Three years ago, I received the email that changed my life:

“Dear Nthanda,

On behalf of the senior management of the UNDP Independent Evaluation Office and the Graduate Programme team within the UNDP Office of Human Resources, I am very pleased to inform you that you have been selected for the graduate position in the New York office. Congratulations!”

5 Things To Know: Getting into the System

✦ Written by Nthanda Manduwi
Former UN Young Professional

Incoming Business Development Manager, Microsoft
Founder, Bien Corporation & Kwathu Kollective

I want to premise this post with the fact that I left public service exactly a year ago, and I will be joining Microsoft in a month as a Business Development Manager with Xbox. Pivoting to private sector aligns with my journey at the moment.

Courage to Begin Again: 1 Year Post UN

This is important for you to know, because if I was still a UN employee, I would not have been permitted to blog about this (yes, a lot had to be approved). If I ever do return to the UN, I will likely be requested to take this post down (not because it has any particular polarising information, but can you imagine a world where UN employees spent all their time advising people on how to get into the UN? They’d never have time to actually work!) All this to say that this is valuable information, and I am grateful to be able to share it with you.

My journey into the UN was the culmination of years of preparation, learning, and quiet hope.

Today, after having served honorably at UN Headquarters (UNHQ) and pivoting to private sector with Microsoft, I want to share all I know about getting into the UN — especially if you are dreaming of beginning your career there.

1. My Journey Into the United Nations

Early Aspirations

When I was in university, my friends and colleagues would say, “Your love for human rights and development will land you in the UN someday.”
I smiled at the thought, but didn’t fully envision it.

Watch my Commencement Keynote at the Saint Andrew’s International High School 2024 Graduation; where I shared on my journey at the UN.

After graduating from the University of Malawi in 2016, I worked briefly at a startup — an e-commerce startup. It was interesting to learn about the tech industry, but my heart wasn’t in that particular sales-related job. I left that role (to much dismay from my father) and decided to pivot toward development work.

Entering the Development Space

I shared my aspirations to work in international development with a friend at the gym I used to go to, and he advised me: “Attend conferences. Start where people gather.”

So I did — I networked, listened, learned. Through that, I secured my first unpaid internship with UN Women in 2017. My father, needless to say, questioned my decision-making: leaving a paid job with a startup for an unpaid internship with a big organisation. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t easy. But it was a start.

This experience was crucial for me — a foot in the door.

Transition to Government

I, after the fact, transitioned into public service, first as an Economic Planning Intern with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, and later as a Revenue Officer at the Malawi Revenue Authority. It was a respectable job, but again, I did not see myself progressing as I hoped to in the system. I simply could not see myself doing this longterm.

I yearned for a broader, more global impact.

Joining UNHQ

In 2022, after competing against 38,709 applicants globally in 2021, I was selected as one of only 20 graduates for the UNDP Graduate Programme — an initiative created to address representation gaps from underrepresented countries.

It was one of the proudest moments of my life.
But it came with enormous change: uprooting my life, moving across the world, and starting over in New York City.

“The UN has never been more needed.

Our values have never been more relevant.

And the needs have never been greater.”@antonioguterres on the UN’s essential work to advance peace, sustainable development & human rights. pic.twitter.com/lF2VeWnSJT
— United Nations (@UN) April 5, 2025

2. Understanding UN Hiring Systems

If you’re serious about working for the United Nations, you need to understand how their hiring ecosystem operates.

The Types of Roles Available

Internships: When I worked for UN Women unpaid, but now increasingly stipended. An important way to get UN experience.
United Nations Volunteers (UNV): A pathway many overlook. Paid (modestly), with full immersion into UN operations.
National Staff (NPSA/Local Contracts): Based in your home country, funded programmatically.
Professional (Often Permant Staff – P Contracts) : Higher-level positions, often funded both programmatically and contributing governments (like JPOs).
International Consultants (IPSA Contracts) : Non-permanent international positions, often funded programmatically.
Young Professional Programs (e.g., UNDP Graduate Programme, UN Young Professionals Programme – YPP): Special initiatives to create new pipelines of diverse talent.

Important: The easiest way to join the UN is as a young professional.
Most people try to pivot into the UN mid-career and wonder why it’s difficult.

Why? Because systemic hiring requirements heavily favor prior UN experience.

The Importance of Prior UN Experience

When I volunteered in UN hiring processes, I learned firsthand:

20–25% of the evaluation score in hiring processes was allocated purely to prior UN experience.
This meant UN internships, UN Volunteer roles, or consultancies were critical assets.

Thus, if you can afford to intern or volunteer early, it positions you strongly for future recruitment.

Thankfully, new policies have made internships more accessible and paid. Initiatives like the UNDP’s People for 2030 Strategy are working strategically to close these gaps.

3. What You Must Know Before Applying

Systemic Realities

This was difficult to articulate a year ago, but now that I have processed my feelings, and the Universe has found ways to restore my path, I can share on this. The majority of us who were hired within the UNDP Graduate Programme struggled to secure roles after the programme was done. We were advised to pursue open roles internally, and pathways for transition were explored, but the majority of us still, mostly, struggled. The systemic realities which existed and premised the need for the creation of the Graduate Programme STILL existed after we had completed the Graduate Programme. Simply put: while the efforts were absolutely excellent… two years were simply not enough to fix such a deeply systemic issue.

Bias Exists: Human bias naturally affects how CVs are shortlisted. Hiring managers tend to prefer applicants from Ivy League or renowned universities — simply because that’s what they recognize.
Representation Gaps: Countries with less ability to fund international posts are underrepresented. (Hence initiatives like the Graduate Programme.) This is a personal observation: people tend to hire people that look like them. Often, when a manager from LATAM joins a department; you will note the entire office turning slowly fully LATAM.

Understanding Contract Modalities

Each UN entity (UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women, etc.) has different types of contracts:

Fixed-Term Appointments: Longer-term, pensionable contracts.
Temporary Appointments: Short-term positions (like the one I had AKA <2Years).
Consultancies: Short-term, project-based work (not staff contracts).
National Staff: Serving locally within your country office.

Recruitment Timelines

Be prepared: UN recruitment processes are slow.

Some roles take 6–12 months from application to onboarding. Our recruitment cycle started in July of 2021, and I received my offer on the 22nd of March, 2022, set to commence my role on the 7th of April. Still, this was celebrated as a ‘fast’ process.
Be patient, strategic, and have other career plans while waiting.

4. How to Improve Your Chances

✅ Intern early (during university if possible).
✅ Volunteer: Consider UNV roles or national UN initiatives.
✅ Build a UN-relevant profile: Focus on fields like human rights, international development, public policy, evaluation, communication for development.
✅ Tailor your applications: Generic applications will not survive competitive pools.
✅ Network strategically: Attend conferences, UN-related events, and connect genuinely.
✅ Stay globally literate: Understand global affairs, SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), and international diplomacy.

5. Final Reflections

Leaving the United Nations was a huge risk on my part.
I could have stayed longer, sought another (likely temporary) contract, and built a classic international (anxiety-inducing) civil servant career.

But… I chose to pivot toward private sector innovation.
It was terrifying — but necessary for me. I was willing to take an insecure few years, for security in my future.

As I begin a new chapter with Microsoft, I look back with profound gratitude for my UN journey. It taught me about the world, about privilege, about systems both beautiful and broken.

It grounded my understanding of service, leadership, and courage.

***

If working for the United Nations is your dream (and please be assured it is a great career path), know that it is achievable — but it requires intentional planning, patience, and positioning.

And once you get there, remember:
You are walking into an imperfect, complex system full of extraordinary humans trying their (often) ABSOLUTE best.

Walk in with purpose.
Walk in with humility.
Walk in ready to serve.

—

with a Heart to Serve,

Ntha