Inspira application guide: how to apply for UN jobs

1. Read the vacancy before starting

Start with the job notice, not the form. Check whether you meet the required qualifications before spending time on an application.

• Check the title, grade, duty station, department and Job Opening number. Use the UN salary calculator to compare pay by grade and duty station.
• Separate required education, experience and languages from desirable qualifications.
• Read the Special Notice for eligibility restrictions and extra documents.
• Note the closing date and select Apply Now to reach the recruitment system.

UN Careers notices specify a deadline of 11:59 p.m. New York time on the stated date. Convert that time for your location using the date of the deadline, since daylight saving can change the offset. Leave time for login or upload problems.⁶

2. Sign in and create the application

If you already have an Inspira account, use it. External applicants creating their first account choose Create account here; UN staff should use the account required for their staff status.

1. Register your name, email, password and date of birth. Check the birth date carefully: it cannot be changed after account creation. Keep the generated User ID.
2. Complete the mandatory fields in My Profile, including contacts and nationality/residence details. External applicants are asked for a passport biographical page; the guide permits another travel document or photo ID if a passport is not readily available. Upload it only through the official system.²
3. Start an application for the intended vacancy. Choose a new application or copy an existing one, then check everything carried over.

A general draft under My Applications → Create Draft Application can help you prepare. It is not an application to a vacancy until it is linked to that Job Opening and submitted.

3. Answer the job-requirement questions

The Job Requirements section asks how you meet the vacancy’s criteria. These questions are also called the Job Fit Questionnaire. Answer each one directly, using evidence that a reviewer can find in your work or education history.

1. State when and where you gained the relevant experience.
2. Explain what you personally did, rather than describing the team’s general responsibilities.
3. Add a concrete example and a result or scale where you can substantiate it.

For a project-monitoring question, for example, identify the employer and dates, then explain which indicators you tracked, how you checked submissions and what reports you produced. “See my CV” leaves the question unanswered.

Follow the character counter in the form. Do not count overlapping employment twice or present unrelated duties as qualifying experience. If you do not meet a required criterion, answer honestly; enthusiasm cannot replace the qualification.²

4. Add your education and languages

Use Add Education Details to enter your high-school diploma and university qualifications. For each entry, check the institution, degree title, study dates and whether the qualification was obtained. Mark ongoing study accurately.

• Put short courses and certificates in their designated section. The Applicant Guide allows up to six relevant short-term certificates or diplomas.
• Search for your institution before using manual entry. The FAQ below explains the missing-university option.
• Enter the required languages, including your mother tongue, and assess each skill separately.

In the Applicant Guide, fluency means fluent in reading, writing, speaking and understanding. Knowledge means confident or fluent in at least two of those areas. Use the labels in the live form and be prepared for your language ability to be tested.²

5. Complete your work history and references

Under Experience/References, create an entry for each relevant role. Enter the dates, employer, location, employment type and supervisor details. Use the current-job option where applicable, and answer the government/UN employment questions accurately.

Use Summary of duties for your main responsibilities and contributions, including supervisory responsibilities where relevant. The illustrated form allows 1,000 characters; follow the live counter if it differs. Keep fuller examples for the Job Requirements answers.

A duties summary might read: “Coordinated monthly reporting from five programme partners; checked indicator submissions against supporting records; resolved missing data with focal points; prepared the consolidated progress brief.” This is an illustrative example, not wording to copy without matching experience.

For references, choose people who know your work, such as supervisors, colleagues or academic supervisors. Ask permission and check their contact details. Friends and relatives are not professional referees.

You may indicate that your current employer should not be contacted during the process. If you are selected, current-employer and supervisor verification is still required.²

6. Write your motivation and attach the documents

The motivation statement explains why you want this particular role and what you would contribute. OCHA’s application workshop gives a limit of 2,000 characters including spaces; check the live form’s counter, rather than treating that as a word limit.³

• Explain your interest in the function or office.
• Connect one or two relevant strengths to the work in the notice.
• Explain a career or location change if it would otherwise be unclear.

You do not need to repeat your entire employment history. Use the space to connect your experience to this opening.

Next, complete the declarations in Other information and upload the documents requested by the form and notice. Check the permitted formats and sizes, then reopen or preview each attachment to confirm it is readable. If a separate cover letter is required, provide it as well as completing the mandatory motivation field.

7. Review, certify and submit

Before submitting, compare your application with the vacancy one final time:

• Do your answers address every required criterion?
• Do employment dates, qualifications and examples agree across sections?
• Are the declarations complete and requested attachments present?
• Are the email address and Job Opening number correct?

Select Submit Application, read the terms and complete Certify and Submit Application. Keep the confirmation email and check My Applications. A status other than Draft or Withdrawn confirms that the application was submitted and received; check spam if the email is missing.¹

A saved draft is not a submission. Once submitted, the application cannot be edited. Withdrawing does not let you reapply to the same opening, so do not use withdrawal to correct a mistake. Keep a copy of the notice and final answers for possible assessments.