Traineeship opportunity in UN in Nepal (deadline for the appplication - 22 May 2012)

You might have seen the recent announcement from UN inviting appliation from young graduates for traineeship in UN organisaions in Nepal. If you are thinking to apply for the traineeship announced by the UN, here are a few tips I think will be useful for you to prepare your motivation letter. The traineeship is for someone who is from a socially excluded group. You should clearly show that in your application. Your chances for being considered increases if you are from more discriminated marginalised groups within the socially excluded group itself. e.g. female candidates, disabled persons within them have more chances.

Then you select specific area of work that you are interested in. I think you should select more than one and put those in priority order. Then highlight in your Motivation letter the following things in order:

a brief background about yourself - your studies - and how does this traineeship is related to you. Here you may highlight that you firmly believe in UN's efforts in Nepal to increase number of people from socially excluded groups in its workforce; in increasing workforce diversity and UN's development efforts in Nepal on ending social exclusion, discrimination and to end conflict; on dealing with climate change and building sustainable livelihoods of poor, rural marginalised people. You describe in your own ways which one matters most for you and that this opportunity will help you to learn how development issues are addressed in Nepal.

Then in the next two paragraphs, you describe that what you think you will learn from this traineeship and how it will help you to move up in your desired career. You can say that many organisations ask for experience in thier vacancies and this traineeship could give you that valuable experience.

UN would like to hear what you can contribute to the development of Nepal. There is no hard and fast rule about it but if you write something on this, it will increase your chances of getteing selected. This is just like Miss Nepal competition when the judges ask if you win, what will you change. They know that what the contestent says she may not work on it, but the clue is how clearly the answer is given. Here is also the same clever trick you should play. Tell them some of your thoughts what do you think about development and that this traineeship will give you the opportunity to put your ideas in practice, under the expert guidance of professionals working there in UN.

And finally, conclude your letter by saying that you are really eager to have this opportunity, that you are free and willing to travel to remote parts of Nepal and that you look forward to a positive answer from them.
Good Luck!