Hi guys,
Like Wila, I meant to write here sooner, but I only find some time to do it now. I would like to share with you my experience as someone who actually went through the FIT Pool process and got hired by the WFP. I hope that this will help you in your future applications and assessments with the pool. So... there you go:
First of all, the FIT Pool selection:
- Like everyone else, I applied to a specific pool cycle and got invited to a technical assessment. I guess the test content and format are different from pool to pool (say, HR and M&E won't look the same). This assessment usually tests standard knowledge of the field that you're applying to, and may include some essay questions.
- Then the next round was a pre-recorded video interview where they asked standard motivation and behavior questions. After this, I got invited to a language interview which was conducted via phone. There were a lot of questions from easy to difficult to check my comprehension and speaking skills. I guess if you are already a native speaker of one of the official languages apart from English (i.e. Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, Arabic and Portuguese), they may skip this step.
- After that, I was invited to a panel interview with 4 interviewers from various relevant parts of the organization. It was quite long if I remember correctly; and I thought I didn't do super well but luckily I passed it.
- Some time later, they contacted me to ask for my permission to check my references. (They will talk to your contacts directly via phone, Zoom, etc.)
- The final step was checking educational credentials with the schools I attended.
In sum, each round has a very clear structure, and in my opinion, not so difficult - but you always have to give it all. In my case, I prepared for each round very carefully. The interval between each round is usually 1.5-2 months, except for the last few formal procedures after the panel (ref. checks, educational details, decision of FIT pool inclusion), which were pretty fast. Therefore, please do have a lot of patience for this lengthy process
Now, you get into the pool, what next? I know a lot of you are curious about this part. And I have to tell you, seriously, I don't really know. Because unlike the FIT Pool selection which was structured, the hiring part is a balance between the organization needs, policies, budget, contexts and many available pools of candidates to choose from (FIT, JPO, organization transfers, waitlist candidates for similar positions, etc.) I can only speak for my case:
- I got contacted for a position just one month after I got into the Pool - but it was for a consultancy. I had an informal interview with the hiring managers and got the job, but I turned it down. I didn't want to take a consultancy contract at that point because of some personal reasons, and this did not affect my membership in the pool.
- After that I only heard back from them perhaps 2-3 times per year regarding updating my CV to renew my membership in the pool for another year or inclusion in emergency deployment possibilities (generic emails which were sent to everyone in the pool). I updated my CV per instructions but that was all and I actually forgot about the Fit Pool :)) At one point I went on to work with another UN agency as a consultant.
- One day, a hiring manager from WFP contacted me about a P- position that I am actually very interested in. Like the previous time, I also had an informal interview with the managers. Later on (after getting hired), I got to know that they were considering ~5, 6 suitable CVs from the FIT pool, then the hiring manager shortlisted and interviewed 3 - This validates Wila's post that if you are contacted, you will still have to compete with other candidates so try your best.
- For me both times, it was radio silence for like almost 1.5 months after the interview. Then suddenly HR contacted me and told me I got the job. So again, the less you think about it, the faster time will fly by.
In general, it was a long process - and I got very lucky. On the other hand, I know that the organization is committed to bringing in new talents and takes the FIT pool very seriously. In fact, I've met quite a lot of people currently working for the org have been FIT pool members - some of them got hired via the pool, some of them got their jobs by applying to the position as normal external candidates. So, my advice is, you could treat FIT pool as a chance to land a good job, but it isn't everything (although it does take a lot of time and effort) - Don't wait for it as your only chance or feel bad if you don't get contacted often (this happens to everyone!) Find a position you actually like (UN or not) and a field you want to pursue, keep learning - things will work out eventually.
