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.
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:
- A passion for working towards a common set of goals including global justice, cooperation and peace.
- Adaptability to different settings
- Ability to work effectively in a multi-national and multi-cultural setting,
- Be able to cope with unpredictability and set-backs which may arise from working in a difficult and complex setting or from working in areas of conflict, and sometimes to endure difficulties.
- For work in inter-governmental IOs especially an interest in and knowledge of international relations and global politics (and in some cases economics) will be beneficial.
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
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An eligible staff member can join one or more networks based on her or his background and career interests:
- Economic and Social Development
- Management and Operations Support
- Information Systems and Communication Technology
- Legal
- Public Information and External Relations
- Conference Management
- Safety and Security
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.
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.
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