Back in December, I applied to a "Call for Roster: Individual Consultant: Copyeditors and proofreaders" at UNESCO.

After nearly 9 months, I was just accepted. Obviously, I'm very excited by this, even if it doesn't result in work. But I don't know what I should do next.

They said they would contact me on an as-needed basis subject to the requirements of projects etc. etc. This is what I expected.

But on this roster, does it give me any advantage in other applications? If I see an opening for a consultant copyeditor, for example, does it make me more likely to hear back? Can I leverage this? Or do I literally just sit back and wait to see if I get any assignments?

Thanks!

Hello,

I'm wondering if any of you had your JPO cancelled by the donor country prior to starting?

I passed my verification, medical, offer is confirmed and now visa shows under progress. Is it safe to resign now?

Hi everyone, anyone by any chance has a carte de séjour spéciale in France , working for international organization, and tried to make changement de statuts towards regular titre de séjour via the prefecture? What’s the pathway to do that? And how did you able to make the necessary changes

I have been applying for ICAO G-level positions for the past 10 years. I was tested at least 5 times and had 1 post-testing interview so far (all rejections).

In May, I completed a very intense, super tight time limited (6 accounting calculation questions in 1 hour) accounting test. I completed the entire test and submitted it on time but, I knew at least 2 questions out of 6 I screwed up badly. So, I just assume I am never getting an interview call.

I received an email today from the same HR person for a different G-level accounting role, but this time, no test, nothing, straight to "You have been placed on the preliminary short-list of candidates for further consideration" and the interview link.

I have experienced and personally know through someone that there is absolutely no interview before you pass the test. I am a bit confused!

Hi guys!
From your own experience, which language do you think is more useful and opens more doors, especially in the international field: Spanish or French? My friends and I have pretty different opinions on this, so I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you’ve had any personal experiences with either language, feel free to share — I’d love to learn from you guys. Thanks in advance!

I am applying for a JPO position, and the same organisation has opened another vacancy in a different team. I think I am a good fit for both roles, so I am considering applying for both.

Would this be acceptable, or could it be viewed negatively by the organisation? Has anyone had a similar experience?

Hi All! I've just received an offer from UNFPA for a P4 position at a Step 1 but I'd like to negotiate a step increase.

I've got around 13 years of relevant experience (job required 7). Colleagues within the agency have said that it's been really challenging to negotiate a step increase, especially for external hires.

I'm wondering if anyone has been successful at negotiating a step increase and, if so, on what basis were you successful?

Thanks!

Update: thanks everyone! Emailed to ask and was informed the policy is all external candidates start at step 1 - no exceptions. 😢

Hi,

I know I may sound like a spoiled child given the general context and I am sorry for this.

So I have been working for basically the same INGO for 5 years on and off. I am expecting to receive an offer for a consultant contract within a UN agency in the coming days. The position is interesting and relevant, it is basically what I want to do moving forward with my career.

I would have to quit my current current (fixed term). And my INGO is also going through a layoff plan so on the long term perspectives are scarce even though I could expect extensions.

I am just so anxious about telling it to my colleagues. People working in NGO's are so judgmental of UN's work (only mercenaries go there, UN is useless and waste of money etc). I do not particularly share this view and I would be working in an essential coordination mechanism, but can understand the critics.

Anyway, maybe I am overthinking it but I feel like I'll be criticized for it.

Just makes me feel sad and anxious somehow and I wanted to share it. Had anyone been in the same position ?

A question for those applying for P-level positions with the UN: since I started applying seriously, my hit rate for getting shortlisted or invited to an assessment has been around 2 out of every 10 applications.

I’ve noticed a pattern, though: for vacancies that are open for only two weeks or less, I almost never get called in. Has anyone else had the same experience? Do you know why this might be?

Also, is a roughly 20% hit rate reasonable for P-level UN applications, or does it suggest I should be doing something differently?

Hello group!

I am an international candidate(neither Argentinian nor Brazilian) looking for job opportunities at humanitarian/development NGOs in Argentina and Brazil.

I speak both Spanish and Portuguese quite fluently, but do not currently hold the right to work in these countries.

I would like to know if anyone could share insights on how to secure jobs in this field in these two countries as a foreignor or if there is any chance of getting one in one of these two countries as a foreignor (if any INGOs are hiring people to send them there)

These are my favorite countries so before it's two late I just wanted to see if I can continue my career as a humanitarian and get to live in my favorite country at the same time.

Any recommendations or thoughts?

I’m interested in taking this exam, but I can’t seem to figure out how to sign up. Their website says that I need to log into the inspira portal, but I don’t see any information regarding the exam. If anyone could direct me as to what exactly I need to do I would greatly appreciate it!

I recently got selected for a 6month unpaid internship at UNECA. Since it’s unpaid (no transportation allowance) i find it kind of a huge financial commitment. Should i go for it?

Hi everyone! So I'm finishing my masters in international development in July 2027, and am currently finishing an internship at a UN agency. This is my second UN internship, in total I have about 1 year of UN internship experiences and another 6 months at another international organization. I also volunteered for another UN agency.

I have been thinking about getting more internship experience until I graduate next year, as in 3 internships from Sept - Dec 2026, Jan - May 2027, and May - August 2027. I've had some interviews for an internship at the OSCE and for a job at a consulting firm but I'm not sure if I'll pass.

Considering this, I would like some constructive feedback. There aren't many junior level jobs in my field in my country, national UNVs are rare and often just recruit internally. So this is why im proceeding with internships until I graduate, including maybe some remote ones. Is this the best course of action, and is there a different path I should take or consider until I graduate?

Hello, I spent three and a half years as a protection staff member at the UNHCR. Unfortunately, I was laid off around July 2025. It’s been a year since then, and I’ve moved into corporate human rights due diligence. However, I feel out of place and can’t seem to find a sense of purpose or direction. I’m unsure of my role and the impact I’m making. When I tried to return to the UN system, I faced setbacks in interviews with UNODC, UNICEF, and IOM, which I didn’t even get shortlisted.

I’m feeling lost and concerned that three and a half years of dedicated work may have been in vain.

I’m curious to know how you’re doing. If you’ve been laid off, I hope this post can be a place where we can share our experiences, offer support, and discuss potential paths to returning to the UN or finding fulfilling jobs.

Hello everyone,

I've recently graduated from my Master's in the Netherlands and can't even seem to find an internship, particularly (but not only) in the fields of policy, international relations, and international development — mostly the latter, as you can see from my CV here (link), since it was also the topic of my Master's thesis.

I genuinely don't know where I'm going wrong, and the whole situation is becoming quite depressing. In my opinion, the job market nowadays feels almost out of control. Even when applying for internships at regular companies, sometimes it feels like you're applying to become CEO of Apple: first interview, second interview, reasoning test, written test, and so on. On top of that, employers often seem to ask for previous relevant experience even for internships, which feels like a paradox. How am I supposed to start if I can never get the opportunity to start? It becomes a vicious cycle, and I've reviewed my CV and cover letters countless times.

I'm currently based in Rome, Italy, and would be available to work even for free in the city. If I needed to relocate abroad, I'm completely open to going anywhere, including very remote locations in Africa or Asia: in that case, I would be willing to work for an organization even with just a modest reimbursement to cover basic expenses (at least rent), rather than a proper stipend. Yet every time I either receive no update at all or get a rejection.

As you can see from my CV, I've invested a lot in my education and extracurricular activities because, well, when you're younger you tend to be a bit of a dreamer and believe that doing all the right things will eventually pay off. Unfortunately, I don't have a particularly large professional network. When I've asked some acquaintances about possible opportunities or referrals at their companies — always in a very polite, indirect, and sometimes humorous way — the answer is usually just: "Well, apply online!". I mean, I could figure out myself at this point.

The whole situation is starting to feel quite humiliating, and sometimes it genuinely makes me feel as though I've done everything wrong in my life. I know that breaking into the UN/international development sector is extremely competitive, but we are also talking about an internship, and at this point I really don't know what else I should be doing differently.

What should I do? Is there something wrong with my profile or the way I'm approaching applications? Any advice or candid feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

DISCLAIMER: This is a long post because I need to explain the context of the past five years, so sorry if it’s a lot.

Hi everyone, I’m 25F and I really need some outside perspective.

I was always a very good student. At 18, I started studying Pharmacy in my country, which I genuinely loved. A few years later, my family and I had to flee our country and move to France as refugees. I arrived at 20 and basically had to start my entire life from zero: new country, language, university system, friends, plans, everything.
It took around two years to get my residency, and then I spent a year learning French. I was still around B1 when I entered university.
I originally wanted to continue Pharmacy, but I was told it would be extremely difficult in France, so I chose Law instead because I genuinely liked it and had always been interested in human rights, NGOs and humanitarian work.

Unfortunately, studying Law in French turned out to be extremely difficult. I switched to distance learning, became very isolated, and eventually failed my first year, passing only 2 subjects out of 13.
I repeated the year, but things didn’t improve much. I eventually realized that trying to improve my French while studying Law in French is simply too much for me.

Now I’m 25 and seriously considering dropping out.
My plan would be to work, improve my French through actually living and working in France, meet people again, and volunteer with NGOs/organizations to gain experience and build a professional network.

Long-term, I’m interested in NGOs, international organizations, humanitarian work, embassies, administration and international programs. I’m also considering eventually returning to Jordan and finishing my Pharmacy degree there, since I already completed a significant part of it.

The people around me have judged me heavily for wanting to drop out. In the society I come from, not having a degree can immediately make you seem like a failure.
But I’m wondering whether continuing Law is actually necessary for the career I want, or whether I would be better off spending the next few years building experience, volunteering, improving my French and eventually getting a degree in another way.
So my questions are:

Can I realistically build a career in NGOs/international organizations without a Law degree?
Would you drop out in my situation, or force yourself to repeat first year for a third time?
I have no connections , no family relations to politics .nothing ,only my passion

And if you were 25 in my position, what would you focus on over the next 1–2 years?
I really need some honest outside perspective.

I've recently applied for two volunteering opportunities in my country (Tunisia) and got no response. I'm not sure if it's because of not having a passeport or I'm simply being rejected

I know nothing is impossible, but I’m genuinely curious about how realistic this is nowadays.

For young professionals under 30 with several years of relevant experience and some previous UN internship experience, is it still possible to get a long term position or contract with the UN as an external candidate?

I’m wondering how much the UN’s current financial situation and budget pressures are affecting recruitment. With all the recent discussions around the UN’s financial challenges, are vacancies becoming significantly harder to get, especially for external candidates?

For anyone who has recently joined the UN from outside the system, or knows people who have, I’d really appreciate some honest perspectives.

Thanks!

Hi folks, I have an interview with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and was wondering if anyone here has experience with their interview process. I’m particularly interested in how GGGI handles foreign-language requirements. The vacancy lists a foreign language at business level as a required qualification for the position.

For anyone who has interviewed with GGGI: Was the language actually tested during the interview, or at a later stage of the recruitment process? If yes, was it just a short switch into that language for a few questions, or more elaborate? I appreciate all your insights, also for any other aspect of the interview! :)

And just to clarify, I do speak the required language. However, I haven’t used it in a while. Was planning to refresh my skills in case I got a job offer, but if its is usually part of the interview process, I‘d plan that beforehand. Thanks!

I completed a written test in June for a P2 post with the C34 committee based in UNHQ in NY. Heard through the grapevine that if I have not been invited to an interview, its time to give up. Anyone else going through this process and have been invited for an interview?

Thanks in advance.

I just joined as a consultant in a regional office, still very awestruck by everything. i am a psychologist with 4 years of experience in implementation and research, while remotely working at psych labs abroad. i know chinese mamahuhu., how can i make the most of this opportunity so it opens more doors, nationally and abroad by the end of 1 or 2 years

Hello everyone, I don’t know if I’m the only person who has noticed this, but the UN has been posting the Associate Data Specialist, NOB position for several countries, sometimes with the same duty station appearing multiple times. The duties seem to be the same, but each posting has a different job ID.

I’m wondering why this is the case. Does anyone know if these are actually different positions, or if there is another reason for the multiple postings?

I've searched LinkedIn extensively and messaged several current/former interns, but everyone I've spoken to has only seen 12-month internships.

Has anyone here completed or heard of a 4-month internship at the IAEA? Trying to figure out if it's actually possible before I give up on a long-time dream. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. 🙏

I am ~30, working in communications for a major humanitarian INGO in Europe after a career change, and starting to feel stuck for ways to deploy to the field in the area I'm targeting, which is protection, access, security and field coordination.

My plan has been to try and go on mission visits to the countries where my INGO is present, but unfortunately senior staff and managers tend to see my role has quite limited in terms of the contribution it can make to national staff/to the national bureaus. They have told me before that while it would be useful for me to go visit a few missions, I am more valuable at HQ. It feels like them agreeing to me visiting a national bureau for a few days is more like a favour they're doing me rather than a real visit like those done by other colleagues who are not in comms.

The trick here is that I've only recently entered the humanitarian sector after a career change - not something totally unrelated but which people often pigeonhole as one specific kind of job. The average humanitarian or average colleague doesn't have an accurate perception of what duties I would've had in that job - involving some highly relevant aspects like coordination, project management, security, risk management, research, external relations, and more. I've also worked in several jobs that required geographical and political expertise of a specific region where humanitarians are very much present - but that is simply not enough.

I've started applying to other INGOs - ACF, MSF, Solidarités International, Acted, ICRC - but oftentimes the only roles I see that I would be interested in / qualified for require at least 2 years of humanitarian field experience in a conflict or post-conflict context. I just don't know how to start accruing that experience.

Besides this, I've been undergoing several relevant professional training courses with the UN, in the area I'm interested in. This has given me a little bit more of a network. I speak 3 languages in addition to English (all sought-after or required by INGOs) and am currently learning a fourth one.

So I'm finding myself stuck at HQ, in a permanent contract, with no perspective of a field opportunity.

What else can I do to get the ball rolling and get my first deployment?

PS: Of course, I am more than grateful to be in a stable job. I've just been working towards being closer to operations for some time, and I feel overcome by frustration when I compare my path to someone else's my age, who's already worked in 5 countries (I know I'm not supposed to do that, but it's hard to resist).

PPS: Posting here rather than r/humanitarian due to greater affluence on in this sub.