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January 18, 2018 at 1:46 pm in reply to: Importance of networking to getting into the UN #2105 Score: 0
Hi Fred,
let me create a topic in the Duty Stations forum – I will ask around a little to see if there is anybody who has tips & tricks…
Cheers!
Sorry, I would not know the answer to this question. For the tests I’m familiar with, the pass-rate can be anything between 0% and 90% – typically, the test is really not trying to emulate a Gauss-distribution but rather establish a minimum threshold for technical competence. How many pass then depends on the candidates only.
However, I’m interested in other opinions on this. Are there any experiences?
Hi Nadja,
it is a very good duty station for families. And yes, English is perfectly sufficient in most situations. Of course, if you live longer in the country, you should make an effort to learn some of the local language but you will not have any problems with English only. Danes are super family friendly and facilities for families are generally really great.
Just wanted to say thanks for the update!
Just wanted to say thanks for the update!
January 1, 2018 at 7:16 pm in reply to: Got invited to an interview – what to expect? #2067 Score: 0Hi there,
typically, you should expect a competency based interview – i.e. they will ask about actual situations, what needed to get done, what you did, the results & your learning from that situation. The key element of this kind of interview is, to understand which kind of competency they are asking for and to highlight relevant items for that competency.
Good luck!
Hi Gloria,
I don’t think there is a fixed time frame in cases like this. I would very much take a proactive approach. You got into the pool- that’s great! Now you need to be noticed…
Good luck!
I’m not that familiar with Nairobi as a duty station but I had great hours over at the recreation centre. I wouldn’t know how it works these days though…
I think a general tip would be to check with the Permanent Mission of your country, too: In NY the missions are pretty active with everything from sports, to exhibitions, to political events, discussion rounds and sometimes even mentoring programmes. And then of course you have the informal events – for instance the restaurant of the German House in NY has the famous “Schnitzel Tag” on Wednesday where people meet for lunch.
December 21, 2017 at 11:16 am in reply to: Importance of networking to getting into the UN #2017 Score: 0On NY: there are so many events which are open to public – I think it is almost impossible to give generic advice. I would try to find the events which are most relevant and try to find those who know about the substance and then work your way from there. I know there are also all kinds of social media meet-ups etc.
On the YPP: I’m not familiar with the latest details, but for sure you have an option to state your preference. Of course that doesn’t mean that there will always be something corresponding to your preference, but there is some flexibility and you have an option to impact on your duty station. Same for the mobility: people who really want to move can do that.
But of course, it can be challenging to get professional interest, career aspirations, family requirements etc. all combined into one opportunity…
December 21, 2017 at 11:16 am in reply to: Importance of networking to getting into the UN #2016 Score: 0I’m blank on Vienna – sorry. In Copenhagen there are events that you can attend even if you don’t know anyone. If you manage to find a friend in the UN, you can try to attend the Friday evening Staff Bar in Copenhagen: that’s a way to get to know people who work in UN City.
Nairobi has a rather big expat community so I would assume it should be possible to get into that. There is also the Staff Recreation centre (https://www.facebook.com/unonrc/) – not sure how hard/easy it is to gain access there, but that’s a place to hang out.
Good luck!
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This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by
Rottmair Sebastian.
December 18, 2017 at 4:20 pm in reply to: Importance of networking to getting into the UN #2013 Score: 0Hi there!
I have written about the “long tail” of jobs in the UN – check this post out:
https://www.rottmair.de/2011/04/11/visualizing-the-long-tail-of-un-job-list-vacancies/
https://www.rottmair.de/2011/08/03/un-recruitment-what-steps-take-how-long-in-the-process/
These two posts deal with the topic in some way. Having said this – of course networking helps: it is a similar argument to the internship argument: if you network well, you know what is expected in a job, you can custom tailor your application to that, you would do better in a test, an interview etc.
It is one of the reasons, that internal applicants are doing relatively well.
As to how to network – I think this is highly duty station specific. If you want, let’s discuss a few duty stations and what to do there. Which duty stations are you interested in?
Ah, I understand now. Well, from what I know this is not entirely unusual. In fact most processes take a little while. But maybe there are folks here who applied themselves?
Hi there,
on UNOPS I may be able to share some experience (full disclosure: I didn’t apply myself) – but what are you looking for?
Hi there,
I don’t think there is “just one” answer to your question. I’m aware of “promotions” (they are called different things) in a number of organisations just as I’m aware of many situations where people have to apply, pass a test and sit through an interview.
In general, the requirements for a P5 / D1 are outlined in the job description. So unless you meet them, these posts are typically out of reach. But even if you fulfil the formal criteria, these posts are not often easy to get since there is a good amount of competition to raise to that level.
Lastly, I would not say that P5/D1 is “management level” per se. There are a good number of senior advisors who are at P5 level and who I would not count as management and likewise, there are a good number of P3 / P4s who I would count as management in their respective offices (especially in the field). Then there are differences between organisations to the extent that a P4 in organisation A might have significant more power/influence/autonomy in decision making that a D1 in organisation B.
Which organisation are you interested in? Maybe there is somebody here who could give you the inside knowledge?
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