United Nations interview preparation
Competency-based interviews at the UN Secretariat follow the UN Competency Framework and rely almost entirely on behavioural (CBI) questions scored against defined indicators.
UN Secretariat panels use competency-based interviewing (CBI). Panels of three or more assess a shortlist of competencies drawn directly from the job opening, score each answer against positive and negative behavioural indicators, and take verbatim notes. Answers are expected in STAR format: Situation, Task, Action, Result.
UN interview questions
- Tell me about a time when you were unable to meet a deadline. What happened and what did you do?Intermediate
- Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult colleague to deliver a shared output.Intermediate
- Give an example of when you had to manage several competing priorities with a tight deadline.Foundational
- Tell me about a time you witnessed or experienced gender bias or inappropriate behaviour at work. What did you do?Advanced
Practise a mock UN panel
Generate a full competency-based mock interview from any vacancy announcement and get scored against the official behavioural indicators.
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