Are you qualified to work for UNICEF?

Qualifications for Working with UNICEF 

UNICEF works hard to provide inclusion and diversity in its workplace, encouraging both female and male candidates from any religious, ethnic or national backgrounds and welcomes those living with disabilities to apply for their work. If you are interested in the UNICEF agency of the United Nations, you may be unsure of how to get started. Before you do anything else, take a look at this briefing of necessary qualifications that UNICEF looks for in potential employees. 

Requirements for the International Professional Staff Category 

Those who will hold managerial, leadership or specialist functions must meet these qualifications: 

Education 

Applicants must have an advanced university degree in a relevant field for the job applied for. 

Degree Accreditation 

UNICEF accepts only university degrees that meet the education level requirements and come from accredited institutions. Degrees awarded for little or no course work, for payment of fees only, credits for lifetime achievements or life/work experience are not recognized by UNICEF. Incomplete degrees will not be accepted either. 

Work Experience 

The work experience required must be relevant to the position applied for within UNICEF. Experience in development work, experience in developing countries or in an international setting is looked highly upon. Each job will have specific requirements including different levels of skills and technical knowledge. Years of work experience range from one year to over fifteen years depending on the position applied for. 

Language 

Fluency in English, along with another official working language for the UN such as Chinese, Russian, Spanish, French and Arabic is required. 

Permanent Residence Status 

The General Assembly may require someone with permanent residency in a country that is not one of his or her own nationality to give up such status in order to qualify for UNICEF positions of professional level or higher categories. 

Requirements for the General Service Staff Category 

General Service staff are recruited locally and give support and administrative services across any agency in the organization and provide administrative and support services across all areas of the Organization. In order to be considered for General Service, you have to pass the computer- based Global General Service Test. This entry-level test assesses competency and job-related skills through work- related tasks and scenarios and is administered in every official UN language. 

Education 

You must complete secondary education and have at least a first level university degree with courses completed. 

Work Experience 

Your work experience has to be relevant to the position you apply for and you must be able to complete the job- specific requirements. The minimum years of work experience ranges from one year to seven years, depending on the level of the position you are interested in. 

Language 

You must be fluent in English and have knowledge of the local language in the nation where your position will be located. Proficiency in other official UN languages like Arabic, Russian, French, Chinese and Spanish is an asset. 

Requirements for the National Officer Staff 

National Officer staff are nationals of country where they will be performing their job functions. They are often recruited on the E-recruitment website. The requirements for this category are similar to the ones of the International Professional staff with emphasis on intricate knowledge of the location, partners and institutions of the place of employment. 

Consultants and Individual Contractors 

For those who want contractual, time- bond jobs, UNICEF uses Individual Consultants and Contractors. This type of work features short-term contracts for up to 11.5 months. The requirements for this position vary depending on the type of assignment. 

Learn more about each of these categories to discern which of them you qualify for, and then learn about the different skills required for each one in order to determine where your work will be best suited within UNICEF.