UN driver interview questions. How to take part in UN humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, with further employment in the UN? Professional and career growth

International organizations are called upon to establish trade and political relations between countries. They decide economic problems on a global scale.

Work for the good of the world

In each country, the UN has several agencies that oversee a specific area of ​​activity:

• human rights;
• protection of children's rights;
• food supplies;
• public health;
• labor safety, etc.

The average salary of a UN employee in Russia is $47,000 per year. In other countries, specialists receive from $4000 to $8000 per month. If the country in which the specialist works does not allow him to bring his family, then every 8 weeks he is given leave for 7 days and pay their way home.

There is also a legal vacation for 30 days a year.

Getting a job in an agency located in our country is very difficult. Need to know at a high level a few foreign languages have experience in similar work.

The applicant has to pass difficult exams in several stages.

Salary of specialists

The salaries of UN staff are established by the State Assembly and are divided into 5 categories:

• P1 - $70535 - 85115;
• Р2 - $86910 - 95980;
• P3 - $99545 ​​- 110715;
• Р4 - $115985 - 130425;
• Р5 - $135691 - 145959;
• D1 - $150610 - 165603;
• D2 - $170113 - 190975.

The heads of commissions and chairmen of committees receive the highest salaries. Their salary reaches $200k net.

UN representatives in hot points of the planet earn from $300 thousand, and their deputies $100,000 per year. Captain " blue berets»receives a monthly salary of $5000 . The salary of his colleague in Iraq reaches $10000 .

Translator with experience in international organization makes a profit $60000 in year. A freelance specialist who has signed a contract for the translation of just one article earns from $0.22 per word.

Sometimes they are invited to translate a large amount of documentation after the conference.

In this case, pay for the change $350 .

An International Labor Organization trainee receives a salary of 1860 francs per month. Salary of a senior secretary in the office CEO OPEC - 3.3 thousand euros, is not subject to taxes.

For comparison, they indicate the salary of a nurse in New York, which reaches $40350/year. HR manager earns up to $52530/year.

Benefits for officials

High-ranking professionals are provided with a whole package of benefits, which includes:

• free education of children in the most prestigious school;
• two paid holidays per year;
• international flights for foreigners - at the expense of the employer;
• compensation for unused vacation;
• on East River preferential prices for electronics, cars and delicacies are set for them;
• the retirement age has been shortened by 3 years to 62 years.

European Commission

Assistant translators are in demand. They are offered a contract for 21 months with a salary of 1500 euro. The candidate must be proficient in all methods of translation, as well as competent speech and writing in 3 languages ​​at least.

The main requirement is perfect knowledge of English and Russian languages.

Employees earn:

1. The President of the European Commission receives a total bill of 31,272 euros per month. Naked rate - 26166 euros.
2. The profit of vice presidents is from 27954.
3. The income of members of the European Commission is 8215/month.

Job offers for programmers 5 years experience work for cooperation with clients and participation in business projects. Need knowledge in English at a high level, age - up to 65 years.

The President of the European Council receives a salary from 298495 euro in year.

World Health Organization

The job seeker in this organization must have a higher medical education and a Ph.D. He must have a high level of knowledge, analytical skills and experience at the international level.

In addition to English, you also need to know Chinese, Arabic, French or Spanish.

They accept workers who are ready at any moment to go to the ends of the world to participate in the movement " Doctors Without Borders».

Red Cross

It requires a large number of specialists working in their country. They take even without a medical education, they will teach everything on the spot.

The main thing is the desire to help people who find themselves in a difficult situation, the fault of which was:

• natural disasters;
• epidemics;
• war.

They do not earn anything on this, they act on a volunteer basis. To subsist, they work part-time elsewhere.

Young doctors, engineers and other professionals are paid from 2500 euro during internships in foreign countries.

The UN and the Red Cross are delivering humanitarian aid to African countries.

Helicopter crew members, most often from CIS countries, receive:

• commander — from $10,000 per month;
• co-pilot — $9000;
• flight engineer - $7000.

Professional and career growth

The UN accepts by competition.

You need a master's degree in finance, law, translators, managers and programmers.

The career starts as a trainee who, in most cases, is not paid at all. So it can last from 6 months up to a year. During this time, the specialist gets good work experience in an international organization, but this is not a guarantee that he will be hired.

The Russian-speaking diplomat spoke incognito about her experience of moving to the United States. Photo depositphotos.com

A Russian-speaking diplomat incognito told ForumDaily about her experience of moving to the United States and how the diplomatic statute interferes with renting housing.

Living in the USA has become for me rather a consequence than a cause or even a purpose of life. And if everything started as a temporary phenomenon, now, after about nine years, I remember the saying:

"Nothing is more permanent than temporary."

Since 2007, I have been living in New York, where I arrived on a United Nations (UN) work visa. The United Nations Diplomatic Visa was issued on the basis that I was selected to be an assistant in one of the departments of the Secretariat. I remember receiving an email from New York City from a Human Resources representative on August 29th: “Congratulations on your position…see you back at work October 1st.” I immediately answered in the affirmative and began collecting documentation and medical certificates for obtaining a visa.

From receiving the signed contract to the interview at the Embassy, ​​no more than two weeks passed. The interview was short and went without much delay, as everyone Required documents were in my hands, and the UN itself sent a special letter directly to the Embassy, ​​confirming my status and the duration of the contract - 3 months with the possibility of extension with satisfactory work and the availability of funds from the host department.

With a three-month visa in hand, a return ticket and three suitcases of autumn and winter things, I flew to a country that was very distant and alien to me. Far away, both in distance and culturally. But since it was the headquarters of my dream organization, I knew that I would not miss this chance, and the fear of the unknown would not become an obstacle. After all, you don’t want to regret it for the rest of your life, right? And I can always go home.

Until now, many years later, I am very grateful to local friends - a married couple from Puerto Rico, who met me at the airport and sheltered me for the first time until I found an apartment for myself.

Since my work contract began on October 1, I did not have enough time and knowledge to quickly figure out where and how to look for housing, what it costs, what a social security number is, why you need to open a credit card and have some permanent or temporary address of residence in the United States. At work, new employees were not provided with any assistance in moving to New York. These were supposed to be personal problems that you solve yourself and do not cause headaches to your superiors. All they helped me with on the spot was documentation for opening an account with the UN Credit Union bank, to which my salary was transferred.

The salary, after subtracting the required amount for food, travel, telephone and other minimum line expenses, allowed you to rent either a small apartment outside of Manhattan Island, or a room somewhere in the city, in the area where Columbia University students live (Harlem). With that in mind, I took to the internet and methodically wrote letters in response to apartment listings using the craigslist page. It is noteworthy that even today, with much more advanced housing search resources, this service is still very popular among users, as it collects data on the supply and demand of a wide variety of goods and services in all cities and states of the United States.

The first weeks of attempts to see the apartments were unsuccessful. All brokers, namely they, as a rule, put up apartments for sale or rent, refused and shrugged their hands in helplessness. “Do you only have a contract for 3 months (apartments are usually rented for a year)? No social security number (meaning a foreign tourist with no long-term prospect of staying in the US)? What is your credit history? How "no credit history"!? Without it, we cannot process you, because we do not know about your solvency! What kind of visa are you on here - diplomatic? Does that mean you won't be held accountable? Do you have a local trustee who will vouch for you in the event of an early departure from the apartment (after three months, based on the logic of the contract) and who will pay your annuity?”…

By the way, the status of a “UN employee-diplomat” and a diplomatic visa to the United States not only did not come in handy for me, but only exacerbated the difficult situation with finding housing.

Americans, in force different reasons, believe that the UN is a structure of dependents and freeloaders who need to be dissolved, since the organization is inefficient and only spends their money from the taxes paid to the state. In addition, in their opinion, the status of a diplomat implies only privileges and immunity, while there are no obligations to the US authorities and law. In the event of any offense, they cannot be called to account, and they will calmly “fly away” home without paying utility bills or rent, leaving the owner of the apartment with nothing. When I, naive, said where I work, a couple of brokers simply interrupted the conversation in mid-sentence. Over time, I no longer mentioned the words “diplomatic visa” unnecessarily.

I remember another funny case of calling brokers in the Brighton Beach area of ​​Brooklyn, where Russian-speaking immigrants live who left the post-Soviet republics or Israel in the 1970-90s. The first words of the broker were in polite English, the conversation began with standard questions about the contract and status in America. Realizing that I was also speaking Russian, the interlocutor switched to Russian, changing his businesslike tone to: “in short, give us $2,000, and we will try to persuade the community at home so that your documents are not so carefully examined.” I did not want to give away my savings for nothing, without a guarantee of a positive response, so I ended the conversation on this “corrupt” note.

After six weeks of non-stop searching for housing (on weekends and late evenings), working days (ten hours at work and three hours on the road from home to office and back), I despaired of finding anything. But I did not want to sit on the neck of my friends, although they morally supported me and never hinted that it was time to move out.

As a result, I settled on the option of living in the suburbs of Manhattan, in a four-room apartment, furnished rooms in which were rented out on a monthly basis. The cost - as I understand it now - was very high ($ 700 per month). I had to share the kitchen and bathroom with three other tenants. Was I delighted with the "Obshchakovsky" living in a small room without windows, where it was cold all the time (without central heating), but only with a portable electric heater? Of course not, but in the absence of alternatives, and for this option, I was grateful to fate.

Already a year and a half later, when the market conditions changed due to the financial crisis of 2008-09, having issued a temporary social security number and a couple of credit cards(and thanks to them, my credit history at least somehow began to appear), I began to look more solvent in the eyes of brokers and still found a studio in Manhattan. By that time, I already knew how to bargain and bring down the price, and also spoke more perfect English.

My first experience in the country was unforgettable and very rewarding.

I think it was a very good test of survival - in a country where you are an outsider, whose accent language you do not always understand and feel like just an unwanted immigrant.

This country and its harsh conditions harden you, making you stronger and more experienced. I do not know how long my short-term contracts with the UN will be extended, and, accordingly, how long my notorious “diplomatic visa” will be. But I know one thing - after America, I'm no longer afraid to be in any corner of the world.

A UN employee anonymously spoke about professional pride, friendship between peoples and monetary compensation in case of death.

For many, the UN is such a Kafkaesque castle. Alluring, mysterious and inaccessible. Everyone wants to get there, and someone seems to get there, but no one knows exactly how to do it. Everyone heard about the very time-consuming application process, passing some kind of interviews and exams, about the long wait for an answer - several months or even years.

To some extent, this is all true. Although there are situations when the applicant gets a job quite quickly and without superhuman effort. If we get lucky. Whether you are accepted or not depends on many factors. Here, both your work experience and, for example, the status of your state can play a role. For example, if your country is "under-represented" in the UN, the chance of getting a job there increases dramatically.

About the risks associated with working at the UN

The mission of the UN is to unite peoples, help the suffering and fight for world peace.

Of course, getting ready for work every morning, UN employees do not mutter under their breath: "Here, I'm going to save the world again." But in general, this feeling depends on the specific duties. I think if a person with a humanitarian convoy goes to the besieged Syrian city of Homs and distributes food and clothing to those in need, he feels that he is doing something very important. Well, or, for example, an employee of the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons), involved in the removal of chemical weapons from Syria, probably feels that he is making the world a better place. Not to mention those who sit at Security Council meetings and decide "the fate of the world."

Willingness to work in places remote and not the most comfortable at the UN is always welcome. Exotic lovers and altruists who want to help starving children in Africa, as it turns out, are not so few. But not everyone is clear on the reality. Everyday life and work in, say, the Central African Republic, South Sudan or other hotspots.

Working in UN missions in troubled countries and in war zones can be extremely dangerous. UN employees are intimidated, fired upon, kidnapped, killed. However, everyone knows about it from the news bulletins.

By the way, in the event of the death of an employee in the line of duty, his family and friends are paid generous monetary compensation.

About the UN Headquarters in New York

I personally work at the UN Headquarters in New York, in the General Secretariat. Everyone, of course, remembers the emerald skyscraper with the flags of all member countries of the organization lined up along it. It is beautiful, comfortable and absolutely safe here.

All members of the secretariat take pride in their work, although they try not to show it, and in conversations over lunch in the canteen they like to discuss the bureaucracy and inefficiency of the organization that reigns in the UN. In fact, everyone here feels like a part of some elite club. The bus that goes down 42nd Street in Manhattan (its last stop is called "United Nations") every morning becomes a platform for a conceited flash mob. At the entrance to the UN, many passengers begin to remove UN passes from their bags and pockets and at the same time furtively look around: who else takes out the same blue ID? And the one who gets it last does it with special relish: yes, yes, don’t think, I’m also “your”.

On the other hand, this is done primarily for convenience, so as not to dig into the bag at the entrance to the territory of a huge complex under gusts strong wind from the East River (the UN building stands right by the river).

About salary, schedule and working conditions

One of the reasons why many seek to work at the UN is, of course, high salaries (8-10 thousand dollars a month on average) and social guarantees. Good health insurance, pensions, flexible taxation (the UN pays most of the taxes for its employees), allowances that compensate for the cost of living in the city where you work, housing subsidies (if you have to move to another region for work). And that's not all that the world's most powerful non-profit organization will offer you.

If you are accepted to the UN for a permanent job, then this is, in fact, a guarantee of employment for life. As some people joke, people leave the UN only feet first.

About UN Radio

I work for UN Radio (the radio service is part of the Department of Public Information of the UN Secretariat). Many, when they hear this phrase, are surprised: does the UN have a radio? In fact, it has existed since 1946. By the way, it is the founding day of UN radio that is considered World Radio Day - February 13th. We talk mainly about the activities of various UN structures and bodies (there are countless of them: the Security Council, the General Assembly, UNESCO, UNICEF, the World Bank, the Red Cross, World Organization Health, World Meteorological Organization, UN peacekeeping missions in countries affected by conflict). Reports, interviews, daily UN radio news programs can be found (including in text form) on the official website. As a rule, all these materials are regularly used by our partners. In the case of the Russian-language service, this is, for example, "Echo of Moscow" in some CIS countries. UN radio broadcasts in eight languages ​​- English, French, Russian, Swahili, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Arabic. All employees are located on the same floor, and the most real internationalism and friendship of peoples reign here.

Once, walking along the corridor, I saw through the door in one of the offices of the UN Radio Arab Service a woman in very beautiful clothes - dark blue, embroidered with silver threads. She prayed to Allah. I delicately passed by, although her bright attire attracted me very much. The next time, passing by the same office, I expected to see her again. But a completely different lady was sitting there - in boring office trousers and a jacket, with her hair loose. I involuntarily caught myself thinking: where did that Muslim woman in beautiful religious clothes go? Of course, it was the same woman, she just changed clothes for prayer.

In general, there are not so many people in national costumes walking around the corridors of the UN headquarters. Of course, you can occasionally meet Sikhs in turbans or women in hijabs. But most of the employees dress in quite a standard office style.

The situation changes when some kind of conference is held at the headquarters, say, dedicated to African women. Then permanent employees are guaranteed a multi-day exotic show. Everything is filled with the rustling of lush multi-colored dresses and headdresses a meter high. Sometimes it is even difficult to walk down the corridor. And when they leave at the end of the conference, it becomes empty and gray.

The biggest charm of working on UN radio is this: firstly, the authority of the organization allows you to get almost any interview, and secondly, you don’t have to go far. The building is literally teeming with politicians, celebrities and Nobel Prize winners from all over the world.

About the Northern Salon of Delegates

Of all the endless halls and rooms of the UN Headquarters, the most attractive is the Northern Delegates' Lounge, or, as it is also called, the Delegates Lounge. Here you can have an excellent lunch or dinner while admiring the view of the East River - however, through the Knots and Beads curtain, consisting of 30 thousand porcelain balls. This is the decision of the Dutch designer Hella Jongerius, who took part in the large-scale restoration of the bar.

The result, by the way, caused irritation in many. They turned, they say, luxurious and mysterious, shrouded in twilight in the style of James Bond films, the nightclub of diplomats into an environmentally friendly school cafeteria.

The Delegates' Lounge is almost always full. The most interesting things happen here and happened, of course, in the evenings. Many in the UN generally believe that all major decisions are made here, and not at all at meetings of the General Assembly or the Security Council. Tipsy (and sometimes frankly drunk) and relaxed diplomats allegedly quickly find mutual language and in a matter of minutes they agree on issues that had previously been fruitlessly discussed for hours in a bureaucratic setting.

Old-timers of the UN say that once the atmosphere in the Delegates' Lounge was even more relaxed. At times cold war diplomats were supposedly even visited by girls of easy virtue.

I don’t know how much you can believe everything that is said about the Northern Salon, but mission personnel clearly perceive it as their personal territory, where they can discard etiquette, forget about protocol and loosen the knot on a tie. One day, my colleague and I showed up there with a camera and tried to take pictures of the legendary Lounge. A couple of minutes later, a representative of the Chilean mission was running towards us across the entire hall, waving his arms. He demanded that we not "point the camera at him" even though we weren't filming him at all. The man very emotionally, in a raised voice, said that it was impossible to shoot here, and threatened that he would call the guards.

Do you want to prevent degradation? environment help poor countries develop their economies, resolve civil conflicts, or promote social justice and redistribution of capital? You will definitely be able to find the perfect job for you at the United Nations. The UN is a huge employer and offers opportunities for career advancement and career path choices comparable to those in large private companies. Although the competition for most positions is quite intense, with enough preparation and a bit of luck, you will have a chance to land your dream job at the UN.

Steps

Preparation

Browse the UN website to learn more about the organization's different areas of work. What areas of activity interest you the most? Are there any areas for which you already have the right qualifications? Are there areas in which you would like to work, but for which you do not have the right skills and experience? Do a little research on the organization and its structure before you start looking for open positions. A large number of useful information can be found on the following websites:

• UN official website (http://careers.un.org)
• UN Job Monster website (http://www.unjobmonster.com)
• UN Job List website (http://unjoblist.org)

1. Decide which category you would like to work in. Careers at the UN are divided into several categories, each of which has certain requirements for the level of education and area of ​​specialization. Within each category, there are several levels of positions that differ in terms of previous work experience requirements. Based on your skills, interests and experience, choose the category and level that suits you. Here are your options:

   • Professional and higher categories (P and D)
   • General service and related categories (G, TC, S, PIA, LT)
   • National Specialists (NO)
   • Field Service (FS)
   • Senior positions (SG, DSG, USG and ASG)

2. Make sure you have the required education and skills. Each position has specific educational and work experience requirements. Before applying for any position, make sure you meet all of its requirements; otherwise, your candidacy will not be considered. Here is a list of some of the requirements that are found in many UN vacancies:

   • Proficiency in English or French (these are the working languages ​​of the UN). Knowledge of additional languages ​​such as Arabic, Chinese, Spanish or Russian is also preferred.
   • Bachelor or more high degree. Some low-level general positions (mostly administrative and clerical positions in the General Service category) require only a high school diploma and usually suitable work experience, but most UN positions require at least a bachelor's degree. Many specialized positions require higher academic degrees in the specialty.
   • Experience in a relevant field. Depending on the position, you may be required from 1 to 7 years of work experience.

3. Pass the oral exam. The oral exam includes an interview with the admissions committee, the purpose of which is to determine whether you have the skills and characteristics that are required to work in your specialty at the UN. Based on the results of this exam, you will know whether you will become a YPP member or not.

4. Get approval from the Central Board of Examiners. If you successfully pass the interview, you will be approved by the Central Examination Board for a position on the YPP work roster. When the next vacancy opens in your specialty, you will be offered this position.

   • Getting approval from the Central Examination Board does not guarantee a job. Although your chances of finding a job will be extremely high, a job offer depends on the number of open vacancies in your specialty.
   • If you did not pass the final exam, you will be notified that you have not been approved by the Central Examination Board.

• Paul is an advantage. Article 8 of the UN Charter states: "The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the right of men and women to participate in any capacity and under equal conditions in its principal and subsidiary organs." However, there is a clause in the UN Employment Rules (ST/AI/2006/3, Section 9.3) that gives women the right to receive benefits in the process of applying for a job. If you are a woman and are on the UN job roster (a list of candidates who have been approved by the commission but have not received a job offer), your name will remain on the roster for three years", which means you can expect a job offer during that time. Men remain on the register for only two years.
• Be extremely careful when applying. Check spelling and grammar, information integrity, etc. Remember that every small blot can be a reason for your exclusion from the competition, especially since employers are usually inundated with thousands of applications.
• Submit your application as soon as possible. Employers usually don't take last-minute applications very seriously. In addition, there is no doubt that a large number of applications will come at the last moment, which means that your candidacy will be considered less carefully if your application is one of the last. Applications sent after the vacancy closes will not be considered.
• People who apply for jobs at the UN usually know someone in the organization. Do you know anyone? Think about how you can meet people who could help you get a job at the UN. Despite the principles and rules, merit is not always the key to employment at the UN. Also, don't forget about the quotas of employees from each country and about biases about certain countries - these factors can either work in your favor or hurt your chances.
• Feel free to find out more about the vacancy via email or phone. For example, you might ask if the position is open to lower-level UN staff. This way you will know what kind of competition you have. At the same time, don't be surprised if your attempts to get more information about the position are not successful.

The world is looking to the United Nations to meet difficult challenges. The issues addressed by the UN are as diverse as the career opportunities on offer. The activities of the UN cover all the challenges that humanity faces: peace and security, human rights, humanitarian activities, socio-economic development and much more. By working in the United Nations, you get moral satisfaction, because you work not only for the UN - you work for the benefit of all mankind, you want to make the world a better place.

How to apply for a job

All vacancies in the UN Secretariat are published on the website. Persons with disabilities may apply for employment with the United Nations for all types of contracts, in full compliance with the UN Charter. The organization offers various ways employment. Jobs in the Professional category must be applied through the website Career Portal or pass the relevant exams. For positions in the General Service and related categories, including secretarial, labor, safety and security, and other support positions, please apply directly to your local UN office in your country.

Competitive exams

Associate Expert Program

Employment opportunities in the UN system

If you are interested in working for other agencies, funds and programs of the United Nations, you can find the information you need on the relevant websites. Links to most websites are on the International Civil Service Commission page.

Memo to candidates

Job advertisements and job offers sometimes claim that employers are affiliated with the United Nations. Please note that the United Nations does not require payment at any stage of the application process. More about .

Volunteers

You can contribute to improving people's lives by becoming a volunteer. The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program is based in Bonn, Germany and operates in 100 countries around the world. Work can be done both locally and online.