Humanitarian Academy

Career

Landing a humanitarian job: CV, cover letter, tests and interview

NGO and UN-style CVs, cover letters, written tests and competency-based interviews: the method to land the job.

  • 3 days · 18 hours
  • 3 levels · 3 certificates
  • 2 scenarios
  • Verifiable certificate
Start the course
  • Free, unlimited access
  • 3 one-day modules
  • 2 scenarios and 9 quiz questions
  • 3 graded case studies and 3 exams
  • Certificate in your name, verifiable online

What you will learn

  • Identify vacancies that match your profile and avoid scams.
  • Write a CV and cover letter tailored to each vacancy, with quantified achievements.
  • Prepare for the written test and answer competency-based interview questions using the STAR method.

Course information

Level
Beginner → Intermediate → Advanced (one certificate per level)
Study time
18 hours over 3 days (lessons, case studies, exercises)
Format
Online, at your own pace, free and unlimited access
Assessment
Per level: graded case study + 20-question exam (30 to 40 min, pass marks 70%, 75% and 80%)
Credential
Named, numbered certificate of achievement, verifiable online (QR code)
Reference frameworks
People In Aid / CHS Alliance · CHS Alliance, Groupe URD, Sphere · Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies

💼 Programme management jobs

Put this course into practice: the latest jobs in this field.

See all 1126 Programme management jobs →

Prepare for the written test and interviewA model written test in this field, interview questions with sample answers and the STAR method.See the model test →

A 3-level certification pathway

Progress from Beginner to Advanced. Each level ends with a graded case study and a timed exam, and leads to its own verifiable certificate.

Level 1Beginner

Exam: 20 questions · 30 min · 70% to pass

Beginner certificate

By the end of this level, you will be able to:
  • Understand the humanitarian job market and its job families.
  • Write an NGO- and UN-style CV and a targeted cover letter.
  • Find vacancies on the reference platforms.
  1. Day1The job market and the application fileWho recruits, and how? · Reading a vacancy like a recruiter · A CV in humanitarian format · The cover letter · Mapping the market: employers, job families and entry levels · Decoding a job advertisement: the six-step analysis method · Full example: from the advertisement to a candidate's final application · Formats required by the UN, the Movement and NGOs: online profile, CV and competency frameworks · Reusable tools: application tracking, references and pre-employment checks · Common mistakes, variations by profile and context, interview questions and references Scenario: A monitoring and evaluation officer vacancy
  2. Graded case study : First application: M&E officer Online job search · 20 questions including a case study · 70% to pass
Level 2Intermediate

Exam: 20 questions · 30 min · 75% to pass

Intermediate certificate · Opens after the Beginner certificate

By the end of this level, you will be able to:
  • Pass a written test (concept note, budget, report) within the time limit.
  • Answer a competency-based interview with the STAR method.
  • Adapt your application to UN and NGO competency frameworks.
  1. Day2Written test and competency-based interviewThe written test · The competency-based interview and the STAR method · During and after the interview · Written tests: types, marking grids and time management · Full example: a two-hour written test, from instructions to model answer · The competency-based interview from the panel's side: design, scoring and follow-up questions · Building your story bank and a level-5 STAR answer · Variations: assessment centres, emergencies, UN rosters, remote interviews and final checks · Common mistakes, difficult interview questions and references Scenario: The online interview
  2. Graded case study : The written test and the interview Recruitment process in a UN agency · 20 questions including a case study · 75% to pass
Level 3Advanced

Exam: 20 questions · 40 min · 80% to pass

Advanced certificate · Opens after the Intermediate certificate

By the end of this level, you will be able to:
  • Negotiate an offer (grade, step, allowances, field conditions).
  • Prepare for a recruitment panel for a coordination post.
  • Build a 5-year career path (field, headquarters, specialisation).
  1. Day3Advanced module Negotiating your offer and steering your humanitarian careerReading an offer: grades, contracts and allowances · Negotiating without burning bridges · Planning your career: field, headquarters, expertise · Decoding UN pay: components, contracts and calculation · An NGO package and the conditions of employment to check before signing · Full example: comparing two offers and deciding · Negotiating step by step: preparation, discussion and written confirmation · Managing your career over five to ten years: pathways, skills and action plan · Lasting in the profession, career mistakes, interview questions and references
  2. Graded case study : The offer, the negotiation and your next career step After a successful recruitment · 20 questions including a case study · 80% to pass

Who is it for?

Recent graduates, professionals who want to join an NGO or a United Nations agency, national staff aiming for a more senior post, volunteers.

The certificate

With at least 70% correct answers in the final assessment, you receive a certificate in your name, with a unique code that recruiters can verify on Humanitaires Jobs. A free Humanitarian Network account is required.

Key concepts

The vocabulary you need to master for this course and the exam.

Competency-based interview
A structured interview in which the candidate illustrates each competency with a real-life example (STAR method).
Roster
A pool of pre-selected candidates who can be deployed quickly to new assignments.
Duty of care
The employer's obligation to protect the safety, health and well-being of staff.
National / international staff
A distinction based on the place of recruitment, which determines contractual conditions.
R&R
Rest and recuperation: compulsory periodic leave in difficult settings.
ATS
Applicant tracking system: software that filters CVs by keyword.
P / G / NO grade
UN staff categories: international Professional, General Service, National Professional Officer.
Development plan
Learning objectives and actions agreed with your manager in order to progress.

References and recommended reading

The official texts and sector reference works on which the course is based.

  1. People In Aid / CHS Alliance (2003). Code of Good Practice in the Management and Support of Aid Personnel. www.chsalliance.org
  2. CHS Alliance, Groupe URD, Sphere (2024). Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS). www.corehumanitarianstandard.org
  3. Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies (2011). Core Humanitarian Competencies Framework. www.chsalliance.org
  4. United Nations (careers.un.org) (2024). United Nations recruitment system and staff categories. careers.un.org