Missed our panel on Career Paths with the United Nations? In this blog, we share some of the main insights and tips from our speakers.
On 28 October 2024 we were lucky enough to join with CUUNA (Cambridge University United Nations Association) and BAFUNCS (the British Association of Former UN Civil Servants) in hosting three panellists who have worked with and for the United Nations who shared their experiences and insights.
Here are some of our top takeaways from the night.
Understand the UN and all its complexity
The UN is more than the Security Council and the General Assembly. The UN comprises many bodies and agencies, some of which are highly specialized. Some have large budgets and lots of staff, and some are very small and less well-known. If you want to work in the UN, look out for more than just the ‘big names’.
The UN has 6 official languages- Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Everyone studying at Cambridge will meet the English requirements. If you don’t already speak a second language, it will be a useful thing to learn, even if you’re not fluent.
Pros and cons of working in for the UN
The opportunity to be at the forefront of making critical changes is hugely rewarding.
Our panel agreed that the work is varied and interesting, and the opportunity to be at the forefront of making critical changes is hugely rewarding. It’s intellectually invigorating to wrestle with and solve complex multifaceted problems. Travelling and working with diverse international and multicultural teams is another highlight. There are satisfying opportunities to bring together people with different perspectives in order to solve problems and bridge differences.
Challenges included the difficulty of securing a first position, which in many instances may be a short-term ‘consultancy’ contract without a firm prospect of extension or renewal, and that brings some career instability. There are fewer permanent positions now than they used to be. Being persistent and staying alive to the opportunity for alternative work to supplement those consultancies in the early days is really helpful.
You should be aware of the UN’s efforts to increase geographic representation, meaning it can be harder to get in if you’re from a country that’s well represented. The UN is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels, and in many agencies that has already happened, however some of our panel noted there is still some way to go before this is completely achieved.
Particular challenges with frontline humanitarian work can include a lot of travel without the ability to bring family members with you, and there is an emotional toll that can come with working with vulnerable people in distressing situations.
Some of our panellists identified that bureaucracy can slow things down, although others shared that they have seen similar levels of bureaucracy in both the public and private sectors!
See the UN as a vector to the career you want to have and the changes you want to make- not the end goal or the only option.
Getting in and standing out
Develop a network of people working in similar areas and have interesting conversations with them,
Be proactive in finding opportunities -they are out there! Use the official UN career site https://careers.un.org, look at all the different agencies and set up alerts. Look for internships, volunteer positions (where your expenses are covered) Junior Professional Officer Positions (JPOs) and the Young Professionals Programme (YPP). There’s more information on all of these in our International Organisations early careers programme directory at the bottom of this page.
Our panellists encouraged people to get a foot in the door even if it’s not your dream job. Be opportunistic and experiment to find what works rather than fixating on a certain grade or even the UN itself. You can build relevant work experience with a charity or NGO – some of which work very closely with the UN as an implementing partner. Foreign Affairs departments and aid agencies in government (like FCDO in the UK or USAID) will also give you a good understanding of the work that’s being done.
People can underestimate the importance of fundraising in the UN – a lot of the budgets come from voluntarily donated funds, and knowledge of this will be helpful in any role. If you have experience of pitching, writing funding proposals and grant applications, or getting projects off the ground, these will be key assets.
As you start to get experience, develop a network of people working in similar areas and have interesting conversations with them. This isn’t about being given a job by a contact- it’s about understanding the landscape, what is needed, how other people have been successful and what they’re looking for in recruitment. A mentor is a fantastic thing to have if you can find one!
Developing skills to work in cross cultural teams
There were several insightful questions from our audience, one of which sought advice in working effectively with cross-cultural teams. Our panellists recommended being generous with your attention and remember that ears are more important than mouths! Be thoughtful and observe how relationships are unfolding. Remember if someone does something inexplicable to you there will always be a reason why- try to find out what that is, so that you can understand each other better. Listen to people who have grown up in the country or have been there longer than you.