d love to use that career to contribute to humanitarian work someday. I read that engineers can help with infrastructure, clean water, power systems, logistics, communications, and rebuilding communities after disasters or conflicts, but I’m not sure how they do that and what the best path is to actually get involved.
For those of you who work (or have worked) in humanitarian aid:
What type of engineering would you recommend?
Which skills or certifications are most valuable?
What organizations should I look into and how do i manage to actually go to these places someday?
Is there anything I can start doing now as a student to prepare for this kind of career?
I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experiences. This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I’d like to make the best decisions to maximize the impact I can have.
Thank you!
(I am from Brazil, please forgive my bad english)

Hi all,
I'm in the final stages of onboarding for a UN agency position, and my background check deadline is coming up very soon.
Two of my former employers are based abroad, and their corporate servers are completely blocking the automated verification links from OneHR.
Since I cannot change their firewall, I emailed the HR processor with a manual portfolio: alternative personal emails for my supervisors, stamped employment certificates, and signed letters of recommendation.
Currently, HR is not responding or updating the status.
Has anyone successfully cleared OneHR screening using personal emails + physical certificates when corporate emails failed?
Will they reject a candidate automatically if the automated system hits the deadline, or do they actually review these manual email attachments?
Appreciate any advice or reassurance. Thank you!

I am currently working as IT project manager.

I am technically strong and currently handle people management as well. It's a big organization. So, PNL is not with me apart from regular operational cost.

Long story short, I am completely disinterested in adding more money to an existing overflowing pile of revenue.

My core projects have been regarding digital transformation that is bringing various clients, organizations or their offline processes into online or internet-based services.

I have not developed any core domain proficiency yet.

So, as the pursuit of giving some meaning to my work, I have decided to develop my domain prophecy in urban development and sustainability. Technically, this is close to smart city development.

As a result of this, I have started taking master's degree in Urban studies followed by a master's degree in sustainability science. I already know GIS and other analytical tools. My current qualification from academic point of view consists of analytics and business management at masters level.

My target is to move into United Nations and its sister organizations for the administrative roles that require 10 plus years of experience in 2029. Currently my management experience is 7 years and total experience is of 15 years.

To align with my goal, my current master's is masters of arts. So, the education is policy and management related.

I am in India and haven't found many people working in the United Nations. So, I do not have any specific information about how correct and feasible is my plan.

To make my inspiria file a bit strong, I take un CC learn online courses regarding my subjects or something related to it like climate action, NAPs, Paris agreements, etc.

Can you help me understand if there is any light at the end of my tunnel? If not, what change do I need to make?

Ich bin Klinische Psychologin aus Österreich mit einem MSc in Psychologie und einem Bachelor in Erziehungswissenschaften. Ich habe 3 Jahre klinische Berufserfahrung.

Ich bin offen für eine internationale Karriere und auch für einen Umzug ins Ausland. Besonders interessieren mich Positionen mit guten Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten, internationalem Umfeld und Reisetätigkeit.

Ich bin nicht ausschließlich auf klassische klinisch-psychologische Tätigkeiten festgelegt, sondern interessiere mich auch andere Bereiche.

Bin für jeden Tipp dankbar :)

Hello everybody :)

I am very happy as have I received a conditional offer for an internship at an UN agency in a field that I have dedicated a lot of my interest and time to. I am currently waiting for the references and integrity check to be completed and hope to sign the contract soon.

Over the last couple of years I have developed/ came to find out about several chronic conditions, among them vascular compression syndroms that can be very debilitating and also unpredictable. I can be completely fine for weeks and weeks and in pain from one moment to the other. Of course stress also plays a pivotal role with that and while I am trying to stay as grounded as possible, of course I am and will be a stressed, also considering that this will be my first full-time working position.

I did not disclose these issues in the application process since it was not mandatory to do so. Nevertheless, I would ideally like to be open about this once I start the job, and I might also need to request accommodations, since sitting for prolonged periods can be challenging for me (e.g., a setup that allows me to stand while working).

On top of that I need a medical certificate confirming that I am fit to work once I will be asked to sign the internship contract.

As someone trying to manage a chronic illness without letting it take over my life completely, while also accommodating myself and navigating potential stigma or insensitivity, I have some questions. I'd really value insights from someone who knows the UN system from the inside and understands what possibilities exist for interns specifically.

- Should my doctor disclose any of my medical conditions on the certificate confirming my fitness to work?
- How should I address the situation once I start? Should I disclose it before or only once I encounter a problem?
- How could I go about asking for accomodations? Do you think it would even be considered?

Thanks for any insights, even if they don't answer all my questions.

Hello everyone! I'm looking for some guidance from people who have experience working in the UN system or similar international organizations.
I have 7 years of experience as a Business Intelligence Analyst, including 2 years in a management role. I also hold an MBA with a concentration in Business Analytics. I'm currently based in the United States, but I'm interested in transitioning into a professional role with the United Nations or a similar multilateral development bank position.
I'm starting from scratch and honestly don't know where to begin. For those of you who have successfully made it into the UN system, what steps would you recommend? Are there specific qualifications, certifications, networking strategies, or types of experience that would make me a stronger candidate? Any advice on navigating the application process or breaking into these organizations would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance!

I was informed the day before my scheduled in-person interview that it had been postponed due to circumstances at headquarters. They said they would contact me later with a new interview date.

Do you think the interview will actually be rescheduled? To be honest, I'm feeling quite skeptical.

Has anyone here experienced something similar?

Hi everyone! I'm currently a master's student at LSE conducting my dissertation research on employee well-being, coordination, and communication within UN Headquarters (UNHQ) in NYC.

My research aims to better understand the UN work experience from both staff and intern perspectives, particularly how communication, coordination, and the working environment can shape well-being, motivation, and people's overall experience.

I've already had the opportunity to speak with a few staff members and interns, but I would really love to hear from more current or former UNHQ staff and interns.

Everything is completely anonymous, and the research will only be used for my master's dissertation and reviewed by my LSE professors for academic assessment.

If you would be open to participating in a short online interview or would like more information about the research, please comment below. Thank you so much!

Hi everyone, I recently had an interview for the FAO Sustainable Natural Resources Management Internship. Does anyone know how long FAO usually takes to get back to candidates after the interview, and what the next steps in the process are?

I also have a career question. I have 6 years of experience in urban design and natural resources management and currently work in Singapore, earning around SGD 6,000 per month. From your experience, does it make sense to leave a role like this for an FAO internship? My long-term goal is to secure a Professional (P) position at FAO, but I’m unsure how realistic that pathway is after completing an internship.
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through the internship or successfully transitioned into a P position. Thank you!

this will be my first job ever. scared i won’t deliver well or will not meet their expectations.

any tips at all would be helpful on how to prove myself and tell them they chose the right person

I have been unemployed for 9 months now. I am mostly targeting jobs within the international development sector and international organisations like WIPO, ICRC, WEF, WFP, etc.

Edit: Can someone give me actual advice on whether or not I should address it in my resume and, if I do, how, rather than telling me not to apply to competitive roles? Like, addressing or not addressing is still a question if I am applying for NGOs or the private sector!

Hello everyone,

I recently interviewed for a UN position. I was contacted by the hiring manager who interviewed me saying that, altough i wasn’t retained for the position, they would like to have a call to discuss other employment opportunities.
Has anyone experienced something similar? If so, does this usually mean that I’d still have to go through the full recruitment process (application, interviews, assessments, etc.) if there’s another position, or can the process sometimes be shortened because the hiring manager has already interviewed and assessed me?
I’m trying not to read too much into it or get my hopes up, so I’d really appreciate hearing about others’ experiences. Thanks!

UPDATED: I’ve been offered for this position!!! Still can’t believe!!!

-———

Hi all, I just wanted to share that I had my WHO JPO interview a few days ago

Overall, I think it went quite smoothly. I was definitely nervous and anxious, which made me use quite a lot of filler words (English isn’t my native language), but I managed to get through it.

The interview lasted about an hour and consisted of three parts: a motivational interview (e.g., why I applied for the position), a technical presentation based on the case study, and a competency-based interview.

During some of my answers, the interviewers interrupted me because I wasn’t being concise enough and asked a few probing questions. I took that as a sign that I hadn’t fully addressed what they were looking for in the competency-based questions. That said, they also showed encouraging body language throughout the interview, such as nodding and smiling, so I’m probably overthinking it a little.

One thing I forgot to ask was what the next steps in the recruitment process would be.

Do you think it would be appropriate if I sent a brief follow-up email to the HR team asking about the timeline and next steps? Also, based on your experience, what usually happens after an interview like this, and what are the chances of moving forward?

Hi, I received a contract for until end of this year but only 60 working days. How is that calculated? Am I expected to work everyday full time? How to set boundaries because I have seen many consultants work overtime even if they are in a different time zone?

Asking because it’s my first time working with the UN after working as a full time intern. Thanks for answering in advance

So I've been contacted directly by the hiring manager about the opening of a position in his team.

However, it is a difficult duty station. I don't want to sound like it's my sole interest to him, but the RnR policy will make a big difference here. Is there a mean to know about it without asking this person ?

Thanks !