How I Got The Opportunity To Work As A Data Analyst With The United Nations

Well, you heard me right; I work with the UN. And yes, I’m thrilled and delighted, and ultimately grateful. I must admit it still feels like a dream, unbelievable at best.

In this post, I’ll share the process of how I got the role as a Data Analyst with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Ghana.

To be clear, this post is definitely not to boast about my accomplishments, but to share the whole recruitment process of getting this job, the timelines involved and what I think ultimately got me this job.

Here is what I believe is how my recruitment process went;

1. How did I get to hear about this opportunity?
2. Submitting my application on time
3. Shortlisted for Written and Technical test 
4. Shortlisted for interview 
5. The unofficial notice about my rejection
6. The official rejection email
7. Moved on 
8. The unexpected call
9. Paperworks
10. Start work. 

1. How did I get to hear about this opportunity?

Last year, I partook in a three-month data engineering course with Blossom Academy. After I completed the course, a lasting relationship was built between the company and me, hence, periodically receiving job vacancy notifications. Most often than not these opportunities don’t seem to peak my interest, but this one did. I took a leap of faith and I applied for it. At that time, my contract with the company I was working with had expired and I had to leave, though I was still working there a couple of months after my contract had expired. 

I received the email about this opportunity on 9th June 2020, 4:02pm and I wasted no time. 

We all can admit that if I wasn’t part of this community, I probably wouldn’t have heard about this opportunity and probably wouldn’t have had this job and probably wouldn’t have been writing this post.

Lesson

Join small communities. Here in Ghana I can recommend; Developers in Vogue, Dev Congress, Soronko Academy (they have a mailing list – that’s how I landed my job at Ernst and Young).

2. Submitting my application on time

The email I received from Blossom had the names of recipients to send my application to at the World Food Programme. Using the domain of the email address, I did my research on the company I was going to get involved with. 

You are wondering why go through the stress of getting to know the company? Well, the application process involved sending in my resume and cover letter. How can you write a good cover letter if you don’t know the company and what they stand for? You see where I’m going with this? That’s paramount! 

After my research and writing a compelling cover letter, I didn’t hesitate but sent in my application on 9th June 2020, 9:32pm. 

The deadline for application was 18th June 2020, but I submitted mine early because I have a cover letter template that I do very few modifications on whenever I am applying for any job. 

Lesson

Have a Cover letter template just incase an opportunity comes lurking at your door. That being said, learn to write a compelling cover letter and resume which embodies all your career accomplishments.

3. Shortlisted for written and practical test

Yes! And I went through to the next phase! Whew!

I received an email that goes like this,

Dear Madame Kyei Danso,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to participate in a written test and a practical test at our premises.
The test is scheduled for Friday 26th of June 2020 at 10am and will take place at the premises of WFP-UNHRD Accra, Courier Enclave at Kotoka International Airport.

It’s worth noting that this stage will make or break you. Because here, you need to prove to them that you are the one to fill that vacancy. Here you need to prove to them that what is on your resume is actually not a facade but real, and that you actually have these skill sets on your fingertips. Here, you need prove you know your stuff to be shortlisted for the next stage. 

Inasmuch as I would love to share these questions, I doubt I’m allowed to do so. Moreover it’s been about 5 months ago and I don’t remember most  or any of it. But please, just a friendly advise know your stuff about any role before you apply for it, since most companies these days allow applicants to go through written technical test. 

Lesson

Your technical know-how about the role you are applying for should be quite impeccable, since you have other contenders and you want to proceed to the next phase.

4. Shortlisted for interview 

My interview was via Microsoft Teams and took place on 20 July 2020, almost a month after my written test. 

It was a six- to eight-man panel of interviewers. Even though it was virtual, that didn’t stop me from being tensed. The questions were well-rounded and again, I can’t say much beyond this. 

After the interview, I knew I had messed up because I failed to answer certain questions correctly as the panel didn’t seem to be convinced about some of my responses.

But hey, the panel had to decide. 

5. The unofficial notice about my rejection

I don’t really recall fully, but somewhere on 30th July 2020, a friend I applied with, reached out to me, out of good faith and probably confidence in me, and was like; “Do you know when we are starting work?” We? Starting work? I’m sorry, what?

Apparently, she received a call that she got the job, but I didn’t which meant I didn’t get the job. It’s worth noting that at that time, I had started a full-time remote job that month. It was kinda bittersweet. I was happy she got the job but was somewhat unhappy that I was this close to working at the UN.

6. The Official rejection email

I received the email more than a month after I received the news unofficially. You know how these emails go;

We are sorry to inform you….We will keep your resume on file, and if any other job positions become available we will keep you in mind.

Lesson

Move on at this point because I did but don’t lose hope because I didn’t.

7. Moved on

While I was going through this recruitment process, I had started working remotely as of July as a Web Developer consultant. It was my first time taking on a full-time remote job and I was really enjoying it. Getting to control your time and working at your own pace, that was new – but new is sometimes good.

Lesson

I read on Twitter about “how you don’t go purchasing a new shoe barefooted” – that’s why it’s a good idea to have a job while searching for another.

8. The unexpected call

On that faithful Friday, 6th November 2020, I got the call which went along these lines;

Caller: This is “Individual A” from the World Food Programme and there is a vacancy that we need you to fill, when can you start?
Me: Monday, 9th November 2020

Undeniably, its the UN for crying out! I wouldn’t miss it for the world and between you and me, I have been waiting and wanting to write this blog since I applied for this job. I never thought it would happen after I got turned down but remember I said earlier that I moved on, but I didn’t lose hope. Plus, the rejection email said they will keep my resume on file, it looks like they had it on file once a vacancy came along and they reached out.

Lesson

Have a little faith, my dear!

9. Paperworks

Once I expressed interest, I received an email of documents I needed to send to the HR. I also received a couple of documents to fill and append my signature. The most paperwork I have done regarding any job I have had so far, but it was definitely worth it. Technically, we used a week for that. The plan was for me to start work on Thursday, 12th November but I was later told to start on Monday, 16th November 2020.

10. Start work

Work starts on Monday, 16th November 2020 where I am subject to a couple of HR-related activities and hardcopy document submissions.

Final Thought

Between you and me, this is me whispering in your ears telling you, “I will keep my remote job while working with the UN”. This is because the UN job is quite transient.

The joy of working at the UN definitely comes with some prestige but for me, its about the positive impact I get to make no matter how small. I know my role is to analyse data but how does analysing these dataset ultimately impact the life of a hungry Sudanese little girl out there? That is why this is important to me, to make positive impact through the work I do.