Home › Forums › UN Job List Forum › Success stories!
Tagged: Informal interview
- This topic has 29 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 3 months ago by Mody_r.
-
AuthorPosts
-
It can be very frustrating to job hunt in the United Nations. There are countless folks that wrote hundreds of applications.
However, there are also amazing stories of success – this is the place to share them! Please share your story. Tell us when you applied, how long it took to test, interview and final job offer – thanks a lot!
Thanks Sebastian!
Well, I’ve applied in August 2017 and got the interview invitation in late Octobre. The panel interview was done in early November with a table of IAEA experts/HRs,two weeks later I’ve passed a written assessment. In middle January they asked my consent to contact my supervisor for reference check and it’s done two days later.
Then as you know I’ve been waiting until yesterday to get the offer. The entire process is indeed very long, but I’m happy as long as the final result is positive 🙂 I will start in June.Thanks so much for sharing your success story! I have been through two assessments and had my panel interview in mid-February with the IAEA, so it is encouraging to hear that it took quite a while before you heard anything back (now I can stop refreshing my emails every few minutes so see if I have heard back!).
I’ll let you know if/when I hear anything. Hopefully I will also be sharing a success story.
Thanks Pedro & good luck!
In fact, I received another success story via e-mail and wanted to share it here:
Dear Sebastian, Thank you for this service, which I have referred colleagues to many times. I was with [UN Organisation] in [Europe] for years, then found my new, current job with [different UN Organisation] in [Asia] through the UN job list! Thanks!
Keep these news coming – we all need some good news these days 🙂
NadjaSParticipantGood thing you guys are sharing these. It really often is a long and complicated process.
I have used the UN Job list website and I would like to thank you for initiate that.
Timeline of mine:
Organization: Secretariat @ New York
Post Level: G-4 (probably much different from P level jobs)
Application: Late May 2017
First Call: Mid July 2017
Test: Mid August 2017
Interview: Late August 2017
Administrative Process: Early September 2017
Report to Work: Early October 2017.But I have another colleague said she knew someone who applied to this post and got the interview in early July. I feel it is highly possible that that person is the first choice and for some reason, it did not work out and they moved to me (since I got the phone call in mid-July). Just a guess.
AbdoulEParticipantThanks Christina – do you hear from colleagues if this is fast or slow for NY?
Hi,
I’ve applied for P1 poditiin late January 2018 and got the Sonru invitation already in late February followed by interview invitation in March 2018. The panel interview of 5 panelists was about 45 mins duration with first introductory question (why you are the best candidate) and around 7-8 technical and competency based questions. Surprisingly there was no test, which I don’t know if it’s goid or bad sign because usually I perform better on tests rather than interviews. IAEAs HR explained at the end of interview that they may need to check references and the whole process could take about two weeks, next day after the interview I was requested to provide contact details for the references check – I really admire their fast pace!
I stills haven’t received any offer/regret so impatiently waiting for the news, but not he fact that I made it to the stage of references checks makes me already happy, i really dream to work for IAEA 🙂Best Regards!
Thanks for sharing! Good luck going forward!
Just a short update – I received a regret letter after waiting 3 weeks since the IAEA HRs requested references for check. I have put myself in very stupid situation in front of my supervisor who all of a sudden discovered my intention for potential leave…
I requested the feedback on the interview but no one got back to me…after 2 months of intense interview process, bothering my current and former supervisors as a candidate i didnt even get an insight… it has been a very disappointing experienceHi Miss Mira,
Really sorry to hear about your experience. Unfortunately I don’t think it is that uncommon. I went through something very similar a couple of years ago and it was very disheartening. After asking for references I heard back two months later that I did not get the job. I am going through a similar situation right now actually, and based on the length of time that it is taking post-interview I do not expect to have good news.
It really is a difficult process, and it is particularly tough when one gets so far into the process. In my case I started thinking about moving to and living somewhere new, mentally preparing my family for the possibility, looking at apartments… Even though I hadn’t received an offer, it was hard not to get ahead of myself and get excited. That made the rejection notice so much more painful.
As for the lack of feedback, the same thing happened to me. I asked for some but they said they were not in a position to offer any. Oh well.
But, rejection offers great opportunities for learning – even if they didn’t provide feedback. One thing I learned is that you don’t need to have your current employer down as a reference initially so that saves some awkwardness there.
Keep your chin up, and best of luck on your next application! It might not seem important, but by getting as far as you did in what is an incredibly competitive process you showed that you have what they are looking for – maybe just not for this particular job.
All the best,
PedroSamer1975ParticipantHi
Fully oriented lieutenant-colonial with 22 years experience, served with the Jordanian public security directorate,lam looking forward to expend my professional profile and exchange my knowledge based on my major points of strength as aprevios international peacekeeping observe with the (UNMIK) and an internal affairs investigator,organized crime and anti-narcotics management as head of information sectionsparky-egParticipantHi Miss Mira,
It’s sad to hear about hoe close you were to being hired in your dream job and then got disappointed. It must be so frustrating specially with the current supervisor involved.
Did they perform the reference checking ?
This time I’ve been successful in getting through! I will be joining UNICEF in a couple of weeks.
My timeline looked like this –
Week 1: Application and Written Assessment (with just a few days break in between)
Week 2: Interview
Week 4: Reference checks
Week 10: Original documents check
Week 20: OfferNote that there was zero communication from the HR between any two steps. They did not commit to any deadline either.
The forum has been a great support, and I’m sure it will continue to be. Thank you, everyone!
Steve 12ParticipantHey Sns,
Thanks for the feedback. That so good news, atleast I now have renewed hope of joining the International civil service. I wish you all the best and thanks for sharing the good news. Coz most guys when they get an offer they forget about our family in this thread. I will not loose hope, as I undergo my 5th Competency based interview. -
AuthorPosts
- The topic ‘Success stories!’ is closed to new replies.