Graduating and thinking "what's next?"
If you're finishing university this year and you are thinking about taking that little bit of extra time before committing to your first career move - have you considered an internship, and have you thought about the United Nations? If you’re interested in international relations, diplomacy, human rights, development, public policy or global affairs, a United Nations internship could be what you need.
So, what does a UN intern actually do?
As a global organisation, working at the UN is an opportunity to work alongside experienced staff and gain exposure to an international and multicultural working environment. The duration of your contract will vary on the position you apply for but a UN internship isn't simply about sitting in meetings and observing diplomats for a couple of months. Depending on the office and role, interns can be involved in research, drafting documents, data analysis, policy work, conferences and meetings. You could spend your time researching a policy issue, helping prepare a briefing, analysing data, supporting an event or contributing to communications. The exact experience depends heavily on the team you join—if you're an intern working at CERN, your week might look very different!
UN Secretariat internships are unpaid
Internships with the UN Secretariat are unpaid. The intern—or a sponsoring institution—is responsible for costs including accommodation, travel, living expenses, medical insurance and the relevant visa. This can make a UN internship financially difficult, particularly if the position is in an expensive city such as New York or Geneva. This is where the Charles Colvington Foundation can assist. We can offer Manx students who accept a UN internship up to £3000 to help you financially during your time in an approved programme.
How do you actually apply?
For UN Secretariat internships, opportunities are published through the UN Careers portal and vacancies are published throughout the year. You can filter vacancies by Internship, review the available positions, locations, duration and requirements.
You can apply to the Charles Colvington Foundation two times a year; you will need to secure an offer from the UN before money can be transferred:
Application periods for Charles Colvington Foundation are:
- Applications 1st April to 31st May for internships starting August through to December.
- Applications 1st October to 30th November for internships starting January through to July.
One important warning: you do not need to pay someone to secure a UN internship.
The United Nations states that it does not charge fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Be particularly cautious about unsolicited "UN internship offers" asking for money or financial information.
Starting point (external link): United Nations internship information and application guidance