- Keep your stories short: Use the STAR method, but answer in 2 to 3 minutes and focus on results.
- Study the organization: Read its annual report, funding sources, leaders and recent plans.
- Prepare for open questions: Practice answering 'Tell me about yourself' without reading your CV out loud.
UN panel interviews follow a script. Outside interviews feel more like a conversation, and that can be a surprise. Here's how to shorten your stories and research the employer.
UN Panel Interviews and Outside Interviews Are Different
UN staff are well trained in Competency-Based Interviews (CBI), where panel members read the same questions word for word and score the answers against a fixed guide. Interviews at international NGOs, foundations and companies are very different. They feel more like conversations. People are looking at fit, how clearly you communicate, how quickly you adapt, and how you carry yourself.
Shorten Your STAR Stories
Keep the STAR structure (Situation, Task, Action, Result), but change how you deliver it:
- Time: Keep each answer to 2 or 3 minutes at most. (Long, detailed answers work in a UN panel. In a conversation, they can lose people.)
- Language: Leave out UN acronyms and administrative detail.
- Results: Spend half of your answer on the outcome and what you learned.
Research Before You Go
Look up your interviewers on LinkedIn, and read the organization's strategic plan, annual financial report, main donors and recent news. If the interview is by video, confirm the time zone and test your equipment 24 hours before. A calm, prepared start makes a big difference.
Write a 90-second answer to 'Tell me about yourself.' Include your main expertise, your key achievements and where you want to go next.