Things have gotten more competitive since Haoliang Xu, assistant administrator and director of the regional bureau for Asia and the Pacific for the United Nations Development Program, began his career with the United Nations nearly 20 years ago.
Xu cautioned young people not to base their worth on whether they can land a job at the U.N. during this video interview with Devex Editor Rolf Rosenkranz.
“You can materialize your worth in many other places...in many different ways aside from the U.N.,” he said, adding that it’s possible to join the international organization at a mid-career level.
Read more articles on U.N. careers:
● Five insider tips for acing a UN online job application
● Your next move: Post-UN career planning
● UN jobs: What you need to know
About the author
Kelli Rogers@kellierin
Kelli Rogers has worked as an Associate Editor and Southeast Asia Correspondent for Devex, with a particular focus on gender. Prior to that, she reported on social and environmental issues from Nairobi, Kenya. Kelli holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and has reported from more than 20 countries.
