UN Young Professionals Programme 2025: The United Nations (UN) is currently accepting applications for its Young Professionals Programme (YPP) for the 2025 cycle. This recruitment initiative allows qualified candidates from participating countries to start a career as international civil servants within the UN Secretariat. Applications can be submitted through the official portal until December 14, 2025.
YPP is one of the UN’s flagship pathways for early-career professionals. It includes a competitive entrance examination and structured professional development for those selected to join the organisation.
Who Can Apply
The programme is open only to nationals of countries listed for this year’s exam cycle. Applicants must hold at least a relevant first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent), be 32 years or younger in the exam year, and be fluent in English or French.
The examination is conducted annually in specific subject areas depending on the UN’s requirements. The list of participating countries and exam areas changes each year. Applications are submitted through Inspira, the UN’s recruitment system.
Application Process
Here’s direct link to apply
Candidates are advised to:
- Check eligibility for nationality, age, education, and language criteria.
- Review the job opening for the exam area on Inspira or the UN Careers Portal when the application window opens in June.
- Prepare the application carefully, following the guidelines and video tutorials provided on the platform.
- The UN screens all applications for accuracy and completeness. If more than 90 eligible applicants apply from the same country for an exam area, additional ranking takes place based on education level, language skills and relevant experience.
Exam Structure
The YPP examination generally consists of:
Stage 1: Online MCQ Test
A two-hour test with general and specialized multiple-choice questions. It is available in English or French.
Stage 2: Written Assessment
A 2-2.5-hour online assessment with open-ended, specialised questions. Some questions must be answered in English or French, while others may be answered in any of the UN’s six official languages. Remote proctoring may be used.
Stage 3: Interview
Shortlisted candidates are invited to a competency-based interview conducted via video conference.
All candidates receive updates on their exam status.
Work Experience
While work experience is not an eligibility requirement for the programme, depending on the number of applicants from each country, relevant work experience may be used to rank candidates. Please be precise and succinct about your work experience.
Languages
Candidates must be fluent in all four areas (speak, read, write, understand) in English or French.
Indicating anything less than “Fluent” in any of those areas is disqualifying.
Recruitment and Placement
- Applicants who clear all stages are placed on a roster valid for three years. Selection from the roster depends on vacancies across the UN Secretariat.Selected candidates are offered a two-year fixed-term contract at the P-1 or P-2 level depending on qualifications and work experience. After two years and satisfactory performance, they may receive a continuing contract.
- Postings may be in any UN duty station, including New York, Geneva, Nairobi, Bangkok, Vienna, Beirut, Santiago, Addis Ababa and others. New recruits must be open to relocation for their first assignment.
- The UN also offers a Managed Reassignment Programme for junior staff after two years in their initial role, enabling movement across departments or duty stations.
Success Stories
The UN highlights several professionals who began their careers through YPP, including:
- Alexia Poriki (Greece) – Department for General Assembly and Conference Management, New York
- Edo Mahendra (Indonesia) – Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York
- Hiroaki Ogawa (Japan) – Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York
- Lydia Rosa Geny (Brazil) – Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Port of Spain
- Selsah Pasali (Türkiye) – UNCTAD, Addis Ababa
- Stephen Banea (USA) – UN ESCAP, Nairobi
- Verena Bongartz (Germany) – Department of Global Communications, Nairobi
- Viera Pejchal (Slovakia) – Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nairobi
If you want to begin a career in global governance and international public service, the UN advises applying before the December 14, 2025 deadline.
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