Looking to pivot your career or explore new directions? You do not have to do it alone.
The Career Explorer experience connects you with professionals from diverse sectors for focused, 20-minute informational interviews. These conversations are designed to provide practical guidance, real-world insight, and the confidence to move forward with clarity.
Whether you are considering a sector change, a new location, or simply want to understand what options are out there, a Career Pivot Ally is here to help.
📅 This initiative runs from 21 May to 31 August 2025. Join us during this period to support transitioning professionals through short, focused conversations that offer insight and encouragement.
What Is a Career Explorer?
A Career Explorer is a UN professional navigating career transition who takes the initiative to reach out to a Career Pivot Ally – an external professional volunteering their time to share sectoral insights, answer questions, and offer encouragement through a short, informal exchange.
Remember: This is not job-seeking – it is career exploration, focused on learning, connection, and identifying transferable strengths.
What You Can Gain
In a single 20-minute conversation, you can:
- Learn how someone successfully navigated their own career path
- Explore entry points, skills, and certifications relevant to a new field or sector
- Understand how to leverage your transferable skills
- Receive practical tips on networking, visibility, and career development
- Ask the questions that matter most to you
These conversations are designed to be respectful, professional, and empowering.
How It Works
- Browse or identify a Career Pivot Ally – Allies will display a Career Pivot Ally frame on their LinkedIn profile to signal their availability.
- Reach out with a clear, polite request – Include a short introduction, why you are reaching out, and the topics you hope to cover in 20 minutes.
- Prepare and engage – Use the conversation to ask thoughtful questions, gain insight, and build confidence.
- Wrap up professionally – Thank your Ally and reflect on what you learned.
Respecting the Exchange
While Allies are happy to share their time and experience, it is important to maintain clear expectations:
- This is not a job interview
- It is not a mentorship arrangement or coaching engagement
- The conversation is not expected to continue beyond the scheduled 20 minutes
- It is an opportunity for learning – not a request for a job, referral, or ongoing support
Let’s Move Forward – Together
Transitions can be challenging, but they also open space for growth. As a Career Explorer, you are taking a courageous step toward shaping your future. Let us help you take the next one – with insight, encouragement, and practical guidance.
Introducing the Career Explorer Frame
As a Career Explorer, you can also opt to use the Career Explorer frame – a visual symbol that reflects your openness to learn, grow, and connect. This helps create a community of support and shared purpose during periods of transition. To create your profile frame:
- Click “Choose File” and select your preferred portrait photo – it should be in a square format. You can also download your current LinkedIn profile photo and use it as it is already in a square format.
- Click “Merge Images” to automatically apply the Career Explorer overlay.
- Download the merged image to your device.
- Upload the new image as your LinkedIn profile picture to show your participation in the initiative.
To get your Profile Frame, upload your Photo and merge with the overlay
Please make sure to use a portrait photo, in which your face is in the center.
Resources
We have gathered a selection of valuable resources to support you throughout your career transition, available below.
Reset & Rebuild – A Career Strategy Session for UN Professionals, taking place on Wednesday, 21 May, from 14:00 to 17:30 (Geneva time).
Organized in collaboration with WHO, UNOG, and LinkedIn, this half-day event will be held on-site at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, with the option to participate remotely via Zoom.
Speakers will be present in person, and the agenda is designed to offer practical guidance on navigating career transitions, strengthening professional visibility, and fostering resilience in the current landscape.
Career Tips Thursday
A collaborative initiative with UNOG, UNV, UNIDO, UNDP, UN Women, UNICEF and IOM, offering valuable career development insights. This monthly webinar series takes place on the last Thursday of every month, with live sessions and resources accessible afterwards.
You can find more information here: Career Tips Thursday | Centre for Learning and Multilingualism
LinkedIn Resources
LinkedIn offers a curated suite of free resources to support individuals navigating career pivots, as well as partners committed to advancing equal access to opportunity>
- Profile tip sheet: Tips on creating a great profile and updating it along your career journey.
- Get Started with LinkedIn: Follow these 5 easy steps to start building your career with LinkedIn. Learn how to share your professional story, highlight your skills, grow your network, find jobs on the LinkedIn platform and more.
- Learning LinkedIn: This LinkedIn Learning course will help you make the most of your LinkedIn account.
- LinkedIn for job seekers: This presentation shows how to use LinkedIn to build your brand, develop a professional network, and find jobs.
- LinkedIn networking tip sheet: Tips to help you strategically expand your professional network.
- Expand your network on LinkedIn: Tips for sending connection requests on the LinkedIn platform while building your network.
The LinkedIn Course Mapping team has developed a comprehensive Career Explorer Empowerment Package tailored specifically for this purpose.
Recommended Career Podcasts
- Happen to Your Career Podcast – Shares real-life stories and practical strategies to help professionals successfully pivot into more meaningful careers.
- The Squiggly Careers Podcast – Shares practical tips and tools to help professionals navigate non-linear career paths and grow with confidence.
- The Career Insights Podcast – Offers practical advice and expert discussions to help professionals navigate job searches, career changes, and workplace challenges.
- Workplace Stories Podcast – Explores the evolving world of work, featuring conversations with thought leaders and practitioners on topics like employee experience, learning, and organizational culture.
- Happy UN Career Podcast – Offers practical guidance and inspiration to UN professionals seeking greater fulfillment and balance in their careers.
- Impactpool Career Podcast – Features insightful interviews with professionals from international organizations, sharing their career journeys, challenges, and advice for those aspiring to make an impact in global development and humanitarian sectors.
- United Nations Career Journey Podcast – Offers insights and guidance for professionals navigating careers within the UN system.
- The Job Hunting Podcast – A weekly podcast for professionals navigating job search, career transitions, and leadership challenges. Features expert interviews and practical advice, tailored especially for experienced professionals.
Other Free Resources
The Job Hunting Newsletter – A free weekly email with job market updates, career tips, tools, and extended discussions about the week’s podcast episode. Designed to keep job seekers motivated and informed throughout their transition.
31 Days of Action (Free) – A practical email-based program offering one actionable task per day to help people regain clarity and momentum after job loss. Proven to increase confidence, create job search habits, and improve networking knowledge. Now free for UN/WHO staff using the code RENATA31DAYS at checkout.
We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all those who contributed their time, expertise, and dedication to this initiative: Rolf Reinhard, Tom Frohner, Sara Canna, Alison Osborne, Jesús Guerrero, Katarina Posa, Sara Cortes, Virginie Ferré, Frédéric Ballenegger and Renata Bernarde.