r/UNpath • u/CautiousAppearance94 • 2d ago
Need advice: career path Should I resign from my UN position?
Hi everyone,
I’m posting here because I want the opinions of people in the UN system.
I started working remotely for a UN agency 6 months ago and I absolutely love it. Joining the UN was a dream come true, and I’m lucky to be doing the type of work I love most.
However, in these few months, I saw signs of instability in the agency, several “restructurings” and contracts not being renewed.. and it’s making me feel unsafe in my position despite my manager’s reassurance.
Before I joined, I had another offer from a company that I turned down, but they’re still interested in me. This offer is less interesting (not the kind of work I want to do, private sector, less money) but the company is stable (never heard of layoffs there) and it will allow me to move to a better country (I live in a 3rd world country) while my UN position is tied to my country..
I’m in a dilemma. I don’t want to leave but I dont want to miss out on a good opportunity only to be discarded by the UN and be stuck in my country with no prospects.. Is the relocation to Europe worth giving up the UN?
I would appreciate any advice or past experience
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u/Annual_Twist_1303 1d ago
Honestly, Europe is trash. This is coming from someone whose origin is a 3rd world country but was born and raised in Europe. There is opportunities yes, but cost of living is a real thing. If you have a nice UN salary then that will go further in your home country than Europe. The only benefit of Europe is a passport in one of it's many countries but that'll take a few years to achieve but PR is easier. I love everything Europe has given me and taught me but it has declined since Covid but I think that is most of the world, it'll take a while for it to get back to where it was...
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u/AccomplishedNebula66 1d ago
Hi, I've been in the UN for a few years now, and my agency went through restructuring twice since I joined. I left a stable permanent contract in Italy (I come from a 3rd world country too, but I have residency in Italy because I studied and lived here). With all the uncertainty going on in the world and the system, I started applying for jobs almost a year ago, and I finally decided to quit the UN and take the stable job. It depends on what matters most to you: foreign passport, stability, or the UN. The UN can't and won't offer any stability unfortunately.
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u/AccomplishedNebula66 1d ago
I'll add to this some other perks.
- A stable job in Europe gives you access to loans, investments, so you can even plan on buying real estate and build a stable life away from home. The UN contract modality, no matter what it is, isn't really appreciated by banks (at least in Italy) as they know how unstable contracts are.
- pension: paying taxes guarantees you a pension. Not sure about PSA, but a consultancy in my agency doesn't give you any pension rights.
- access to healthcare: yes okay we have cigna, but free public healthcare for life is something so valuable
So yes, the UN pay is higher, but you have to take care of all of the above out of your own pocket. It's a very tough decision to make, especially when it means that you will get paid 50% less. But if you do the maths, there are many financial benefits from any job in Europe.
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u/Criminologist-LLM 6h ago
I agree to all of this… with the type of residence permit you get, usually you are not even eligible for permanent residency.
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u/Time_Shape6277 2d ago
What does UN do, a useless body, can’t even protect single life on this planet.
Don’t waste your life behind a brand which don’t work only talk.
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u/QuentinTarzantino 2d ago
Thats what the UN was established on. Communication and safty latter. Otherwise its just a normal military.
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u/Dry_Menu4804 2d ago
I would take the job in the EU country as it will likely give you a better salary, a real career and a chance on a EU nationality. I am ex-UN BTW.
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u/Pitiful-Ad2665 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think the same. Thinking in the long run, maybe it's less money now, but later it could give you a better chance to get a better job at another company.
I work for an agency, and I’m tired of having to keep applying just to get a better job and I don’t have private sector experience so less chance to have a career shift. Internal promotions are not a thing in this agency.
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u/Straight-Presence258 2d ago
If you feel you learned everything you can with UN, then move to Europe. UN is not going to be stable in foreseeable future. Build career outside UN, get European residence etc. if situation changes at the UN you would be always able to find another opportunity. If it doesn't, well then you are already out and moved on.
P.S never trust managere on extensions 😉😅
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u/sirwobblz 2d ago
I would personally go a little longer than six months to see how it is. It's always unstable at the UN - especially since Trump. That said, if stability is what you want and if you want that opportunity to go to Europe - that makes a lot of sense too.
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u/CautiousAppearance94 2d ago
Yeah ideally I should complete my 1 year assignment then decide, but the other company wouldn’t wait that long
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u/lookmumninjas 2d ago
Take the private sector. All of us in the UN are living with the stress of layoffs or downgraded positions
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u/NMLEOC2 2d ago
Unless things have changed - if you are in a fixed term contract and they adjust/eliminate your post the system gives you hiring preferences elsewhere in the system. I left after 17 years because they asked me twice (I agreed once) to step down a grade (at same pay) and I wasn’t willing to risk upward mobility to that extent - but it’s a personal choice. I landed good after the UN, you have to take the opportunities when they happen. But at only six months in the decision is different - and as I said very personal.
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u/SnooDonuts500 2d ago
Move to Europe
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u/CautiousAppearance94 2d ago
Straight to the point😂 thanks
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u/SnooDonuts500 2d ago
I'm from a similar country as you (now in a major HQ location in the UN), and I think over the long term, the benefits of moving to Europe would outweigh other concerns. It would be one thing if you were a staff w/a fixed term/continuing contract; but PSA is too unpredictable. Depending on your age etc, maybe once you're in Europe and get residency and settled down, you can always apply to the UN from there (or even aid agencies there). Long term quality of life: move to Europe if there is an opportunity.
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u/Ambedkar4eva 2d ago
Perhaps it depends on your contract? If you have a fixed term contract on regular budget with full benefits with regards to health care and pension, education grants etc, perhaps staying is worth it.
Someone mentioned leave without pay. That could be an option, if you want to try something else without burning any bridges.
If you will increase job security by leaving, I would consider it.
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u/Long-Definition7091 2d ago
Your instincts are right listen to them restructuring may continue look at how the US is pulling funding for the UN look at the global politics and just know if they have to down size some more they're cutting stuff from 3rd world countries first...
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u/Beneficial-Tie2744 2d ago
You could try to request special leave without pay https://policy.un.org/en/annual-and-special-leave-1#Rule5.5 . That's quite a stretch, especially to move in the private sector, and can only be a temporary solution (2 years max). In case it is granted you get to see if you enjoy the relocation in Europe while remaining in the UN system and being able to come back at any time.
However, be mindful before requesting such leave that it may send the signal to your manager that you are not really enjoying your current position.
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u/Savage_Whiskers With UN experience 2d ago
You are happy with your job and your manager told you not worry! Listen to them! Stay where you are and seek opportunities to grow within your area of work and organization. Plenty of relocation opportunities with UN too.
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u/sirwobblz 2d ago
OP seems to be national staff - not sure if I got that right. not that many relocation opportunities even if they do exist. Very different to international staff anyway
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u/CautiousAppearance94 2d ago
Sorry I wasn’t specific enough. I’m on an IPSA contract, not national. My understanding is that I wouldn’t be eligible for IPSA if I moved to the country of my duty station right? They never brought up relocating me anyway
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u/sirwobblz 2d ago
I'd check with HR - google tells me that IPSA is only really a thing at one UN org and that's not the one I'm at. Generally - UN work is not like other jobs where they have job security. It can all change pretty quickly. I've been pretty lucky for the past ten years anyway and it's worked out well.
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u/itsmeloic With UN experience 2d ago
Trusting a manager on contract promises is never a good advice, and unsure how you think there is plenty of “relocation” opportunities within the UN.
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u/Savage_Whiskers With UN experience 2d ago
Quitting without justification isn’t good advice either. As per OP, there is no evidence or signs that their contract is at risk. There is also no guarantee that the private company will lead to relocation.
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u/ArgumentZestyclose62 2d ago
You could stay in the UN and go to the other company if layoffs were to happen to your area and the company is still willing to have you
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u/Criminologist-LLM 6h ago
I recently resigned from a UN organization exactly because of the reasons you listed. I even posted on Reddit as well. My point is you are valid thinking all this. I too considered everything and made the same decision. Like the saying: “Great minds think alike”, I think currently the best decision for people who want a long term career, is to leave the UN.