2. Introduction
A Personal History
Profile is a special online
resume, consisting of
questions about you
It includes General information, Address, Relations,
Education, Employment, Languages and
References Page
It is used to evaluate your suitability for a vacancy,
as well as for administrative purposes in case you
are selected to work with the UN
3. Introduction
Overview
Used to short list suitable
candidates
Laborious and time
consuming effort – needs
brain storming
Once submitted, can not
changed for the specific
vacancy
PHP for different job family
can be created and saved
4. 4
Aim
……. is to give you an insight on the
technicalities of filling the PHP
5. 5
What will we learn in this class?
Understand the importance of knowing yourself
and your position when building your PHP
Recognize the importance of understanding the
position in order to prepare an effective
application
Know and apply the steps to effectively describe
your duties and achievements
Be able to target your application and covering
letter to the job opening for which you are
applying
scope
6. Know yourself
You will first
need to know
and be able to
describe yourself
This is harder than it
sounds.
Ask
yourself
What did I do ? What was I
responsible for?
What competencies I use /
demonstrate?
What results did I achieve?
7. Know the position
Draft your application with a
position in mind
Ask
yourself
Do I meet the minimum qualifications ?
Do I have a thorough understanding of
the job mandate specifications and the
experience required?
Do I have the competencies for the
position?
Am I interested in the job for the right
reasons?
Does it make sense for me to apply
now?
Does it fit in with my future career goals?
4 NOs -
Reconsider
8. Understand the position
Analyze yourself
Analyze the position against
your qualifications.
Highlight the strengths you
have
Identify any gaps for future
development
Put yourself in the shoes of the hiring
manager: what he is looking for …….
This will help you to focus on your PHP
as well as to help you in preparing for a
potential job interview
Although your employment
history does not change,
most career counselors
suggest that it is best to
draft your application with a
position in mind . This will
enable you to best highlight
and demonstrate relevant
skill
9. Application : Key Areas
Screening Questions
Preferences
Education and Work
Experience Skills
References
Cover letter and
Additional Information
11. preferences
Mostly related to ‘Field of Work’ and
‘Work Location’
Primarily used by the UN to determine
candidate’s willingness for a particular
field mission
How did you come to know……? (with details)
Would you accept ….. Less than 12 months?
Are you interested in working as consultant?
Are you interested in working in part-time basis?
12. preferences
Preferred main office – Total 8 offices
Other preferred offices – All the offices are listed
Preferred field missions – All the mission are listed
14. Education and work experience
Education and work experience
To determine whether the applicant
worked in UN system or not
15. work experience
List every position held, not only the latest
one or those which are related to applied
position
Starting with
present, list from age
18 in reverse order
including internship
List all positions
separately, if held
simultaneously
under same
employer
16. work experience
Enter your functional title at this
employer
Job
Title
Present Job
By default, a check mark appears in the
box; if this is not your current employer,
remove the check mark
17. work experience
Click on Calendar icon and select the date you
started working with this employer
From To
This field is enabled if this is not your
current position. Click on Calendar icon and
select the date you left this particular job
18. work experience
Is this a civil servant position in your government?
Is this a position in the UN Secretariat?
Is this a position in another UN entity?
19. work experience
Name of the
Employer Enter the name of your employer. If the
name is longer than the field, use the
abbreviated name. Provide the full name of
the employer in one of the address fields
(Address 2 or Address 3) under the
Employer Address section
20. work experience
Employer’s
Phone & Fax
Enter the telephone and fax number of the
employer, including country code, area
code, number and, if applicable, extension
number
24. work experience
This field is enabled only if this is your current employer.
Select ‘Yes’ if you do not want the United Nations to
contact and then explain briefly why you object to
contacting your current employer
Do you have any objections to contact your
current employer for reference?
26. work experience
Indicate the business sector this employer
belongs to, such as, Consulting, Government,
International Organization, Non-Government
Organization (NGO), Private Sector, Self-
Employed and services. If the applicable
business sector is not in the list select 'Other‘
and explain.
Type of
Business
27. work experience
Select from the list that best describes the
field of work or similarity of functions. A job
family is a group of occupations based upon
work performed, skills, education, training
and credentials
Job Family
28. work experience
Select from the list of work that best
describes your experience
Field of
Work
Area of
Specialty
29. work experience
Select the type of employment ,e.g. full
time, part time, intern or other.
Experience listed as “other” will not be
counted as qualifying experience.
If not a full time position, describe the
reason i.e: “Part time employee because I was
attending school for my degree.”
Employment
Type
30. work experience
If you held a supervisory role, enter the
number of employees you directly supervised
No of
employees
Supervised
31. work experience
Select the type of employees i.e
Consultant, professionals, support
staff, interns, experts, entry level etc
Kind of
employees
Supervised
32. work experience
Describe the tasks performed on the job on a
daily basis
Duties describe the specific responsibilities
of the job
The character limit for this field is 2,500
characters
Updates will not affect the content of
applications previously submitted
Description
of duties
33. work experience
1. This is a higher staff officer post at the highest headquarters
level to assist under command units/formations in discharging
their day to day military security, administrative, training and
logistics responsibilities.
2. Assist in decision making with respect to security and training
matters including Annual Training Plan, Exercise plan, Institutional
Course plan etc.
3. As a member of a team, responsible to design, develop and
implement the training plan for the contingent heading for UNPKO.
4. Responsible to conduct TNA, regular survey and collection of
data and comment on various training activities related to security.
5. Responsible to keep a record of the individual performance of
officers in various formal training activities.
6. Responsible to select appropriate officer for specialist training
according to the requirement of the organization.
34. work experience
Tips – Writing Achievements
Whenever possible, use the language of the job
opening to describe your duties
Highlight your duties in descending order of
importance
Ask a trusted colleague to review what you have
written, before you submit it
Quantify when relevant (for example, if you
managed a budget, how large was it?)
Begin with an action verb; present tense for your
current job, past tense for all others
35. work experience
Positive Example – Writing Achievements
Analyze and oversee the disbursement of staff entitlements
(housing, education grant, hardship pay, etc.) to
approximately 250 UN staff members (100 and 200 contract
series) in the field
Organize and coordinate approximately 10-20
trainings/month for UN staff at headquarters and in 7 Offices
Away from Headquarters in the areas of people
management, conflict resolution, negotiation, and leadership
development
Coordinate payment of over 20,000 temporary electoral
employees, including workers in remote areas of Liberia
accessible only by helicopter
Led several evaluations of projects with budgets of over
$200,000 to assess water and waste management
programmers in Kenya and Tanzania
36. work experience
Negative Example – Writing Achievements
Manage office space, information technology equipment,
and a wide range of administrative responsibilities for the
Department of Management
Figure Out
Phrases like “wide range of
administrative responsibilities”
don’t rally describe what you
have done
37. work experience
Negative Example – Writing Achievements
Developed a quarterly newsletter
Figure Out
If you developed a quarterly
newsletter, who received it?
What did it include? Why was
this important?
38. work experience
Negative Example – Writing Achievements
Performed research as requested by the
Director
Figure Out
Again, performing research as
requested, is too vague. On what
topics? How was it used?
39. work experience
Describe what you have accomplished and
achieved during the stated period of employment
The character limit for this field is 3,700
characters
Achievements describe in specific terms
“how well” an individual did in his/her job
Summarize your
a’ments
40. work experience
Were the expectations exceeded?
Did you solve a particular problem or
introduce an innovative solution? If so, how was
this done?
Have you been involved in any projects?
What feedback and recognition have you
received from his/her supervisor or colleagues?
Examples
41. work experience
1. I could be oriented with decision making process by
being within.
2. Strategy formulation process allows me to foresee
the future requirement.
3. I am gradually acquainted with the total training
environment of the military task including the training
related to UNPKO.
4. I could understand the difference of security
training requirement according to work place
environment, tasks and equipment.
5. It allows me to compare the performance to make
appropriate selection for higher specialist training.
42. work experience
Tips – Writing Achievements
Achievements are generally drafted in past tense,
unless you want to highlight something with
which you are currently involved
As in duties, quantify when relevant. Numbers can
tell a story about the size and scope of what you
were responsible for, and the impact you have
made
Try to highlight achievements that are most
relevant to the job you are applying for, in order to
peak the interest of the hiring manager
Focus on things that about which you feel pride-
this is a good way to start brainstorming
43. work experience
Positive Example – Writing Achievements
Processed over 600 procurement cases totaling USD$500
billion in 2009, an increase of over 50% in 2008
Facilitated the establishment of $3M in major partnership
between the UN and a major European private company in
the area of water and sanitation
Successfully procured all equipment needed for smooth
operation of media coverage of several major global
conferences, including the Millennium Summit
Managed and monitored the portfolio implementation of over
70 projects totaling $20 million USD in the field of
democracy and good governance
44. work experience
Negative Example – Writing Achievements
Familiarized myself with a wide range of
procurement rules and regulations
Figure Out
Remember, I and my do not
belong in your PHP.
Familiarizing yourself with
rules and regulations doesn’t
show on impact on your work.
45. work experience
Negative Example – Writing Achievements
I helped my director to organize the office, and
responded to clients in a timely manner
Figure Out
What was the impact of
organizing the office?
“In a timely manner” is too
vague.
47. Education
List the schools and universities you have attended from
age 14 and higher in reverse chronological order
48. Education
Type of Education – University, Secondary, Related
Institution, Others
Main Course of Study – Related to field of work
Field of Study – Related to field of work
49. Education
Teaching Method – In person, long-distance etc
Additional Comments – Enter any comments that support
or clarify course and field of studies indicated.
(If ‘Other’ was selected in the previous two fields or the
‘Teaching Method’ field, then provide a brief explanation)
51. Skill
This section applies only to
current and former United
Nations staff members
UN Training
and Learning
52. Skill
Indicate any licenses or
certificates obtained from
recognized authorities, other
than UN training certificates, but
including the successful passing
on any of the United Nations
Examinations
Licenses and
Certificate
53. Skill
State your mother tongue
(primary language) and indicate
your knowledge of the United
Nations two (2) working
languages (English and French),
along with other languages that
you may possess
Fluent - The capacity to achieve most communicative
goals and express oneself on a familiar range of topics.
Confident - The ability to communicate in a limited
way in familiar situations and to deal in a general way with
non-routine information.
Basic - The ability to deal with simple, straightforward
information and begin to express oneself in limited
contexts.
Language
54. Skill
The applicant can list any
recognized publications
May attach a copy of the
publication
Publication
55. references
You are required to list three (3)
persons as contact references who
can attest to your work history and
qualifications.
You can include present or past
supervisors, colleagues, mentors
and/or thesis advisors, but do not list
any family members.
56. Covering Letter
Specific to position
Resumes or CVs are not accepted
Supplemental information as required
will be requested in the course of the
application
57. Covering Letter
Brief, three to four
paras and focused
Distinguish from
others with a
good match
Experience,
qualifications
competencies
Convey a sense
as a applicant
Demonstrate a
strong writing
skill
58. Covering Letter
Three Parts Part 1
Introduction Introduce yourself and explain
why you are interested
“I am writing to apply for the position of Human Resource
Officer (P 4) in the office of Human Resource Management
Office of Learning, Leadership and Organizational
Development Section. With over 10 years of experience in
recruitment, staff development and performance
management, both at headquarters and in two
peacekeeping missions, I believe I bring a strong, well-
rounded background that would allow me to contribute to
this section”
59. Covering Letter
Part 2
Body
2-3 Paragraphs
Keep it organized
One Paragraphs – Focus on education
One Paragraphs – Focus on Skills
(research/analysis, writing, management and IT)
One Paragraphs – Focus on Area of expertise
Describe some personal qualities
60. Covering Letter
Part 3
State your interest in organization,
department, unit and job
Why you are particularly interested?
Be specific
61. Covering Letter
Tips
Draft your letter in MS Word or a similar
program
Be natural – avoid cliches ( ‘team Player’,
‘People person’
Be positive, polite and professional
Be confident, but not arrogant
62. Covering Letter
Tips
Use spell check icon in inspira wherever
provided, but automatic spell checking
can’t tell the difference between ‘form’ and
‘from’
Make sure your cover note answers
following two critical questions:
a. Why are you interested in the position?
b. Why should you be considered?
