What is the Application Process for UN jobs?
There are seven stages in the Application Process for UN jobs:
1. Chcek the job openings in the United Nation
You can look for job openings at the United Nations by operating the search engine on this website. Most job openings are created for a specific position in a particular office and duty station (position-specific job openings. There are also generic job openings, which are used to create rosters, i.e., pools of nominees available for immediate selection across the Organization, and Recruit from Roster job openings which are only open to candidates who have already been rostered. The application process is the same for all job opening types. See the Special Notice of the job opening to recognize those job openings. You can learn more about rosters in the section below, “Understanding Roster Management”.
If you want to obtain e-mails letting you know about newly posted jobs, you must first log into your account. You can then conduct a Job Search that can be saved to create a Job Alert that matches your search criteria.
2. Design a profile and prepare an application
In order to prepare an application, you must first register on this website. After you have registered you will be welcomed to your Applications Home page, which is where you will fill out and handle your profile, application form, and all information linking to your application(s). First, you should create a user profile (My Profile). The information in My Profile incorporates your name, nationality, contact information, and marital status. You can make changes, such as updating your phone number or family status, to My Profile at any time and the information is automatically updated on all job applications you have already submitted.
After you have registered and completed My Profile, you can create one or several job applications. The application form is the part of your application that has information about your education, language skills, present and past jobs, etc. The attached resumes are not accepted. You can start preparing an application form without instantly applying for a job by clicking Create Draft Application. After you have entered the data you click Save to save the data without submitting. You can prepare, access, edit, and save one or more fully, or partially completed application forms without applying for a job right away. It is suggested to click Save after each section before exiting the page. Also, be aware that the session times out after 60 minutes of inactivity.
Once you have identified a job opening of interest, you should update the application to highlight important facts relevant to the job you are applying for, as well as to provide answers to the Job Requirements questions and to complete your motivation statement. It is also important to accurately complete and update all the information as it serves as a basis for evaluating your eligibility and suitability for a job opening.
If you want to create a profile in the United Nations, Please click here.
3. Job application Submission
If you want to apply for a specific job after you have filled out your application, click Add job to the application. You will have to answer a set of questions based on the job requirements which will give you the chance to demonstrate appropriate experiences, highlight skills and knowledge, describe related published work, acquire licenses, certifications, and training.
After the job application is complete, you can submit your application by clicking Submit.
The United Nations does not accept a resume as an attached document and it is neither regarded a substitute nor a complementary document to a completed online application. If any additional information or documentation is required, you will be requested to submit it during the application process.
If you have submitted your job application successfully, you will promptly obtain an automated acknowledgment by e-mail. Also note that once an application has been submitted it cannot be changed for that specific job opening.
Each application you have prepared and submitted, and the list of job openings to which you have applied, along with the application status (i.e., “Applied”, “Under consideration”, “Rostered” etc.), are displayed on the My Applications page.
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4. Assessment of the application
Your application is assessed in terms of required and desirable evaluation criteria, e.g., experience, education, and languages. They can be identified in related parts of the job opening of the position you applied to as well as through the Job Requirements questions at the time of your application. You will be asked to partake in assessment exercises and/or a competency-based interview only if it is determined that you meet all the required evaluation criteria and any additional desirable criteria that the hiring manager decides to apply for screening.
If it is specified that you are not eligible, or only meet some or none of the needed or applied evaluation criteria for a particular job, you will be informed, at the proper time, that your application was unsuccessful for this job. In this case, you should not be discouraged but apply for other jobs for which you feel you are qualified.
5. Review exercise
The review exercises might incorporate a written exam, simulation exercise, case study, or other appropriate evaluation mechanism. You will be informed in advance of the time, type, and length of the assessment. If, based on the result of the review, you are short-listed for a competency-based interview, you will be informed accordingly.
If you are not short-listed for the competency-based interview, you will be notified at the appropriate time. Please note, however, that the type and frequency of correspondence with individual nominees may vary throughout the application process.
6. Competency-based interview
The competency-based interview may take place either via telephone, video conference or in person. You will be informed in advance of the time, duration means, and/or place of the interview. During the interview, we learn more about your combination of skills, attributes, and behaviors that are directly connected to your successful performance on the job.
7. Selection notification
A pool of eligible nominees is suggested for selection following the outcome of the various assessment stages. Any suggestions are then evaluated by an independent review body, composed of staff and management representatives, to ensure that the applicable processes were followed correctly.
After the review body has endorsed the suggested candidates, a selection decision is made by the head of the department usually for one individual, or if several positions are available, for the corresponding number of vacancies.
You will be informed if you are the selected nominee for the job.
If you were in the group of nominees suggested for the job opening but were not selected, you will be placed on the roster for comparable functions at the level and category of the job opening for possible future selection. As a roster member, you will be notified when new job openings with the same job title, level, category and job family for which you have been rostered are advertised.
If you are not included in the pool of nominees suggested for selection, you will be notified accordingly.
You may also want to check: How to make a winning application for UN jobs