Skip to main navigation Skip to main content
The University of Southampton
Economic, Social and Political Sciences

International Organisations


An "international organisation" may be "inter-governmental", such as the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU), or "non-governmental", such as a charity or campaigning organisation.

There are a wide range of roles within inter-governmental International Organisations including positions for linguists, economists and administrators. Career opportunities are wide ranging in this sector due to the variety of different organisations.

#
Working in IOs

Role:

A career in an International Organisations could involve working with refugees at grassroots level 'in the field' or could involve working on policy for a large global organisation.

Smaller organisations may have a more specific remit so have more specific roles.

Skills Required:

#
EU

Things to Consider:

One advantage of working in an Intergovernmental Organisation such as the United Nations or the European Union is the broad variety of internal networks, some of which are listed below:

United Nations- Job networks

The university is not responsible for external content

An eligible staff member can join one or more networks based on her or his background and career interests:

Another advantage is the opportunity to work in the field, to work in unfamiliar places and broaden your global experiences.

The UN has over 130 field offices, which include peacekeeping and political missions and humanitarian field operations, and they play an essential role in identifying, highlighting, and responding to emerging challenges.

The EU serves 500 million people in 28 member states, so you can expect exceptional scope and scale and the chance to make a real and lasting difference.  Most of the EU Institutions are located in Brussels or Luxembourg, giving you an opportunity to live and work in an international environment.

A career in a non-governmental IO may also offer the opportunity for international travel and the chance to experience unfamiliar cultures and practices.

Careers in the UN

Information on applying:

United Nations

For information on the current vacancies and how to apply for a job follow this link .

European Union

For more information on careers within the European Union and how to apply follow this link

Find out more about the different profiles and staff categories in the EU by browsing their Discover pages.>

Other useful links include their Sample tests and their Current job opportunities <.

Click here to find a list of all EU Institutions and their activities.

Useful Links

The university cannot be held responsible for any external content

EuroBrussels - A list of EU-related jobs in Brussels

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Organization Affairs (IO )-the U.S. Government's primary interlocutor with the United Nations and a host of other international agencies and organizations.

Geneva International - links to different IOs, with more information on what they do and how to get involved.

WTO - World Trade Organisation

IMF - International Monetary Fund

Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)

NGOs are organizations that are not a part of a government and are not conventional for-profit businesses. They include charities and community organisations both on a local and global scale.

WANGO - World Association of Non-Governmental Organisations.

WANGO- jobs

Demography and statistics careers

Career choices for  Demography and Social Statistics graduates

Economics careers

Career choices for Economics graduates

Politics careers

Career choices and support for Politics and International Relations graduates

Sociology careers

Career choices for Sociology, Social Policy, Criminology and Anthropology graduates

Photo of Kenny McCarthy
From working in the third sector to playing regular football for the Social Sciences team, the skills I have developed at Southampton will prove invaluable in any future job.

Study abroad and exchanges

Current students: Take part in exchanges with partner institutions outside the UK. Overseas students: Study Social Sciences in the UK via our bespoke 'Studyabroad@Southampton' pathways.

Find out more
Privacy Settings