Tip #5 Strategies for a UN Job Search: Submit Appropriate Job Applications

Part 5 of a 5-Part Blog Series

By Katarina Holm-DiDio

Last week we blogged about the importance of having the soft skills valued by the different UN organizations and how to identify the organization’s needs. If you missed that blog, you can find it at Tip #4 Strategic Job Search for UN Jobs: Identify the UN Needs, or you can review previous tips at   Tip #3 Strategic Job Search for UN Jobs: Review Recruitment Options, Tip #2 Strategic Job Search for UN Jobs: Research the Duty Stations or Tip #1 Strategic Job Search for UN Jobs: Learn about the UNCS.

For the last four weeks, we covered a new tip each week to help you with your UN job search. This blog is the last in this series. The 5 Tips are:

1. Learn what the United Nations Common System (UNCS) is and does.
2. Diversify your job search and research the Duty Stations.
3. Review the different recruitment programs and options to work at the UN.
4. Identify what the hiring UN organization is seeking.
5. Submit well-written, appropriate job applications.

This week we’ll conclude the series by discussing the importance of submitting appropriate job applications.  

TIP #5:  Submit well-written, appropriate job applications.

As mentioned in previous blogs, only apply for UN jobs where you have the required experience and skills. Be sure to write focused and concise descriptions of your experience and achievements. Avoid repetition and do not promise more than you can deliver.

Proofread thoroughly by spell-checking and asking someone with strong English skills to review your applications.

Many of the UN Organizations have application instructions and advice posted on their job sites. Take time to read them and follow their advice before you submit your application! Give them what they ask for.  The UN Secretariat provides application tips as well as interview information.

A job search is a marathon, not a 100 meter sprint, especially in these economic times. If your dream is to one day work for a UN Organization, you need to be persistent, have what the organization needs, or acquire it through work and studies. With these elements you will be ready to navigate the UN job search process. Good luck with your UN job search!

NOTE: If you are a member of Passport Career (meaning your organization or university/college pays for a license so that you have access), then you can access the all five tips in the My Global Career Briefcase section. There are also many other tips and strategies available to you in this section. If your organization is interested in more information about how to purchase a license to access Passport Career’s 12,000+ pages of career information and resources for 250+ cities in 78 countries, contact info@passportcareer.com.

Katarina Holm-DiDio is a cross-cultural career consultant and trainer working with expatriates moving to the US and clients interested in global careers. She is also a cross-cultural trainer specialized in the US and the Nordic Countries and a columnist interpreting current events in the US for newspapers in Finland. She writes her own blog at KHD Consulting International’s Global Skills for Life and Work.