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.
Dear NY, “world’s unofficial resource on the NCRE!” came as a bit of a surprise but thanks for the thought. Regarding your question. When you say you are qualified for P-3 positions, does that mean you already have an offer and already have a realistic chance of getting the job or just feel that you have the necessary qualifications? P-3 positions can be very competitive, anywhere between 500 – 800 applicants for 1 position, according to some HR comments. If you get in via NCRE, the field becomes a lot less congested with at most 10 people lining up for a position. Going via the P-2 (NCRE) road does have its advantages; one being that because the exam was specifically created to recruit career UN professionals, (although you will not hear it explicitly mentioned) NCE candidates basically have some advantage in job security over those recruited via other means. It depends on how you want your career to start at the UN really but sitting the exam and not doing well in it will not harm your chances of applying and getting a P-3 through normal channels, in my opinion. Bear in mind the NCRE is still a very competitive (and as I said frustrating at times) route all the way through until you get a job anyway! In this case, I think you should choose the route that gives you the best chance of getting into the UN. But I am new to the UN, so I am still learning about the intricate details in the whole system so take that as my personal opinion. Cheers, Lynnold
Lynnold, I bet you never thought you would become the world’s unofficial resource on the NCRE! Not sure if you’ll know the answer to this one but it’s worth a shot. I am currently short-listed for the 2010 exam. However, I am also qualified for P-3 positions, which do not require the exam. I am wondering if it is still a good idea to take the exam to get one’s foot in the door. Do you think an application for a P-3 position is looked on more favorably if you have sat the examination? Seems silly to take an unnecessary exam and/or risk doing poorly on it! Any thoughts you have would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi there, in my understanding the UN limits the number of applicants per field in any one country if it recieves too many applications from that country. In this case, it will only select the 40 most qualified candidates with no consideration to the country’s current representation at the UN. Candidates are free to apply again in the following year if they still meet eligibility requirements. Hope that helps
First of all, all the luck of the world to you.
Well, just a question and thank you beforehand… I’m not sure if in the past NCRE’s the UN exercised his right to limit to 40 the number of candidates per field, but… What do you think they take into consideration? The present representation of the State in the UN?
Cheers.
Safest bet would be to have them translated into any official UN languages if it is in other scripts not English.
Indeed the process has changed significantly. This is because the UN is using a new system to manage its job application process. However, let me just make a few comments that might be helpful. I believe the UN is only interested in institutions that you attended since age 14. Transcripts may only be required for college, university or graduate school. The UN will be able to verify your transcripts later in the stage, so you may not need to certify them now; especially if you have made it on the roster and or are seriously pursued for employment. Hope those thoughts help.
Hi all,
I am applying for the 2010 as well and I was wondering if I need to attach all the transcripts and diplomas starting from age 14? Also, would transcripts have to be official? NCRE process is indeed confusing…
Thanks!
Hello,
I have one question.
Do we have to download our diploma as attachment and does it have to be translated in English?
Thanx all and success!
Lynnold, congratulations on the start of an exciting career! Best wishes as your dreams become reality!
Like so many others, I stumbled upon this blog by wondering what the NCRE is…I actually applied for a position with the UN and when I went back in to check my status, it was noted: short list. I’m not quite sure what that means since the closing date for the position I applied for is September 19th, but from all the discussion on here it means I’m going to have to take a written exam?
Lynnold, thank you very much for the reply, as I’m sure you have been quite busy with the new career. Congratulations. But I am actually simply inquiring about how to apply for the exam. I know the process has been changed, and it seems from the instructions that in order to apply for the exam, you must apply for the P-2 position itself. It doesn’t seem like one can apply for the NCRE directly. I followed the instructions by the letter, so I may be over-complicating matters, but I can be obsessive about little details, so I just wanted to make sure. Thank you again and good luck to you.
Sean, the application process has been changed significantly. In my opinion this interpretation may be incorrect. I believe candidates are still placed on the UN roster and will still compete for P2 positions as and when they become available. This is simply my opinion.
Nabi, Firstly the practise during our time was that the OHRM emails you directly with an invitation. It is also best to verify with your local Foreign Affairs office as they would also be notified. Secondly, not everyone who applies will sit the exam. In the case where more than a certain number from your country apply for a particular occupational group, only the very best (maybe 40) will be invited to sit the exams. Cheers, Lynnold
Hi Lainey, Applications close on September 19 2010. So it is still too early to be expecting an answer from the UN. It took almost 2 months to be notified of my invitation to sit the exam but I am not sure if it will take as much time but it may take that long after September 19 to be notified.
Hi Lynnold,
Many thanks for this very helpful information. Like Joshua, I have applied for the 2010 NCRE and am waiting to see if I get convoked to take the exam. Do you remember how long it took you to get convoked for the exam? Did they wait until after the application deadline to inform you?
Thanks so much for your help.
Hi all,
I applied for NCRE 2010 but how would I know whether I would be called for exams? Do they call or email to let us know about exams? Do everyone who apply are called to sit in the exams? I would really appreciate the answer.
Thanks.
So I have applied/am trying to apply for the 2010 NCRE. Even the step by step instructions on the UN website are quite unclear (go figure). The links to apply for the NCRE redirect you to apply for the specific job opening itself. I am doing Human Rights, so I simply applied for the P-2 Human Rights Associate position. I assume this is the correct course of action, but the instructions say you are applying for the NCRE, when in reality you are applying directly for the job opening. Is anyone else having issues with this? Is this interpretation correct?
Hi Lynnold
Thank you so much for the information, that has really helped me. I am applying to take the exam in Legal Affairs, so I just hope now to get called to take the exam. I think the applications for this only opened in June and it will close in September.
Thanks for your help again.
My sincere apologies Amandine, the application process has changed significantly. You must apply directly on the website. You will be taken to a page where you can complete your profile which will then be used to consider if you can be invited to the exam. Again, I am sorry about this.
Hi Joshua, thanks for writing on the blog. Time lines for the UN NCRE is quiet tricky. Based on my personal experience, I sat the exam in Feb 2008. I was not convoked for an interview until Jan 2009. I was placed on the roster of successful candidates on 24th February 2009 (I remember because it is my birthday) and was finally recruited in June 2010. The same cannot be said of those who sat the exam in 2009. They sat around February 2009, most of the results were finalized by October/November and some candidates were recruited in Feb/March 2010. So on the whole, I would say the 2009 exams went more smoothly and were finalized quicker. I must admit the wait to be recruited from the roster is perhaps the most frustrating and the anxiety can disappoint. But it pays to be very patient with the process. Otherwise, you can be picked rather quickly if you clearly demonstrate skills and competencies the UN requires – it also depends on how well you sell yourself. Having said that, the UN can negotiate a starting time with you and will work with you on what works best in your case. In other cases you can “freeze” your candidacy until you are ready to take offers for jobs from the UN. So there is a lot of room to work with. By the way what field are you going to take the exams in? Bear in mind IT, Human Rights and Administration have been recruiting consistently since January 2010.
Hi Lynnold
You’re blog is really helpful, thanks for all the info. I had one question regarding the time-line with applications. I am currently applying for the 2010 round, and I know the exams are being held in December this year, but after that, how long normally would it be to be called for an interview (if successful) and then to be offered a position once you’re in the roster? I only ask this, because I have been offered a job in the meantime, but the contract is for 18 months, so i’m worried how this would affect my application. Is it only possible to be kept on the roster for 1 year?