Pros
- Fantastic mandate per the UN Charter - Ability to serve humanity - Cushy benefits (if you can find out about them)
Cons
Professional management within the Secretariat is largely absent. Most decisions are issued top down without consultation from staff. Few decisions are made at lower than a P5 level. There's zero development of management: any bit of training, 360 reviews and coaching would help mediocre managers who lack self-awareness of their actions. Back office operations including IT and HR are barely functional--frequently depriving staff of tools and support necessary to do their jobs. Requesting benefits or entitlements can take months. I've yet to meet someone who's called the hiring or promotion process "competitive" and actually mean it.... leading to lots of questionable hires. Some managers seem inclined to hire people who will not ask questions. Salaries are not high enough to support a single-income family in New York or Geneva. Relocation support is minimal, even when moving halfway around the world. Most private sector positions hire relocation consultants to smooth the landing of their staff. It's extremely hard to figure out what official policies are.