Originally shared via email. For early access to UN job search success tips and advice, subscribe to the newsletter here.

I can promise that you're not alone in feeling overwhelmed or frustrated with the UN application process.

And it bothers me to bits that really great people feel like giving up because of opaque processes and things like uncertainty about format and content expectations, guidelines and systems that make personal and impactful applications really hard to write, and lengthy and jargon-filled job descriptions that leave external candidates lost.

I'm on a mission to make it easier and more efficient for you to apply. I want you to feel proud of what you send, confident that you're clearly showcasing what the hiring side needs to see, and ultimately, that your applications stand out from the competition and move past initial screenings and into the hands of hiring managers.

While there is no magic wand, there are ways to reduce the friction in the process. First things first:

Understand the job descriptions.

You can learn the structure and how to use the information in job postings in the mini-course, but if you don't even understand what they're talking about because of jargon and intricate context specifics, then try this:

1. paste the whole job description into the AI tool of your choice (ChatGPT is one) and ask it to explain the JD to you in layperson's terms.
2. try various prompts to get different interpretations and angles. For example: "as if to a person with no prior knowledge of the UN", "to a non-native English speaker", or "as if to a 10-year-old".
3. once you feel you have a good understanding, read the original again. This is how your brain will start to connect the dots and learn the lingo.

Other strategies to consider are to read development/humanitarian news (here, here or here, for example); and engage with impact professionals on LinkedIn.

I'm serious about wanting to bring ease, clarity and confidence to your application efforts. If you're on board, let's get this foundation laid, so we can start "building" solid applications on it!

Don't put this off. It will only get easier tomorrow if you learn something about it today. Once you crack a few "codes", you'll quickly add more, and soon enough you'll "speak UN" too – or at least understand those darn job descriptions!