Want to launch a career with the UN? Here's how young professionals can break in

Many large multilateral organizations are taking a proactive approach and investing in programs to develop young professionals in the early stages of their global development careers. For aspiring development professionals, there are now even more opportunities to break into the sector. In addition to its Junior Professional Officer program, which has been running for over five decades, the United Nations boasts a number of young professional programs across its different agencies. Here we look at some of the ways young professionals can enter the U.N. system and launch their careers. Junior Professional Officer program The JPO program, introduced in the 1960s, is the flagship program for nurturing talent in the U.N. system and is implemented across 15 U.N. organizations. The program is fully funded by individual governments who sponsor country nationals in entry-level positions within one of the participating U.N. agencies. With hundreds of JPOs working in the U.N. system at any given time, the program provides an entry point for young professionals while building a pool of development practitioners, strengthening the capacity of the U.N. system, and supporting the Sustainable Development Goals, explained Jean-Luc Marcellin, program specialist with JPO Service Centre managed by U.N. Development Programme. See a list of donor countries participating in the JPO program here. The program is donor-driven, meaning that while country offices publish specific staffing requests, they also work to accommodate donor interests. “The beauty of the JPOs is flexibility,” Marcellin said. Donor countries can sponsor their JPOs for up to four years and, upon completion of the program, candidates can apply for a permanent position with the U.N. Most JPOs stay on with the U.N., retention rates are generally high. The competitive selection process results in high-quality participants and this, in addition to the excellent performance by JPO participants, has contributed to the success and longevity of the program, said Bettina Hasel, human resources manager at UNICEF. Given that the program has now been running for over five decades, there have been improvements in the program’s management, Marcellin said. “We try to give JPOs as much support as possible when it comes to career support and learning,” he added. Hasel noted that the extended orientation for the JPOs and their mentoring and coaching have improved. And where there is agreement with the donor governments, candidates can now also experience a combination of field and headquarters assignments, providing them with insight into the different operations of the organization, Hasel said. Interested applicants do not apply directly to the U.N., but rather through their sponsoring government. Current JPO vacancies and links to donor countries’ vacancy and application instructions can be found here. Young Professionals Program This recruitment initiative offers entry-level civil servant positions to young professionals looking to start their career with the U.N. Secretariat. Not tied to funding from specific donor countries, the YPP examination process is held just once a year and offers opportunities to all nationals of participating countries. Examination subjects, desirable competencies and educational requirements vary from year to year depending on the staffing needs of the U.N. “In the case of the YPP, it is really embedded in the workforce planning of the organization in question,” Marcellin said. Applicants are invited to apply for different exam subjects, based on the U.N.’s staffing needs, such as management and administration network, public information or political, peace and humanitarian network. Current U.N. staff who work within general services and hope to move into a professional-level position can also apply for the examination and program. Find out more here. Emerging programs The Special Assistant to the U.N. Resident Coordinator program, which was initiated in 2003 in partnership with the Danish government, replicates the JPO model to tackle specific programmatic needs. While the SARC program is managed by the UNDP’s JPO service center, the program is rolled out under the Office of the Resident Coordinator, which aims to improve efficiency and effectiveness between agencies at a country level. With fewer donor countries participating, this is a much smaller pool of talent, but the program is designed for P3-level professionals, many of whom are former JPOs, and will work specifically on U.N. coordination activities. Positions are advertised on the websites of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Norway, Japan, Finland, and Sweden. Only nationals of these five countries are eligible to apply. In-house initiatives A number of organizations within the U.N. have also developed their own in-house programs to allow them to attract the talent and build the specific skill sets they need. UNICEF has the New and Emerging Talent Initiative as part of its global talent management strategy; the program focuses on “attracting, developing and retaining candidates from entry to mid-career level,” Hasel explained. Initially introduced to attract external candidates and build a pipeline of external talent across key strategic areas, the initiative has since been opened up to internal staff, particularly national staff. The hope is that the program will eventually equip participants for leadership positions within the organization. “We want to build up a strong talent and leadership pipeline consisting of a diverse pool of talent who are fluent in various U.N. languages,” Hasel said, adding that those who are selected as part of the program “can be deployed globally, including in emergency situations and across various functional areas.” NETI participants undergo an orientation program at the New York headquarters, then receive ongoing support in the form of mentoring and career counseling. The program, which also involves a buddy program and alumni community, “serves an as innovative lab to pilot new selection and career management approaches for the organization,” Hasel explained. NETI is not currently accepting applications and the next round of recruitment will take place summer 2019. Looking to make a career move? 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