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Are you thinking about applying to a United Nations internship this summer? A UN internship can be a great way to gain valuable internationally-focused experience, as well as build your resume and your professional network.

In recent years, our students have held summer internships in a variety of UN agencies and offices around the world. Here are a few examples:

• UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Pretoria, South Africa
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Matautu-Uta, Apia, Samoa
• United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY
• International Organization for Migration (IOM), Bangkok, Thailand
• UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Forestry Secretariat, New York, NY
• UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), Rio, Brazil
• UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), India
• UN Office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), UN Headquarters, New York, NY

… and more! This is in addition to the many opportunities our International Professional Service Semester students have had to serve in UN agency offices.

Read on for helpful tips and tricks for a successful UN internship application!

Where Should I Go?
If you aren’t sure where to begin, start with this helpful map, which shows the locations of all of the UN agency headquarters around the world and directly links to their websites.

Due to a system-wide policy, most UN agencies are unable to pay their interns. The exceptions to this rule include the World Trade Organization (WTO) and International Labor Organization (ILO). When choosing where to apply, you may want to consider places where friends or family could host you for the summer, or where the cost of living is relatively inexpensive.

Other considerations include whether to choose a headquarters office or a field office.  There are several criteria to consider:

Headquarters Pros and Cons:

• More opportunities to network
• Potential for language training
• More opportunity to attend major meetings and conferences
• Can be more administrative, less hands-on, bureaucratic

Field Office Pros and Cons:

• More opportunities for hands-on work
• Close relationships with small staff
• Not as many opportunities for networking with higher levels

It is possible to do both! You could:

• Do one internship now and one later in your program
• Apply to do IPSS or DPMI+, if applicable to your program
• Negotiate a field experience during your headquarters internship (note that this is rare!)

Language Requirements:
You must speak fluent English and/or French, the two working languages of the Secretariat, to apply for internships at UN Headquarters (fluency in both languages will increase your chances).

For other UN agencies, language requirements may vary. For the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), for example, written and spoken proficiency in at least one, and preferably two of the three working languages used by UNDP are required, including English, French and Spanish. Fluency in Arabic, Portuguese, Russian or an Eastern European language is an asset.

Translation:
Translation internships are also offered by UN agencies each summer, primarily the Secretariat (NY Headquarters), the Palais (UN Office at Geneva), and agency headquarters offices (rather than field offices). Interpretation internships are not available. In lieu of a writing sample, applicants should submit an A-B translation and a B-A translation (1-2 pages max!)

The Application Process
If you are interested in applying for an internship at the UN Headquarters in New York, note that the deadline is January 29th, 2010. We recommend that you apply early, which will ensure that your application is reviewed before the rush in January, and before many offices shut down for the holidays in December.

Most UN agency headquarters offices now maintain online application systems. Many field offices, however, still accept emailed applications. To use the UNDP as an example, once again, their internships are completely decentralized among the country offices. You will need to hunt for an email address on the individual country office’s website.

If you are unable to find internship application guidelines for a UN office on the web, include the following:

• Personal History Profile (PHP)
• Resume
• Cover letter
• Writing sample (3-5 pages)

Health and Life Insurance:
Many UN internship applications absolutely require you to include health and life insurance policy information on your application- in fact, some state that they will not process your information without it!

Include your health insurance policy number on your application (make sure that you will have overseas coverage on that policy during the summer!)

Life insurance is required by many UN agencies because the UN cannot pay for emergency evacuations, etc. Finding life insurance may take a bit of research.  Investigate your options; note that many credit card companies offer life insurance for cardholders. If at all possible, include the policy number on your application. If this is absolutely not possible, put “policy pending with X company, to be in place effective Y date.” Make sure the policy is cancelable within one year.

A Few Final Tips

• Keep records of your application process- you may need to resend materials several times!
• Consider locations where you can live cheaply (e.g. where friends/family live)
• Use a spreadsheet to keep track of your internship applications
• Since most agencies have moved to online application systems, this may not be necessary, but if you run into the need for forms to be stamped and signed by the school, your Career and Academic Advisor can coordinate this for you.

If you have questions about internships at the UN, please make arrangements to meet with your career and academic advisor.