Open only to members of UNA Youth and the Young Professionals Network, this event gave participants the chance to hear from leading experts in the UN, NGO and recruitment sectors, get ‘insider’ tips and insights, and ask them questions on how to land that dream job.
Members dreaming of being the next UN Secretary-General or working in the field, heard about the following:
- Careers in the UN – John Ericson, Chief of Outreach Unit, United Nations Office of Human Resources Management
- Writing a good application and how to interview well – Fatima Islam, HR manager with extensive experience in the voluntary sector
- How to sell yourself and get others selling you – David Lale, CEO of Charity People
- How to decide your career path and where to look for the right jobs – Gemma Ludgate and Kevin Cusack, Careers advisors from Regent's College with specialisms in international development, humanities, arts and social sciences
The event was chaired by Phil Mulligan, UNA-UK Executive Director, who also shared his experience of working for a number of leading NGOs and recruiting staff and interns into third sector organisations.
Jo Robinson, UNA-UK’s communications intern, interviewed one of the participants to find out what she thought of the event:
Sangita Thebe Limbu is originally from Nepal and currently in the second year of her international development degree at Middlesex University. She is particularly interested in North-South trade relations and economic development. At present, she is interning with UNA-UK.
What did you particularly like about the way the event was put together?
It was great to have so many advisors from high-profile organisations at the event and fantastic to hear from people with hands-on experience. I also thought the event was an excellent opportunity to network with people from different backgrounds and exchange experiences with students who are at a similar stage in their career development to me.
What was the single best tip you were given on the night?
To make sure you have experience as well as good academic results. As a student, you often think that getting the best degree is the most important thing but the experts at the event made it clear that relevant experience is just as necessary. It’s important to strike a balance between your studies and real, practical experience.
I also found the CV workshop really useful – the speakers gave us pragmatic advice about CVs rather than the usual array of tips.
How did this event differ from other careers advice initiatives? For example, did you learn something you hadn’t heard before?
One thing I found very useful was the emphasis the speakers placed on being specific. They advised us not just to think about which field we want to work in, but the specific areas and roles within that field. This really got me thinking about what I should specialise in and what I want to be doing on a day-to-day basis – I’m certainly going to focus on working towards those areas.
I also found out about UN Online Volunteering – where you can help out with projects from home, but with the added benefit of being able to contribute to the work of NGOs all over the world.
Did the event change your mind or influence you in terms of what sort of jobs you might want to apply for/aspire to do?
The event cemented my aspirations to work in international development in the future.
So, now that you have had all this information, what will your next step be?
Before the event, I had been toying with the idea of getting a technical computing qualification alongside my degree. Now, having been to the event, I am certain that I will do this. The speakers emphasised the importance of having a set of all-round practical skills as well as theoretical knowledge, and I see technical qualifications as a great way to boost my CV.
And finally, UNA-UK is planning to hold more careers events in the future. What is the one tip that you would give them?
The event on 10 November provided me with great practical tips and good general advice about getting into the international development field. It would be brilliant if next time UNA-UK invited speakers working in a policy role in one of these organisations so that they can give participants a glimpse of what it feels to work in international development and what it’s really like to do such a job every day. Hearing from someone like that would really help students like me decide whether this is the right career path.
