Warm introductions
Many good jobs start with a conversation, not an application. Former UN colleagues who already made the move are often happy to talk.
How it works, in four steps
1. Pick 5 employers
Use the list below. Choose places where your skills fit.
2. Find former UN staff there
They know both worlds and often say yes.
3. Ask for 15 minutes
Ask for advice, not a job.
4. Follow up and track
A kind follow-up is normal. Keep notes.
Leaving the UN, a cold application is hard.
Many employers outside the UN get hundreds of applications for one role. Recruiters read fast and may not understand UN job titles, grades or contract types. A conversation fixes much of this.
Outside the UN, few people know what a P-4 or a country office does. An insider can explain your work in their language.
Many roles are filled through networks, short contracts or expert lists before a job is ever posted.
A colleague who knows you, or met you, can pass your name to the hiring manager.
Data from one large US company. Source: Brown, Setren and Topa, "Do Informal Referrals Lead to Better Matches?", Journal of Labor Economics, 2016. Results at other employers will differ.
This is for you if
Who to contact
You do not need to know someone already. You need a few good conversations. Start with the people most likely to say yes.
- 1Former UN colleagues
Start here. They made the same move, so they understand your situation and can tell you what changed.
- 2People in the role you want
They can tell you what the job is really like and what the team looks for.
- 3People who joined recently
They remember how they were hired and what the process looked like.
- 4Second-degree contacts
Ask a shared contact to introduce you. A short, warm introduction gets a better reply than a cold message.
What to say, and what not to ask
Do
- Say who you are and where you worked, in one or two lines
- Say why you chose them: the same agency, the same move, the same field
- Ask for 15 minutes, and offer to fit their time
- Ask about their path and their work
- Thank them, and tell them later what happened
Do not
- Do not ask for a job or a referral in the first message
- Do not attach your CV unless they ask
- Do not send a long life story
- Do not send the same message to many people at once
- Do not follow up more than twice
Why not ask for a job? It puts people on the spot, and most cannot hire you. Ask for advice instead. If the chat goes well, people often offer to introduce you or pass on your name.
Message templates
Hello [Name], I worked at [UN agency] for [number] years, most recently as [role]. I see that you moved from the UN to [Employer], and I am thinking about a similar step. Would you have 15 minutes for a short call in the next few weeks? I would like to hear how you made the move and what the work is like. Thank you for considering it. Best regards, [Your name]
Change the words in [brackets]. Keep it short and personal.
Good questions for a 15-minute chat
- How did you move from the UN to your current employer?
- What does a normal week look like?
- Which of my UN skills matter most here? Which do people not understand?
- How do people usually get hired here: posts, short contracts, expert lists?
- Who else should I talk to?
How to follow up
Send your first message.
No reply? Send one short follow-up.
Keep to 15 minutes. Ask your questions, then listen.
Send a thank-you note with one thing you learned.
Share a short update. This is when people often offer to introduce you.
Employers that hire former UN staff
57 employers in 8 sectors. Pick a sector to see the roles former UN staff often hold there and a common way in. Then open the careers page, or find people with a UN background on LinkedIn.
World Bank Group
Typical roles: Operations, sector specialists, safeguards, procurement, evaluation
International Monetary Fund
Typical roles: Operations, sector specialists, safeguards, procurement, evaluation
African Development Bank
Typical roles: Operations, sector specialists, safeguards, procurement, evaluation
Asian Development Bank
Typical roles: Operations, sector specialists, safeguards, procurement, evaluation
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Typical roles: Operations, sector specialists, safeguards, procurement, evaluation
European Investment Bank
Typical roles: Operations, sector specialists, safeguards, procurement, evaluation
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Typical roles: Operations, sector specialists, safeguards, procurement, evaluation
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Typical roles: Program officers, grants management, partnerships, policy
Rockefeller Foundation
Typical roles: Program officers, grants management, partnerships, policy
Ford Foundation
Typical roles: Program officers, grants management, partnerships, policy
Open Society Foundations
Typical roles: Program officers, grants management, partnerships, policy
Wellcome
Typical roles: Program officers, grants management, partnerships, policy
Children's Investment Fund Foundation
Typical roles: Program officers, grants management, partnerships, policy
Aga Khan Development Network
Typical roles: Program officers, grants management, partnerships, policy
Boston Consulting Group
Typical roles: Technical experts, team leaders, monitoring and evaluation, advisory
Deloitte
Typical roles: Technical experts, team leaders, monitoring and evaluation, advisory
PwC
Typical roles: Technical experts, team leaders, monitoring and evaluation, advisory
EY
Typical roles: Technical experts, team leaders, monitoring and evaluation, advisory
KPMG
Typical roles: Technical experts, team leaders, monitoring and evaluation, advisory
DAI
Typical roles: Technical experts, team leaders, monitoring and evaluation, advisory
Chemonics
Typical roles: Technical experts, team leaders, monitoring and evaluation, advisory
Palladium
Typical roles: Technical experts, team leaders, monitoring and evaluation, advisory
Abt Global
Typical roles: Technical experts, team leaders, monitoring and evaluation, advisory
Oxford Policy Management
Typical roles: Technical experts, team leaders, monitoring and evaluation, advisory
Tetra Tech
Typical roles: Technical experts, team leaders, monitoring and evaluation, advisory
Dalberg
Typical roles: Technical experts, team leaders, monitoring and evaluation, advisory
MSCI
Typical roles: ESG analysts, impact measurement, climate and social risk
Morningstar Sustainalytics
Typical roles: ESG analysts, impact measurement, climate and social risk
Global Impact Investing Network
Typical roles: ESG analysts, impact measurement, climate and social risk
Acumen
Typical roles: ESG analysts, impact measurement, climate and social risk
British International Investment
Typical roles: ESG analysts, impact measurement, climate and social risk
FMO
Typical roles: ESG analysts, impact measurement, climate and social risk
CDP
Typical roles: ESG analysts, impact measurement, climate and social risk
World Resources Institute
Typical roles: ESG analysts, impact measurement, climate and social risk
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Typical roles: Program management, technical advisers, country operations, policy
The Global Fund
Typical roles: Program management, technical advisers, country operations, policy
PATH
Typical roles: Program management, technical advisers, country operations, policy
Médecins Sans Frontières
Typical roles: Program management, technical advisers, country operations, policy
CEPI
Typical roles: Program management, technical advisers, country operations, policy
FHI 360
Typical roles: Program management, technical advisers, country operations, policy
Population Council
Typical roles: Program management, technical advisers, country operations, policy
Brookings Institution
Typical roles: Research fellows, policy analysts, program managers
Chatham House
Typical roles: Research fellows, policy analysts, program managers
Center for Global Development
Typical roles: Research fellows, policy analysts, program managers
International Institute for Environment and Development
Typical roles: Research fellows, policy analysts, program managers
OECD
Typical roles: Research fellows, policy analysts, program managers
Microsoft
Typical roles: Public policy, sustainability, partnerships, government affairs
Typical roles: Public policy, sustainability, partnerships, government affairs
Unilever
Typical roles: Public policy, sustainability, partnerships, government affairs
Nestlé
Typical roles: Public policy, sustainability, partnerships, government affairs
Novartis
Typical roles: Public policy, sustainability, partnerships, government affairs
Mastercard
Typical roles: Public policy, sustainability, partnerships, government affairs
Vestas
Typical roles: Public policy, sustainability, partnerships, government affairs
International Committee of the Red Cross
Typical roles: Country directors, program and emergency staff, advocacy
International Rescue Committee
Typical roles: Country directors, program and emergency staff, advocacy
Save the Children
Typical roles: Country directors, program and emergency staff, advocacy
Oxfam
Typical roles: Country directors, program and emergency staff, advocacy
Careers links checked on 25 October 2026. Some sites block automated checks. Roles and routes are general patterns by sector, not promises about any employer. LinkedIn search needs a LinkedIn account. We do not list any names.
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