Route to intern with UN

Q. I have completed my bachelor's degree (Political Science honours) from Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Degree College. As an active member of MUNs and various debating teams, I wish to spend a few years in the United Nations to help me scale better. How can I avail of the UN vacancies after my course of study?

Swastik Singh Bisht, Himachal Pradesh

 A. The real deal about getting an internship with the United Nations is knowing what you want.

The UN agency includes two kinds of staff, i.e. General Service staff ("G staff") and Professional staff ("P staff"). The first step is to choose which kind of staff you want to be a part of. By browsing through the United Nations website, you will gather enough on the various types of works available at the UN. Research thoroughly and see the qualification requirements of those positions. Make sure that you refer to reliable and official websites so that you do not get false information. Some of these are

●      The UN Official website (http://careers.un.org)

●      The UN Channel website (https://unchannel.org)

●      The UN Job List website (http://unjoblist.org)

You have two pathways to apply for these UN positions. The first option is to tread through an online application to apply for the available positions online. Once shortlisted, the candidate receives an interview call or details for the procedures ahead.

 The second option for getting a job at the UN is through the United Nations Competitive Recruitment Examination. The link to the examinations and tests section will give you further information regarding the UN examinations. It consists of two parts that test the candidate's drafting skills and the substantive knowledge of the particular occupation that the candidate is applying for. They get a call for an interview on successfully passing the exam.

 With different staff categories and each requiring different specific educational backgrounds, expertise, and varying amounts of work experience, your skills and interest should completely fulfil these requirements for an easy call.

 If you wish to receive academic credit for your internship, a study-internship programme will be the best choice for you. For instance, Geneva and other locations accept candidates internationally for courses combined with an internship placement. Furthermore, another variable for getting a job at the UN is volunteering in your initial years for the organisation. Special recruiting programmes for Junior Professionals Officers (JPOs) include freshers from the same country of citizenship. Your hardship zone will determine the kinds of benefits, awards, duration, and sometimes the pay you are entitled to. For instance, in New York City, lower level consultants and staff are recruited after completing an internship. Volunteering and Internship programmes tend to include project-based work for people who are experts in areas of public health, governance, gender rights, elections, or humanitarian crises.

All the best!

 The writer is the Chief Mentor and CEO at mavencareercoaching.com