1. United Nations Janos Tisovszky Director,
United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna
Introduce UNIS

2. United Nations: Introduction
Introduce UNIS

3. What/who is the UN? Forum (Member States) Actor (Staff)
Community - platform/umbrella (other actors)
Ideal (set of expectations)
Charter is a mission statement in that it sets out the purposes of the Organization.
Point 3: with developments pf past 6-7 decades, there are fewer and fewer issues that are not seen as international issues, that don‘t need countries working together to find common solutions.
I will return to the point of defining key intenrational problems in a few minutes.
The Charter also sets out the ‚rules of the game‘, the rights and obligations of Members and the decision-making processes.
The United Nations is defined in the Charter as an international organization based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members. Currently 192 Member States.

4. The Charter established six principal organs of the United Nations: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat. The United Nations family, however, is much larger, encompassing 15 agencies and several programmes and bodies.

5. UN Secretariat
Carries out day-to-day work of the Organization and services its principal organs
Staffed by international civil servants
Headquartered in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, with offices and field missions around the world
44,000 staff members
The Secretariat — an international staff working in duty stations around the world — carries out the diverse day-to-day work of the Organization. It services the other principal organs of the United Nations and administers the programmes and policies laid down by them. At its head is the Secretary-General, who is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a five-year, renewable term.
The duties carried out by the Secretariat are as varied as the problems dealt with by the United Nations. These range from administering peacekeeping operations to mediating international disputes, from surveying economic and social trends and problems to preparing studies on human rights and sustainable development. Secretariat staff also inform the world's communications media about the work of the United Nations; organize international conferences on issues of worldwide concern; and interpret speeches and translate documents into the Organization's official languages.
As of 30 June 2010, the Secretariat had some 44,000 staff members around the world1.
As international civil servants, staff members and the Secretary-General answer to the United Nations alone for their activities, and take an oath not to seek or receive instructions from any Government or outside authority. Under the Charter, each Member State undertakes to respect the exclusively international character of the responsibilities of the Secretary-General and the staff and to refrain from seeking to influence them improperly in the discharge of their duties.
The United Nations, while headquartered in New York, maintains a significant presence in Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, Geneva, Nairobi, Santiago and Vienna, and has offices all over the world.

6. United Nations: Areas of Work
Development
Peace and Security
Human Rights
Humanitarian Affairs
International Law
I’d like to return to our discussion on the purposes of the UN and the issues that the Organization deals with.
These can be grouped into three broad thematic clusters.
Note that these are not separate areas but closely connected with one another.
I would like to outline some of the activities of the United Nations in each of these areas.

7. Priorities and the way ahead
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has outlined five imperatives:
Five generational opportunities to shape the world tomorrow by the decisions we make today
Today, I would like to share with you my perspective on the way ahead. As I see it, we have five imperatives ... five generational opportunities to shape the world of tomorrow by the decisions we make today.
The first and greatest of these is sustainable development ... the imperative of the 21st century.
Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth ... these are one and the same fight.
We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women's empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.
Rio+20 must succeed.
We must make progress on climate change.
We cannot burn our way to the future. We cannot pretend the danger does not exist ... or dismiss it because it affects someone else.
Today, I call on you to reach a binding climate change agreement ... an agreement with more ambitious national and global emissions targets.
And we need action on the ground, now ... on cutting emissions and on adaptation.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Energy is key ... to our planet, to our way of life. That is why we have launched a pioneering new initiative, Sustainable Energy for All.
We must invest in people ... particularly in education and women's and children's health. Development is not sustainable unless it is equitable and serves all people.
We must intensify our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and more.
Today, I urge you to think even bigger and beyond the 2015 deadline.
Let us develop a new generation of sustainable development goals to pick up where the MDGs leave off. Let us agree on the means to achieve them.
A second great opportunity: prevention.
This year, the UN peacekeeping budget will total $8 billion.
Consider the savings if we act before conflicts erupt ... by deploying political mediation missions, for example, rather than troops.
We know how to do this. Our record proves it ... in Guinea, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan.
To prevent violations of human rights, we must work for the rule of law and stand against impunity. We have carved out a new dimension for the Responsibility to Protect. We will continue.
To prevent runaway damage from natural disasters, we must work for better disaster-risk reduction and preparedness.
And let us remember: development is ultimately the best prevention.
Today, I ask your support.
Let us commit the resources required. Let us raise “prevention” from an abstract concept to a core operating principle, across the spectrum of our work.
Ladies and gentlemen,
A third imperative: building a safer and more secure world ... our core responsibility as the United Nations.
This year we were sorely tested. In Côte d'Ivoire, we stood firm for democracy and human rights. Working closely with our regional partners, we made a difference in the lives of millions of people.
In Afghanistan and Iraq, we will carry on our missions with determination and commitment to the people of these proud nations.
In Darfur, we continue to save lives and help keep peace under difficult conditions. Our success demands the cooperation and full support of the international community, the parties on the ground and the Sudanese Government.
In Sudan, the parties to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement must work together to prevent conflict and settle outstanding issues.
In the Middle East, we must break the stalemate. We have long agreed that Palestinians deserve a state. Israel needs security. Both want peace. We pledge our unrelenting efforts to help achieve that peace through a negotiated settlement.
We must be innovative in maximizing the unique force for good that is UN peacekeeping. We are pioneering new approaches. We have strengthened our field support and reconfigured the architecture of peacekeeping operations.
In places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone, we are building peace by advancing civil society, promoting the rule of law and creating institutions of honest and effective governance.
Today we are capable of more rapid and effective response than ever before, and we will continue.
We remain the world's first emergency responders ... in Pakistan, Haiti and beyond.
It is essential that we continue to build on our most innovative and effective tool for humanitarian relief ... the Central Emergency Response Fund, or CERF.
Famine in Somalia continues to spread. I appeal to you: help save the children of the Horn of Africa.
As we learned in Fukushima and elsewhere, nuclear accidents do not respect national borders. We need global action. We need strong international safety standards to prevent future disasters.
Let us keep pushing on disarmament and non-proliferation. Let us fulfil the dream ... a world free of nuclear weapons.
The fourth big opportunity: supporting nations in transition.
This year's dramatic events in North Africa and the Middle East inspired us. Let us help make the Arab Spring a true season of hope for all.
In Libya, we are deploying a new UN support mission to assist the Libyan authorities establish a new government and legal order, consistent with the aspirations of the Libyan people.
Syria is a special concern. For six months we have seen escalating violence and repression. The Government has repeatedly pledged to undertake reforms and listen to its people. It has not done so. The moment to act is now. The violence must stop.
Others also look to us.
A country may be emerging from war. It may be moving from autocracy to democracy, from poverty to a new prosperity.
The UN must help that country find the right path.
That may involve support to restore justice or build back public services. It may mean helping to organize elections or write a constitution.
Our challenge today is to cement this progress ... and apply the lessons learned.
Nowhere is this challenge more clear than in our efforts to help South Sudan build a functioning state after decades of conflict.
Fifth and finally: we can dramatically advance our efforts in every sphere by working with ... and working for ... women and young people.
Women hold up more than half the sky and represent much of the world's unrealized potential. They are the educators. They raise the children. They hold families together and increasingly drive economies. They are natural leaders.
We need their full engagement ... in government, business and civil society. And this year, for the first time, we have UN Women ... our own unique and powerful engine for dynamic change.
I am especially pleased to see so many women at this year's General Assembly. I welcome, in particular, the next speaker ... Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, the first woman in UN history to open our General Debate.
We can be proud of how many women leaders we have at the United Nations. We will continue our policy of promoting women at all levels of the Organization.
And we will focus on the new generation. Young people are more than our future. They are also our present, both in numbers and how they drive political and social change. We must find new ways to create decent jobs and opportunities for them ... around the world.

8. Five imperatives Sustainable development Prevention
Building a safer and more secure world
Supporting nations in transition
Working for – and with – women and young people

9. Working for the UN

10. Who we are We are international civil servants.
Our work touches lives in every corner of the globe, is complex and multifaceted, and extends directly and indirectly to our 193 Member States.
In the last decade, the United Nations has increased its field-based operations
Over 50 per cent of our 44,000 staff work in field locations all over the world
Over 100,000 personnel in 16 peacekeeping and 11 political missions 10

11. Being part of the UN Member States
Staff (including interns, associate experts, consultants and volunteers)
Civil society players (NGOs, private sector, academia, creative community, etc.)
Being part of the UN
Member States
Staff (including interns, associate experts, consultants and volunteers)
Civil society players (NGOs, private sector, academia, creative community, etc)
Increasing role of other actors means increasing influence – coupled with increasing operationalization of UN – means more entry points into the world of the UN.

12. Career Options Staff categories Young professionals programme
Language competitive examinations
Associate expert programme
Volunteer programme
Internship programme
Temporary jobs

13. Career Options: The different categories of staff at the United Nations
Professional and higher categories (P and D)
General Service and related categories (G, TC, S, PIA, LT)
National Professional Officers (NO)
Field Service (FS)
Senior Appointments (SG, DSG, USG and ASG)

14. Professional Jobs Experience requirements after obtaining your degree:
P-2 = YPP or Language recruitment examination
or 2 years without exam
P-3 = 5 years
P-4 = 7 years
P-5 = 10 years
D-1/D-2 = 15 years

15. Types of Jobs Administrators Aviation Cartography Audit
Conference and Language Staff
Drug Control & Crime Prevention
Demographics
Economic Affairs
Electoral Affairs
Engineering
Information and Communications Technology
Information Management
Library Science

16. Logistics
Procurement
Medical
Programme/Project Management
Security
Humanitarian Affairs
Human Rights
Legal Affairs
Political Affairs
Public Administration
Public Information, Radio & TV
Rule of Law
Social Affairs
Statistics

17. Expectations of UN staff
For expectations of UN Staff, see:
Charter of the United Nations
Staff Rules and Regulations
Charter of the United Nations
Article 100
1. In the performance of their duties, the Secretary-General and the staff shall not seek or receive instructions from any Government or from any other authority external to the Organization. They shall refrain from any action which might reflect on their position as international officials responsible only to the Organization.
2. Each Member of the United Nations undertakes to respect the exclusively international character of the responsibilities of the Secretary-General and the staff and not to seek to influence them in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Article 101
1. The staff shall be appointed by the Secretary-General under regulations established by the General Assembly.
3. The paramount consideration in the employment of the staff and in the determination of the conditions of service shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard shall be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.
Under the Charter of the United Nations, the General Assembly provides Staff Regulations which set out the broad principles of human resources policy for the staffing and administration of the Secretariat and the separately administered funds and programmes. The Secretary-General is required by the Staff Regulations to provide and enforce such Staff Rules, consistent with these principles, as he considers necessary.

18. Values, Competencies, Mobility
Core values:
Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity
Core competencies and managerial competencies
Mobility:
Functional and geographic
Values:
Shared principles and beliefs that underpin the Organization’s work and guide actions and behaviours of staff
Competencies:
Skills, attributes and behaviours directly related to successful job performance

19. Staff selection Positions advertised on http://careers.un.org
Open to external and internal candidates
Exception: entry-level professional positions (YPP)

21. This is the new website where one applies directly to UN Secretariat jobs, whether in Geneva, New York or elsewhere. You will find a lot of additional information on the new website. Each UN organization has its own website. Be careful of fraudulent UN job openings and offers. 21 21

22. YPP: the Process Application Convocation Written Exam Oral Examination
Placement
Assignment, Orientation and Development

23. YPP 2012 Job families: Member States Participating: 79 Architecture
Economic Affairs
Information System and Technology
Political Affairs
Radio Producer (Portuguese + Kiswahili)
Social Affairs
Member States Participating: 79
Member States invited: 111 Member States which as of 1 January 2011 were
un-represented
under-represented
in-danger of falling under-represented (on the lower border limit of the range) 23

24. Application
Important: incomplete and/or late applications will NOT be considered
Acknowledgement: applicants will receive by an acknowledge receipt of their application
Application number: Once convoked to the written exam, candidates will receive an application number. 24 24 24

25. Admission First Screening- Eligibility
Nationality: Must hold the nationality of a participating member state at the time of application
Age: 32 years or younger (Date of birth: On or after 1 January 1979)
Education: First-level university degree acceptable for each job family
Language: Fluency in English or French
Experience: No experience required 25

26. Admission Second Screening
If more than 40 qualified applicants from the same participating Member State in the same job family, a second round of screening will be conducted
Criteria for the second screening:
Language: Fluency in additional official languages of the United Nations
Degree: Additional and/or higher-level degrees acceptable for the job family
Experience: Length of work experience acceptable for the job family 26 26 26

27. Convokees
All candidates will receive notification regarding their admission to the written examination
Applicants may check the listing of application numbers on the United Nations Careers Portal
Members States will be informed on the numbers of convokees by examination centre 27 27 27

28. Written Examination
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Overall time for the written examination: 4.5 hours
Structure:
General paper
Specialized paper
Examinees are fully responsible for any expenses related to their travel to the examination centre 28

29. General Paper Summary and several questions in International Affairs,
To be answered in either English or French;
Eliminatory 29

30. Specialized Paper Essays and short questions in the substantive area
To be answered in any of the UN official languages.
The essay part of this paper is eliminatory

31. The Examination: Oral Part
Competency-based interview and possibly an oral presentation.
UN Secretariat will cover the travel expenses of examinees invited to the oral examination
If asked when: April 2012 tentative 31

32. Core values and competencies
Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity
Core competencies:
Communication, Teamwork, Planning and Organizing, Accountability, Creativity, Client Orientation, Commitment to Continuous Learning, Technological Awareness
Competency is a combinattion of skills, attributes and behaviours that are directly related to successful performance on the job.
Competencies are not specific to any occupation.

33. Competency-based interviews
“Past, demonstrated behavior is the best indicator of future performance”
Questions ask about past professional experiences that can demonstrate that the applicant is competent
Competencies are forward-looking; they describe skills and attributes that staff and managers need to build human capital and meet future challenges
Competencies help organizations clarify expectations and define future development needs
CBI questions ask about past professional experiences that can demonstrate that the applicant is competent
The theory is that if you can demonstrate that you have done it in the past or have learned from the past, chances are that you will be able to do it in the future
When assessing the applicants’ responses, panels will ascertain the depth and complexity of the responses given by applicants
CBI is sometimes referred to as behavioral or situational interviewing 33

34. Successful Candidates Placement
To be placed in positions at the P-1 or P-2 level in any Secretariat duty station or peacekeeping operation.
Whether first assignment is P1 or P2 depends on type of university degree and work experience. Second assignment is P2 34

35. Reserve List
Only those who cannot be placed will be kept on a reserve list, from which future vacancies will be filled.
The reserve list has a lifespan of two years after the conclusion of the examination.
Candidates who refuse one invitation to interview or one official offer of employment will be removed from the reserve list.

36. Assignment, Orientation & Development
Initial assignment: Two years
Second assignment: In a different duty station
Two-week orientation programme prior to first assignment
Dedicated training budget to ensure professional development 36

37. Lessons learned and tips (from participants in the YPP 2011) Written Exam
Time-keeping is extremely important (4.5 hours seems long, but it is a lot of writing. There is a lot to write- you tend to spend too much time with the topic you are familiar with or where you know a lot.)
Practice hand writing ahead of time. Practice time keeping. (Do a full 4.5 hour written exam with all four parts to check how much time you need for each, and to get a feeling for it. this helps to practice handwriting as well.)
Concentrate on the general part and try to do it really well (It is eliminatory!)

38. Lessons learned and tips (from participants in the YPP 2011) Written Exam
Summarizing of texts is tricky (not because of the content but because of the hand writing - normally you use Word and word count on the PC so with handwriting you do not really know how much you have written)
For summary writing, practice summarizing UN documents and time yourself
Read and check the UN/NY website on a daily basis.
Judge the value of each question and distribute your time accordingly.
Answer every question, even if you don’t know or are not sure. (Take an educated guess. If you don’t write anything you automatically get 0 points, but there are no minus points for wrong answers.)

39. Lessons learned and tips (from participants in the YPP 2011) Oral Exam
know the UN Core Competencies as detailed as possible

40. Application Process Evaluation of the application
Assessment exercise
Competency-based interview
Background checks
Selection notification
Search for job openings
Understand the position and location
Create a profile and draft application
Apply to a job opening

41. Personal History Profile (PHP)
Description of Duties
Duties:
What you did in your job
Describe your responsibilities with careful attention to the vacancy for which you are applying
Use
Current job: present tense
Past job(s): past tense
Summary of Achievements
Achievements:
How well did you do in your job
Provide specific examples where you made an impact/contribution in the positions you have held
Description of Duties
Highlight your job responsibilities.
Describe your duties with careful attention to the vacancy for which you are applying.
Use action verbs;
Current job in present tense
All others in past tense.
Summary of Achievements
Provide specific examples where you made an impact in the positions for your employers.
Be specific in describing the impact/ contributions you have made. 41

42. Cover Letter
Describe how your experience, qualifications and competencies match the specific position
You can distinguish yourself from other candidates by highlighting what makes you a good match for the position
Structure
Open with a statement of interest
Summarize your qualifications, experience and competencies relating to the specific positions
Close with a brief recapitulation
Make it impressive and customize it
Preparing the Cover Letter
The cover letter, which you must complete when applying for a job at the United Nations, is the personal introduction that accompanies your application.
Your aim in the cover letter is to describe how your experience, qualifications and competencies match the job for which you are applying. Think of your cover letter as an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other job seekers by highlighting what makes you the best match for the position.
Your cover letter should be brief, three to four paragraphs, and as targeted as possible to the position for which you are applying. Focus on the most relevant parts of your background that relate to the job opening. 42

43. Additional Tips
The UN will first get to know you through your application/PHP
Be truthful, accurate and specific
Make your words count
Prepare application/PHP offline using a word processor application (e.g. MS Word)
Print application/PHP on screen or paper to proofread and review
Save your applications
Be concise.
Make your words count. Your use of language is extremely important; you need to project yourself efficiently. Address the job's needs with clearly written, powerful phrases. Provide small, digestible pieces of information. Use action verbs Avoid passive sentence constructions Avoid clichés
Make the most of your experience.
We need to know what you have accomplished to have an idea of what you can do for us. Don't be vague. Especially in your achievements section, focus on what you've accomplished and achieved, as opposed to what you do on a daily basis. Be honest. There is a difference between making the most of your experience and exaggerating or falsifying it.
Target. Target. Target.
Be specific. If you are going after more than one job opening, customize your application accordingly. The system allows you to update it, so you can tailor your application for a specific position. The same applies to your cover letters – customize them for each application. Customizing the cover letter is the easiest way for you to demonstrate that you have clearly read and understood the job opening. 43

44. The International Working Environment (1)
Realization that challenges are truly global
and interdependent (nexus approach)
Need for engaging all possible actors
Need for predictable/permanent mechanisms
Need for certain principles to be in place for legitimacy.

45. The International Working Environment (2)
UN has a comparative advantage in all
UN role and necessity is less questioned
Increase in operational tasks
The issue is to prove its effectiveness (not vis-à-vis other actors but as regards getting the job done)

46. UN Working Environment: Demand on Results
Results orientation means need for:
more capable organization
better operating structures
better management and
ultimately more capable staff
more accountability – down to the level of the individual

47. How will those changes impact on your work and possible career (1)?
More operational → more stress on delivering
Mobility
Flexibility
Versatility
Integrity
Accountability
At times also dangerous with more operational tasks
(as UN has become a target for terrorists and insurgents)
BUT: also offers more variety – more interesting things to do – a real chance to make a difference – also be part of a unique community.
Frustration (bureucracy + want to do results + judged against ideals/expectations).

48. How will those changes impact on your work and possible career (2)?
At times also dangerous with more operational tasks (as UN has become a target for terrorists and insurgents)
Frustration (bureaucracy + want to do results + judged against ideals/expectations)
BUT: also offers more variety – more interesting things to do – a real chance to make a difference – also be part of a unique community
At times also dangerous with more oprational tasks
(as UN has become a target for terrorists and insurgents)
BUT: also offers more variety – more interesting things to do – a real chance to make a difference – also be part of a unique community.
Frustration (bureucracy + want to do results + judged against ideals/expectations).

49. Thank you for your attention!
careers.un.org