Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Application Forms for UN Jobs are usually made entirely virtually through the recruitment webpage of the particular organization you are applying for or through an online recruitment system known as “Inspira”.
Some organizations might ask candidates to upload their CV or a P-11 form onto their application page, but if it is the case that you are applying through Inspira, candidates will be asked to complete an electronic form, known as the Personal History Profile (PHP), which requires personal, academic, and professional information.
What is the P-11 form, though? What about the PHP form? In sum, what is the difference between these UN System Application Forms?
In this article, we will offer you knowledge of this online platform and of both of these UN System Application Forms to help you gather the necessary documents and information in advance, and to avoid making mistakes!
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UN System Jobs: Products & Services
What are the PHP and the P-11?
Most organizations/agencies within the UN System use what they call “Personal History Forms”. The most common ones are the P-11 and the Personal History Profile (Inspira).
Both of them encompass all elements that are usually included in a regular CV such as academic background, professional experience, trainings, references… Bear in mind that although the P-11 includes all these pieces of information, candidates might still be required to submit – along with the form – their CV or resume.
This is the case of UNICEF, which asks candidates to send both their CV and Personal History form to the e-mail address indicated in the vacancy announcement.
Do you want to know how to craft the ideal CV for United Nations Jobs? Then check out our article!
Another thing worth mentioning is that different UN agencies might have a slightly different version of the P-11, which will require candidates to fill out multiple forms if they decide to apply to more than one.
Since these forms are very similar, in this article we will guide you through the process of filling out your Personal History Profile (PHP) – an online form that candidates are required to submit if they are applying through Inspira.
Getting started with the Inspira Platform
Although some organizations within the UN System have their own online recruitment platform, creating an Inspira account is the standard way to proceed into the UN System Application Forms submission.
Inspira is an IT System introduced in March 2010 by the United Nations to support Talent Management and carries out the selection process for many agencies throughout the UN System.
So let’s learn how to set up your account and profile in Inspira so that you can start applying for opportunities!
Register and log in to Inspira
In order to get started with the application process, candidates must first create their Inspira account, then log in to the platform.
The path candidates take to log in or register may vary depending on whether they are UN staff members or not.
Staff Members
UN Secretariat staff members (field staff members included) looking to apply for different job opportunities do not have to register. That is because they are usually given an internal User ID and temporary access code.
Originally, account access codes are assigned according to the following logic:
User ID: the staff member-designated index number
Temporary Password: year of birth + first four letters of last name capitalized (e.g. 1980LOPE)
When they log in to Inspira using this information, the platform will automatically recognize them as staff members. They can log in either through the UN Careers website homepage (careers.un.org) by clicking on “login”, or through iSeek, another platform used by the UN Secretariat which connects staff members all over the world and is considered by the organization to be an important knowledge-sharing tool.
External Users
Staff members who fall under the categories listed below are invited to register as external users, following the same steps as a non-staff-member:
- Associate expert
- UN Volunteer
- Consultant
- Individual contractor
- Military/police personnel
- Interns
Therefore, if you are a UN staff member in any of the abovementioned categories, or if you are not part of the United Nations yet, you must register as an “external user”.
Important: Candidates who have already applied for UN jobs in previous years through Inspira do not need to register again. Log in to the account you have already created, and just make sure to update your profile if anything has changed between your applications.
To register as an external user for the first time, follow these steps:
- Go to the UN Careers homepage (careers.un.org) and click on “Login” to be redirected to the Inspira Login page or access the Inspira website directly (inspira.un.org).
- Click on “Create account here” on the Inspira Login page, right underneath the dark blue bar that reads “Login”.
- You will then have access to Inspira’s registration form. Fill out all the fields with your personal information and make sure to double-check them before clicking on “register”.
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Creating your Inspira profile
After signing in, you will have access to the Inspira platform’s home page, which contains videos from the United Nations YouTube page, quick help links, and application guidelines.
It also has a search engine for job openings and the following sections: “My Profile”, “My Applications”, “My Roster Memberships”, “My Notifications”, “My Favorite Jobs”, “Join/Update Consultant Roster”, “Academic Degrees Database”.
If this is your first time accessing Inspira, you will be asked to verify your account by typing in a number sent to the e-mail address you registered with. After a successful account verification, the system will provide you with a User ID that, along with your password, will grant you access to the platform from then on.
Make sure that you save this information! Make a note of it in a safe place or e-mail it to yourself.
In order to apply for job openings, you must first create a personal profile on the platform. To create your Inspira profile, follow the steps below:
- Click on “My Profile”. This will give you access to forms that you will have to fill out with your personal information;
- Fill out the three profile sections with accurate and up-to-date personal information.
Personal Details
You will notice that some fields are already filled in with the details you supplied in the registration process. To edit a field, click on the pencil icon.
Remember to add your telephone number with the country code before it. (Example: +1 for the United States,
+55 for Brazil…)
Indicate your most up-to-date personal e-mail as your “Primary e-mail”. All selection process updates and notifications will be sent to it. In case your e-mail address changes during the process, you must come back to this section and update it—a verification code, valid for 24 hours, will then be sent to your Inbox so that you can confirm the change.
When completing the address details, keep in mind that:
- Your permanent address is the location of your permanent home
- “Current address” only applies to those who are temporarily living somewhere other than their permanent home, usually for purposes of work or study
- If you are currently living in your permanent home, you should mark the box “Current same as permanent” which will be above the “Current address” box once you click on the pencil icon to edit the field
Always remember to save your progress before advancing to the next section. Each time you do, you will see your profile status’ percentage bar growing.
In case you forget to fill in required items, a warning message will appear on your screen asking you to complete the fields you left blank.
And if you already used your primary e-mail address—indicated in your profile—to create another Inspira account registered under the same name and date of birth, a warning will appear, indicating that you are already registered in the system. In this case, you should use your old account and just update your profile information.
Do you want to know how to land a job at the United Nations? What are the benefits? What is the selection process like? Find all about UN System jobs:
Family Details
In this section, you will be asked if any of your relatives are employed by the United Nations Secretariat. Note that the general rule for a candidate to be considered for jobs within the UN is that s/he cannot be the parent, son, daughter, brother, or sister of a staff member.
Exceptions may apply for candidates that have relatives in certain Specialized Agencies or Programs and Funds.
Nationality and Residence
In this section, you will be asked to attach a scanned copy of your passport and/or ID card and/or birth certificate to prove your nationality.
Note that, birth certificates might not be considered valid for proving your nationality in some selection processes. The safest option is usually your passport!
Getting your Personal History Profile (PHP) ready
Now that your Inspira account is all set up, it’s time to start working on your Personal History Profile (PHP)! This is the term given to the online UN System Application Forms for candidates to fill out with detailed personal information.
The PHP must show that you have the technical knowledge and skills desired by the UN; it should be well structured and contain no grammar, spelling, punctuation, or eligibility criteria mistakes.
You can fill out your PHP and save your UN System Application Form without submitting it right away. This way, you will be able to access and modify it, editing or adding information multiple times before you submit it.
Candidates are also advised to click on the “Save” button regularly, in order to avoid losing unsaved data, given that the Inspira system times out every 30 minutes. When saving, the text “Your in-progress application has been saved but not submitted” should appear in a popup window.
Below, we will guide you through the process of creating an application:
Sign in to Inspira with your User ID and password and click on “My Applications”. In this section, you will be able to see your submitted application once you have sent it.
If this is not your first time applying for a job opening through Inspira, your previous job applications will also appear in this section. If you want to start your application before selecting the job opening to which you will apply for, click on “Create Draft Application” to be redirected to the “Start” tab and continue with the process.
After that you will be in the Welcome screen. If you have already chosen a job opening to apply for, prior to getting started on your application, you will find the job title on this page right after the words “You are applying for”. If you haven’t chosen a job opening yet, the text after “You are applying for” will read “You have not selected a job”.
From here onwards, you will find the following screens: “Let’s Start”, “Screening and fitness questions”, “Education”, “Work Experience”, “Languages”, “Skills & Training” and finally, “Cover Letter”.
In our eBook “Landing a Dream Job at the United Nations” you will see all of these sections explained in further detail, with tips and crucial information to make sure you are doing all the correct steps into the path for the next phase of the selection process.
By having access to this information and much more from our eBook, you will certainly have a head start over other candidates!
With that in mind, check out our eBook, “Landing your dream job at the United Nations”, which will help you land your dream job at the United Nations System. It will introduce you to the complex world of the United Nations and it will guide you through all the stages of the selection process. Access:
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