I recently tried to monitor the hits on this blog. Not surprisingly, there are those, like me who have sat the United Nations NCRE exams out there who scour the web looking for any clues, any information they can find on that may enlighten them on the latest happening.
I have come to learn that patience is the name of the game. People say its bureaucracy, others may mistakenly believe that the United Nations may have forgotten all about them. But lets face it; they may be slow in responding but they are well aware of everything. As the 2009 NCRE exams have concluded, I thought I might share more of my tips for those candidates still waiting on word from the United Nations.
After your exams, wait patiently
After your exams go get a nice cup of coffee, relax and refocus all your energy on whatever it is that you are currently doing. Be sure to regularly check the examination page on http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/examin/ncrepage.htm to monitor the progress of the exams. The UN will almost always try to meet the deadlines it posts on this site and if it is not able to meet it, it will post an updated date. I do not know what factors force them to change dates, but changes are expected and your patience is important.
When convoked, be prepared
The successful candidates after the written exams are listed on the NCRE website and contacted at least a week later by email. In this email, the UN will send information you would need such as the date, time and venue of your interview. Included will be a file on UN Competencies, a very important document.
When convoked, do not attempt to will the UN into action by trying to contact them. It is always often met with silence. They will contact you and if you are like me, you will be assigned a very helpful contact who will assist you all the way until you arrive for your interview either in New York, Geneva or any location that they will interview you in. Sometimes, the interview may be conducted via video conference or phone; I am of the opinion that this option is often available to candidates with close proximity to a UN office and where the technology is available. I was initially convoked to Geneva but visa delays forced me to New York instead. Because my assigned contact was based in New York, I was glad to meet her in person, thank her for her hard work and she took me to the interview room.
The wait between when you are advised and when you leave can be long. I was advised of my convocation early in November of 2008 and was interviewed in January of 2009. Liaise closely with your UN contact on all issues regarding your travel. My authorization for travel and e-tickets were provided 3 days before I left for New York.
During the interview
As I have mentioned, be prepared to talk a lot about yourself. For me it was a bit of an unnerving experience because I personally find it very difficult to talk about myself. But study the UN competencies really well and try to think of real examples of where you may have applied some or all of the competencies. Stay positive, avoid flattery and be honest. Practical examples are important. At the end of my interview, we spent 15 minutes on questions about the United Nations. 4 open ended questions will be asked you may pass on only one without being penalized. I missed 2 of those 4 questions. I passed on the first, did not know the answer to the second but answered the last two questions really well.
Join the NCREFORUM
This is a yahoo group on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ncreforum, was formed in 2005 by candidates who were on the roster. The stories you read here will surely give hope; most of us are not alone. Aside from that those on this forum are quick to let others know when opportunities arise or take time to explain in great detail issues that affect candidates who have made it on the roster and are waiting for placement from the United Nations. I surely found some very inspiring stories on this forum. It’s membership is, however, only open to those who are currently on the roster. You will gain valuable insight interacting with its members who have been in this situation before.
But basically my message is, the wait can be long; quite long at times. So patience is the name of the game.
Hi Lynnold
Did they asked any question related to IT in the interview?
Can you please list those questions for us.
AP
Hi Lynnold
Yes you are right. I have been convoked for the interview from ITE09. I was not expecting it but I want to completely utilize the opportunity that I have received.
Your valuable information will help a lot. Good to hear IT is on their demand list.
Regards
AP
Hi Dom, Thanks for your answer, I am sure those with questions about this will find this response very helpful.
All the best and I hope we get a call soon (maybe you have?). Cheers again, Lynnold
Hi AP,
Thanks for commenting. I assume you have been convoked for the interviews, now that the ITE2009 results have been released. My advance congratulations. Will try to answer your questions.
Firstly, yes I am on the roster was placed there end of Feb 2009.
1. I hear there is an orientation program for candidates once they have been appointed and taken a permanent job. But I am not sure about the details, perhaps those who have already taken permanent offers from the UN will confirm
2. The UN does clearly state that being on the roster does not guarantee a job with the UN. But persistence, being proactive does work in everyone’s favor and IT is an area of demand with the UN.
3. No clear answer for this as it may vary according to need and availability of P-2 positions. Very few candidates on the roster actually get appointed to a P-3 position.
You may want to read my latest post on the NCRE for some more information UN NCRE; The story so far
Kind regards,
Lynnold
Hi Lynnold
Information you have provided is very helpful..As you are in the roaster you be able to provide me the following information.
1) Dose UN provide any orientation training for the selected roaster candidates.
2) Does all the candidates in the roaster get to work with UN.
3) How long it typically takes to get a permanent placement.
AP
ITE2009
Just to answer one comment about the University Certification. I think they will verify your certificate when you are on the roster. At least in my case, I was requested to provide a list of my University contact persons and my supervisors. I believe, this is the way the HR get to confirm your education and past experience.
Dom
ITE 2008
Congratulations David.
The short answer. Yes. Provide a fax/email contact for the US embassy in your country or region. The UN will write directly to them. They may send you a copy of this letter too. Once you receive this information, proceed as quickly as possible. Liaise directly with the person sending you the email. Call charges are high in this part of the world so I relied on the email exclusively but perhaps calling and talking with them is also helpful. From what I gather, UN will write to which ever embassy requiring it as it is a common requirement and adds weight to your request for acquiring a visa.
I had a very helpful UN personnel who assisted me until my placement on the roster and even after for my inquiries with my reimbursement.
Hi Lynnold!
I have been convoked to the interview, my problem is that I don’t have an US Visa, I already wrote a related question to HR, but I still waiting for an answer, I would like to know if they provide a document in order to facilitate the paperwork to get one. Do you know something about this topic? I also read that you had this kind of problem.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Lynnold!
Excellent post! It does really help to get a better idea of what to expect of this very long process…
I took the NCRE 2009 Finance, so we’ll see if I get the call 🙂
Thanks and good luck to you too!
Ahiza
Hi Zahra, thanks for your comment. I hate to disappoint you but try as I may, I could not recall all the questions I was asked. But here is an attempt.
You will be asked to introduce yourself; use this time to talk on your educational background, your work and your ambitions.
You will then be asked a series of questions based on the UN Competencies. This is obviously an important UN document so spend time to understand this document and its expectations when you are convoked to the interview.
An example of one such question is what I had commented on earlier, a question on the value of teamwork. They may also ask you questions on how your workers perceive you as a person. Are you likable? Are you open to criticisms? How do you handle criticism even if it is harsh? The answers to these types of questions are really contained in the UN Competencies but be honest. As I have said, this interview is where they grill you on who you are and whether you have what they are looking for.
The last part of the interview will be 15 minutes of open ended questions about the UN. A detailed explanation is the one I have already posted for NK.
I hope that helps.
Hi, Lynnold.
Thanks a lot for the information. That helps me a lot. Will try to learn about UN as much as possible!
With regards, N
hi i’ve attended the 2009 ncre too in IT . written exam was difficult for me but i hope to be convoked for inter view pls think and tell me all interview questions pls
Hi NK,
Firstly, congratulations on your selection to the interview.
I think you should read a lot about the UN for the final 15 minutes of questions (I admit, I did not prepare well for this part of the exam). So I suggest you try to cover as much as you possibly can about the UN. I have forgotten the exact questions I was asked but I remember the first was about a UN Convention or charter, the second was on UN efforts to curb the AIDS epidemic, the third on three areas I think the UN should place priorities on and the fourth was about the advantages of online distance education programs.
I just have a hunch that the questions do reflect very distinct areas of interest about the UN.
I believe it is important to learn as much as you can about the UN, their programmes and what they do around the world especially on very current issues such as AIDS, the swine flu etc. They may ask you a question on what you envision for the organization and probably one question that relates to your field of work, eg. I was asked about the advantages and disadvantages of online training.
Again congratulations on your call for the interview and I wish you all the best.
Hi. Congratulations on the registration on the roster. Indeed it has been long since we first took the written exam in 2008.
I also took NCRE 2008 in Finance, and am convoked to the interview which will take place very very soon.
I am trying to prepare for the interview, but quite nervous about what they are going to ask me, especially about the last 15 minute lot about UN. If possible, could you help me to obtain more information on the interview questions?
Appreciate your help!
Thanks, that proverb is very inspiring. All the best! Lynnold
We have a proverb in Persian which means: Aspiration is not a fault if you are young.
So let me hope that I make it to the interview!!
Hi Neda, thanks again for your comment.
I did not take my university certificates to the interview and I do not know how the UN verifies a candidate’s qualification. It must have a way but at least in my case, it did not specifically request that I have them on me for the interview. Having said that, all the best and I hope you do make it for the interviews and eventually the roster because you are obviously trying very hard and have put in a lot of time and effort. Cheers, Lynnold
Thanks a lot for your rapid and complete response; I have another question in mind, when do they check the candidate’s university certificates? Have they done a servey regarding this before we were convoked for the exam? or should we take the certificates to the interview?
Hi Neda,
Thanks for commenting on my blog. As I have said, I sat the exam for IT and I may not be able to answer questions relating to ADMIN. However, as I have said on this blog, it is important to pay particular attention to the UN Competencies, a list of competencies that they will send when you have been convoked to the interview. Think of practical examples to answer their questions. For example, being a team player is important so they will ask you a question related to that competency. When asked about the value of team work, my answer was that I believe team work is important because different people bring a variety of perspectives and skill sets. So in implementing our website, I assembled a team made up of people with different skills who I believe can contribute to the success of the whole project. As a leader I delegate responsibilities according to each ones capability and in turn our team is able to build a website that satisfies the objectives of the project. That is a simple example. It is really where the UN is trying to gauge you as a person and if you have the kind of competencies they require at the UN. Your educational and technical skills, they have already seen in the exams (at least in my opinion).
As for the open ended questions, there is absolutely no guarantee but you should read a lot about the UN, its programs and what it does around the world. Having that kind of knowledge is important as it shows a greater understanding of the UN; an organization you hope to be part of. One of the questions I remember being asked was about the UN Budget and what priority areas the UN should focus on. I answered that I am somewhat skeptical about the huge amount of money the UN spends on conflict resolution. I would like to see a shift and that it can and should focus on preventing conflicts, rather than acting as a result of a conflict, and that it can do by strengthening its development programs like UNDP etc.
I took the NCRE 2009 in ADMN field. I don’t know whether i would be convoked for interview or not, but i want to be prepared. So would u please explain more about the type of questions they ask in the interview prereferrably in ADNM? and what were the open ended questions about UN?