Pros and Cons of Working for the United Nations in 2021

Many expats would love to work for the United Nations. And this is because; it’s one of the top international organizations globally. They work on projects around the world from civil aviation to refugee aid, from climate change to sustainable tourism.

Moreover, jobs at the UN give you the opportunity to support projects addressing some of the most pressing challenges in the world today. However, like all organizations, there are good and bad sides of working for the UN. Without further ado, below are the pros and cons of working for the UN today.

Pros

a)      One of the Most Prestigious Place to Work

One of the benefits of working for the United Nations is because it is highly a prestigious place to work. And as the leading international organization addressing world issues, the United Nations is a highly respected institution to be a part of. Therefore, having a job at the UN can be great because it’s known around the world.

b)      Opportunity to World around the World

Another pro of working in the UN today is because of the opportunity it brings. Since the UN has many offices across its sites, the benefits of working here cannot be overemphasized. Besides, it can also constitute to a great experience as you can move between offices and build valuable experience working in other countries. Also, if you travel to areas of crises and working to assist people affected is your thing, this is definitely a pro of working for the United Nation.

c)       United Nations Jobs Can Be Well Paid

A definite good thing about working for the United Nations is that it can be well paid. Not only is that, but they have wide range of jobs with a degree of variation in salaries. That being said, the UN workers also often get added benefits which further increases their salaries. UN staff usually work abroad where their wages can go further. But, we can tell you that the salaries are a great part of working for the UN.

d)      Opportunity to Work on Global Issues

As said in our previous post, you can work in the UN and be opportune to deliberate on global issues. And this is because; the United Nation’s focus on crises and development means taking a job that allow you to work on many different projects helping people in need. Again, a great part of working for the UN is using your skills and experience to help solve major global problems.

e)      Opportunity to Work with Highly Motivated People

While working as a staff in the United Nations, you’ll be opportune to meet with highly intelligent people around the globe. Besides, people who work for the UN are also highly motivated to solve some of the major issues facing the world. In this case, they’ll prefer a solution by finding great problem-solvers around the world. And this is one of the great things about working for the UN as an expats.

Cons

UN Jobs is Not Always a Stable Career

Working at the United Nations can be worrisome because it’s not a stable career. Unless, you’re very lucky and land a permanent UN job, most of the ones available jump between short-term to contracts jobs. And this could make building a career within the UN a challenge and also make gaining traction in your career difficult. Moreover, the instability of working a UN is a real down-side to joining the organization.

United Nations Is Very Bureaucratic

This also constitutes another problem of working for the United Nations. In addition to this fact, the UN is an enormous organization spanning almost every country in the world. And we can tell you that you should expect a varying state of bureaucracy.

Furthermore, the organizations have a reputation for being overly reliant on complex systems and processes and not focused enough on delivering results. And having to navigate the crazy UN bureaucracy is for sure a negative side of working in this organization.

Bribery and Corruption

Another downside of working for the United Nations is bribery and corruption. While the UN is known for being difficult to navigate and hard to understand, the structure, as well as its system and processes are not always clear.

At first, this can make joining the organization and building a career within the United Nation frustrating and can be a definite bad part about working there. And combine with an overly complex structure and it makes the UN a hard place to work. An often complained about aspect of the UN complexity is the bribery and corruption.

You Can’t Always Choose Where to Work

Another problem to put into consideration while trying to work for the UN is the placement issues.  Many UN staff has complained in recent times that it’s always difficult for them to choose the country they love to work.

Also, short UN contracts can also mean you regularly need to find new positions within the organization. Although many UN staff joins because they want to be able to travel and work abroad, over a long career but this factor can be a downside. Also, the continuous movements required by some UN jobs can be seen a con of working for the organization.

UN Countries Suitable for Expats

With the problems mentioned above, it’s quite essential to know the best countries that’d be good for you. The ranking is carried out by experts from the United Nations Development Programme. To measure the country’s progress, the UN calculates the Human Development index every year. Without further ado, below are the top five UN countries for expat to relocate in terms of seeking jobs.

·         Norway

As a founding member of the United Nations, Norway has held several historic and important positions in the UN. Also, the first Secretary-General of the United Nations was Norway’s former Minister for foreign affairs, Trygve Lie. Besides, the Norwegian lifestyle is strongly connected to the life you want. Moreover, the country has repeatedly been ranked as the best country to live in recent years.

·         Ireland

Ireland is the second on our list, as research made it known that they joined the United Nations in 1995. If you’re looking for the best jobs that’d give you time to take care of your family and friends, this is the best country. They provide a great quality of life, and there are few cities, especially popular among expats.

·         Iceland

Iceland is a member of most of the specialized agencies and other autonomous bodies of the United Nations. Permanent representatives of Iceland maintain a presence at the UN headquarters in New York, and the UN offices in Geneva and Vienna. However, living and working in this country as an expat cannot be overemphasized.

Frequently Asked Questions about UN Expat Jobs

Is it hard to get jobs in UN?

As said earlier, it is generally hard to get a job at the United Nations. Meanwhile, the main reasons UN jobs are difficult to get include language requirements, specific needs for skills, high competition, high level of education, and the often-complex UN recruitment process and that the United Nations wants to recruits a diversely as possible.

Does working for the United Nations Pays Well?

Of course, working for the United Nations is a great opportunity and they pay well. For entry-level professionals, known as P1, the annual net base salary for example can range from USD 37,000 – 80,000. Having said that, salaries, grants, and allowances paid by the United Nations are normally exempt from income tax, and that’s why many people would love to work here.

What is the best UN agency to work for?

The United Nations Job usually carries on many programs, where young specialists can receive a necessary experience to get a position in the organization after completion. However, we can tell you that humanitarian department, science, administration, and many others are the agency or department you should consider if you’re planning to work for the United Nations.

What are the International Relations Jobs that are available?

There are many international relations job available in the United Nations. However, we can explore five of them so you can understand the process better. They include; diplomat, intelligence analyst, policy analyst, lobbyist, communications specialist, and many others to mention a few.

How do I prepare for UN exams?

To prepare for the UN exams, it is recommended to read global newspaper, journals, and magazines.  Aside from this side, it is advised to go back to your university literature and refresh yourself on important and basic theories within the job family you have applied for.

How long does UN hiring process takes?

In most cases, applicants will only get contacted and are handled in a more individual manner if they pass the first stage of shortlisting. Meanwhile, the end to end process of applying to securing a job can take up to four month but the first stage notification for an interview can be fairly quick.

How many UN are there in the world?

As said earlier, there are about 195 countries in the world today. However, this total comprises 193 countries that are member states of the United Nations and 2 countries that are non-member observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine.

Which countries aren’t in the UN?

The two countries that are not UN members are Vatican City (Holy See) and Palestine. Both are considered non-member states of the United Nations, allow them to participate as permanent observes of the General Assembly, and are provided access to UN document.

Is WTO part of UN?

Although the WTO is not a UN specialized agency, but it has maintained strong relations with the UN and its agencies since its establishment. More so, the WTO Director General participates to the Chief Executive Board which is the organ of coordination within the UN system.

Conclusion

Foreigners and expatriates will definitely enjoy working for the United Nations. If you truly want to join this organization, you should understand the process it takes to recruit new staff. Nonetheless, refer to this guide for more information about UN expats jobs and the countries that have the best opportunity for expats.

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The best time to consider your financial situation is when you are moving to a new country.

Introduction

The United Nations resembles the infamous club Berghain as people would say. Here, everyone wants to get in, but hardly anyone knows how it goes. But, one thing is for sure, it’s not about how you dress, or your home country. There are at least three common factors that hinder young professionals from getting a good job in the UN.

Meanwhile, the biggest problem remains that many young professionals have great respect for the name and underestimate their likelihood of getting hired. On the flip side, the UN does not target students or young professionals on campus or through the recruiting events like other organizations.

Hence, many young graduates don’t get in touch with the representatives of the United Nation system. And thus, don’t get exposure to the full breadth of opportunities that are out there. Last but not least, the UN information policy definitely has room for improvement, especially in terms of clarity, and homogeneity. So, don’t expect one exhaustive central portal, but several for different programs in UN.

Have you been surfing the internet to get the right information about UN jobs? Or you probably would love to secure a position in the UN but don’t know the process? Look no further as you’ve landed on the right platform. To find all the jobs related to United Nations, you’ll have to read more to know how it works.

However, in this article, we will walk you through the countries that have the best opportunity for expats. Not only is that, but we have also compiled the pros and cons of working in the United Nations and every other thing you need to know. Would you love to explore what we’ve unleashed? Read further!

Interesting Facts about Working in United Nations

In case you need to know more, the UN is an international organization that was founded in 1945. At the end of the Second World War, many countries came together to focus on global peace, climate change, humanitarian emergencies, and country development.

However, the organization has become a forum for countries to negotiate and solve problems together in a regulated environment. In this section, we will walk you through the interesting facts you need to know about the United Nations. Without further ado, check these cool facts below.

·         U.N Has Almost 200 Member States

Just as we’ve disclosed on our previous post, there are currently 196 member states in the United Nations. These individual states are all known by the UN as members of the international organization. Besides, there are only four countries that are non-members of the United Nations. The countries include; Kosovo, Palestine, Taiwan, and Vatican City, and more. Besides, these countries have received invitations to join the U.N. but are yet to accept.

·         U.N Was Proposed in 1942

As history revealed, the United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the term United Nations on January 1, 1942. Representatives of 26 nations came together at that time in order to fight the Axis Powers during World War II. However, the United Nations did not officially create a charter until 1945.

·         U.N Prioritizes Specific Global Issues

Conflict resolution and peace-making are the efforts of the United Nations, but the organizations have many other branches of foreign assistance. Through its specialize program, the United  Nations, addresses global issues such as climate change, ending world poverty, children’s right and international laws, and many others to mention a few.

·         Hosts International Court Hearings

The main body of the United Nations judicial system is the international court of justice as of today.  This international court comprise of 15 judges who each serve nine-year terms and are elected by the U.N. general assembly and Security Council.

This court provides legal advising and settles disputes between member states. Aside from this that, they regulates global commons, such as environmental conservation, international waters, outer space and global trade.

·         U.N Has the First Definition of Human Rights

According to our research, the United nations General Assembly drafted the first Universal Definition of Human Rights. This was drafted by representatives from different legal and cultural backgrounds to make the organization more comprehensive. Also, it sets out fundamental human right that could be protected; condemning slavery, torture, imprisonment without trial and prejudice.

Why It’s Hard to Get a Job at the UN?

If you’re planning to apply for a United Nations job or position, don’t expect it to be easy. In fact, working at the United Nations can be a fantastic career, but it required a long processing time. Jobs at this place means working for one of the most prestigious organizations in the world whilst tackling some of most urgent global issue.

Although all of the factors such as; specific needs for skills, years of experience, and others can make getting a job within the United Nations tough, but don’t get discovered. We’ve broken down some of the areas that can make getting a UN job hard and show ways you can mitigate and work towards landing your dream job here.

1.       You Often Need to Speak Two Languages

One of the first things you need to put into consideration when applying for any United Nations Job is the language requirements. The UN has six official languages, and they are; Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

In this case, any job roles in the United Nations often require English, and at least one other UN language. This, however, makes the UN jobs difficult to get as candidates need to have high professional levels of speaking.

2.       United Nations Jobs are Highly Competitive

Always have it in mind that getting a UN job is highly competitive, and this can make it hard to get. And because they’re well respected and highly paid, as well as allowing for international trade, it’s an exciting career that people would love to secure. But the high level of competition could hinder the process. However, it is important to remember that the United Nation is a huge organization.

3.       The United Nation for Diversity

According to research and recommendation, the United Nation is made up of 193 countries, all of which send staff to work in its agencies. This can be great for someone looking to work in other countries. However, it can also mean that it is difficult to get a United Nations job because the UN actively recruits for a diverse workforce and some countries, especially richer western ones, can be oversubscribed for jobs.

4.       You Will Need to Acquire Relevant Skills

Another thing to consider whenever you want to apply for United Nation jobs is the relevant skills. Depending on the kind of job you want to apply for, your positions will need a specific skills targeted or related to your role. This can make things get complicated because it can take several years of work, as well as formal education to develop many of the skills needed for jobs at the United Nations.

5.       Strong Professional Experience is needed

Aside from the relevant skills, the strong professional experience is also essential when you’re applying for the United Nations Job. In fact, even entry-level professional positions within the UN require a minimum of 2 years relevant work experience. This way, the level of experience UN jobs require can make things complicated and seems hard to get.

6.       Good Education Requirement is Essential

A reason job at the United Nations can be hard to get is that the UN requires a high-level of education for their employees. More so, nearly all UN jobs require a master’s degree in a relevant subject. So, application to the United Nations job positions need to complete their studies at a top universities which can also add to the difficulty in securing a job within the United Nations.

7.       United Nations Job Can Be Complex

The United Nations is notorious for having a complex recruitment stage and difficult application process. In fact, the UN structure and HR set-up can make understanding UN positions difficult. That’s why we can tell you that the UN can be bureaucratic and slow, also making it hard to secure jobs within the UN.