Trying to work at the United Nations? Don’t get a graduate degree in international relations.
It may sound like odd advice for an organization that was founded to promote collaboration between countries, but Christian Mahr, a Penn alumnus and a legal officer at the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, said an M.B.A. might be a much more unique degree.
The advice came as part of a talk Mahr gave yesterday at Amado Recital Hall that advised students looking to work at the organization.
One of the points he stressed was the importance of earning a graduate degree.
“I try to tell people to avoid international relations when they can,” he said, pointing out that the U.N. gets flooded with international relations M.A.s. But he added that, “M.B.As are always welcomed in the U.N.,” since its organizations are constantly faced with financial issues.
Mahr joined the U.N. High Commissioner for Refgees in 1995 as an associate Protection Officer in Minsk, Belarus before being stationed in Warsaw, Poland and later in London, England. Mahr also served as a visiting fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center of International Studies and earned a J.D. from the University of San Diego before assuming his current post on the CTED.
For recent graduates looking to follow in his footsteps, Mahr recommended the Junior Professional Officer Programme, which gives young professionals hands-on experience in a number of U.N. organizations. Students who participate in this program are not required to take the National Competitive Recruitment Exam, which may require up to three years to process.
“This is the easiest way of getting in,” he said, explaining that the program gives applicants a better shot at being accepted into the U.N. than the alternative route. “The JPOP is much better. If you get in, you go straight in.”
College senior Marion Abboud, one of many international students looking to work for the U.N. down the road, said she would benefit from more hands-on experience. “I need to go to grad school and get some actual field work on my CV,” she added.
Besides further education, Mahr recommended that students brush up on their public speaking, drafting, analytical, and foreign languages skills — especially in Russian, Arabic and Spanish.
More importantly, Mahr warned students that they need to stand out, get started early and get “real” hands-on experience.
“The U.N. needs people to be operational on day one,” he said, advising future applicants to strive to intern at organizations like the UNHCR, where they will get practical experience. “Don’t go to Headquarters. You’ll be doing back office stuff — you’ll be photocopying,” he stressed.
“I’m thinking about applying,” said Naiying Peng, a College senior. “I figured this might help.”
