UNICC at Quédate TELECO
Photo: UNICC/Gil

UNICC Shares Job and Internship Opportunities at Career Fairs

The organization participates in a variety of events in UNICC host countries

UNICC is building a dynamic pipeline for its talented workforce, with commitments to gender parity, diversity and inclusiveness. UNICC also supports the UN’s Youth 2030, an ambitious system-wide strategy to guide the United Nations and its partners to work meaningfully with and for young people around the world. With these goals in mind, the organization regularly attends career fairs in countries where it has offices (Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United States) to share its organizational profile and job and internship opportunities with potential candidates.

UNICC offers internship opportunities for college students in a variety of fields, from all areas of digital business and technology, to enhance their educational experience with professional training and exposure to the organization’s work.

Presentation to the institute of telecommunications and multimedia applications

On 4 November 2021, UNICC colleagues visited the Institute of Telecommunications and Multimedia Applications (iTEAM), a research centre integrated in the Polytechnic City of Innovation at the Valencia Polytechnic University (UPV), in Spain. The UPV is currently made up of around 28,000 students, 2,500 teaching staff and researchers, and comprises 13 university centres.

Matilde Gil, Network Infrastructure Architect at UNICC, delivered a presentation together with Ana Ferrandiz, Head of Infrastructure Support Unit at UNICC. The team’s goal was to introduce UNICC and its mission, vision, services and solutions to iTEAM and UPV members.

The iTEAM, who are most specialized in multimedia applications, signal processing, antennas and wireless communication, were very interested to know more about UNICC, and they were happy to share some interesting initiatives that would strengthen common objectives starting with the event Quédate TELECO.

UNICC's Matilde Gil and Ana Ferrandiz with the iTEAM at UPV
Matilde Gil and Ana Ferrandiz with the iTEAM at UPV. Photo: UNICC/Gil

Quédate TELECO

On 17 February 2022, UNICC attended the Quédate TELECO, an initiative organized by the UPV to retain talented students in Spain. The event offered students a platform to meet with representatives of international companies and organizations with offices based in Spain and find out about jobs and career opportunities in the multilateral environment. 100 telecommunications students demonstrated their talent in front of 13 companies and organizations including HP, NTT Data, Ford, Huawei, Power Electronics and UNICC. Matilde Gil, Network Infrastructure Architect, UNICC; Elena Tejadillos, IT Officer – Data Science, UNICC and Celia Gómez, Head of Data Protection and Privacy, UNICC; were there to present UNICC and share more about what it looks like to work at UNICC’s largest office and the organization’s Digital and Cybersecurity Centres of Excellence. The colleagues had a wonderful time with UPV’s employment representatives and professors and met many students and graduates interested in learning more about joining the UNICC family.

Aula De Empresa ETSIT

On 7 April 2022, UNICC participated in Aula de Empresa, an event which is intended to bring the business reality and its needs to Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Telecomunicación (ETSIT) students through the various programs and activities. Victor Benet Anchel, Senior Project Administrator, UNICC; Alexandra Marinoiu, HR Officer, UNICC; Carlos Garcia, Practice Officer – Dynamics, UNICC; Matilde Gil, Network Infrastructure Architect, UNICC and Diego Arista Vinaixa, HR Consultant, UNICC; introduced UNICC and shared what it looks like to work at the leading provider of digital business solutions within the United Nations system with one real case of a project with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Swiss International Career Day 2022

On 8 April 2022, UNICC attended for the sixth time the 18th International Career Day (ICD) at the Granges-Paccot in Fribourg, Switzerland, an event organized by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). More than 50 multilateral organizations – many of them UNICC Clients and Partner Organizations – provided information for undergraduates and graduates who are interested in a career in the multilateral field about their working conditions and career opportunities. Dimitra Ralli, Head, Service Management Group, UNICC; Frederic Laval, Chief, Human Resources Section, UNICC and Amalia Stein, HR Assistant, UNICC; represented UNICC at the conference. UNICC colleagues did some outreach and advocacy to potential candidates for employment. It is indeed a critical endeavour to ensure that UNICC recruits the best of the young and the innovative to deliver its mandate. It was also an opportunity to reach out to women candidates and promote UNICC’s gender parity strategy. The event was a great opportunity for UNICC to make its work visible and attract new talents.

Forum e 2022

On 11 and 12 May 2022, UNICC took part in the 20th edition of the UPV Forum e job fair (FOROE22) with 90 activities related to employment, entrepreneurship and internationalization. On the first day, UNICC colleagues were on hand for students and candidates visiting the stand and interested in joining the UN family. As part of the activities scheduled for the second day, the team had the opportunity to attend a roundtable regarding employability and present to the audience the different jobs that UNICC offers and the professional careers that can be developed by working within the UN system.

UNICC’s participation in these events speaks to its commitment to SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals.

UNIC​C is an equal opportunity employer​ and encourages a​p​​​​plications from all qualified individuals, regardless of race, gender, nationality, age and sexual orientation. When you join UNICC as an intern, a consultant or a staff member, you will experience a truly international and multi-cultural environment. Interested in joining us? Visit the Working with Us page.

Watch Working With Us video with Spanish subtitles.

UNICC interns
Photo: UN

​UNICC Internships: a Call to Action for Young People around the Globe

Over the past several years, UNICC has seen a steady growth in internships – young professionals, recent graduates and even current university students passionate about the United Nations and UNICC’s digital business solutions, contributing to meaningful projects by joining various teams. 

Young people must have a say in the decisions that affect their future.

António Guterres, UN Secretary-General

These teams range across the organization, from Data and Analytics to Application Development, Operations, Finance and Procurement to Communications and Human Resources. Since the beginning of the internship programme around 2015, UNICC has been proud to host nearly 50 hardworking interns, many of whom have continued to pursue careers within the field of international humanitarian aid and technology. Some have even joined UNICC!

Internships have continued throughout the pandemic, even when most of the interns haven’t been able to meet with their respective teams during their time at UNICC.

Thanks to all of our interns for their contribution and their efforts during this challenging period of uncertainty while they were able to perform their tasks and responsibilities with an excellent manner of professionalism.

Frederic Laval, Chief, Human Resources Officer, UNICC

UNICC’s internship programme is mutually beneficial for interns and the organization, because it gives the opportunity for bright young minds to contribute to day-to-day functions, allowing UNICC to put into practice two of its core values: involvement and inclusiveness, while supporting youth to enter the aging UN system. The involvement of interns on UNICC teams creates open conversations where team members and interns can share information for more innovation in accomplishing daily tasks.

The involvement of interns displays the organization’s priority to strengthen collaboration across generations and areas of work for the greater UN mandate. Most recently, five interns working out of UNICC’s Valencia duty station, were invited to attend the Secretary-General’s first visit to the UN Support Base in Valencia.

Photo: UNICC, UN, UNICC

Today in Valencia, I met with young people and encouraged them to continue speaking out for their right to peace, justice and equality. 

António Guterres, UN Secretary-General

The internship program also highlights UNICC’s commitment to gender, diversity and inclusiveness in the tech sector. As shown below, of the 14 current interns in UNICC, nearly half identify as women, which according to BuiltIn is 12.6% above than the US national average of female representation in the tech industry.

Additionally, UNICC interns exhibit the international nature of the organization, where they work out of all five of the UNICC duty stations and together speak a total of over 15 different languages.

Benefits to UNICC 

Identified areas of interest and growth to implement innovative services for UNICC Clients and Partner Organizations:

  • Add to the UNICC knowledge base
  • Benefit of high-level skills in specific areas
  • Improve the availability and quality of digital business services
  • Keep up with the latest technologies and their utilisation
  • Keep youth at the centre​ of the 2030 Agenda.

Meet the interns of UNICC

Banner reflects available interns at the time this article, not of all current interns at UNICC. Credit: UNICC

Given the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and geographic borders, there have been limited chances for the interns to congregate outside of their teams and collectively reflect on their experiences at UNICC. To encourage these conversations, several interns set up a virtual call to connect for the first time to introduce themselves to one another and their specific responsibilities, share memorable experiences of UNICC and how working for the organization will shape their future trajectories.

Many UNICC interns applied during the final semester of their university studies with previous experience working for international NGOs and nonprofit organizations. Upon embarking on their internship journey with UNICC, they onboarded with their respective teams and are regarded not just as interns in the conventional sense but as true contributors to the projects and duties of their colleagues.

Laura Reis, Finance and Procurement Intern, shares that she is “glad for the chance to support a team of hard-working and highly-skilled professionals,” reiterating the collaborative team ethic of UNICC for all staff.

Furthermore, interns within the same teams find value in interacting and sharing knowledge with one another on different UNICC standards and procedures to further professional development. For instance, Human Resources interns Giannoula Gkramozi and Diego Arista Vinaixa shared that they hold weekly meetings to catch up and work closely together on all sorts of different projects.

These collaborations between the interns, as Application Development Intern Bruno Pezer says, are especially meaningful during the pandemic. “Because the team is so integrated and my colleague, Gianmarco Ruggiero, fellow Application Development intern, is especially helpful, I have no trouble getting to know everybody, understanding the work environment and various tasks.”

Photo: UNICC

Additionally, several interns briefly shared their most memorable UNICC experiences and reflections. Ha-Young Kwon, Communications Aide Intern, states that her most memorable experience was hosting a conversation with upper-level women managers about how far they’ve progressed in their decades-long careers in IT services. 

Denian Ouyang, Graphic Design Intern, shares that her favorite experience was working with staff across the organization to deliver the UNICC 50th Anniversary video. Vincent Amande, Service Desk intern, seized the opportunity to expand what he learned in the classroom on IT and Business Information Systems and apply his studies to the real world in a cross-cultural team: “It’s a matter of working with harmony towards a common goal”.

The UNICC experience

Although the interns are involved in different teams working on projects across the spectrum of the organization, many of their answers tied to one specific aspect of UNICC: the people. “The best aspect about working at UNICC,” says Maria Tranchese, Finance and Procurement Intern, “is the working environment and the collaborative atmosphere. Every member of my team is always available if I need help – they are really interested in my growth and learning in the workplace.” Carla Herrero Cantero, also an intern in Finance and Procurement, shares that the positive work environment she has in UNICC “marks you and makes you realize where and with whom you want to work in the future.”

Reflecting upon their UNICC experiences, the interns spoke on the different lessons they will take away following the end of their contract. One lesson Pablo Izquierdo Ayala, Data Science Intern, brought into the conversation was related to his interactions with colleagues in UNRWA during the period of unrest in Palestine in the spring of 2021. He shared that “it was humbling in every sense” and encouraged him to adopt a broader, better informed and interpersonal perspective through working for such an international organization.

UNICC, a proponent of supporting educational and learning endeavors through strategic partners, academic institutions or otherwise, continues to encourage all those who are eligible and interested in applying to the Internship Programme to do so. Young professionals, recent graduates and current students will not only be regarded as valued team members but also find professional and personal growth in each opportunity they face during their experience at UNICC.

UNICC’s commitment to the internship programme is indicative of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, notably in SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 5: Gender Equality, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

Thank you interns! View current openings for Internships and other positions on the UNICC public web site Working With Us page.