Any idea how one can work for a UN dept. such as International Labor Organization?
Make phone to (212)555-1212. one voice asking 'what you want'. say "Un". they give yuo number (for phone)
may be make phone to Blicxs - (but you go Iraq or other place for doing checking like him!)
also this way for all places. but difrent (212) std code for difrent place. but only furst 212 change...last 212 always same
HUmsa
UN usually goes through a annual hiring process for new employees. I believe the process starts in October of each year. If you look up UN websites they will give u the complete schedule on how they usually proceed.
This is dated info, a pal of mine went into the world bank but he had to start the process and meet certain deadlines i.e. for positions in 1996 he had to apply by end of oct 1995.
A good starting place would be their website. I can talk to ppl I know at the UN and IDB for any specific questiosn that u may have.
You also face the quota issue cause they can only hire a certain number of people from each country. They have the Young associate program at the worldbank each year and a similar one at ILO and UN.
But they are really hard to get into and after a few years the buerocracy may get to you.
All the info is available on their web sites.
Fraudz, I'm more worried about the kind of qualifications they ask for. And while you're being so considerate :) , maybe you can answer some other irrelevant questions:
I'm an International Student in Canada. How hard will it be for me to find a company that'll be willing to sponsor my work permit (since I can't apply for immigration!)? I want to gain some experience before I go for grad school.
humsa
depends on the area of their need and your interest , UN has hired ppl ranging from liunguists and economists to technology professionals and agribusiness experts.
as far as getting a job in canada with sponsorship, There is no harm trying if the market is anything like US market it may be tough. This would depend on where you went to school, who you know and what the job market conditions are.
If you are just looking for experience and are unable to find an internship in Canada, I suggest either you go for an internship in Pakistan, or start your graduate degree and do some pro-bono work with some company on a part time basis.
I'm already doing my undergrad in Commerce here, concentrating on Accounting for now. I don't know how that's relevant to jobs with UN but I'll try and find out InshaAllah.
Yeah, I know I should get internship experience but now it's too late for me to apply for them because the U has its own criteria based on the year you're studying.
Life sucks at the moment.
Humsa
here is a UN employment website. http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/brochure.htm
bro, right nwo if you are seeking experience, get it however you can. Why dont you look into Human development initiative set up by pres Musharraf in Pakistan, or the Export promotion bureau.
dont count on your university to get you teh internships, there are some schools that are very good at it, and there are others that suck at placement. It is never really too late to land an internship, teh choices get fewer but you can still land one.
ask your profs, they may be able to hook you up, and really if experience is all u need, offer to do a pro bono internship. That may help you
Its your lucky day i was reading this form. Firstly you can work at the ILO as an intern. You can apply on line and if they like you they will pick you up. I worked there for 3 months at the employment strategy division. However the ILO will not hire you for a long term period. They are already to large for the work they do and dont have enough office space. They are hiring on a yearly contract basis if you are so lucky. On average they start you off as an consultant for 3 months, then renew etc.
As for the UN. Dont even bother. Pakistan has filled its quota for the next 3 to 6 years. We have to miss our turn twice to be eligible for the general competitive exam. That is the link Fraudia provided. If you are a dual national of a western nation or an african nation you are in luck. Not many africans and nobody really says no to a canadian and/or american applying. However make sure your country is on the list. The US is on the list for the 2004 exams and you have to hand in your stuff - application etc by the 5th of September.
These exams are where you join the UN as an offical P1. These are the jobs everybody wants. They give you all the diplomatic perks and your travel and stuff. But the competition is harsh and you need inside help.
One thing about the UN is that you dont get jack without connections. You have to know people inside. It is all about who you know and how well they know you.
I have lived in Geneva for 4 years. Worked at the UN (2 organizations) and the Swiss Govt. If you need any help or advice feel free to pm. If you want some people to talk to, i can check with my friends. I have a few at the UN, 1 at the ILO (IT division) and the rest at various IGOs and NGOS. So pm me if you need info or help.
In terms of employment with the UN, only about 5% of the total UN secretariat posts are subject to geographical distribution, in 2001 it was only accounted for 4% of the total recruitment. All other UN jobs are open competitive. Good luck with applying for a job based on nationality, caz (as CM pointed out) it is purely a shot in the dark.
Thanks so much for the helpful replies.
Well the problem (?) is that I'm just an international student in Canada for now which means I'm still a Pakistani citizen. Which probably means I'm not eligible to apply for a UN post.
Can I still apply at ILO though? I don't really care about the pay etc, it's the experience I'm looking for because Labour management is something I'm really interested in. Do I just apply on-line or do they have quota for countries as well?
HHTSA….. You can apply for open jobs (posted at the UN website) regardless of your nationality, they are open to everyone. But in addition, you can also apply for quotabased positions. Being Pakistani makes your chances twice as good.
If you haven't done it as yet, register with the UN website to enter your qualifications, etc. It is the first step. It has a 4 part application.
How old are you and what are you doing? Minimum age for internships is 21. Thought not allows. Jobs are rare you need to be an intern first or a consultant before they even give you a job. You need 2 to 3 years of work experience before any UN organization hires you as a P1.
jobs.un.org
That website lists all the jobs available outside the UN exam. As you can see they are all P3 and over jobs. Ie you and me are not eligible unless we are like 30 and have 7 years of working experience.
As for NYA comment of being Pakistani at the ILO. There is no added benefit, thought it might be determental to you. There are so many desis at the ILO that the cafe smells like a indian resturant.
To do the international organization song and dance you need to do the following.
- Get a degree (masters is even better)
- Apply to all and every organization on the face of the planet that you think is relevant to your feild.
- Apply to all NGOs and IGOS. Leave no one.
- If you get accepted use the organization to make contacts with other people in other organization.
- Apply for another internship where you know some people so that they get to know you even better.
Whats your degree and feild of expertise? What languages do you speak and what are you IT skills? If you want give me a quick CV and i can see where i can help you out. Also the ILO is in geneva so you are gonna have to move if you get it and their internships last no longer than 6 months. So you want to see if you want move only for 6 months.
I'm doing my undergrad in Commerce and I'm 21 (got one thing right at least), though I'm studying accounting at school, I plan to get my certificate in human resources management, InshaAllah, which is a good thing because I'll have a solid background in two fields.
I'm proficient in English, Urdu, Pashto, Hindko/Punjabi (somewhat) and I'm learning French, by the time i'll graduate ie next year, I should be speaking French fluently.
I'm pretty comfortable with computers and I have a certification in Oracle Developer so i know a bit about database management.
I don't have a masters degree since I haven't even finished my undergrad. Will that be a big problem if I apply for internship?
I'm hoping to gradaute by August 2004. When should I start applying?
You have good skills, but only English and French count as languages of importance unless you are in the field. But that would be IOM, UNHCR and ICRC expertise. You want a desk job right? Then only those 2 langauges count. You want an edge? Learn Arabic.
Ok what is Commerce? Tell me what classes you have and how can you interlink that HR?
IT is fine. If you are oracle, that means you can use access right? MS should be no problems. If you are working for ILO you need to know some economic programs, but you can learn those later. I suggest being proificent with Excel - i mean make it dance and stuff and Access. Those are the major programs they use.
It doesnt matter if you dont have a masters. But it is a plus. I got my internship as an undergrad. You graduate in 2004 August? Ok you miss the summer term. So apply in Jan for August. Always give a 2 or 4 month gap before you start working or the period starts. Also call them up and talk to some responsible in human resources. Always follow up an internship with a phone call.
Also the ILO gets 100s of applications a day so you are either lucky or you got someone on the inside to help you out.
Bachelor in Commerce is somewhat similar to a Bacehlor in Business Administration. I have taken some human resources courses but if I'm taking full-load accounting courses, i don't have enough space in my schedule to take up HRM as well. That's why I'm going to write the HRM papers needed for my certification in HRM, independently to the HRPAO (Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario).
I'm quite comfortable with Excel and I do know Access but I guess I really need to be pretty good at it, not just mediocre.
I would love to learn Arabic, but how easy it is to learn it on my own?
Oh yeah one more thing, do your grades have to be super good? Also what kind of volunteer experience would count towards this internship?
One thing that is absolutely wrong is the whole notion of grades. They never ask for your grades. All 3 places i worked, i was never asked for my grades. I just landed an internship with my present masters. They never asked what my grades were.
You need get lucky. The competition is stiff. Also for arabic you cant learn it on your own. You need a school or something if you are gonna go for classical arabic. Of course you need to be able to read write and speak it.
But dont get your hopes high. It is very difficult getting an internship or anything at the UN or its organs right now. UNHCR is firing. ILO is terminating contracts. GHQ has cut its staff both in NYC, Geneva and Vienna. You are going to have some work experience before you can apply at the ILO for a full time job.
Well i had only 2 internships before the ILO, where in no way linked to anything the ILO does or did. So i was lucky. I have no clue what volunteer expertise you would need.
I guess it'll be and my jaey-namaz till I graduate ;)
Best of luck. I am in geneva for the near future unless i decide to move so if you need help with the UN pm me. Good luck.