UN to introduce online application tool for consultants

The United Nations is embarking on a new phase in its recruitment process. Sometime in early 2011, the U.N. will begin requiring would-be individual contractors and consultants to apply through its new careers portal, Inspira, bringing an end to the paper-based, per-agency application tradition for these types of job candidates. Launched in April 2010, Inspira currently caters only to applicants for staff jobs under the umbrella of the U.N. Secretariat. It is designed to be a user-friendly job tool that can accommodate a thorough hiring procedure. So far, however, the process for listing and filling positions has been slow. The U.N. often has gone beyond its target of reaching a staffing decision within 120 days of advertising a post. The trend, according to Victor Kisob, chief of the U.N.’s staffing service, and Martha Helena Lopez, director of the U.N.’s strategic planning and staffing division, is expected to continue until the new system settles. From Galaxy to Inspira Inspira will eventually replace Galaxy, an 8-year-old, in-house system that the U.N. heavily used in the past to post information on open positions, job benefits, and competitive examinations for job and internship placements of 100-150 people from underrepresented countries. Notices of some field positions are still posted on Galaxy, but similar announcements will be discontinued within the next few months, according to Kisob. “[Galaxy] reached maturity with us, because before Galaxy, everything was paper. It was paper-driven, so it was the first [information technology] platform we had,” Lopez told Devex. “It was a big change for us and it served for the number of years that we had it, but it reached a level where we needed something more.” The transition from Galaxy to Inspira was “a bit jumpy,” she said. “But within the last month or so, it is stabilizing and we are showing sufficient registrations at this point in time. We are getting good feedback in terms of the hits.” As compared to Galaxy, Inspira is seen as a more approachable, aesthetically pleasing and information-heavy site. It can be easily accessed by searching for “UN careers” on the Internet. Inspira’s mission At the April 22 unveiling of Inspira in New York, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro was clear on what the tool aims to achieve. “The careers portal will change the way we promote career opportunities at the United Nations; the way we show what the organization does; where it works; what we look for in staff and what we offer as an employer of choice,” she said. One way to do that is to showcase the career journeys of 150 staff members, who, according to Migiro, serve as “bold examples of the diversity” within the U.N. “You provide examples of what a career in the organization may look like. You talk about what drives you every day. Through your stories, we are looking to inspire others,” she said, addressing the U.N. staffers who are now profiled on Inspira. Aside from a personal essay, every featured U.N. staff profile includes the employee’s position title, duty station, language skills, nationality, and education details. At the bottom is a list of vacancies within the staff’s job network, which the U.N. defines as “a flexible grouping of departments and offices whose mandates, programs of work and interests are closely linked to each other.” Currently, jobs are listed in eight job networks: communication and information technology; conference management; economic and social development; legal; management and operations support; political, peace and security; public information and external relations; and safety and security. Those who want to be notified whenever a position under a particular job area becomes available should sign up for an account with Inspira and create a job alert. Aside from being able to track the status of applications online or through e-mail alerts, registered users can also create, store and edit their own personal profiles, which they can amend and re-submit for individual posts. This is intended to help avoid blind carbon copying when people apply for multiple posts without considering if they would be a good fit for each one, Kisob said. Kisob noted that many people start the application process and then once they pass the question stage, they leave their application unfinished, affirming that they had not considered the full load of the position initially. With Inspira, the U.N. hopes to minimize these incidents. The tool requires applicants to answer a series of detailed prescreening questions about the position and their interest in it. If applicants decide at a later point that they want to withdraw their applications, they can do so at any time during the process. How to ace the U.N. online job application Lopez and Kisob shared five secrets to performing well in the U.N. job application process through Inspira: - Look past the job title. - Honor listed requirements. - Don’t bother with attachments, links to written work or additional supplements in the initial application. - Treat your online profile like an interview. - Start thinking like you’re a part of the U.N. system. For detailed explanations on those recommendations, check out our feature, “Five Insider Tips for Acing a UN Online Job Application.” Also, head to our the Devex jobs board to view a list of open U.N. jobs. Remember that creating a professional profile on the Devex website increases your chances of landing a coveted U.N. job, since agencies such as UNICEF and the U.N. Development Program continue to recruit using the site. Read more U.N. career advice: - Development Aid Careers in the United Nations System: What You Need to Know - UN Jobs: What You Need to Know - Five Insider Tips for Acing a UN Online Job Application - UN Job Perks: What You Need to Know - UN Salaries: What You Need to Know - UN Occupational Groups: A Primer - UNDP Seeks Experts to Work in Development Hot Spots - The Other UN Career: Working with its Nonprofit Partners - Network Your Way into the UN - Jobs at UN Programs: A Primer - Jobs at UN Specialized Agencies: A Primer - A Great Career Stepping Stone: UNDP’s Junior Professionals Program - Joining the United Nations Volunteers - UN Association Offers Future Leaders a Chance to Test Their Skills - UN-Habitat Official: Urban Planners Must be ‘More Specialized’ - UNDP Taps Local Talent for Lebanon Projects - IOM Seeks Practical Skills in Volatile Locations Read more career advice articles.