MY DREAM AT THE UN

By Alicia Goeckel

How did you get in contact with the UN?

The UN is something I have always been working towards. I got my first job as a translator at the UN when I was 16 and I have gone on a field mission for half a year when I was 19. So I have always been in contact with the UN. 

Do you think that your previous experience helped you get the internship?

Yes, I’ve done four or five internships before and I’ve always done volunteer work in the humanitarian sector. Technically, you don’t need experience, but every intern I met had a very packed LinkedIn. They get so many applications, so they hire someone who has some experience.

What is your educational background?

I am now in my final year of Global Management of Social Issues at Tilburg University, which is a very broad program including management and international law. It gives you the needed skills for working in an international organization. Within my study, I specialized in public information and human rights through volunteer work. It really helped me to have a very solid theoretical background during my internship. However, I had to learn a lot about publishing as my internship was in publications within the department of global communications. 

Can you describe a regular day at the UN?

During the first half of my internship, I worked remotely from the Netherlands following the New York time. So I started at 16:00 and worked until midnight. It was rough at first but once I got used to it, it was nice to have the first half of the day for myself.

During the last two months of my internship, I flew to New York as the Covid restrictions were released. My routine was getting to the office around 9:00 and getting through all the security checks which took some time. Most of my day-to-day job was handling e-mails. I had a big list provided by the department of every important upcoming event. Whenever a rapport came out that is published by the secretariat, then that is me. I would have to call the authors, asking how it was going and when it would be ready. I had to organize that everything got to the secretariat for release in time.

Did you feel like you were being challenged?

In a positive way, yes. My internship position was overlapping with a full-time staff member's maternity leave, hence I did a lot of work that wasn’t originally internship work. My supervisors kept checking on me, so I felt really well taken care of. 

Did you feel that you were valued as an intern?

I did a lot of internships, including stereotypical ones making coffee. But not here. Everyone was very friendly to me, kept checking in, and welcomed me to New York very nicely. They treated me with respect always and I even got a letter of recommendation from my supervisor. 

What is the organizational culture like within the UN?

I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it would be a lot more hierarchical, but it was an open office floor plan and socially communicative even though not everyone was at the office at the same time. 

What was it like to move to New York for two months?

It was wonderful! I got to meet people in a different way. Unfortunately, the internship was unpaid so it was a bit difficult to pay for my expenses. I don’t think I could have gone for six months, money-wise. I had a room on the Upper Eastside, so I had to commute to the UN headquarters every morning, which took quite some time. But I am so happy that I got to be there, even if it was just for two months. 

What made the unpaid internship worth it?

I got really lucky with my time. I worked with a small group of dedicated people and I learned a lot from them. Besides, I always wanted to work for the UN and now I got to work in the heart of it, the secretariat, opening a lot of doors for me.

The fact that internships are unpaid is also my greatest criticism as the UN is the organization that essentially invented human rights. I am trying really hard and am working 45 hours a week, but people telling me that I did a good job doesn’t pay the rent. Everyone that I worked with was financially supported by their families and I would have liked to see some more diversity. 

Are you planning to pursue your career at the UN after graduation?

Yes, ideally. In a few months, I am moving to The Hague for an internship at the International Criminal Court, which is part of the UN. But I know it is very competitive, so we’ll see.

Are there any things you would have done differently?

Even though on the practical side, it was good for me to work remotely half of the time, I do think that I missed some things in the office. In an ideal situation, I would have liked to be there full-time and not remotely. 

One mistake that I made initially was that I applied way too early, so I didn’t hear back from organizations for months. The UN job applications for internships are so last minute (one or two months before) and I was applying half a year in advance. Looking back, I would have been a bit more adaptive. Otherwise, it all went pretty smoothly. 

Were you disappointed that you didn’t see the impact that you were making?

What kept me motivated is that I saw so many people that were extremely dedicated to what they were doing and how all of the details mattered. I wasn’t solving world hunger by getting something published on time, but I did my part and everyone around me was working really hard doing their parts. 

What is the most valuable thing you learned during this internship?

I learned a lot about professional communication, being diplomatic in difficult situations, and handling tight deadlines. In the beginning, I was quite insecure, but over time it went more naturally. 

What advice would have helped you along the way?

It is good to know that you don’t have to apply earlier than three months before the internship. This also means that you have to be flexible as you only know a few weeks before you got the internship. Also, a great way to gain experience is through UNV: an online volunteering service in all kinds of areas that gives you connections.