Public Information Intern (Sep 2024)

Your role

Position Summary:

The Internship is in the Outreach Division of the Department of Global Communications, in the NGO Relations, Advocacy, and Special Events Section, specifically with the Advocacy part of the team. The selected candidates will report to the Chief of the Section. The section promotes partnerships and collaborations with the global entertainment industry, including film, television, documentaries, new media, sport, and music as well as partnerships with Civil Society Organizations. Two internship positions are available and the selected candidates will report to the Chief of the Section.

The internship is unpaid and full-time. Interns work five days a week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the office to which they are assigned. This internship is designed to be full-time and in-person in New York but can be adjusted based on the request of the successful candidate.

Responsibilities:

The selected interns may perform some of the following functions:

• Providing support for projects undertaken with external partners from the entertainment or sports industries, such as drafting background materials, taking meeting notes, etc.
• Monitoring and reporting on social media activities of the Messengers of Peace and other influencers in support of the UN
• Collating metrics on advocacy engagement
• Assisting with the planning and organization of special events, filming projects, briefings for Civil Society Organizations, and other in-person activities at UN Headquarters
• Drafting, formatting, editing, and posting original content for the section's websites
• Assisting in the drafting of communications materials, including concept notes, talking points, presentations, and press releases
• Assisting the Chief of the Section as needed such as drafting memos, talking points, or researching to prepare for advocacy-related projects across the Section.

About you

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher)
• Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent).
• Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience.
• Applicants must have Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Masters, or PH.D. Programme.
• Applicants should have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams.
• The ability to draft emails, publications, or knowledge of social media posts is desirable.

Languages:

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat in New York.
• For the internship advertised, fluency in spoken and written English is required, and knowledge of French is desirable.
• Knowledge of another United Nations official language, i.e. Arabic, Chinese, Russian, or Spanish, is an advantage.

Intern Specific text:

• Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization.
• Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

Compensation & Benefits

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation, and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions.

If you join as a full-time employee, you  will get the following benefits:

• Rental subsidy
• Dependency allowances
• Travel and shipping expenses
• Danger pay and rest and recuperation break
• Health insurance
• Holidays and leave
• Retirement pension

Training & development

The internship at the Outreach Division of the UN's Department of Global Communications offers comprehensive training in project management, communications, and advocacy. Interns gain hands-on experience supporting projects with the entertainment and sports industries, monitoring social media, organizing events, and drafting communication materials. Throughout the internship, they develop valuable skills in collaboration, content creation, and strategic communication.

Career Progression

You will be given a real chance to work with the United Nations people. As part of their team, working directly with outstanding and inspiring career professionals and senior management, you will be exposed to high-profile conferences, participate in meetings, and contribute to analytical work as well as organizational policy of the United Nations. Initially, you will take on the amount of responsibility you can shoulder; the growth potential, however, is yours to develop.

Sources

The following sources were used in researching this page:

• careers.un.org/job
• careers.un.org/payandbenefits
• Careers.un.org/UN-career progression
• youtube.com/@unjspf2992