Field notes
How the international system actually hires — written for the candidate who is willing to do the work but has nobody inside to ask. No paywalls, no fluff.
How the UN system actually hires: staff categories and grades, contract types, where vacancies are posted, the real selection pipeline, rosters, languages and a realistic strategy for your first post.
The system · 18 min
How UN pay actually works: the ICSC base salary scale for Professional (P) and Director (D) grades, within-grade steps, dependency vs single rates, the post adjustment multiplier, and how to read the scale to estimate net take-home for any grade and duty station.
The system · 14 min
The UN competency framework explained, the STAR method with two fully worked answers, how panels score against behavioural indicators, and how to build an evidence bank before interview day.
Interviews · 12 min
Why the PHP (the old P11) matters more than your CV in UN screening, a section-by-section walkthrough, how screeners read it, the common disqualifiers, and how to keep a master profile.
Applications · 10 min
CV norms outside the UN system — length, impact bullets, tailoring by organization type, motivation letters, EPSO-style competitions, applicant tracking systems and how a portfolio link sets you apart.
Applications · 10 min
Every realistic entry door into international organizations — internships, UN Volunteers, the JPO programme, the YPP exam, consultancies and the NGO-first route — with a 24-month plan.
Early career · 12 min
Why hiring panels respond to seeing a person, what to say in 90 seconds, how to record it well with the equipment you already own, what to avoid, and where to share the link.
Stand out · 8 min
How EPSO open competitions work end to end — AD/AST/specialist tracks, eligibility, computer-based tests, the assessment centre, the reserve list, the faster CAST contract-agent route, and a realistic timeline for the European Commission, Council, Parliament and EU agencies.
The system · 13 min
How the World Bank Group and the regional multilateral development banks — ADB, AfDB, EBRD, IDB — actually recruit: regular staff vacancies, the Young Professionals Programs, short-term and extended-term consultant contracts, the panel interview, and a realistic timeline.
The system · 13 min
How international NGOs — the Red Cross Movement, MSF, Save the Children, Oxfam, NRC and CARE among them — actually recruit: the HQ/support vs field tracks, rosters and standby partners, safeguarding checks, eligibility, and a realistic timeline.
The system · 12 min
How the ICSC classifies UN duty stations from A to E, what family vs non-family designation actually changes about an assignment, how rest and recuperation (R&R) cycles work, and how hardship allowance stacks with post adjustment.
The system · 11 min
What a UN or IO consultancy actually is versus a staff post — ICA, SSA, PSA and LICA contract types, pay and tax, how terms of reference are advertised and selected, the repeat-hire pattern, and how to win your first one.
The system · 12 min
Language requirements across the UN system, EU institutions, development banks and INGOs — English and French as working languages, EPSO's Language 1/Language 2 rule, how fluency is actually verified in interviews and tests, and a realistic strategy if you don't have a second language yet.
The system · 11 min
What actually happens between a closed UN or IO vacancy and a signed offer — screening, written test, panel interview, references and clearance — roughly how long each stage takes, why the process moves this slowly, and why a process can be cancelled at any stage.
The system · 10 min
Why there is no single UN portal, how Inspira works for the Secretariat versus the Workday-style and bespoke systems the rest of the system runs, applying to a vacancy vs joining a roster, and the technical mistakes — session timeouts, upload formats, missed deadlines — that actually cost candidates.
Applications · 10 min
The vacancies are on the board, and your page takes minutes to start.