What are the job levels in the UN system?
There is not simply one single route to finding a UN role there are many, this post will share possible routes to a job in the UN system.
So lets start with the type of roles you can apply for to begin your dream career journey:
Regular Staff at the UN
Temporary Staff
Young Professional Programmes often referred to as UN YPP
Language based roles requiring an assessment
Volunteering
Internships
Junior professional officer programme (formerly the associate expert programme)
Consultants
There is also one last route which is commonly over looked which is project or programme based work through an external management consultancy such as Deloitte but this may require you to have some specialist background knowledge on your field so is not a route for an entry candidate.
What are the job levels in the UN system?
Job levels vary from one UN organization to the other. The 2 most common categories are Professional or General. Professional (P, D) Staff members who are recruited in this category normally have international expertise in an area relevant to the UN agencies work.
Positions are offered at various levels depending on your work experience.
P-1 (no work experience needed) to P-5 (minimum of 10 years of work experience necessary).
General Service (G) posts are suitable for candidates who have the necessary skills and expertise to provide the organization with administrative, financial, or technical support. General Service positions can be advertised at the following levels:
G1 No work experience is necessary to G7 Minimum 7 years of work experience is needed.
In addition to the UN job levels, the UN system also differentiates between different types of contracts e.g. fixed-term contracts, special, short-term contracts that last from 3 to 9 months to mention just a few.
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