Four ways to get your first job at the United Nations

So, you want to work at the United Nations? It’s a massive organization and getting your foot in the door can be tough. This video provides a quick overview of 4 ways you can get that first gig in the UN system that can open doors to a longer term career.

Understanding the Basic Structure of the UN

The United Nations is a large “family” of entities, made up of more than 30+ affiliated programmes, funds, and specialized agencies, each with their own structure, leadership, and budget. It is a good idea to understand the general structure of the UN and the topics you are interested in working on so that you can better narrow down your search. Some of these organizations post positions directly on the UN Careers webpage (mostly the Secretariat but also entities like UN Environment for example) but many organizations have their own job boards and do not list on the main UN page (ex. UNDP, ILO, WHO, etc.) so it is very important you know which organizations do the work you are interested in so you can look in the right place and for the right types of positions.

  • Secretariat

    • Includes operational functions, substantive groups that support decision making bodies of the UN, Country Team management, Regional Commissions and Special Advisers, Representatives and Envoys

  • 6 Funds and Programmes

    • UN Development Programme (UNDP)

    • UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

    • UN Population Fund (UNFPA)

    • UN Habitat

    • UNICEF

    • World Food Programme (WFP)

  • 15 Specialized Agencies

    • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

    • International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

    • International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

    • International Labour Organization (ILO)

    • International Monetary Fund (IMF)

    • International Maritime Organization (IMO)

    • International Telecommunications Union (ITU)

    • UN Educational, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

    • UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

    • World Tourism Organization (UN WTO)

    • Universal Postal Union (UPU)

    • World Health Organization (WHO)

    • World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

    • World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

    • World Bank

  • 9 Entities and Boards

    • UNAIDS

    • UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

    • UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)

    • UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

    • UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

    • UNRWA

    • UN Systems Staff College (UNSSC)

    • UN University (UNU)

    • UN Women

  • 7 Related Organizations

    • CTBTO

    • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

    • International Organization for Migration (IOM)

    • Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

    • UNFCCC

    • World Trade Organization (WTO)

    • International Trade Centre (ITC)


The UN lists the World Bank, IMF, and World Trade Org on their website in these categories but my experience is that those organizations work very separately and function quite differently than the UN system bodies. 


1) Internships 

Length: 2-6 months, maximum 6 months

Eligibility: no age requirements but must be enrolled in a Master's or PhD programme, or be in the final year of a Bachelor’s programme; or within one year after graduation from a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD programme

Pay: typically these are unpaid positions, although some UN orgs like the ILO and WHO have policies to pay their interns, interns are usually also responsible for obtaining and paying for a visa, travel, and medical insurance

Where to find internships: visit the UN Careers webpage and filter by “Category” or visit an individual entities career site and do a similar filter


2) Young Professionals Program (YPP)

Length: two-year fixed term contract to start and afterwards will receive continuing contract, subject to performance

Eligibility: must be under 32 years of age, hold a bachelor’s degree, and be from a participating country. Participating countries vary from year-to-year and are based on nations that are un- or under-represented in the UN system. YPP candidates must pass a UN exam, the application period typically opens in June each year

Pay: YPP are fixed term staff contracts and are paid in accordance with UN pay scales

Where to see if you qualify for the YPP program: this page has information on the current status of the YPP program including the countries that are participating and deadlines


3) Junior Professional Officers (JPO)

Length: deployments last between two and three years and are financed by the member state

Eligibility: all eligibility requirements are set by the country and may vary but generally the minimum requirements are a master's degree and three years relevant professional experience, and sometimes an age limit of 32

Pay: salary packages is comparative to those in the UN

Where to find more information about JPOs: this page lists the countries currently participating in the JPO programme, participants must apply directly through their Foreign Ministry


4) Un Volunteers (UNV)

Length: UN volunteer positions vary from several weeks to multiple years, the maximum term is 4 years

Eligibility: a university degree or technical diploma and at least two years of relevant work experience, individuals who are interested in being a UN volunteer submit there profile to a global talent pool and then

Pay: volunteers are not paid but are entitled to certain allowances including living allowance, travel expenses, settling-in-grant, insurance, and resettlement allowance

Where to find more information about UNV: this page has everything you need to know about becoming a UN Volunteer


I hope this was helpful… good luck with your search!!!

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