I got the first job I applied for at the UN.

've been hesitant to share this because it might seem like I miraculously got everything right from the start - not so. I made lots of mistakes that I could have avoided, had I had more insight and background knowledge.

That first job was an HR role, and while I had HR expertise, I lacked sector experience, connections, and any clue about the inner workings and processes, plus I messed up in the interview (a story for another time).

My staffing background helped, making me comfortable with applications and interviews. I also applied below my level, from managerial to assistant (a mistake, also a story for another time), and I was likely lucky that they were recruiting more than one person at the time. If there had been only one slot, who knows if I'd been selected?

I later made three career moves within UNDP, competing for each separately. To make those three moves, I had to apply for a whole lot more! Sometimes I got shortlisted, mostly I didn't. I know I was passed over once for "political reasons", and discriminated against another time (yet another story for another time).

My point is that no, the UN and its processes aren't perfectly executed all the time. Still, this pervasive idea that you have to have connections, someone must champion you from the inside, that there is always some internal candidate who is pre-selected, isn't the complete story. Also, perfection isn't required, but presenting a credible candidacy is.

Everyone faces stiff competition, and you never know the circumstances of any one role, who your competition is, or what they bring to that particular process.

What you can do, is to engage and bring your very best to each stage of the recruitment process, and that starts with writing great applications.

I'm curious, on a scale from 1 to 10 (where 10 is "fabulous - proud and confident!") how good do you feel about your current CV? Click here and send me the number you picked.

To get a fresh perspective on your applications and to learn new strategies to move up the scale and break through the hum of the crowd, consider a UN job search advisory session (aka coaching!). Click here for more info.