u/Emotional_Hat_6165

I'm looking for entry level jobs in NGOs and international organizations in Geneva. Before replying, please don't tell me that the market is difficult, that everyone is struggling, or that I just need to keep applying. I know all of that already. Geneva has always been competitive.

I also don't think networking is the magic solution people often present it as. I've attended events, contacted people, had informational interviews and coffee chats. The reality is that a person you meet once is rarely going to help you the way they would help a friend, a relative, a former colleague, or someone they've known for years.

What frustrates me is seeing that jobs clearly do exist for some people. I know people whose families are connected to politics, international organizations, or influential circles, and somehow opportunities appear much more easily for them. So sometimes I wonder if the real challenge isn't finding vacancies, but finding the right people.

I've been trying for almost a year. I have a Master's in International Relations, international experience, and a UN internship in Geneva. Yet I'm still stuck trying to get my first proper entry level opportunity.

I'm honestly close to giving up and returning to my hometown, which is something I really don't want to do.

So I'm asking a very specific question:

If you got your first entry level NGO or international organization job in Geneva without family connections, without influential contacts, and without being part of an established network, how did you do it?

What was the concrete thing that changed your situation?

Please only answer if you have practical advice or a real experience to share.

Is there anyone here who is genuinely willing to help and give concrete advice?

I'm looking for entry level jobs in NGOs and international organizations in Geneva. Before replying, please don't tell me that the market is difficult, that everyone is struggling, or that I just need to keep applying. I know all of that already. Geneva has always been competitive.

I also don't think networking is the magic solution people often present it as. I've attended events, contacted people, had informational interviews and coffee chats. The reality is that a person you meet once is rarely going to help you the way they would help a friend, a relative, a former colleague, or someone they've known for years.

What frustrates me is seeing that jobs clearly do exist for some people. I know people whose families are connected to politics, international organizations, or influential circles, and somehow opportunities appear much more easily for them. So sometimes I wonder if the real challenge isn't finding vacancies, but finding the right people.

I've been trying for almost a year. I have a Master's in International Relations, international experience, and a UN internship in Geneva. Yet I'm still stuck trying to get my first proper entry level opportunity.

I'm honestly close to giving up and returning to my hometown, which is something I really don't want to do.

So I'm asking a very specific question:

If you got your first entry level NGO or international organization job in Geneva without family connections, without influential contacts, and without being part of an established network, how did you do it?

What was the concrete thing that changed your situation?

Please only answer if you have practical advice or a real experience to share.

Is there anyone here who is genuinely willing to help and give concrete advice?

I'm looking for entry level jobs in NGOs and international organizations in Geneva. Before replying, please don't tell me that the market is difficult, that everyone is struggling, or that I just need to keep applying. I know all of that already. Geneva has always been competitive.

I also don't think networking is the magic solution people often present it as. I've attended events, contacted people, had informational interviews and coffee chats. The reality is that a person you meet once is rarely going to help you the way they would help a friend, a relative, a former colleague, or someone they've known for years.

What frustrates me is seeing that jobs clearly do exist for some people. I know people whose families are connected to politics, international organizations, or influential circles, and somehow opportunities appear much more easily for them. So sometimes I wonder if the real challenge isn't finding vacancies, but finding the right people.

I've been trying for almost a year. I have a Master's in International Relations, international experience, and a UN internship in Geneva. Yet I'm still stuck trying to get my first proper entry level opportunity.

I'm honestly close to giving up and returning to my hometown, which is something I really don't want to do.

So I'm asking a very specific question:

If you got your first entry level NGO or international organization job in Geneva without family connections, without influential contacts, and without being part of an established network, how did you do it?

What was the concrete thing that changed your situation?

Please only answer if you have practical advice or a real experience to share.

I'm looking for entry level jobs in NGOs and international organizations in Geneva. Before replying, please don't tell me that the market is difficult, that everyone is struggling, or that I just need to keep applying. I know all of that already. Geneva has always been competitive.

I also don't think networking is the magic solution people often present it as. I've attended events, contacted people, had informational interviews and coffee chats. The reality is that a person you meet once is rarely going to help you the way they would help a friend, a relative, a former colleague, or someone they've known for years.

What frustrates me is seeing that jobs clearly do exist for some people. I know people whose families are connected to politics, international organizations, or influential circles, and somehow opportunities appear much more easily for them. So sometimes I wonder if the real challenge isn't finding vacancies, but finding the right people.

I've been trying for almost a year. I have a Master's in International Relations, international experience, and a UN internship in Geneva. Yet I'm still stuck trying to get my first proper entry level opportunity.

I'm honestly close to giving up and returning to my hometown, which is something I really don't want to do.

So I'm asking a very specific question:

If you got your first entry level NGO or international organization job in Geneva without family connections, without influential contacts, and without being part of an established network, how did you do it?

What was the concrete thing that changed your situation?

Please only answer if you have practical advice or a real experience to share.

Hello everyone,

I was recently pre selected for the Blue Book Traineeship October 2026 session and I am looking for advice from people who were successfully selected in previous years.

I would be particularly interested in hearing about:

• How you chose your three applications
• Whether you were contacted for an interview
• How long it took to hear back from DGs
• Any tips for writing the general motivation statement
• Any advice on tailoring the motivation letter for specific positions

If you were selected in the past and would be willing to share your experience, I would be very grateful. Feel free to comment below or send me a private message.

Thank you very much!

Hi everyone,

Now that we have been pre selected and are moving into the DG selection phase, I thought it could be useful to create a WhatsApp group for candidates already on the Blue Book list.

We could use it to share updates on DG contacts, interview invitations, timelines, experiences, and support each other through the next stage.

If you are already on the list and interested, comment below or send me a message 🙂

Good luck everyone for the DG phase!

Hi everyone,

I was wondering whether anyone who applied for the FRA traineeship in Vienna has received any updates yet.

Has anyone already received interview invitations, emails, or any status changes? If yes, could you mention the unit/sector you applied for?

I know different departments sometimes move at different speeds, but I thought it could be helpful to keep each other updated.

Good luck to everyone waiting 🙂

I don't really know if I'm writing this to get advice or just because I need to put my thoughts somewhere.

I'm 25 and I studied International Relations and Globalization. Over the past years I've moved through different countries and experiences, doing internships and working in international environments, including most recently an internship at the UN in Geneva. I've always been very focused on building something step by step and moving toward the next goal.

Right now I have been preselected for the Blue Book traineeship in Brussels starting in October, which I know is a great opportunity and I am grateful for it. But the truth is that the waiting time until then feels much longer than I expected.

I'm currently still in Geneva. My days feel empty and unstructured and I keep having this strong feeling that I'm not doing enough or not really doing anything meaningful, even if logically I know that's not true.

I keep asking myself what I should do in this in between period. Should I look for another internship? Should I try to start something more stable? I even thought about a PhD, but I'm not sure if that comes from a real decision or just from not knowing what else to do with this time.

I also tried applying to jobs in shops and retail just to have something structured and to meet people, but I haven't had any responses yet.

What is affecting me the most is not even the career uncertainty, but the fact that my days feel so empty compared to how I used to live. I'm not going out much, I'm not meeting people, and I feel disconnected from the version of myself that is usually active, social and involved.

It feels strange because on paper things are actually moving forward. I have opportunities and plans. But emotionally I feel stuck in a long waiting phase where nothing really happens, and I'm not sure how to handle it anymore.

Has anyone else experienced a phase like this, where you're technically progressing but your daily life feels completely paused?

I don't really know if I'm writing this to get advice or just because I need to put my thoughts somewhere.

I'm 25 and I studied International Relations and Globalization. Over the past years I've moved through different countries and experiences, doing internships and working in international environments, including most recently an internship at the UN in Geneva. I've always been very focused on building something step by step and moving toward the next goal.

Right now I have been preselected for the Blue Book traineeship in Brussels starting in October, which I know is a great opportunity and I am grateful for it. But the truth is that the waiting time until then feels much longer than I expected.

I'm currently still in Geneva. My days feel empty and unstructured and I keep having this strong feeling that I'm not doing enough or not really doing anything meaningful, even if logically I know that's not true.

I keep asking myself what I should do in this in between period. Should I look for another internship? Should I try to start something more stable? I even thought about a PhD, but I'm not sure if that comes from a real decision or just from not knowing what else to do with this time.

I also tried applying to jobs in shops and retail just to have something structured and to meet people, but I haven't had any responses yet.

What is affecting me the most is not even the career uncertainty, but the fact that my days feel so empty compared to how I used to live. I'm not going out much, I'm not meeting people, and I feel disconnected from the version of myself that is usually active, social and involved.

It feels strange because on paper things are actually moving forward. I have opportunities and plans. But emotionally I feel stuck in a long waiting phase where nothing really happens, and I'm not sure how to handle it anymore.

Has anyone else experienced a phase like this, where you're technically progressing but your daily life feels completely paused?