On October 30th, 2020, the School of Global Governance, Renmin University of China organized a vocational training event for jobs in international organizations. This event was part of the second UN Job Fair, which was hosted by the China Scholarship Council of the Ministry of Education, and was undertaken by the School of Global Governance, RUC. Six experiencedofficials in charge of human resources in international organizations were invited to share online with 39 students from the School of Global Governance how to improve their writing skills and interview techniques to seek employment in UN agencies.

The event consists of writing skills trainingand interview skills training. During the first part,the officials focused on the preparation of application letters for UN agencies, including the content, style and focus of ideal application letters, as well as common errors among candidates. It was emphasized that resumes should be closely tailored to the requirements and expectations of the targeted position. Volunteer experience, in particular, was described as a remarkable advantage forapplicants. Following this, a specific resume was showed as an example to demonstrate its strengths and weaknesses, providing students with a clear impression for what a good resume looks like.

The writing skills training were followed by the interview skills training, which mainly covered two parts: preparation before the interview and key points during the interview. Job seekers were expected to have a systematicaland thoroughunderstanding of the agencies they are applying to, the job requirements, and knowledge of the relevant field, especially the differences between the target agency and other UN agencies. According to the speakers, it’s also important to analyze how one’s qualifications meet the job requirements and to anticipate potential questions that may arise during the interview. Coherentlogic must behighlighted when responding to questions, and candidates should grasp some relatively fixed answers for answering certaincommon questions. During this section, the officials also conducted online mock interviews with the participants.

Students Reflections

ZuoJialu, Undergraduate, Class of 2017, School of International Studies

Participation in this training program proved to be highly rewarding. I have gained a more comprehensive understanding of internship and job applications in the UN. From the writingof resumes and personal statement to techniques to win the interviewer’s approval by taking advantages of merits, the officials of international organizations provided us with practical help and guidance in a vivid way. My sincere gratitude goes to the CSC and the School of Global Governance. I hope that more similar events can be unveiled in the future.

Wang Lijun, Master’s Student, Class of 2019, School of Environment

What’s impressed me most during the event is the officials’ emphasis on details. The STAR criteria (Situation, Task, Action, Result) can be applied in many cases like preparing a resume or partaking in an interview to describe our work experience. UN HR expects you to elaborate on the background of the team, your tasks, roles, and contributions. You are also expected to share with them whether you encountered any kind of problems and how you managed to find the solution. The event pointed out the direction for me to move towards in my future career lifeand I hope to take this opportunity as a chance to make a step further towards international organizations.

Chen Hanzhang,Master’s student, Class of 2019, School of Sociology and Population Studies

I am very grateful to be a part of the training program, which has enhanced my understanding of the United Nations and at the same time what the UNESCO expected of the job seekers. The experience has laid a solid foundation for my aspiration to seek internships or full-timejob in international organizations in the future. I am very grateful to the China Scholarship Council and the School of Global Governance for made this happen.

Beibei Wu, Master’s Student, Class of 2020, School of Journalism and Communication

I am glad to participate in both the writing and interview training activities. The biggest lesson I learnt is the importance to emphasize how one matches the intended position: you should highlight your relevant experience and specialties in your resume and demonstrate the abilities and qualities required for the positionduring the interview. In order to do this, you need to be well-prepared before application, fully understand the background of the organization and the industry, so that the HR officers and the interviewers can feel your sincerity.

Ma Bingying, Master’s student, Class of 2020, School of Journalism and Communication

It is a pity that I only attended the interview skills trainingsession due to time limits, but I gained a lot all the same. Through the first half of the course, I got a systematic understanding of what interviews are all about and how to prepare for them. The mock interviews in the second half of the session in particularallowed me to experience the interview for international organizations in person.

JinJin, Master's student, Class of 2020, RUC Law School

The lectures were informative, offering lots of constructive suggestion for the writing of CV and personal statement. The mock interviews were also very meaningful, benefiting both the participants and the audience watching them. Such practical course offered me a systematic understanding of the recruiting process of international organizations.

The School of Global Governance, RUC focuses on the needs of national talent cultivation and aims to innovate the way of international talent cultivation, integrate high-quality resources inside and outside the university, so as to improve the quality of talent cultivation. A total of 240 students were enrolled in the first year. Through organizing high-quality practical courses, cutting-edge lectures, and field visits, and integrating and releasing information related to international organizations, and expanding the channels for internships in international organizations, the School of Global Governance enables students to familiarize themselves with the basic theories and operation of international organizations, enhancing their official writing skills and other workplace skills such as international negotiation, and cultivating the basic qualities they need to have for working in international organizations.