Applications are now invited for the United Nations Young Professionals Programme 2023/2024 to launch your career at the United Nations.
The UN Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a recruitment initiative for talented, highly qualified professionals to start a career as an international civil servant with the UN Secretariat. It consists of an entrance examination process and professional development once those successful start their career with the UN.
Read also: United Nations Young Professionals Programme 2023
What is the UN Young Professionals Programme?
The UN Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a recruitment initiative for talented, highly qualified professionals to start a career as an international civil servant with the UN Secretariat.
It consists of an entrance examination process and professional development once those successful start their career with the UN.
The YPP examination is held once a year in different subject areas, depending on the needs of the UN.
YPP is open to nationals of participating countries. The list of participating countries varies from year to year.
The application period typically opens in June each year. Those interested can apply via Inspira.
Who Can Apply United Nations Young Professionals Programme 2023?
What is the Eligibility Criteria?
- Nationality: be a national of a participating country
- Education: hold at least a first-level university degree relevant for the exam(at least a relevant Bachelor’s degree or a 3-year equivalent degree)
- Age: be 32 years old or younger in the year of the examination
- Language: be fluent in either English or French
Participating Countries
Each year, countries that are un- or under-represented in the United Nations, are invited to take part in YPP.
Participation of staff of the United Nations
This examination is also held for staff members of the United Nations Secretariat who work within the General Service and other related categories and aspire to a career within the Professional and higher categories. There is more information available for interested
staff members.
Related: Commonwealth Secretariat Young Professionals Programme 2023 (£29,070 per annum)
How to Apply United Nations Young Professionals Programme 2023
Application Process
1. Confirm Your Eligibility
Carefully review basic application criteria on the YPP Home page.
2. Review The Job Opening
The YPP application period typically opens each June.
The job openings, specific to each exam area, will be found through Inspira or the UN Careers Portal.
Read carefully to determine if you meet the requirements.
3. Prepare An Application
Watch the YPP Application Guide Video prior to applying!
A general UN “Applicant Guide” is available in Inspira by logging in and clicking on the “Manuals” link on the top of the page.
4. Application Evaluation
Applications will be screened to determine if they meet the basic eligibility requirements (i.e., nationality, age, education, language).
If more than 40 applicants from the same country are eligible for an exam area, those applicants will be screened and ranked based on highest level of education completed, knowledge of official UN languages, and relevant work experience.
If the exam occurs in two stages, then 60 applicants per country/per exam area may be invited to the first exam stage, with a maximum of 40 per country/per exam area proceeding to the second stage.
All applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application.
Important Practical Information
Accuracy and Completeness
- Be sure to follow the steps to review the job opening and prepare the application, as many potential applicants do not pass the screening stage due to incomplete or inaccurate applications.
- Respond to the screening questions carefully.
They are intended to verify eligibility and help to automatically screen applications. - Applicants should enter their nationality for YPP consideration in the field marked
“Country of Nationality“. - “Nationality at Birth” and “Other Nationalities” are not considered for YPP eligibility.
Remember to attach a government-issued photo ID with nationality listed!
Select the Main Course of Study and Field of Study options from the pull-down menu that best reflect your education.
- If you do not find the exact degree title listed in the menu options, explain any difference under
“Additional Comments”. - Avoid selecting “Other” in these two fields.
- The “Specialization” field will not be considered in the screening process.
Remember to attach documentation of degrees obtained!
- While work experience is not an eligibility requirement for YPP, depending on the volume of applicants from each country,
relevant work experience may be used to rank candidates.
- Please be precise and succinct about your work experience. See example here.
Candidates must be fluent in all four areas (speak, read, write, understand) in English or French.
- Indicating anything less than “Fluent” in any of those areas is disqualifying.
YPP Estimated Timeline
Please note that this timeline is for reference only, as it varies a bit from year to year.
The below provides an overview of the steps and general timeframe of the YPP exams from start to finish.
| 1. Application Period June – JulyReview the job opening and requirementsCreate and submit your application on inspira.un.org4. Interviews & Results April – JuneCandidates notified of results of written examinationInterviews conducted Notification of overall results | 2. Applications Screened August – OctoberApplications evaluated based on eligibility criteriaCandidates notified of eligibility and convoked to the examination3. Assessment Process November – MarchExaminations administered onlineExaminations markedVerification of exam results |
Application Deadline: June 29, 2023
