United Nations Competitive Exam Deadline Approaches

U.S. citizens interested in pursuing a rewarding career with the United Nations have less than one month remaining to apply for the UN competitive examination scheduled to take place in New York in February 2008. The deadline for applying to take the exam is October 31, 2007.

Up to forty of the most qualified applicants will be allowed to take the exam per occupational group, which are finance, program evaluation, information technology, environment, political affairs, and statistics. Potential employment offers depend upon test results, interview, number of vacancies, and competition from applicants from other nations.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must be no more than 32 years old as of December 31, 2008; must have at least an undergraduate degree in one of the occupational groups; and must be fluent in English and/or French, which are the two working languages of the UN Secretariat. Knowledge of an additional official language of the UN (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish) and an advanced degree are definite advantages in the selection process.

Applicants should be aware that the selection and placement process can be lengthy. Additional information and application forms can be obtained at www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/examin/exam.htm.

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