Since early April, I’ve been writing and publishing my thoughts and advice related to a career in international humanitarian development. I think this will finally wrap up that series of blogs, though I’ll probably have more to say later.

To end this series, I’m going to share an answer that I posted to Reddit in response to this question:

Is there any thing that makes the UN a good place to work at? The upsides of working for UN agencies?

This question also asked lots about the “best” United Nations agency to work for, the “best” country to work in, etc. And, of course, that’s impossible to answer.

Here’s what I posted:

The UN isn’t a monolith when it comes to workplace environments nor the kind of work you do. And an office that everyone loves working in now can change drastically when a new person takes over.

Working at UNICEF isn’t the same as working at WHO. Working in the field isn’t the same as working at an HQ. Working in Kosovo isn’t the same as working in Congo. Working in procurement isn’t the same as managing a program focused on maternal health.

What I liked about working for UNDP the three times I did so:

• I prefer working in organizations that are focused on a mission, as opposed to those focused on working for a profit. In that sense, I found it as satisfying as working for any nonprofit.
• I loved the kind of work that I did. I worked in communications. I love writing reports. Yes, really. I love interviewing sanitation engineers about what they did last week. I love reading proposals and making them better. I love digging into data and finding things we should highlight or otherwise pay attention to. I love taking photos or going through the photos someone else took and picking the best one for a report. I love meeting with funders and “selling” what we’re doing. I love editing other people’s writing. And I loved that all of this very non-glamorous work was in pursuit of a mission to make people’s lives better, to make the environment cleaner, etc. I don’t know that I could do this kind of work for a company that makes toasters.
• I loved working with local staff. I always considered them the real reason I was there – to build their capacities so they wouldn’t need me or anyone like me eventually. The best was in Afghanistan, when I got to work with federal government workers. I loved their energy, I loved their curiosity, I loved how much they wanted their country to be better, and I worry about them every day. Every. Day. Especially the women.
• I loved working with the communities we were serving, on the RARE chance I got to be in the field and really experience that.
• I really liked a lot of my co-workers that were also from somewhere else. Many were incredible workers who helped me SO much in my work. Many inspired me. Many got me through the rough times of the work.
• I loved learning about development, and seeing what I learned about in a Master’s program really happening in real life contexts. I loved learning that a government-led community meeting in Ukraine is a heck of a lot like a government-led community meeting in Oregon.
• There were two heads of mission that I ADORED and I am grateful to have worked with them. They were tough, they were inspiring, they were frustrating, they were demanding and they were utterly supportive. And it’s interesting to note that a lot of staff did NOT like them for all the reasons I did.
• Yes, sure, absolutely, at times, it was a kick to get to say “I work for the United Nations.” No question.

I think that, because I was a seasoned nonprofit professional, I didn’t go into my first UN job with stars in my eyes. I also at that point had worked for a Fortune 500 company, so, altogether, I already knew the frustration of bureaucracies and encountering staff who were on power trips or who actually didn’t know what they were doing and didn’t care except for the paycheck. What sector does NOT have this? I get frustrated with people acting like the UN ecosystem is SO unique in these “negatives” – it’s not.

One last thing: I am so disappointed to be one of the few former UN workers who actively, deliberately gives career advice online to people that want to work in international development. When you take the elevator up to a higher floor, you should always send it back down. That’s common courtesy.

• Why Work for the United Nations? & What is Working the for UN really like?

• Yes, you CAN get experience for entry level UN positions in your own community.

• Is it really *impossible* to break into humanitarian work?

• In defense of skills over passion.
• Want to work internationally? Get involved locally.
• You can volunteer to address the critical needs of refugees IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY.
• Abilities you need to work in humanitarian development successfully.
• Why qualified people get passed over for jobs.
• How I got my first job with the United Nations.
• What I did in Ukraine with the United Nations.
• What I did in Afghanistan for the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, via the United Nations.

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