- Write outcomes, not duties: Replace 'responsible for' with a strong verb and a measurable result.
- Use numbers carefully: Numbers, percentages and dollar amounts show impact. Just make sure you don't share anything that isn't public.
- Keep your duty of discretion: UN Staff Regulation 1.2(i) still applies to non-public information.
'Responsible for' is the most common phrase on UN resumes, and the least memorable. Here's how to turn duties into results while still respecting UN confidentiality and Staff Regulation 1.2(i).
From Duties to Results
UN job descriptions are full of duty statements: 'Responsible for monitoring implementation of project activities.' But employers outside the UN don't want to know what you were supposed to do. They want to know what changed because you were there. A simple formula helps: write every bullet as Action + Context + Result.
Write Bullets That Show Results
Here's how a duty becomes an achievement. (The numbers here are made up. Use your own real ones, and only if they're public.)
- Duty: 'Responsible for preparing monthly financial reports for donors.'
- Achievement: 'Streamlined the financial reporting process across 4 country offices, cutting monthly donor submission time by 40% while keeping 100% audit compliance.'
- Duty: 'Organized training workshops for national healthcare workers.'
- Achievement: 'Designed and ran a national health training program that built the skills of 450+ clinicians across 12 rural districts.'
Impact and Confidentiality: Doing Both
Recruiters love specific numbers, but former UN staff also need to stay discreet. How do you do both? The rule is simple: when in doubt, share less.
In plain words: you must not share information from your work that the UN hasn't made public. The formal text of Staff Regulation 1.2(i) says: 'Staff members shall exercise the utmost discretion in regard to all matters of official business. They shall not communicate to any government, entity or person any information known to them by reason of their official position that has not been made public, except in the normal course of their duties or by authorization.'
If exact figures or political details aren't public, describe the scale in general terms instead: 'Managed a multi-million dollar emergency portfolio across 3 conflict-affected zones' or 'Negotiated operational access with national government partners.'
Find three bullets on your CV that start with 'Responsible for.' Rewrite them with the Action + Context + Result formula.