Within the framework of the Graduate Institute’s partnership with the United Nations Offices in Geneva, our own Career Services are hosting their first ever United Nations (UN) Career Days on 1 and 2 March to give students an opportunity to meet United Nations professionals face-to-face and learn about what it’s like to work at the international organisation.
Aline Dimitriou Cruz is Senior Career Services Adviser, responsible for the organisation of the event. In an interview, she sheds some light on what UN Career Days are all about.
When will UN Career Days be held?
This year, the dates are 1 and 2 March and we are hoping to make this an annual event.
What is the goal of UN Career Days?
The goal is to better understand the pathways to launching a career within the UN system.
What will students be able to see and do?
Our students will have the opportunity to interact with professionals working in the various United Nations programmes and funds, or specialised agencies. The professionals will make a presentation to a small group of students (usually between 25 and 45 students) and then the students will be able to ask questions "live" for 25 minutes.
Do the interactions between students and UN professionals lead to career opportunities for students?
The primary goal of UN Career Days is to connect students with the speakers during and after the event. If the students ask a question and/or follow up after the event, there is a high probability that it will lead them somewhere. We always hear success stories after these kinds of events. If there are existing opportunities at the time of the event, the speakers always announce them.
What else should people know about UN Career Days?
That there are 13 different organisations represented, including:
UN Career Days are a closed event, just for our student community, however below are the kinds of questions that the various UN agencies will be answering:
Learn more about Career Services at the Graduate Institute.