The P11 / Personal History Profile vs a CV
The P11 (now usually the online Personal History Profile) is a standardised form: every applicant gives the same fields in the same order, so panels can compare like for like. It asks for detailed employment history, exact dates, supervisors, reasons for leaving, and references — more than a normal CV.
A good CV doesn't replace the PHP, but it makes completing it painless: if your experience is already structured as dated roles with clear results, you can transfer it field by field without hunting through old documents. Where a vacancy accepts a CV attachment, a clean two-page PDF is the right companion to the form.
Write to UN competencies and the vacancy
Each UN vacancy lists competencies (for example, professionalism, planning and organising, client orientation) and minimum education and experience. Map your bullets to those: state the situation, the action you took, and the measurable result, using the vacancy's own vocabulary where it genuinely applies.
Years of relevant experience and the right qualification level are hard gates — make them obvious near the top so a screener can confirm eligibility in seconds.
- Match the vacancy's competency language where it's true of you
- Make years of relevant experience easy to count
- State your qualification level clearly (it's often a hard gate)
- Quantify results: coverage, beneficiaries, budget, timelines
- List languages with proficiency — often scored for UN roles
Grades, languages and nationality
UN roles are graded (G, NO and P levels), and the grade signals the seniority and experience expected — pitch your CV at the level you're applying for. Language ability is frequently assessed, so list it honestly. For National Officer (NO) posts, nationality or work authorisation can be a requirement; make your eligibility clear rather than leaving a panel to guess.
UN application checklist
- Education level that meets the vacancy's minimum, stated clearly
- Years of relevant experience that are easy to total
- Bullets mapped to the vacancy's competencies
- Quantified results in every role
- Languages with honest proficiency levels
- Exact dates and supervisors ready for the PHP / P11
- Two to three referees who can speak to specific roles
Why people use Sahan for this
Sahan isn't a generic design tool. It's built for one job: making it effortless to keep a structured profile and generate a genuinely elegant CV from it — on any phone, in minutes — with optional verified badges on the claims that matter.
- Simple to build, satisfying to download
- Works fully on mobile — no app to install
- Update once, regenerate any time
- Verified badges, per claim
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between a UN P11 and a CV?
- The P11 (now the online Personal History Profile) is a standardised UN form with detailed, comparable fields — exact dates, supervisors, reasons for leaving. A CV is your own two-page summary. You usually complete the PHP and attach a CV where allowed; a well-structured CV makes filling the PHP much faster.
- Does Sahan create a UN P11 form?
- Sahan generates a clean, structured CV rather than the agency-specific P11 form itself. But because your history is already organised into dated roles with clear results, copying it into a UN Personal History Profile is quick and consistent.
- How long should a CV for UN jobs be?
- Two pages. Lead with the competencies and eligibility the vacancy asks for, and keep every bullet results-focused so a screener can confirm fit quickly.
- Do languages matter for UN jobs?
- Often, yes — many UN roles assess language ability, and a working second language can be decisive for a regional post. List each language with an honest proficiency level.