How to Get a Job: United Nations Careers Guide 2026

To get a job at the United Nations, find an opening on the UN Careers site that matches your experience and education, apply through an Inspira profile and application form with a motivation statement, pass the assessment if invited, and do well in a competency-based interview. Strong candidates who are not selected may join a roster for future jobs.

Key facts

• UN job applications are made through an Inspira profile and online application form; the UN says resumes are not considered a substitute for a completed online application. (United Nations Careers, How to apply, 2026)
• Applicants who meet most or all requirements may be invited to an assessment, such as a written exam or simulation, and those short-listed then take a competency-based interview by phone, video or in person. (United Nations Careers, How to apply, 2026)
• Candidates recommended for a job but not selected are placed on a roster for similar functions at the same level and can be selected for future openings without the full process. (United Nations Careers, How to apply, 2026)
• The UN core values are Integrity, Respect for Diversity and Professionalism, and its core competencies are Communication, Teamwork, Planning and Organizing, Accountability, Client Orientation, Creativity, Technological Awareness and Commitment to Continuous Learning. (United Nations Careers, How to apply: What we look for, 2026)
• The UN does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process, including application, interview, processing or training. (United Nations Careers, How to apply, 2026)

Many people dream of working for the United Nations, but few know how the hiring process really works. This guide explains how to get a job United Nations recruiters will notice: the job categories and levels, how to apply through Inspira, what happens in tests and interviews, how rosters work and how to stay safe from fake offers. Everything here comes from the official UN Careers website.

How to get a job United Nations offices really hire for: the categories

The UN Careers job search lets you filter openings by category, and each category works differently.

• Professional and higher categories: international posts at levels P-1 to P-7 and director levels D-1 and D-2. These usually need an advanced university degree and years of relevant experience, and staff can be posted to duty stations around the world.
• Field Service: levels FS-1 to FS-7, mostly in peace operations and field missions, in areas such as logistics, security, IT and administration.
• General Service and related categories: levels such as G-1 to G-7, usually recruited locally for support roles at a duty station.
• National Professional Officers: levels NO-A to NO-E, for nationals of the country where the office is based.
• Internships: for students and recent graduates, a good first step into the UN.
• Consultants and individual contractors: short-term expert work.

Jobs are grouped into job networks and families, from economic, social and development work to IT, legal, logistics, management, political, peace and humanitarian affairs, public information and science. Start by finding the family that matches your skills.

Step 1: Find the right opening

Job openings are posted daily on the UN Careers website. You can search by location, job family, category and level, and set up job alerts after you create an Inspira account. Read each job opening carefully. It lists the responsibilities, competencies, education, work experience and languages required. The UN says you should apply only for roles where you have the required experience and qualifications, so be honest with yourself about the fit.

On Dev Global Jobs you can browse current United Nations and international organisation jobs in one place, then apply through the official links.

Step 2: Build your Inspira profile and application

The UN does not work with resumes. Instead you create a profile in Inspira, the UN's recruitment system, with your name, nationality and contact details. Then you complete an application form with your education, past and present jobs, skills and languages. The UN says this takes time and advises not to leave it until the last minute. You can save the form and adapt it for each opening, but once you submit an application for a specific job, you cannot change it.

For each job you also write a motivation statement explaining why you are the best candidate based on your experience. This is your chance to connect your work directly to the job opening. Some jobs add screening questions or ask you to rate your own skills.

Tips for a strong application

• Mirror the language of the job opening, especially the responsibilities and competencies.
• Describe each past job with clear results, not only duties.
• List every language you speak and your real level.
• Check dates and details carefully; the application is final once sent.
• Keep a master version of your form so you can adapt it quickly.

Step 3: Evaluation and assessment

The UN evaluates applications on experience, education and skills. Only if you meet most or all requirements will you be contacted for an assessment. The assessment could be a written exam, a knowledge-based test, a case study or another simulation exercise, and you will be told the time, type and length in advance. If you are not eligible, you will be told at the appropriate time that your application was unsuccessful. The UN encourages candidates not to be discouraged and to apply for other jobs that fit them.

Step 4: The competency-based interview

If you do well in the assessment, you may be short-listed for a competency-based interview by phone, video or in person. These interviews explore how you used your skills in past situations. Prepare with the STAR method, which stands for situation, task, action and result, and plan two or three examples for each competency listed in the job opening.

The UN lists eight core competencies for all staff: Communication, Teamwork, Planning and Organizing, Accountability, Client Orientation, Creativity, Technological Awareness and Commitment to Continuous Learning. Managers are also assessed on Vision, Leadership, Empowering Others, Managing Performance, Building Trust and Judgement and Decision Making. Questions often start with "Tell me about a time" and ask for specific examples.

Step 5: Selection, rosters and reference checks

If you are selected, you will be notified by email. If you are recommended but not selected, you are placed on a roster for similar functions at the same level and category. Roster members are notified when matching jobs are advertised and can be selected without going through the whole process again. The UN still advises roster members to keep applying for suitable jobs. Candidates under close consideration also go through reference checks, and if you asked the UN not to contact your current employer, it will wait until you have been selected and confirmed your interest.

The values the UN looks for

The UN describes three core values that guide all staff: Integrity, Respect for Diversity and Professionalism. They are aligned with the UN Charter and the Staff Regulations. Show these values in your application and interview with real examples, such as working fairly with people from many cultures, handling sensitive information carefully or keeping high standards under pressure.

Getting in early: internships and young professionals

If you are a student or recent graduate, internships are a common first step. They give you real experience of how the UN works and help you build a network. The UN also runs a Young Professionals Programme for early career professionals; check the UN Careers website for the current rules, eligible countries and exam dates. Many UN staff also start in other international organisations, national governments, NGOs or volunteer programmes and move to the UN later with field experience.

Skills that help

• Languages: English and French are the working languages of the Secretariat, and other official languages are a strong asset.
• Field experience: work in development, humanitarian or crisis settings is valued for many roles.
• Specialist knowledge: fields such as finance, IT, law, logistics, statistics and public health are in demand.
• Writing and analysis: clear reports and briefings are central to UN work.
• Adaptability: many posts involve moving between duty stations.

Pay and benefits

UN pay depends on the category, level and duty station. International professional salaries combine a base salary with a post adjustment that reflects the cost of living in each location, and staff may receive allowances and benefits. The UN salary calculator on Dev Global Jobs estimates pay by level and duty station using official salary scales and post adjustment data.

Avoiding fake UN job offers

Scammers often pretend to be the UN. The UN states clearly that it does not charge a fee at any stage of recruitment, including application, interview, processing or training fees. Be suspicious of offers that come without an application and interview, that ask for money or bank details, or that use free email addresses. Apply only through the official UN Careers website and check any message against it.

A simple plan for your motivation statement

Keep it short and clear. Start with one line on who you are and what you do. Then pick the three most important tasks in the job opening. For each one, write two or three lines on a time you did similar work and what came of it. Next, add a line on why this office and this mission matter to you. End with one line on what you would bring in your first year. Read it out loud. If a line does not help the reader decide to call you, cut it.

Example: a finance officer

Amira is a finance officer with eight years of work in a large charity. She sees a UN opening for a finance officer at the P-3 level. She checks the job. It asks for an advanced degree in finance or business, seven years of work and fluent English. She meets all three. She updates her Inspira form with clear results from each job, such as how she cut the time to close the books each month. Her motivation statement links her charity work to the UN office's goals. She is invited to a written test, does well and is called for a competency interview. She prepares two stories for each competency in the job opening. She is not picked for that post, but she is put on the roster. Four months later, a similar job opens, and she is chosen from the roster without a new test.

Example: a graduate who starts as an intern

Leo has just finished a master's degree in international relations. He has no full-time work yet. He applies for a UN internship in a field that matches his studies. He writes a clear motivation statement and lists his languages and projects. He is picked and spends some months learning how the office works. He meets staff, writes briefing notes and builds his skills. After the internship, he takes a job with an NGO in the field to gain the years of work that UN posts need. Later, he applies for UN openings with real experience behind him.

Questions to ask yourself before you apply

Do I meet the education and work rules in the job opening? Can I show each core competency with a real story? Do I speak the languages the job needs? Am I ready to move to the duty station, and maybe to others later? Is my Inspira form complete and correct? If the answer to any question is no, fix that first, or look for a better match. A few strong, well matched applications beat many weak ones.

Common mistakes

• Applying for many jobs that do not match your experience.
• Rushing the Inspira form and making errors you cannot fix later.
• Writing a general motivation statement instead of one for the specific job.
• Preparing for a normal interview instead of a competency-based one.
• Giving up after a rejection instead of applying for other suitable roles.

A realistic timeline

UN recruitment can take months from the closing date to an offer, because of evaluation, assessments, interviews and reference checks. Keep applying for other jobs while you wait, and watch your email for invitations. Being on a roster can shorten the process for later openings.

How to get a job at the UN with no experience

Without professional experience, most professional posts will be out of reach at first, because they require several years of relevant work. Focus on internships, volunteer programmes, entry-level roles in NGOs or government, and local support roles where you live. Build languages, field experience and a clear specialty. Each step makes you a stronger candidate for UN openings later.

Life as a UN staff member

UN work can be very rewarding, but it is not for everyone. Many posts are in duty stations far from home, some in places with hard living conditions or security risks. Staff may move every few years. The work is often slow and careful, with many people to consult and rules to follow. In return, you work on issues that matter to millions of people, with colleagues from every part of the world. Think about whether this life suits you and your family before you apply. Talking to people who work in the UN system is one of the best ways to find out.

Other organisations in the UN family

The UN Secretariat is only one part of the UN system. Funds, programmes and specialised agencies run their own careers sites and hiring processes, with their own forms and tests. Many share similar values, competencies and grade levels, so the skills you build applying to the Secretariat help with them too. Look widely across the UN family, and also at other international organisations, banks and NGOs that work in the same fields. On Dev Global Jobs, international and NGO jobs sit side by side, so you can compare them in one search.

Keep learning while you apply

UN hiring rewards people who keep growing. Take short courses in your field, improve a second or third language and look for projects that give you field experience. Keep your Inspira form up to date each time you finish a course or start a new role. When you apply again, your stronger profile will show.

It also helps to follow the work of the offices you want to join. Read their reports, watch their public briefings and learn the main programmes and challenges in their region. When an interviewer asks why you want to work there, you can then answer with real detail rather than general words. That kind of preparation shows respect for the mission and makes you stand out from candidates who only read the job opening on the day. Keep short notes on each office so you can prepare quickly when an invitation arrives, even at short notice. Good preparation is never wasted effort.

Your checklist

1. Choose a job family that matches your skills.
2. Create your Inspira profile and a careful master application.
3. Read each job opening and check you meet the requirements.
4. Write a specific motivation statement for each job.
5. Prepare STAR examples for the core competencies.
6. Apply only through the official UN Careers website.

Live on Dev Global Jobs

Right now there are 120,229 open jobs on Dev Global Jobs (live count, 3 November 2026). Browse UN and international jobs, estimate pay with the UN salary calculator and prepare your experience in the CV builder before you fill in Inspira.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. How to apply, United Nations Careers. Accessed 3 October 2026.
2. Job openings, United Nations Careers. Accessed 3 October 2026.
3. Young Professionals Programme, United Nations Careers. Accessed 3 October 2026.
4. Charter of the United Nations, United Nations. Accessed 3 October 2026.
5. The STAR method, National Careers Service (UK). Accessed 3 October 2026.

Source: Dev Global Jobs, updated 3 November 2026.