11 Career tips from UN-Habitat professionals

Know what you want. 

Knowing what you want and what drives you in your work is key to finding the right opportunities to develop yourself. Identify your niche during your study programme, rather than trying to cover everything. Find out what you are passionate about, what you want to work on further, and find the topics that you're genuinely interested. This will help you map your next steps. More importantly, knowing this will serve you well in the future too, as you encounter ups and downs. You will discover it's easier to sustain the motivation when you're working on something that you really care about.

Meet people

This is one of the fastest and most powerful paths to growth. Expand your network, get in touch with other professionals you can look up and ask them for advice. Increase your exposure to the topics that you’re interested in and get connected to those already working in the field. Find organisations you’d like to work for and follow their activity. Conferences, seminars, volunteering, and alumni events are all opportunities to learn from others and build meaningful professional relationships, not just collect business cards. 

Not one magic skill, but a combo

Graduates often want to know what skills are “a must”, but the answer is often a combo of skills. Besides the necessary technical skills which can vary depending on the vacancy, soft skills are crucial. Commonly required skills include teamwork, professionalism, communication, planning and organizing/project management, and client orientation. Also not to be underestimated are the ability to work in a multicultural environment and ability to apply your skills to real world challenges. Past behaviour is often a good indicator of future performances, so draw on past experiences to demonstrate how you have applied these competencies in real-life situations.

Strengthen your people skills

Technical expertise is essential, but communication, stakeholder engagement, teamwork, and collaboration are just as important when working across governments, communities, and organisations. It’s essential to be able to communicate about your work externally and internally, not just with stakeholders but also within your team.

Develop depth before breadth

Build strong expertise in a field you're passionate about. Once you have a solid foundation, broaden your knowledge to understand how your work connects with wider urban challenges. Issues in the urban landscape are very interconnected and understanding how they are cross-linked will make you a better professional.

Gain practical experience

You can gain practical experience through internships, volunteering, community projects, consultancy and similar opportunities. They all help develop transferable skills and demonstrate initiative - even if they aren't within the UN system. Find these opportunities to gain field experience as much as possible and in diverse contexts. Don’t be afraid to try volunteering in a new country, for instance.

Tailor your job applications

Avoid writing generic applications and focus on the quality of your CV and motivation. Why are you there? What kind of impact do you want to make? This is what makes you unique. Don’t forget to align with the vacancy requirements. Read each vacancy carefully, use the language from the job description, and clearly show how your experience matches the role. Avoid using AI too much (recruiters can tell) and be careful not to have spelling mistakes. When listing previous experience, know that employers like the UN want to know what difference you've made. Focus on achievements, impact, results, and real examples rather than simply listing responsibilities. 

Stay flexible

Sometimes good lessons may come from unexpected places. Be adaptable, even if a new opportunity may be spontaneous or unfamiliar. In such a large organization like UN-Habitat, you might come across new challenges that you did not plan on tackling, but if you are willing to work with others and learn, you will come out with valuable experiences.

Your career is a marathon, not a sprint

Building a career in international development is a long-term path. Keep making a steady effort, stay patient, remain adaptable, and focus on making a positive impact wherever you are. Every experience contributes to your journey. 

Life-long learning

In the beginning, growth is accelerated by a need to succeed and learning is indispensable. Throughout your career, informal learning doesn’t stop, but having a conscious habit and a commitment to learn at every level will help you become your best version. A large and diverse organization like UN-Habitat provides incredible learning opportunities, with so much expertise, but opportunities can be found in every context and at any level, so cultivate a mindset of continuous learning and stay curious.

Be persistent

Rejections are part of the process. Many UN professionals applied multiple times before landing their first role. Treat every application as a learning opportunity and keep refining your approach. 

At IHS, learning extends far beyond the classroom. Through our global alumni network, expert practitioners, and industry events, students gain valuable insights into careers in international development and urban transformation. Whether your ambition is to work for the UN, local governments, NGOs, or the private sector, during your study you have the opportunity to gain the knowledge, practical experience, and global connections to help shape the cities of tomorrow.