On the afternoon of June 5, 2023, Professor Huang Jiefang from Wuhan University Institute of International Law brought a fascinating international organization work experience sharing to international students, to help those who are interested in working in the United Nations system to better understand the job composition of international organizations and the ways of obtaining job opportunities, so as to better prepare themselves for entering the UN. More than 30 students, both online and offline, participated in this lecture. Professor Li Xueping from Wuhan University Institute of International Law joined the seminar online as she was travelling on business.
At the beginning, Professor Huang Jiefang introduced the students with the UN salary, which greatly ignited their interest, saying that the UN salary is certainly generous, but it is not the purpose of working for the UN. The purpose of the UN is peace and development, and hoping everyone can keep the original intention of serving the people of the world. In the context of the UN's main bodies and the system of specialized agencies, Professor Huang elaborated on the main jobs in the UN system. Taking the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals as an insertion point, he pointed out that the balance between the neutrality requirement of UN staff and their inherent nationality lies in the fact that international organizations and countries share the same objectives and do not have conflicting core interests such as equality, peace, human rights and development. In addition, Professor Huang provides a comprehensive explanation of the composition of the main jobs in international organizations in relation to the classification of international staff, including FS (Field Stuff), G (General service), P (Professional), D (Director), ASG(Assistant Secretary-General) and USG(Under-Secretary-General), of which the P-level staff, as the backbone of the organization with expert knowledge, should be the main target for young people applying to work at the UN.
In the second part of the session, Professor Huang Jiefang introduced the practical aspects of obtaining a UN job opportunity through the UN Careers website. He introduced to the students how to clarify the requirements of a UN open job opportunity, how to choose the right position for themselves, and how to seize these hard-won opportunities. Using an ICAO open call for a temporary position at the P-level in Legal Affairs as an example, the professor explained the requirements for the position and the qualities that applicants should possess, and showed that it is not advisable to apply blindly, and that the best way to get a job is to have a good match between the requirements of the position and your abilities. As a young student, if you want to get a chance to work in the UN system, you have to try to participate more fully in UN activities, whether it is a volunteer programme, Young Professionals Programme (YPP), UN forums, conferences, seminars, etc. Combining personal experience and many other relevant ones, Professor Huang emphasized that you have to start now and do small things to make sure you are always prepared and ready. He stressed the importance of making sure that you do not give up on any small opportunities in order to have a better chance of becoming a UN staff member.
In the Q&A session, more than 10 students asked questions about the interview process and requirements, age restrictions, language requirements, access to public information, access to higher level positions, ways to express different positions and opinions during the work process, etc. Professor Huang Jiefang answered each of these questions and provided further insight and guidance. The two-hour long sharing session came to a successful conclusion with a round of applause, with Professor Huang's comprehensive and humorous presentation and the students' enthusiastic participation being the indispensable factors in making this sharing session so beneficial.
