Can career consulting benefit my career in international organizations

“I want to have a job that makes a difference in a society.” - “I want to grow personally and professionally while still doing work that impacts on the world.” These are phrases which people often say who want to get a dream job in the United Nations and international organizations. Some of them are transitioning from the end of an assignment in the international organizations and searching for a new job, or they are taking a next career move.

Others are switching industries and seeking a new career path in the international development field.

Handling a career transition and finding a new job is about a change, which we can manage very well when we are prepared. To determine the value that career services which are specialized in the UN and international organizations would bring to you, go through the following checklist of information. This check list is developed based on an original article by Wendy Enelow, Master Resume Writer, Career Coach & Author of “Modernize Your Resume” and “Modernize Your Job Search Letters”, and it is adopted to the specifics and opportunities of the career in the international organizations and the United Nations system, which trend to be very different from any other industry.

Career Assessment & Focus

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- Do you have a clear understanding of your most significant skills and qualifications? Yes/No
- Can you formulate your outstanding achievements? Yes/No
- Are you clear about your career life goals? Yes/No
- Do your skills and qualifications match your goals? Yes/No
- Do you know the type of role/function you are seeking to perform in the international organizations? Yes/No
- Do you know what types of activities you do NOT want to engage in? Yes/No
- Do you know the organizations/job categories/fields in which you are interested in and will be focusing your search? Yes/No
- Do you have an understanding of a current situation and trends in the sector/function(s) you are interest in? Yes/No

Your career consultant will assist you in identifying and assessing your qualifications, job preferences, likes and dislikes, immediate objectives and long-term goals. Your coach/consultant will help you evaluate your worth in the international development sector and your value within specific functions/ roles.

Career Change & Transition

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- Are you considering changing industries, function or role? Yes/No
- Can you find an equivalent position in an international organization if you make such a change? Yes/No
- What skills do you have that are transferable between jobs and/or industries? Yes/No
- Do you feel as though you are going to stay in your current function/role for the rest of your career? Yes/No
- Do you feel as though you are going to stay into your current programmatic area for the rest of your career? Yes/No
- With a drive of new technologies and science innovations, do you know today’s “highly demanding” programmatic areas/functions/roles where you want to be engaged? Yes/No
- Do you have the “right” skills and competences to transition into these high-demanding fields of work? Yes/No

Your career consultant will guide you in identifying and evaluating all of your possibilities and provide you with critical sector intelligence to formulate your job search action plan, and to develop your skills and competences.

Personal & Family Issues

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- Do you have personal or family issues that are directly impacting your job search? Yes/No
- Is relocation out of the question? Yes/No
- Is your spouse currently employed and not anxious to leave his/her position? Yes/No
- Is your age impacting your job search results? Yes/No
- Are you tied to your current community because of out-of-work activities you’re involved in? Yes/No
- Do you have a physical disability that might be negatively impacting your search, but has never impacted your work performance? Yes/No
- Are you worried because your job search has not progressed at the pace you anticipated? Yes/No
- Do you need an advisor, a mentor or a job search partner? Yes/No

Your career coach can be your sounding board, helping you determine how to evaluate and prioritize these issues in relation to your search, how to best overcome obstacles standing in your way and how to best position those issues to your advantage.

Career Promotion and Job Search Management

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- Can you communicate your unique values to a future employer in a clear and concise manner? Yes/No
- Can you communicate what you WANT to do in WHAT position or role, and what you are QUALIFIED to do in a specific and concise way? Yes/No
- Does your job application look like a portfolio of competences you possess or just a list of jobs you did? Yes/No
- Does your job application use a “language”/wording which are used in the international organizations? Yes/No
- Do you know internet job posting services of jobs in the international development field including the UN jobs? Yes/No
- Do you know how to best optimize your networking contacts to get insights and to stay abreast of the developments in the sector/functions of your professional interest? Yes/No
- Do you know which job posting to apply and which to ignore? Yes/No

Your career consultant can help you critically evaluate your job application portfolio, advise on realistic job options and a job search strategy, and how to best communicate your value to a future employer, and to integrate your experience and skills into your job search campaign.

Recruitment Process and Interview Skills

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- Do you understand how a job application process works in the international organizations? Yes/No
- Do you understand how a recruitment process works in the international organizations? Yes/No
- Do you understand how to effectively fill in an online job application form (PHF/P11 form)? Yes/No
- Are you confident of your performance in the interview situation? Yes/No
- Are you skilled at the competency-based interview which is used in the international organizations including the UN? Yes/No
- Are you able to “present” your accomplishments without sounding as though you are bragging? Yes/No
- Are you articulate and well-presented? Yes/No
- Are you comfortable in a “stressful” interviewing and or testing situations? Yes/No
- Do you know what to ask interviewers at the end of the interview?
Yes/No

If you answered “NO” to more than just 3-4 of the questions above, I would strongly urge you consider the value an expert career consultant could bring to your job search and career performance. With sound knowledge and years of hands on experience in the international organizations, a career coach/consultants know what works and what doesn’t work, how to optimize your results, and how to help you land your desired position. With your career consultant at your side, you can move forward confidently and successfully.

Matanat Rahimova is a Consultant and Career Coach in the United Nations and International Organizations field with 20 years of international programme management and HR experience in the UN System and international development sector.

She supports international organizations to enhance their potential and effectiveness, and helps people from all over the world who want to get a dream job in the United Nations and international organizations.

Provided career consulting support help professionals to identify realistic job options, speed up their job search and actually make a next career move easily and with confidence.

“Working with Matanat was a great experience. I got constrictive feedback on my two different application forms and a specific preparation for the interviews which followed. In my case the application process was so successful, that after only few months, I am now able to start my career at one of the UN agencies. Coming from a for-profit sector, with Matanat’s support I got better understanding of the specifics definitions and the "language" used in the international organizations, and how to highlight the most important components of my professional experience. Matanat guided me throughout the whole process whenever I needed her help or advice, and I could count on her support all the time, which I appreciated very much.” –M.M., Spain –

“Working with Matanat has definitely made a significant impact on my application for a job position in the [UN agency]. Without her assistance during my application process I would hardly been chosen for the candidate shortlist. I had to prepare my application documents professionally in a very short time of period which seemed to be impossible for me because I had no prior experience in applying for an international organization. Thanks to Matanat’s flexibility and professional guidance my application got noticed and I was finally chosen for the job position. I appreciate having worked with her and I am grateful for her support.” – Ö.B., Turkey –

Thetalent-tech career check list