About UNICEF: Employment

Overview

The UNICEF Internship Programme offers eligible/qualified students at both Headquarters and country offices the opportunity to acquire direct practical experience in UNICEF's work under the direct supervision of experienced UNICEF staff.

Eligibility requirements

• You need to be currently-enrolled graduate or post-graduate student in a field related to UNICEF’s interests. You must be enrolled during the proposed internship period.  At this time we do not accept undergraduates. 
• You should be fluent in English and one other UNICEF working language i.e. French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian or Chinese. 
• Your academic performance should be excellent, as demonstrated by recent university or institution records.
• Your application for an internship should be supported by your university or related institution. A minimum requirement is a letter from one of your professors supporting your application. 
• Applicants must have a demonstrated interest in the field of international development.
• Ability to adapt and work in a multi-cultural setting.
• Has strong commitment to the values and principles of the United Nations and UNICEF's mission, guiding principles and Convention of the Rights of the Child.
• Additional consideration will be given for any past work experiences. However, please keep in mind that even if you meet these qualifications, there is no guarantee of placement. We receive many more applications from qualified candidates than we can place. Placement is subject to availability of meaningful assignments.

If you meet the above eligibility criteria, please ensure to strictly follow the below application process, because if you do not, your application may not be recognized by the system. The uploading process is now fully automated, it is, therefore, critical to follow the instructions carefully.

You must fill an application form and specify clearly if the internship is for an assignment at Headquarters - New York or in another field duty station. If applying to more than one location outside New York, applicants are required to list a maximum of three duty stations. We also need an up-to-date completed CV.

Due to the high number of applications received in UNICEF, we will not be able to respond to each and every application. When you send your application and CV to UNICEF at (Internships@unicef.org), please ensure to send your attachments as MS Word documents (TIFF, PDF and other formats are rejected by the system). For applications and CVs to be correctly uploaded, the files must all be in MS Word format and be named as follows:

a) Your filled out application form should be saved as <FirstName><LastName>Application.doc. For example, if your name is John Doe, then your application form should be submitted as JohnDoeApplication.doc.
b) Your resume or CV should be named <FirstName><LastName>CV.doc (ex.: JohnDoeCV.doc)
c) The cover letter should be named <FirstName><LastName>CoverLetter.doc (ex.: JohnDoeCoverLetter.doc).

Kindly verify that all your files are named with only one .doc extension in the filename. For example, JohnDoeApplication.doc.doc is not valid. JohnDoeApplication.rtf is also not valid. The valid filename is JohnDoeApplication.doc.

In the subject of your e-mail, please write (without using any special characters):
New Internship Application
No other subject names will be recognized by the system.

The email address you used to submit your application should be the same as the email address you entered in the application form.

The maximum number of file attachments in your email should be three:
- Filled out application.
- Resume or CV.
- Cover letter, if any.

It is extremely important  to follow the guidelines in order for your application to be in our internship system. UNICEF offices and HQ New York Divisions/Sections will have access to the database, and should any of them be interested in your application, they will contact you directly to discuss your prospects for an Internship.

For more details on the Internship Programme, please see the section's FAQ.