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SUCCEED IN YOUR CAREER JOURNEY

Launch Your UN Career with Expert Guidance

UN Career Guidance Centre (UNCG) empowers global professionals to access, prepare for, and succeed in UN careers.
UN career guidance

CLARITY. CONFIDENCE. CAREER.

UN Career Guidance Centre

The UN Career Guidance Centre (UNCGC) is dedicated to providing globally accessible and affordable distance-learning guidance on UN careers to individuals—both men and women—aspiring to work with the United Nations. Our guidance is tailored for professionals from any field.

The self-paced and easy-to-understand format of our guidance enables learners to pursue their dream careers at their convenience. Our curriculum supports various stages of the recruitment process including application preparation, written tests, interviews, and follow-up procedures. The comprehensive online materials provided are designed to replace the need for classroom learning, while significantly deepening the candidate’s insight into the UN system.

DEDICATED GUIDANCE

Why Choose UNCGC?

  • The UNCGC is one of the few organizations in the world offering dedicated guidance for UN careers. A very small percentage of qualified professionals are aware of the tremendous career opportunities within the UN and other global agencies. Even fewer understand the unique selection procedures and job requirements involved.
  • The United Nations employs over 40,000 civilian staff worldwide. UN staff enjoy exceptional benefits such as diplomatic privileges, international recognition, and one of the most competitive salary structures globally. The UN consistently seeks professionals from diverse fields but faces a shortage of qualified women applicants.
  • At UNCGC, our mission is to help fill this gap. If you are an expert in your field, possess the required qualifications, and have relevant work experience, then you are a potential candidate for a rewarding career with the United Nations.

Our Message

Have a goal. Unless you try, nothing can be achieved. This is your opportunity to be part of one of the world’s most prestigious and impactful institutions. The United Nations need dedicated professionals like you—people who believe in contributing towards the planet and humanity. With guidance and preparation, your dream UN career is within reach.

CAREERS

UN Careers

The work of the United Nations and many International NGOs touch most the globe and focus on a broad range of fundamental issues, like sustainable development, protection of the environment and refugees, disaster relief and mitigation, counter terrorism, as well as disarmament, non-proliferation, legal affairs, human rights etc. The issues on UN agenda are manifold and diverse as are the careers UN offer.

Among UN ranks you will find staff members who monitor elections, disarm child soldiers, coordinate relief in humanitarian crisis and provide administrative as well as logistical support to carry out complex mandates.

The 40,000 civilian staff members of the United Nations serve at different locations around the world. You will find your job with UN very inspiring because you can learn something new every day and is highly rewarding. Many people miss out on opportunities because of safety concerns and fear of moving, but the great opportunity to travel around the world, explore different cultures while working for the common good should not be missed. 

The United Nations provides a wide range of opportunities for professionals from various backgrounds to contribute across multiple fields and global programs. Below is a list of indicative (but not exhaustive) areas where UN careers are available:

  • Engineers from most disciplines
  • Doctors and Paramedics
  • Accountants, Auditors, and Financial Experts
  • IT Professionals
  • Lawyers with various specializations
  • Police Officers and Criminology Experts
  • Administrators
  • Environmental Experts
  • Developmental Experts
  • Conference/Event Management Professionals
  • Safety and Security Experts
  • Aviation Experts
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Managers
  • Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding Experts
  • Personal Secretaries and PAs
  • Human Rights Professionals
  • Disaster Management Experts
  • All types of Lower-Level Professionals and Tradesmen

UN global workforce is made up of 33% women and 67% men. The United Nations strongly encourages women to apply for available positions. The present percentage of women in different departments is nowhere near the target figures of UN. Hence the chances of qualified and competent women to get UN jobs are higher than men. In fact, a rapidly growing UN organization called "UN women" look for qualified women candidates.

Major UN Organizations
If you have qualifications and experience in any of these fields, you may be eligible to work with these UN agencies:
UNDP UN Development Program
UNFPA UN Population Fund
UNOPS Project Services Office
UNHCR High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF Children’s Fund
ITC International Trade Centre
UNESCO Education & Culture
WHO Health Organization
ILO Labour Organization
FAO Food & Agriculture
ICAO Civil Aviation Organization
WFP World Food Program
IMO Maritime Organization
UPU Postal Union
WMO Meteorological Organization
IFAD Agricultural Development Fund
WIPO Intellectual Property Org
IAEA Atomic Energy Agency
UNIDO Industrial Development Org
ICC Criminal Court
ICJ Court of Justice
ITLOS Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
UNAIDS HIV/AIDS Program

These exciting opportunities and tangible career support services are naturally extended across all the Organization’s established job networks:

  • Political, Peace and Security
  • Management and Operations Support
  • Economic and Social Development
  • Information Systems and Communication Technology
  • Legal
  • Public Information and External Relations
  • Conference Management
  • Safety and Security

The United Nations workforce is made up of different categories of staff. Within each category there are different levels, which reflect increasing levels of responsibilities and requirements. This will be useful when you start searching and applying for jobs. At the United Nations you progress in a category through merit and qualifications. There are, however, restrictions on movement between the different categories.

These are the different categories of staff at the United Nations:

Professional (P & D)
Requires advanced degrees and relevant experience.
General Service (G)
Local staff roles supporting operations.
National Professional Officer (NO)
For nationals working in their own country.
Field Service (FS)
For peacekeeping and field-based operations.
Internships & Consultancies
Entry-point roles and project-based positions.

BENEFITS

Pay And Benefits In The UN

UN Salary & Benefits Overview

The United Nations offers an attractive remuneration package with competitive pay and a wide range of benefits.

Global Salary Scale:

Salaries are paid based on a standardized international pay scale, with adjustments made for the cost of living at each duty station.

Dependants Considered:

Benefits and allowances are adjusted to support family members and dependants.

Tax-Free:

UN salaries, grants, and allowances are normally exempt from national income tax.

Sample Monthly Salary Levels
(Gross, Tax-Free)

Level USD (Annual) INR (Per Month)
D2 USD 164,082 INR 14.27 Lakhs PM
D1 USD 145,961 INR 12.69 Lakhs PM
P5 USD 125,690 INR 10.93 Lakhs PM
P4 USD 103,830 INR 9.03 Lakhs PM
P3 USD 85,897 INR 7.47 Lakhs PM
P2 USD 67,370 INR 5.86 Lakhs PM

NOTE

UN salaries are tax-free. Additional benefits may include:

  • House Rent Reimbursement
  • 50% Medical Expenses Reimbursement
  • Children’s Education Allowance
  • Repatriation Allowances
  • Annual Leave & Family Leave Benefits

Other UN Benefits

As a United Nations staff member, you may also be entitled to the following allowances and support, depending on your duty station and situation:

  • Rental Subsidy: Provided if your rent is too high relative to your total remuneration at a new duty station.
  • Dependency Allowances: For eligible dependent spouse and/or children.
  • Education Grant: Under certain conditions, for eligible children enrolled in school.
  • Travel & Shipping Expenses: Covered when relocating between duty stations.
  • Assignment Grant: To help with initial extraordinary costs when moving to a new duty station.
  • Hardship Allowance: Paid at locations with difficult living/working conditions.
  • Non-Family Hardship Allowance: For duty stations with restrictions on bringing family.
  • Hazard Pay & Rest/Recuperation: Available for service in particularly hazardous or high-stress duty stations.

Holidays & Leave

  • Vacation Time: Depending on your contract type, you may receive between 18 to 30 days of paid vacation per year.
  • Paid Holidays: The UN observes around 10 paid public holidays annually, varying by duty station.
  • Home Leave Travel: May be granted to help maintain cultural, social, and family ties — eligibility and frequency depend on location.

Health Insurance

  • Medical Coverage: You will be eligible to participate in one of the United Nations-sponsored health insurance plans.
  • Premiums: Monthly premiums are shared between the Organization and the staff member.

Retirement Pension

  • UN Joint Staff Pension Fund: If your appointment is for six months or more — or if you complete six months of continuous service — you will be enrolled automatically.
  • Monthly Contribution: A mandatory deduction is made from your monthly salary to contribute toward the pension fund.

Note: Specific eligibility and amounts vary by contract type, grade level, and duty station. Always refer to the HR policy at your assigned location.

COACHING PACKAGES & SESSIONS

Find the Right Support for Your Career Goals

Your Mentor
Brigadier George (Retd.)

Brigadier George is an United Nations Consultant and Trainer who is an expert trainer / mentor.  Expert in motivating, goal setting, career guidance and soft skill development in youth and professionals.

Click here for complete Resume

FAQS

Frequently Asked Questions

What education do I need?
Normally, it is required that you have an advanced university degree for the professional and director level positions. It is, however, frequently accepted that if you have a first-level university degree, combined with qualifying work experience, you meet the educational requirements. Positions in certain job families, including military, civilian police, medical, conference services may have different standards for the minimum educational requirements, which are accordingly reflected in their respective job openings. Positions from job families that require specialized studies, e.g. Medical Doctors, require an advanced university degree, which cannot be substituted by a combination of a first-level university degree and experience. Positions in some other areas, mainly language positions, might require only a first-level university degree for the minimum educational requirements.

Your work experience should be relevant to the job for which you are applying; each job may also have specific requirements, which are specified in the opening. For mid-career and senior level positions, progressively responsible work experience is required. As you acquire more relevant work experience you can progressively apply for higher positions.

🔹 Entry-Level Professionals

  • P-2: Minimum 2 years of work experience
    (No experience required if applying through the Young Professionals Programme)

  • P-3: Minimum 5 years of work experience

🔹 Mid-Level Professionals

  • P-4: Minimum 7 years of work experience

  • P-5: Minimum 10 years of work experience

🔹 Senior-Level Professionals

  • P-6 / D-1: Minimum 15 years of work experience

  • P-7 / D-2: More than 15 years of work experience

If you recently graduated from university and you have limited or no work experience, you may qualify to take the young professionals programme recruitment examination(YPP).

There are six official languages at the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Two of these, English and French, are the working languages. To work for the United Nations you need to have excellent command of either English or French. Knowledge of an additional language is an asset but is not required for most jobs.

If there are additional language requirements, as may be the case for some language positions, they are specified in the respective job openings.

There is a wide range of jobs in the eight job networks: management and operations support; economic and social development; political, peace and security; information systems and communication technology; legal; public information and external relations; conference management; and safety and security. You can learn more about the different jobs in the section on job networks.

Work in the Professional category generally demands a high degree of analytical and communication skills, substantive expertise and/or managerial leadership ability.
Typically, these positions require judgment in analyzing and evaluating problems as well as in decision-making involving discretionary choices between alternative courses of action. They also require the understanding of an organized body of theoretical knowledge at a level equivalent to that represented by a university degree. While this knowledge is customarily and characteristically acquired through formal education, it may, in some fields of learning or specialized disciplines, be acquired through other training, self-study, or practical experience.

Directors (D-1 and D-2 levels) represent the highest level on the career staffing structure of the Organization. As a Director you manage a programme of the Organization. You are also expected to provide leadership in formulating and implementing the substantive work programme of an office, determine priorities, and allocate resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery. Senior professionals hired for positions at the P-6 and P-7 level typically work as senior advisers or experts, bringing several years of analytical and research experience to the United Nations.

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