Before applying for any job opportunity, a candidate should have a good understanding of the job’s characteristics. Whenever the United Nations is looking for new staff members, vacancies are posted as “job openings”.
When applying for the UN YPP, candidates must select the job opening that matches their profile and interests and carefully read the requirements for the post. When applications for the program open, the list of job openings for the current selection process will be available on the UN YPP Home Page.
The main purpose of this article is to thoroughly explain the format of a UN YPP job opening, describing the kind of information it contains.
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This article is only a small sample of the extensive content present in the chapter “Understanding the UN Working Areas and the UN YPP Job Opening” of our E-Book.
THE UN YPP 2022-23 JOB OPENINGS
The exam areas for the 2022-23 edition of the UN YPP are the following:
- Legal Affairs – job opening #189050
- Library and Information Management – job opening #189043
For Legal Affairs, the candidate needs to have at least a first-level university degree (i.e., Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree of at least three years) in the main course of study “Law” including any of the following fields of study: General Law, History of Law, International Law, Jurisprudence, Labor Law, Local Magistrates, Maritime Law, Law of the Sea, Comparative Law, International Commercial Law, Human Rights Law, Humanitarian Affairs Law, Environmental Law.
As for Library & Information Management, the candidate needs to have at least a first-level university degree (i.e., Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree of at least three years) in one of the following Fields of Study related to Library and Information Science (found within the Journalism & Information Main Course of Study pull-down menu in Inspira): Archival Sciences, Documentation Techniques, Information Management, Library, Museums and Similar Repositories.
PAY ATTENTION: When you prepare your application in Inspira, if you don’t see your exact degree listed, choose the Field of Study that is closest to your degree, from the “Field of Study” and “Main Course of Study” dropdown menus; then type the exact title in the original language as well as its translation in English or French in the additional comment boxes. Do NOT select “other” for Main Course of Study or Field of Study, or you will be automatically disqualified. These details matter, that’s why we recommend that you have your UN YPP application documents reviewed!
If you want to prepare for the Written Exam, the UN YPP team has already released the first batch of study materials to help you, Click here to access them!
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UN Job Openings
Here is an overview of all the topics included in a regular UN job opening:
Heading Information
- Posting Title
- Job Code Title
- Department/Office
- Duty Station
- Posting Period
- Job opening number
- United Nations Core Values
Description
- Org. Setting and Reporting
- Responsibilities
- Competencies
- Education
- Work Experience
- Languages
- Assessment Methods
(Optional information)
- Special Notice
(Statements)
- United Nations Considerations statement
- No Fee statement
In the following sections, this article will present deeper insight into each of these topics in the light of a special UN YPP approach.
Heading Information
Below, you will find an example of what an official UN YPP job opening heading looks like. This one, as you can see, was from the 2019 UN YPP for the Economic Affairs exam area. Each of the topics that a job opening heading comprises will be explained in detail further below.
a) Posting Title
All job openings available specifically for the UN YPP will be clearly identified in the “Posting Title”, along with the current year of the selection process and the area of the exam (job network or job family) that the job post is part of. Although the UN uses various levels to identify its staff positions, UN YPP job openings will only be for entry levels P1 or P2.
b) Job Code Title
This is the name of the position being advertised. It tries to capture the position’s actual functions in a short description.
c) Department/Office
Points to which UN office or department the job opening is connected to. It may briefly describe the organizational unit’s mission and the reporting line for the position being advertised. In some cases, a URL is provided so that applicants may access further information on the department/ office structure and its mandate.
d) Duty Station
Where the job activities will take place. The physical location of the position.
e) Posting Period
This is the time frame candidates have to apply for the job opening. It identifies when the vacancy was posted and the deadline date by which all candidates must submit their application. The job opening will be automatically removed from the Careers Portal at 11:59 (EST) on the deadline date informed in this section.
f) Number Nomenclature
The Job Opening Number is automatically generated by Inspira, which is also the platform through which UN YPP candidates must submit their applications. The number nomenclature is based on the advertised position’s specificities. It encompasses the abbreviation of the ongoing year, the job family, the department, a system-generated number, the position type, and duty station (or multiple stations—in this case, the nomenclature might not make any reference to the duty station or could identify it as MULTIPLE D/S), in addition to a letter indicating the nature of the opening.
1E: indicates that this Job Opening is for external candidates (regular applicants). UN Secretariat staff members who are eligible to apply through the “G to P” or “G to N” track must not apply through this Job Opening.
2G: “indicates a position funded through the regular budget at the Professional and higher levels, which has been earmarked for geographical status under the system of desirable ranges.” (UNITED NATIONS. Manual for the Applicant on the Staff Selection System). The United Nations have set up specific rules (i.e. equitable or desirable ranges) aimed at monitoring the geographic balance of their core professional workforce by nationality (ensuring diversity). Based on a quota system, the UN defines which countries are invited to participate in the UN YPP selection process of the ongoing year. Therefore, all UN YPP job openings fall within this category.
Description
Find an example of an original UN YPP job opening at this link:
a) Org. Settings and Reporting
This section describes the Organizational setting, giving further information on the department/ office that the advertised position is connected to, as well as identifying the reporting department. Usually, at the end of this topic, for UN YPP job openings, there is a note to candidates reminding them that initial appointments are for two years, and that those who are successful in the selection process will be considered for YPP positions as they become available throughout the Secretariat.
b) Responsibilities
In this section, applicants are presented with a brief and sometimes generic description of the main tasks and duties that the advertised position comprises.
This topic aims to cover the following questions concerning the job post:
- What kind of activity does the incumbent actually perform? (translates, writes…);
- What bodies does the incumbent write/report for? (when applicable);
- Whom does the incumbent interact and work with, supervise, or assist?
c) Competencies
In this section, candidates will find a list of the competencies they are expected to have in order to take on the post. UN YPP applicants must pay special attention to this area as they will be assessed and evaluated on these competencies throughout the process, especially during the competency-based interview stage of the selection process (refer to chapter 09). The next chapter will explain these competencies and their positive/negative indicators in detail. Certain technical skills may also be listed under the “Professionalism” competency.
In our Online Magazine, we have an article only on competencies required by the UN YPP:
d) Education
This field indicates the educational requirements for a given level and job title. For the UN YPP, these requirements will follow the program’s basic application criteria: “Candidates must hold at least a first-level university degree (at least a three-year degree) relevant for the exam area they are applying for”. It is in this section that these “relevant areas” will be listed and also identified under the name of “Main Course of Study”.
e) Work experience
Since no work experience is required in order to apply for the UN YPP, this field simply states that.
f) Languages
Another field that follows the essential application criteria of the program. For all UN YPP job openings, something similar to this will be found: “Fluency (speaking, reading, writing, understanding fluently) in one of the working languages of the UN Secretariat, English or French, is required; knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage” (Extracted from a 2019 UN YPP job opening).
(Optional Information)
g) Special Notice
Although optional in regular job openings, this section is always a part of UN YPP job postings. It indicates the purpose of the job opening, the specificities for UN staff members (whether or not they are eligible to apply through the advertised job opening), the basic application criteria, and the participating Member States for the ongoing year. Additionally, it gives information about the first level of recruitment for successful candidates and reiterates the importance of frequently monitoring the UN Careers YPP Page, as all important notifications are posted there throughout the selection process.
(Statements)
h) United Nations Considerations Statement
Reiterates the commitment of the United Nations, stated in its Charter, to place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. Furthermore, the statement urges candidates to carefully follow all instructions available on Inspira regarding the application process. In addition, it highlights some topics candidates should pay special attention to when submitting their applications.
i) No Fee Statement
The UN YPP selection process, like other UN recruitment initiatives, is completely free of charge by the organization. “The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, or training). The United Nations does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts” (Extracted from a 2019 UN YPP job opening).
Access the following link to learn more about our UN YPP products:
Magazine: Understanding the UN YPP Written Exam
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