- Read and compare a UN offer and an NGO offer (grades, allowances, contracts).
- Negotiate methodically without losing the recruiter's trust.
- Build a realistic 5-year career plan.
1Reading an offer: grades, contracts and allowances
At the UN, international posts are graded P1 to P5 then D1–D2, with steps; national posts are NOA to NOD (national officers) and G1 to G7 (general service). The base salary comes with a post adjustment according to cost of living and, in the field, allowances: hardship, non-family duty station, danger pay, R&R. Contract types range from consultant (SSA, IC) to temporary (TA), fixed-term (FTA) and continuing.
In NGOs, each organisation has its own scale: base salary, per diem, housing, hazard pay, insurance, flights. Always compare the full package (health cover, evacuation, pension, leave), not only the salary.
2Negotiating without burning bridges
Prepare the negotiation: look up the public scale (UN: International Civil Service Commission salary scales; NGOs: scales sometimes published), list your arguments (years of relevant experience, rare languages, technical skills) and set your acceptable minimum.
- Negotiate once, on the whole package: step, start date, training, remote work or R&R conditions.
- Stay factual: "My 6 years of coordination experience correspond to step 4 of your scale."
- Get the agreement in writing before resigning from your current job.
3Planning your career: field, headquarters, expertise
Typical career paths alternate field and headquarters, increase responsibility (officer, coordinator, head of mission) and specialise (MEAL, grants, protection, logistics). Recognised certifications (PMD Pro, MEAL DPro, CHS, languages) and an active network (clusters, former colleagues) speed up progress.
Wellbeing belongs in the plan: length of hardship postings, breaks between missions, psychosocial support. A humanitarian career is built over time; burnout cuts it short.
Exercise: your 5-year career plan
Write your plan: target post in 5 years, two intermediate posts, three skills to acquire (and how), two certifications, and five people in your network to get back in touch with. Then compare a real UN offer and a real NGO offer on the full package.
Key points
- UN: P grades (international), NO and G (national), post adjustment and field allowances.
- Compare the full package: health, evacuation, pension, leave, R&R.
- Negotiate once, on the whole package, with facts, and get the agreement in writing.
- Career: alternate field and headquarters, specialise, certify, network, protect your wellbeing.
Further reading: course references
- People In Aid / CHS Alliance (2003). Code of Good Practice in the Management and Support of Aid Personnel. www.chsalliance.org
- CHS Alliance, Groupe URD, Sphere (2024). Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS). www.corehumanitarianstandard.org
- Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies (2011). Core Humanitarian Competencies Framework. www.chsalliance.org
- United Nations (careers.un.org) (2024). United Nations recruitment system and staff categories. careers.un.org
Daily quiz
3 questions to check what you have learned. Answer them all to complete the day.