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Do you know what a cover letter is? Have you ever had to make one but didn’t know how? Well, usually, candidates are required to submit a cover letter as part of their application to jobs within the UN System.
The main goal of the UN Jobs cover letter is to give candidates a chance to introduce themselves and explain their motivation in applying to the desired job opportunity.
In this article, we will guide you through the process of writing and structuring a UN Jobs cover letter, as it is a very important part of your application. It’s just a small sample of all the information covered by our eBook “Landing your dream job at the United Nations“. Get a copy today!
In pursuit of its mission, the OpenIGO network has developed a comprehensive eBook, as well as support and guidance services, with the aim of highly increasing your chances of success in these competitive selection processes. These services include revising your UN Jobs application documents (Curriculum vitae/Resume, Cover Letter) and a mock interview, as per the original UN Jobs model.
We have already helped dozens of candidates become UN Professionals and we can also assist you in passing this competitive selection process!
For more info, access:
UN System Jobs: Products & Services
What is a cover letter?
As the name suggests, a cover letter serves as a “cover” for the documents you submit for a job or internship application. It should provide a summary of a candidate’s skills, professional experience, and qualifications that meet the needs of a job opening, emphasizing why the candidate should be selected.
Cover letters function as a personal marketing tool!
Typically, they are meant to “sell” the candidate by showing recruiters the qualities and skills that s/he possesses that are in line with the prospective position. This way, evaluators are able to gain a better perspective on the candidate’s attributes and their main motivation for applying.
The text should represent the candidate positively and objectively. It should be short, yet contain enough information to keep the reader interested in reading the rest of the application.
When well written, such a document immediately demonstrates the participant’s abilities in written communication and the organization of ideas, as well as their argumentative capacity.
Crafting your UN Jobs Cover Letter
In selection processes for jobs with the United Nations, the cover letter should contextualize your resume or CV and all its information in an objective fashion, highlighting the elements that are in line with your area of interest.
Its main objective is to reinforce the candidate’s positive qualities in order to arouse the evaluator’s interest and desire to know more about the individual.
Generally, in the first phase of the UN Jobs selection processes, you must fill out an online application form and upload documents (Curriculum Vitae/Resume, Cover Letter, etc.). However, some opportunities may require that candidates submit these documents by e-mail. In both cases, these documents are decisive for your success in these competitive selection processes. Therefore, it is of fundamental importance that your documents are carefully reviewed! This is exactly what our award-winning team will do for you.
At OpenIGO, we have analyzed documents from dozens of UN candidates. This service is confidential and your files will be deleted from our systems when the service has been completed.
Would you like to know more about our application review service? Access:
So, in order to write a strong UN Jobs cover letter, it is important to know what the recruiters will be looking for. Here are some of the aspects the recruiting team seeks to evaluate:
- Competencies: Competencies may be understood as the candidate’s set of knowledge, abilities, attitudes and values. It is important for the candidate to show that they have the main competencies the organization is seeking, such as Professionalism, Teamwork, and Planning & Organizing. Since the United Nations is indisputably a value-driven organization, your personal values and the manner in which they are linked to the organization’s should also be highlighted.
- Knowledge about the organization: It is expected that the candidate demonstrates knowledge about the UN fund, program or agency s/he is applying for, such as its mission, its operational approach, activities, and main objectives (knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals, for example).
- Cultural fit: Showing sound knowledge of the organization is not enough. The candidate should highlight that there is compatibility between their values, principles, objectives, and understanding of reality with those of the organization.
- Communicative capacity: The cover letter enables the recruiter to evaluate the candidate’s writing skills and their ability to structure ideas and coherently defend arguments.
When writing your cover letter, take all of the aforementioned aspects into consideration and make them evident throughout the document when expressing three main things:
- your interest in working for the organization;
- the reason you are interested in the vacancy (or in a specific field area);
- and why you are a strong candidate for the position.
Summarizing what a good UN Jobs Cover Letter is
To summarize our tips, here’s the overall content that a good UN Jobs cover letter should have:
- Introduce the candidate;
- Talk about the candidate’s motivation for applying;
- Contextualize the candidate’s Resume/CV (linking the information provided and prior experience with the working area of interest);
- Demonstrate the applicant’s knowledge of the United Nations, – mainly of the UN agency, fund or program s/he is applying to – its values, and the competencies required for the specific vacancy;
- Show the candidate’s enthusiasm, but in a professional manner;
- “Sell” the candidate;
- Be written in a formal style with no grammar mistakes.
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:
eBook – Landing your dream job at the United Nations
