The Vacancy Announcement

Employers post their vacancy announcements according to the timing of their needs, which can be at any given point in time, and these are usually posted for a limited period. Candidates should therefore check out the different websites or job search publications that are of their interest every so often, in order for them not to miss out on any interesting offer.

Vacancy announcements usually include information about the duties and responsibilities of the job, results to be achieved, as well as required competencies, qualifications and experience. You should read the vacancy announcement carefully, to determine your comparative advantages in relation to the requirements for the position to which you are applying.

Identify key words from the vacancy announcement related to knowledge, qualifications and competencies, which you can use in your application (CV and cover letter) to present your knowledge and achievements, aligning your application to the vacancy announcement and to the specific requirements for the position.

In most cases, employers and Personnel Officers spend only a few minutes (or less) reviewing an application. They search for key words and phrases to narrow the applications to those mentioning the required competencies in the respective field. Furthermore, many employers, including the UN, are increasingly using on-line recruitment systems, which will automatically search for key words when screening the applications.