The United Career Coalition (UCC) talked to Dr David Landsman, a Senior British Diplomat, former Ambassador to Greece & Albania and businessman, who served as the Director of Tata Limited about successful global careers.

Ambassador Landsman shared his exclusive insights on what skills are essential for a successful international career, both in the private as well as the public sector and how to overcome barriers to entry into an international career.

More specifically, we talked about the importance of understanding workplace values and asking yourself if you can identify yourself with the organization's culture and values.

Understanding the U.N. core values is essential, not only for your applications but for your potential future career.

Organisational core values such as “integrity” create a shared language, they are guiding actions and behaviours of all U.N. system staff; they can however also put you in a position whereby you need to stand by decisions that are in the UN organisation's interest even if some of them might be unpopular!

To learn more about the U.N. competencies we recommend you access the UN competencies booklet.

Want to learn more on how to spot relevant skills and competencies in a UN system vacancy or the best method to convey your skills in a cover letter? Get in touch with one of our UN insiders or download UCC’s 45min cover letter webinar with tips and advice from UN insiders!

We are happy to announce that we’ve set up a brand NEW LinkedIn group called “The United Career Coalition-United Nations career advice by U.N. experts for U.N. career seekers” This is a professional development and discussion group for those interested in increasing their chances to kickstart an international career. You do not have to be a United Nations employee to join. Everyone is welcome!

Finding the ‘right’ UN organisation that matches your profile, education, skills and competencies, can lead to a fulfilling career where you get the chance to leave an important impact on the world. It means working with people from all over the world, getting to know different cultures and strengthening your multicultural team working skills while working on a good cause for human mankind and our planet.

Looking for ways to kickstart your international career? We share the best cover letter tips and structure for 2021! Learn how to craft a cover letter that stands out with UCCs 20 page Illustrated guide of cover letter tips plus a sample cover letter.

The United Career Coalition aims to share knowledge, insights, tips & advice from those that have applied, interviewed and secured United Nations system roles!