The United Nations organizes language competitive examinations (LCEs) to recruit language specialists, including editors, interpreters, terminologists, translators, verbatim reporters, reference assistants, and copy preparers/proofreaders/production editors, to fill posts in its language services. LCEs are both function- and language-specific. For more detailed information on the work of United Nations language professionals and the competencies required, visit www.unlanguage.org.
The six official languages of the United Nations are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
The examinations are scheduled according to the needs of the Organization. Those interested in applying should check this website frequently for announcements of LCEs in their language and professional specialization.
Detailed information on careers for language professionals at the UN and the content of LCEs, as well as tips for preparing for them, can be found on the UN Language Careers portal. Make sure you visit the pages in your target language as the information varies accordingly.
The United Nations is a global organization; it encourages mobility within and across duty stations.