Life after the UN: How to find your next role

Having such a prestigious employer with a globally recognized mandate atop a CV can mean people often assume finding a role after being employed within the United Nations system will be easy. Often they’re wrong, experts told Devex. “[People] come with this big expectation that ‘I have the U.N. on my CV, of course I'm an attractive candidate,’ but sometimes a lot of organizations have these big negative stereotypes against them,” said Anabella Botbol, principal consultant and head of talent development at Mission Talent, an executive search and talent development agency. These include being less agile, overpaid, and doing jobs that are no longer relevant, said Lois Freeke, manager of the Asia-Pacific and international recruitment business at NGO Recruitment. For example, few organizations outside the U.N. employ positions titled technical officers, section heads, or peacekeepers. “And if there are U.N. careerists … it's possible that some organizations — especially growing NGOs, which have adopted remote working conditions or are scaling up — would have a big concern about somebody coming from a large organization like that,” Freeke explained. Some organizations that Botbol has worked with have explicitly said they don't want people from the U.N. “You have to convince them,” she said, despite the U.N. speaking to deep sector knowledge and expertise. Paulin Regnard has experienced the post-U.N. job struggle first hand. He worked for 17 years in peace operations in places such as Kosovo, Haiti, and South Sudan and has been unable to find work since leaving in 2021. “Midcareer, I've remained unemployed until today with no further prospects with the U.N. or outside it.” The challenge, he said, is explaining the day-to-day tasks involved in such positions to a hiring manager. With this in mind, recruiters and career coaches shared below how former U.N. employees can overcome these misconceptions and market themselves in a way that will enhance their chances of finding work post-U.N. 1. Readjust your expectations “If someone comes to a process — and it happens a lot — saying ‘oh because I'm from the U.N., I'm sure I'm going to get the role,’ we bring them down a little bit to reality and tell them ‘it’s great that you're coming from the U.N., your experience is great, but how would you express the issues of bureaucracy in the U.N.?” said Botbol. A lot of organizations are looking for flexibility, agility, and someone who can work in various hierarchies, so it’s important a candidate knows how to answer these questions. Salaries and packages available may also not be on a par with what U.N. workers are used to. This is why Kate Roberts, humanitarian coach and staff care and well-being specialist, advises financial planning and mentally preparing in advance for what that adjustment may mean. “For example, if clients are responsible for supporting family members, have other financial obligations, or have health concerns, the idea of changing insurance providers can feel incredibly insecure,” she said via an email. To counter any judgment a candidate may encounter during a job search as a former U.N. worker, she also offers support on confidence building, emotional intelligence, communication, and personal authenticity. 2. Make a plan For those who don’t have an immediate goal to transition out of the U.N., Roberts believes it’s important to start planning an exit strategy as soon as possible. “It helps people feel more in control of their options, feel more informed about hotspots or challenges they may encounter, and feel more prepared with strategies to overcome those challenges and feel more confident,” she said. On a practical level, that might involve learning new skills desirable to future employers, networking, or developing a personal brand. Regnard advised looking for side projects or speaking to a coach while also keeping track of achievements that can later be used on a résumé. “The other thing is, I would say to any person who is already in their early career or even midcareer, that if they’re thinking about doing a shift at some point, they better do it as early as practical and not wait too long because the longer you wait, the more senior you become, the more difficult it is,” he said. 3. Build a non-U.N. network A lot of positions — as in any sector — are spread through word of mouth, but in order to hear about non-U.N. opportunities, a network outside of the U.N. is needed. Freeke suggested “making warm connections to people who work in their target organizations.” They’ll be able to share more information about a target job and potentially refer candidates into opportunities, she said. Botbol recommended building relationships at the local level and with grassroots organizations. “That's a key question we always ask outside the U.N.: are you part of a social movement? Which one and why? That allows you to connect to other things outside the U.N.,” she said. It’s also a good idea, according to Roberts, to “find other people who have made a successful transition and talk to them, interview them, ask about what they learned or what they wish they would have done differently.” 4. Learn how to best communicate your skill sets on paper Oftentimes people don't realize how much they've become a part of the U.N. system in terms of how they present their information, Freeke said. “If they haven't been on the job market for some time, they may not realize that their LinkedIn profile … or résumé doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Regnard, for example, said he, having worked as a civil affairs and a political affairs officer at the U.N., has struggled to distill the tasks involved in these multifaceted, U.N.-specific posts in a two-page resume. The first step is to understand what a U.N. job title means elsewhere, Freeke said. For example, a public information officer might be an advocacy or media campaigns manager outside of the U.N. while a section head could be a CEO or general manager. This translation should then be put in brackets on LinkedIn profiles because, she explained, recruiters often search by keywords and might see a public profile before an application or résumé. “I'm looking at candidates now on LinkedIn and their titles are abbreviations which nobody will understand outside of the U.N,” she said. As an exercise, Roberts suggested, is for a U.N. worker to take their current job description and go line by line describing what they do without using any U.N.- or sector-specific phrasing. 5. Lose the jargon in an interview When people go into an interview they tend to use a lot of technicalities, said Botbol, adding that feedback from hiring panelists is that U.N. candidates can appear removed from the realities on the ground. “You have this jargon overload that means when they talk about the U.N. they actually don't explain themselves clearly,” she said. “Not everyone realizes it's not a shared language.” Her advice is to focus on transferable skills while highlighting a passion for the cause or mission. “You have to focus on motivation … and then what you have done, and the impact that happens thanks to you,” she said. It’s also important to know what is in demand about your experience and make sure that's highlighted, Freeke said, adding that the U.N. experience can be a unique advantage. “The need for good staff in terms of skills and experience is enormous,” she said. It's just about presenting your skills in the best way possible and “to the organization that brings the butterflies back to your stomach.”