1. Choose an institution, issue and function
International affairs includes multilateral development, humanitarian operations, diplomacy, economic policy, security research, public information, finance, procurement, legal protection, monitoring and evaluation, data, technology and administration. Start by choosing one institution type, one issue area and one function you can support. A student interested in food security data should not send the same application to a refugee-protection communications team. Read ten current descriptions, list their actual outputs and circle the two lanes where your coursework, job or project gives you something concrete to discuss. The organization's mission explains why the work matters; the assignment explains why it should select you.
2. Learn the eligibility language before writing
These programs use conditions that do not map neatly onto a US class label. UNDP requires the final academic year of a bachelor's degree, while UNHCR and WFP require two completed undergraduate years. OECD requires enrollment for the entire placement, UNICEF accepts enrolled undergraduates more broadly, and the World Bank's undergraduate WBG Pioneers track is for final-year students. Citizenship or member-country rules, immediate-relative exclusions, prior internship limits and duty-station language can also decide the answer. Copy the exact rule into your notes, check when it applies and leave an unknown unresolved instead of rounding it into eligible. Ten minutes here can save days on an application that cannot pass screening.
3. Build a writing sample that helps a decision
A useful sample is short, sourced and written for an identified reader. Choose a narrow question—a change in school attendance, a food-price trend, one feature of a refugee policy, or a comparison of two public programs—and write a one- or two-page brief. State the question, sources, finding, limitation and practical next question. Link to public data and distinguish what it shows from what you infer. Do not write as though a class assignment settled a country's policy problem. If the application accepts an existing paper, add a short cover note explaining the relevant excerpt instead of sending thirty pages and hoping a reviewer finds it.
4. Treat language ability as evidence, not decoration
List a language at the level you can actually use and name how you used it: coursework, a presentation, translation under supervision, customer service or a formal assessment. Reading, writing, speaking and interpreting are different abilities. A role may require professional drafting in the duty-station language even when the program overview names English, French or Spanish more broadly. Never overstate fluency; a bilingual interview or written exercise can test it immediately. If you are willing to learn a second official language, say so only where the program invites that, and pair the statement with a realistic current level.
5. Show regional and issue knowledge without pretending proximity
Read the office's current public work, the institution's mandate and two credible sources that disagree or emphasize different constraints. Then write what you understand, what you still need to learn and which skill you can contribute. Avoid turning another community's conflict, poverty or displacement into a dramatic personal narrative. Lived experience can be relevant when it is yours and you choose to share it, but nobody should be reduced to a story that makes an applicant look compassionate. Respectful curiosity, source discipline and an ability to take local expertise seriously are stronger than sweeping claims about wanting to save or represent people.
6. Tailor the resume and cover letter to the output
Put expected graduation, degree, relevant languages and location availability where a reviewer can find them quickly. Use two or three bullets that demonstrate the work named in the vacancy: analyzing a dataset, synthesizing sources, organizing an event, maintaining accurate records, writing for a public audience or coordinating across a team. A cover letter should connect one motivation, two pieces of evidence and the specific assignment; it should not summarize the organization's website. Keep claims modest and verifiable. If a program limits applications or cover-letter length, treat that as part of the assessment rather than an administrative suggestion.
7. Prepare for written tests and structured interviews
Many international organizations use a writing exercise, analytical task, competency interview or language check. Practice producing a clear short answer under time pressure: restate the question, identify assumptions, organize the evidence and leave time to edit names, numbers and citations. Prepare examples of working across differences, correcting an error, handling confidential information and meeting a deadline with missing inputs. Use the situation, your action and the result, but also explain what you learned. Follow every instruction about permitted resources and assistance; unauthorized help on a written assessment can end the application.
8. Verify finances, safety and learning value
A stipend can still leave a large gap in an expensive duty station. Compare the written amount with housing, deposits, visas, insurance, local transport and the date the first payment arrives. Ask who supervises the intern, what the main deliverable is, whether remote work can happen from your country and how sensitive data is handled. Use only official portals and remember that UN organizations do not charge application fees. Do not send identity documents or banking details to an unverified recruiter. Continue other applications until you have reviewed and accepted a written offer whose dates, location, compensation and responsibilities are clear.
A practical starting point
A focused international-affairs application plan
Institution type: Multilateral development organization Issue: Urban food affordability Function: Research and data communication Evidence: Economics course project plus a public-data brief Writing sample: Two pages with question, sources, finding, limitation and next analysis Eligibility check: Enrollment, class-year wording, nationality, language and duty station copied from the vacancy Practical check: Stipend, housing, visa, insurance, dates, supervisor and first-payment timing confirmed
This is editorial guidance, not an employer-required format. Use true details, respect authorship rules, and follow the actual application prompt.
Check the program-specific instructions
Use these independent guides to find the official requirements and application route. General advice does not override a publisher's instructions.
Check eligibility and the selected role's document instructions before submitting. FirstInternships does not accept applications or store your resume.
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