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An overview: Official UN Career Guides you can download for free

The recruitment system of the United Nations is vast and complex. That’s why various UN entities have created career guides to support candidates before, during and after the application process. All of these UN job guides are available for free and can be downloaded on the official websites. We have compiled a link list that features some of the most important UN career guides that are available fully online.

A Guide to a Career with the United Nations

With 76 pages this career guide is one of the most extensive ones in this list. The guide was published by United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and contains a general introduction to the United Nations System and general guidance on job opportunities in the United Nations. By reading the guide you will learn about staff regulations, the salary system and the organizational structure. Beyond that, the guide also mentions internship opportunities, entry level programs and recruitment of language-based and higher level vacancies.

Career Guide for UNFPA Staff Members

Although this guide by the United Nations Population Fund is tailored towards current staff members, it will be a worthy read for job seekers. The guide discusses a broad variety of career development and career management topics that are relevant. Furthermore UNFPA employees provide tips about best practises. At the center of this guide is the holistic career model that was developed by former Director of Human Resources Michael Emery. The document explores a number of factors that are relevant to career success at the United Nations that might spark your interest.

Applicant Guide

The United Nations Office of Human Resources, Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance has published an Applicant Guide in 2019. This very short guide focuses primarily on the technicalities and terminology of job searching at the United Nations. It features and explains various important websites such as Inspira or the UN Careers Portal. In this brief guide you will learn more about how to apply for UN jobs and how distinguish between the different staff categories.

How to get started with inspira

Similar to the previous guide, this document focuses on how to successfully navigate Inspira from creating a profile to applying for jobs. The guide also has a section about Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that are commonly asked by applicants. Have a look, maybe some of your questions will be answered in this guide too.

The Applicant’s Manual

UN Careers has developed a broad variety of useful resources for UN job seekers. The Applicant’s Manual is one of the most comprehensive resources. Although this guide was already published in 2012, a lot of it is still relevant today, making it a prime resource to better understand job openings and the evaluation criteria during the screening process. The manual also describes the different assessment methods that may be used during the recruitment process, for example written tests, case studies, presentations and simulation exercises.

The Recruiter’s Manual

This Instructional Manual for the Recruiter on the Staff Selection System will also be very useful to job seekers because it provides insights into the process through the eyes of a Recruiter. The manual also reveals aspects of how the recruiter and the hiring manager collaborate throughout the hiring process. For job applicants this manual will provide a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a Recruiter and a Hiring Manager.

Hiring Manager’s Manual

The third guide offered by UN Careers is the Hiring Manager’s Manual. It provides insights about how Hiring Managers evaluate applicants, how assessment exercises are conducted and what the role of the central review body is. The manual also contains an in-depth section about Roster Management that discusses the inclusion of applicants into the roster and the communication with roster applicants.

UNICEF Competency Definitions

This short handout provides definitions of core values, core competencies and functional competencies and can help job seekers to better understand the terminology in job openings. The listed competencies can also be useful for assessing your previous work experience in a better way. When reading through the definitions consider how it relates to your previous tasks and responsibilities.

International UN Volunteer Handbook Conditions of Service

The last document in our list is the UN Volunteer Handbook that covers a broad variety of topics reaching from the eligibility criteria of UN volunteers to the end of assignment report and everything in between. The document will discuss general provisions such as re-assignments, temporary assignments and mission travel and proprietary rights.

About the author

Robert Fellner

Robert is founder of Human Rights Careers (HRC). A platform with the aim to support human rights students, alumni, graduates and professionals in pursuing and developing their career in human rights. Prior to launching HRC, Robert worked as Global Human Rights EdTech Manager at Amnesty International in London and as consultant for international human rights organizations globally. During 2011 and 2012, Robert worked as lecturer at Ain Shams university in Egypt. Robert has a masters in literature and human rights.