UN Career Tips

The Ultimate Guideline on How to Explore UN Volunteer Opportunities this 2024

UN Careers Admin 4 weeks ago

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The Ultimate Guideline on How to Explore UN Volunteer Opportunities this 2024

Position: Multiple Positions
Organization: United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
Location: Various
Target Audience: Professionals / All Nationalities
Deadline: Varying

Volunteer abroad and online

The first step to volunteering abroad with the UN Volunteers programme is to determine whether you meet the minimum requirements and this is explained in detail below. You may apply for assignments that are in high demand or even in highly specialized areas. Have you considered dedicating your skills and expertise virtually to advance global peace, development and humanitarian efforts. Through the Online Volunteering service of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, you can connect with UN entities, governments, public institutions and civil society organizations. Find out how to become an Online Volunteer and help tackle today’s sustainable development challenges – from any device, anywhere in the world.

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About UN Volunteers

As an international UN volunteer, you will learn about different cultures and languages, expand your networks and gain unmatched professional and life experiences. Volunteering abroad is an unbeatable opportunity to serve as a global citizen. International UN Volunteers promote peace and development in communities around the globe, while upholding the ideals and aspirations of the United Nations.

International UN Volunteers come from 160 countries, representing diverse cultures and countries. They bring a wide variety of perspectives and approaches, which lend a dynamism to the volunteering assignment. Your international UN Volunteer assignment will enable you to make a lasting impact. It can create a ripple effect that extends far beyond the immediate results of your efforts both for the people you serve and yourself.

Why volunteer abroad?

As an international UN Volunteer, you will learn about different cultures and languages, expand your networks and gain unmatched professional and life experiences. Working in another country gives you the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, to learn new approaches to tasks and problems and to operate in different environments.
You will enter the singular domain of global citizenship. Facing challenges together with community members and fellow United Nations workers often creates lasting bonds.
After volunteering abroad, you can be sure that your curriculum vitae will stand out. Employers appreciate the ability to adapt, to think outside the box, volunteer and to embrace diversity. The enriching professional and life experiences you have gained through volunteering will not go unnoticed.

ALSO READ: Volunteering Opportunity: UNV Supply and Logistics Assistant Vacancy at UNICEF (September 2024)

Volunteering abroad is an unparalleled opportunity to do something meaningful and to support peace and development initiatives in countries that need them most. By giving back, you will gain an incredible sense of fulfilment, and will reap the dividends for the rest of your life.
International UN Volunteers support local volunteer initiatives, strengthen community capacities, foster ownership and sustainability of development activities and contribute toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
You will engage actively with United Nations development and peacekeeping partners and within communities, responding to development priorities and needs in countries facing poverty and socio-economic challenges, humanitarian crises, conflict and post-conflict situations or experiencing fragile peace. Through your expertise, you will enable the effective delivery of programmes and mandates of our partner United Nations entities.
UN Volunteer assignments are advertised on our Unified Volunteering Platform (link below). In order to apply for assignments, candidates need to register in our Global Talent Pool.
In order to create an account on UNV’s Unified Volunteering Platform (UVP), you must be at least 18 years old. Creating a full profile should take about 45 minutes. You can access your account at any time to add information and keep your profile up to date.

Requirements

The minimum age to serve as an international UN Volunteer is 18 years old, however, there are specific requirements for various categories: UN Youth Volunteers, including University Volunteers, must be aged 18-26, UN Volunteer specialists must be at least 27 years old, and UN Expert Volunteers must be 35 years of age and above.
There may also be requirements of relevant professional and academic experience, as well as language proficiency. Refer to the Description of Assignment for the UN Volunteer assignment for which you are applying for details.
All UN Volunteers must display a commitment to the values and principles of volunteerism and the mandated activities of the United Nations and the UN Charter, and an ability to work in a multicultural environment and with local partners and communities.
They should be prepared to adjust to difficult living conditions in sometimes remote locations.
UN Volunteers should be professional, with strong interpersonal and organizational skills.

Duration of Assignments

International UN Volunteer assignments may generally run from three to 12 months, with the possibility of extending contracts up to a maximum period of four years. UN Youth Volunteers may serve from six months to two years, and UN University Volunteers from three to six months. See more below.
International UN volunteers are entitled to certain allowances to support their assignment. Allowances are in no way to be understood as a compensation, reward, or salary in exchange for the volunteer work. The purpose of allowances is to enable UN volunteers to sustain a secure standard of living during their assignments.

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Register now in our Global Talent Pool

The registration process follows a few simple steps, all of which must be completed before you can apply for onsite or online volunteering assignments.

Enter basic information to create an account on UNV’s Unified Volunteering Platform. You will receive an automated message with a numeric verification code. Copy the code into the respective field to finish creating your account.
In your new account, you will see a task on your dashboard requiring you to complete your profile. Click on the task and enter full information regarding your skills, educational qualifications and experience.
After completing all the required fields, click on the button to submit.
You can now browse available Descriptions of Assignment and apply to those matching your qualifications, skills and experience.

A few points to note:

You can create your profile in English, French or Spanish. However, be aware that profiles in French or Spanish will be considered primarily for assignments in French- or Spanish-speaking countries. If you are fluent in English, we recommend that you complete your profile in English.
Bear in mind that the details provided in your profile are the only source of information for UNV when matching candidates with Descriptions of Assignment. It is, therefore, in your best interest to provide comprehensive information. This includes describing the main tasks and responsibilities you had in past professional experience in a clear manner and making full use of the space available.
When applying for volunteer assignments, you will be asked to complete a short application form. While you can copy past applications when applying again, we recommend that you tailor each application to the specific volunteer assignment. The applications of shortlisted candidates will be shared with the host entity, together with your UNV profile.
You will be alerted if mandatory fields are missing, as only complete profiles can be submitted.
You may copy and paste information from your electronic CV, but you can neither upload your CV nor submit it by email.
You can update your UNV profile at any time by logging in to the Unified Volunteering Platform. You should access your profile at least once per year to keep it active.