Editorial
Career guides & UN agency deep-dives
Plain-English explainers for navigating UN job titles, contract types, agencies, and application strategy — written for people actually applying, not for agency comms teams.
Working at WFP: staff grades and short-term contract types
WFP publishes a detailed contract framework covering international and national staff, consultants, service contracts and several short-term field arrangements.
Working at UNDP: staff appointments, NPSA and IPSA roles
UNDP hires staff and service-based personnel through different modalities. NPSA and IPSA holders are personnel, but they are not UNDP staff members.
Working at UNICEF: job categories, appointments and consultancies
UNICEF recruits international professionals, national officers and local support staff, and also uses time-bound non-staff arrangements.
Working at IOM: contracts, grades and recruitment routes
IOM uses its own staff contract framework alongside internationally and locally recruited grades. Vacancy notices show the terms that apply to each role.
UN fellowships: how to find the right programme and read its terms
UN fellowships are separate training programmes with their own eligibility, nomination and funding rules. They are not a universal employment category.
The UN Junior Professional Officer programme: eligibility and applications
The JPO programme is a donor-funded route into early-career Professional posts, with eligibility set jointly by donors and host organizations.
Continuing and permanent appointments in the UN system
Continuing appointments are open-ended staff appointments. Permanent appointments survive mainly as a legacy category under transitional rules.
Fixed-term and temporary UN appointments: what changes in practice
Temporary and fixed-term UN appointments can carry the same grade while offering different duration, leave and benefit conditions.
Understanding UN contract types: staff appointments and other engagements
A practical guide to the labels used across UN vacancies, from staff appointments to consultancies, volunteer assignments, internships and fellowships.
Humanitarian, climate and global health careers: choose the real employer
A route map for careers at ICRC, IFRC, climate funds and global health partnerships, with staff, consultant and partner roles separated.
Regional, treaty and security organizations careers: find the right employment system
A route map for careers at the EU, NATO, OSCE, AU, OECD, Council of Europe, OAS, ASEAN, WTO, OPCW and international courts.
International financial institutions careers: choose the right contract and grade system
A route map for comparing careers at multilateral development banks, the IMF, BIS, CAF and the Council of Europe Development Bank.