Prerequisites for working in the United Nations?

Question

Anything that would be helpful in getting a job as a correspondant or a worker in the United Nations.

I am 16, so if there is anything i could start to do now that would help me in the long run.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Most important thing, you need to have a good academic background in what you are interested in. The UN deal basicaly with everything you can just think off (agriculture, education, emergencies, governance, drugs, atomic energy, industrial development, postal services, etc...). You need to be open mind, interested in what's happening around the world, look deeper in the facts, don't just stop at the surface, get to know  the world, travel around as much as you can. When you'll be older, try to work as a volunteer just to get experience.

Answer 2

Study foreign relations, political science, government and related courses so that you can work with United Nations and travel around the world.

Answer 3

Dear Adriana,

For a start, you need to be fluent in English and French, the two working languages of the UN. In the old days, Political Science degree was a very good start, but unfortunately at the moment there are two many people with Degree, Master etc and still struggling to find a job in an International Organization. The best thing would be to have an intership when you are still attending University, but sometimes it doesn't help either...

Good luck

Answer 4

Be bilingual, have good grades, avid interest: I suggest calling and speaking to someone who works their and ask for a telephone interview with one of them as to how they obtained employment.  I had to do that in college vocational counselling and it was a wealth of first hand information.  good luck...sounds exciting.

  

Website...www.un.org

Answer 5

I believe the official UN webpage has a listing of job openings and prequisites for each job.

The bare minimum for working in UN is at least a Bachelor's degree in the field you are applying to within the UN (energy? Bio-engineered food? Armistices? International courts? Etc etc.) although I would recommend getting at least a Master's degree for a decent chance. Another bare-minimum requirement is that you be proficient at a number of languages in official use in UN. There are 6 languages for use in intergovernmental meetings and documents, which are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. There are two languages in use by the Secretariat, English and French. I'd suggest you be fluent in English and French, and know one or two of the remaining four languages, although specific requirements for individual jobs may differ.

I'd highly advise against picking political science as your major, unless you stand a good chance at entering an ivy-league university (and do fantastic there). Pol-sci majors come in by trucks at UN applications offices, and they are not all that necessary.    

You should travel the world and get some gist of how people are living, i.e. don't swim around in your heated indoor pools when in foreign country. General understanding beyond conventional world stereotypes is a must.

You should also keep in mind that majority of UN positions don't really pay that well, although you will get to work in some exciting events and you will be entitled to certain degree of prestige and privileges.