r/UNpath

Did anyone hear back from the Dutch JPO ?

They said that only the candidates that move forward will be notified.

I found it curious (though logical regarding the time and effort of interview panels) to take an exam prior to an interview. Curious simply because this is the first time, after a number of UN interviews, that the order was reversed.

I was also surprised that I have 24 hours (not 1-3 hours) to complete the test 😰 That seems like a massive evaluation? Anyone else have a 24 hour test duration?

Anything to especially be cognizant about for a senior program manager test besides the job description?

The U.N. refugee agency will need to cut more jobs and make urgent reforms as it ‌faces a fall in funding and foreign aid, the organisation's head said in a letter seen by Reuters.

There are now many more international staff on contract than postings available, meaning there were ​hundreds of people who were in between positions who were still being paid.

There are roughly 3,000  international staff for only ​1,800  positions, UNHCR said.

UNHCR High Commissioner Barham Salih told member states the agency had “no choice” as it expects available funds in 2026 to reach just over $3 billion, about 15% lower than in ​2025. The agency already announced thousands of job cuts last year.

The shortfall comes as the number of people displaced ​by war and persecution around the world continues to climb. The agency works with people forced from ⁠their homes in Ukraine, Sudan and other conflict-hit countries.

Story from Reuters.

I want to share my experience in the UNV recruiting process, applied for a role (Africa). After 2 months, I've been invited to the interview, passed the interview (CBI). After 3 days, got the answer of not being selected for further steps because they found the appropriate or the close candidate

Hey everyone - I made this post after receiving three rejections yesterday. I'm in need of some motivation, so it would be lovely to hear from you all about your successes in landing a job within the UN system. How many rejections did it take? How was your process? If you can say one thing to your anxious younger self who was applying, what would you say? Just looking for some positivity and a reminder that the path isn't straightforward

Hi everyone, I have around 6 years of experience as a Partnerships & Grants Manager in international NGOs, working at both national and regional levels (decentralized HQ) and field-based roles. I’ve also specialized in localisation and sub-granting procedures.

I’m currently trying to land a remote UN consultancy as a Partnerships Consultant. I’ve noticed that there aren’t that many openings for this type of role, about one every 10 days, mostly across UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women, which makes me wonder about the level of competition. Tbh, I don’t find the ToRs and expected deliverables particularly complex. Most of the time, they’re about supporting teams in preparing donor content, developing prospects, contributing inputs, and doing trend / call for proposal analysis. That’s very close to what I’ve been doing for my teams, which is why I feel like I could be a good fit.

I was wondering, how competitive are these roles in reality, what are my chances with this kind of background, do you have any advice on how to stand out, And honestly… is this a realistic goal, or am I aiming too high?

I’ve also tried to optimize my applications: I reworked my CV in a more “UN-style” format (very simple Word version, no Canva), I fill in all the platform requirements, but my cover letters tend to stay quite general. I also don’t always submit a technical proposal when it’s not explicitly required, as it didn’t seem that relevant for these types of consultancies.

Do they actually review everything in detail (CV, platform inputs, cover letter, etc.), or is there a first screening filter? What are the main criteria they look for at first stage? Are these consultancies often filled by people already “in the system” (e.g. recently laid-off staff or known profiles)? Would it make sense to reach out to hiring managers on LinkedIn ?

Thanks !!

Hi, I have been invitied to take written exam test with OCHA, and don´t really know what to expect or start preparing..all tips and recommendations are welcomed :))

I am living in the EU and considering a consultancy offer with the FAO. do I understand correctly that it is tax free? anyone have experience with this? it’s not clear to me if I would be a “freelancer” and therefore required to pay taxes …

I'm currently serving as an International UNV, all I can say is that the duty station is quite tough both financially and psychologically. I have been told that there is no hope for making the move to a P-level position due to current hiring freeze and liquidity crisis where I am now.

I have been applying aggressively for the last two years and managed to get several written tests and interviews but still nothing has materialised yet so I recently started applying to consultancies and got invitations for couple of them fairly quickly.

My first question is, would you recommend choosing a consultancy over a UNV assignment? I still have 2 more years in my current assignment while the consultancy is a 6 months renewable, but still, it is a project-based assignment. The duty stations of the consultancy much better than my current one in the field.

The second question is that during the interviews for these consultancies they said they will get back in 2-4 weeks time but already has been more than two months. Since I got the interviews one or two weeks after the deadline I expected that they would have an expedited recruitment, is this normal?

Happy to hear your thoughts!

I’m currently working as a UNV and lately I’ve been feeling really overwhelmed. I feel like I’m going far beyond my actual role and taking on responsibilities that would normally fall under NPO-level positions, and in some cases even more than that.

I genuinely care about the work and have always tried to give my best, but I honestly don’t think this pace is sustainable for the remaining months of my contract, especially because the situation feels a bit unfair at times.

I wanted to ask other UNVs, have you had similar experiences? How did you deal with it, and how do you personally feel about the expectations placed on UNVs?

Hi, has anyone had experience with a JPO interview at ILO? Any advice? Also, how competitive is the process after receiving a panel interview invitation?

Has anyone taken the YPP 2025 exam today? How did it go? Any tips?

Hello,

I applied for a JPO position through the Nedworc Foundation. I had an interview two weeks ago and haven’t heard anything since.

I read on their website that it can take at least six weeks after the interview to hear back if you are selected. However, I also saw on Reddit that some candidates were asked for their references just a few days after the interview.

I was wondering if anyone here has gone through the same process, specifically with the Dutch government, and could share how long it took for them to hear back afterward?

What advice would you give to those seeking to break into their first UN consultancy?

Hi everyone,

I had my first UN interview last week and amazingly, I received an acceptance email the same week!

I read your experiences on this subreddit and I understand that the UN hiring process is very slow.

But since it wasn’t the case for me, I am now worried because they stopped responding to me after that initial acceptance email. I haven’t received an official offer, start date etc.

Is this a cause for concern (they changed their minds?) or just bureaucratic delays?

Thank you!

I applied for a role at an IO and connected with the hiring manager on LinkedIn. It has been about a month since I applied, but I have not heard back from them. I am quite confident I am well-suited for the role and tailored my application as well. Should I text and ask the hiring manager on LinkedIn about when candidates can hear back if they are selected for the next stage in the application process, or would that be unnecessary? I do not know this manager personally. I am just connected with them on LinkedIn.

Dear everyone,

I am a potential summer intern with UNHQ, but I was told that J-1 visa types are restricted to part-time employment of 30 hours a week. I was quite surprised, as I was excited at the prospect of working the regular 8 hours. May I know whether this is regular for the Secretariat, and how this rule came to be?

I was not able to find information on this restriction online. Thank you everyone!!

Hey everyone,
I’m looking for some career advice and insights from those who have successfully navigated the path to the UN, particularly into policy roles.

I am an incoming, fully funded Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s student in a program focusing on the European Union in the first place and covers courses such as (EU Economics / EU Policies / International relations / some quant courses) delivered across 4 universities, including Charles University and Leiden University.

My long-teem goal is to become a Policy Analyst within the UN system, ideally with UNDP. My core areas of interest are international development and climate policy. But I am not sure if this master program the best for my goal my other options are either apply for a master’s degree more aligned (such as economics development) in a local uni in my country ranked within top 400(I am not an EU citizen) or reapply again next for scholarships and reject the offer I have.

My main questions:

1. For those familiar with UN hiring practices, does a European-centric governance and politics degree carry strong weight for UN roles?

2. If the program is aligned, then what types of internships should I prioritize during my two-year program to make my profile competitive for UNDP or UN Volunteers (UNV) roles later on? Should I target regional UN offices, think tanks, or international NGOs?

3. Beyond keeping a high GPA, what specific skills (e.g., data analysis, language proficiencies, specific field volunteering) or extracurriculars should I focus on building during my studies to stand out?

I was recently accepted to Fordham University as a Humanitarian Studies major, though it would be quite expensive. I would love to work in some major NGO's refugee or crisis response division. I would also like to avoid getting a master's if necessary, though I am willing to if it would really make a difference.

Would getting a specialized BA void the need for a master's at all in this field?

Sorry if this is the wrong sub. I am struggling to find any kind of information on the matter. I would be interested in pursuing a career at the WCO coming from a trade background. I recently applied to a position but it’s been weeks of silence so I guess it’s a rejection?
Can anyone give any kind of insights on the organisation ? How is it to work there ? And how difficult is it to get in compare to other IO ?
Is the HR process particularly slow or fast ?
Thank you in advance !