- Start with people who already know you: List 20 former colleagues, donors and partners, especially those who have already moved on.
- Join UN alumni groups: Reach out to AFICS and agency alumni groups for advice and information.
- Ask for advice, not for jobs: Ask for short conversations, not for job openings.
Similar to the UN, many jobs are filled through people who know each other, and a referral can move your application to the front of the line. Here's how to use UN alumni networks, AFICS and simple outreach to find those openings.
Why UN Alumni Networks Matter
Who you know really changes what happens to your application. In Ashby's 2025 analysis of 38 million applications from companies using its recruiting software, 40% of referred candidates went from application to interview, compared with 3% of candidates who applied directly. Only about 1% of applications came through referrals, so a referral is rare and valuable. (It's data from one recruiting software company's customers, so treat it as a signal, not a law.) Former UN staff also understand your situation better than anyone, so they're often your strongest supporters.
Map Your Network
Start by writing down 20 people across four groups:
- Former UN colleagues who moved to NGOs or companies 1 to 4 years ago.
- Government partners and donors you worked with on joint missions or program reviews.
- Leaders of implementing partners, in nonprofits or consulting firms.
- Members of professional associations in your field (for example PMP, CIPS, SHRM).
Former Staff Associations (AFICS / FAFICS)
Associations of Former International Civil Servants (AFICS) exist in the major UN cities (New York, Geneva, Vienna, Bangkok). Their focus is pensions and health insurance, but many local chapters also hold networking events and offer mentoring. Inter-agency alumni groups on LinkedIn are useful too.
Use LinkedIn to Find the Right People
Five quick moves: search by employer, look for second-degree contacts, join alumni and professional groups, add a note to every connection request, and fix your profile first.
It ends with: keep the first message short and ask for 15 minutes of advice, not a job.
Warm Introductions Beat Cold Applications
Employers outside the UN get hundreds of applications, so a cold one is hard to stand out with. A warm introduction is much more likely to get read.
It sends readers to the warm introductions section under the Finding Work menu on your Leaving the UN site, for templates, chat questions and the follow-up schedule.
List 10 former UN colleagues who now work in nonprofits or private sector companies. Send a short, friendly message to three of them today.