The United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva is offering a six-month, unpaid Social Media Intern placement in its Press and External Relations Section at the United Nations Office at Geneva. Applications close on 08 November 2026, and the working language is English. Youth Works Hub went through the full job opening line by line, so every duty, condition and requirement is set out below.
Social Media Intern at UNIS Geneva: The Job Opening at a Glance
📌 Position: Social Media Intern
🆔 Job Opening ID: 286274
🏛️ Department/Office: United Nations Office at Geneva
🗂️ Job family: Public Information
🏷️ Category and level: Affiliate Personnel, Internships, I-1
🪪 Recruitment type: Intern
📍 Duty station: Geneva
🗺️ Work location: Geneva, Switzerland
⏱️ Expected duration: Six months
💶 Remuneration: Unpaid
Where You Would Sit: The Press and External Relations Section
The internship is located in the Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva. The job opening describes it as an unpaid internship, and repeats the point in a separate note, which is covered in detail further down.
UNIS Geneva as the Voice of the United Nations Office at Geneva
The United Nations Information Service in Geneva is the voice of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Through the media and its own news and information products, UNIS keeps the world informed about Geneva's unique role in multilateralism, diplomacy, and international relations.
UNIS also fosters a dialogue with key audiences, especially youth, through a range of outreach activities. Social media is one of the channels the Service lists for that work.
Every Channel UNIS Uses to Carry the UN Position
UNIS conveys the official position of the United Nations on matters in the news through:
🎤 Press conferences and briefings
📄 Official statements
🗣️ Interviews
🎧 Podcasts
📱 Social media
🎪 Outreach events
Social media is one of six named channels, and it is the one the intern works on every day.
A Press Corps of Close to 200 Correspondents
UNIS provides both breaking news and in-depth material to international print and audiovisual media. It serves the needs of close to 200 correspondents from the world's major news agencies and foreign media outlets who are permanently accredited to the United Nations in Geneva.
The Service works for a resident international press corps as well as for its own channels.
More internships and traineeships on Youth Works Hub →
Who Supervises the Social Media Intern
The internship runs under the supervision of the Press Officer in charge of social media. All the duties listed below are carried out under that supervision, including the flagging of follower comments to the same Press Officer.
Planning Daily Content With Trello and Weekly Editorial Calendars
The intern will use the UNIS Trello Boards to plan, create, and curate social media content on a daily basis. The role also includes:
📅 Maintaining and updating weekly editorial calendars
📂 Collecting and collating multimedia information from different departments and organizations
Content planning is a standing, daily task, and it relies on gathering material from sources across the Organization.
Drafting Posts for X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
The intern will draft posts for X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Four platforms with different audiences and formats means the drafting is varied rather than repetitive.
Tracking What Is Happening in and Around the UN
The intern will monitor various sources for new content and information about what is happening in and around the UN any given week. This weekly scan feeds the editorial calendar and the daily posts.
Editing and Subtitling News Videos in Adobe Premiere Pro
The intern will edit and subtitle news videos for UN Geneva social media channels, using Adobe Premiere Pro. Video editing and subtitling is a named software skill in the job opening, not an optional extra.
Visuals and Quote Cards With Canva or Adobe Photoshop
The intern will create visuals, quote cards and other materials as requested using online tools, such as Canva or Adobe Photoshop. The word "requested" means this work is driven by what the team needs on a given day.
Press Conferences and Events: Quotes, Photos and Videos
The intern will attend press conferences and events at UN Geneva to gather:
💬 Quotes
📸 Photos
🎥 Videos
All of it is material which can be used in social media posts.
Photography and Short Videos at UN Geneva and Beyond
The intern will take photographs and make short videos at various events at UN Geneva and beyond. The job opening does not limit the photography and video work to the Office premises.
Trends, Partner Posts and Suggested Reposts
The intern will research trends and posts from partners and suggest reposts. This is a content curation task: finding what partners publish and proposing what the UN Geneva accounts could share.
Watching Follower Comments and Questions
The intern will monitor the social media accounts for followers' comments and questions, and flag them to the Press Officer. The intern is the first reader of the community, and the Press Officer decides what happens next.
Weekly and Monthly @UNGeneva Performance Analyses
The intern will conduct weekly and monthly analyses of @UNGeneva social media performance. Two reporting rhythms, weekly and monthly, make performance analysis a regular part of the job.
Biweekly Press Briefings and English Summaries
The intern will attend biweekly press briefings and prepare summaries of such briefings in English. These are the regular briefings through which UNIS addresses the accredited press corps.
Human Rights Treaty Bodies and the Human Rights Council
The intern will attend meetings of human rights treaty bodies, the Human Rights Council, and other events. Attending these meetings is part of the intern's regular duties.
Daily Monitoring of Swiss Newspapers in Four Languages
The intern will contribute to the daily media monitoring of Swiss newspapers, which are read in French, German, Italian, and English. The language list explains why the job opening names those languages as an advantage.
Any Other Task the Service Requests
Finally, the intern will carry out any other tasks as requested by the United Nations Information Service. The workload can therefore extend beyond the duties listed above when the Service needs it.
Education Criteria for the UN Internship Programme
To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, one of two conditions must be met:
🎓 Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher)
📜 Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor's level or equivalent)
Final-Year Students and Graduates: The Wording of the Job Opening
The job opening repeats the requirement in its own words: applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master's or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor's, Master's or Ph.D. Programme. Applicants are asked whether they meet any of these criteria and, if so, to indicate which one.
Proof of Studies Now, Official Certificate Later
Applicants must attach proof to the application. The job opening also states that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage, so the document trail continues after the application is submitted.
No Work Experience Required, but a Related Field of Study Is
Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience, and the job opening says no prior work experience is required to apply for this internship. A field of study that is closely related to the type of internship being applied for is required.
What to List: Training, Coursework, Campaigns and Editing Software
Applicants are asked to list anything that would help in the Social Media Intern role:
🧠 Any training, education, advance course work or practical skills relevant to the role
📣 All communication and social media campaign related projects you have worked on
🎞️ Any photo or video editing software you are familiar with
Since there is no work experience requirement, this list is where your preparation shows.
Language Requirements
Most of the work will be conducted in English. Written and spoken fluency in English is required.
Knowledge of French, any other official UN language, Italian, or German is an advantage. The advantage languages match the Swiss newspapers that the intern helps monitor.
Unpaid: What the United Nations Does Not Cover
The job opening states twice that the placement is unpaid: "This unpaid internship is located in the Press and External Relations Section" and "N.B: This internship is unpaid." The intern-specific text spells out the conditions:
💶 Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations
✈️ Costs and arrangements for travel are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions
🛂 Visa costs and arrangements are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions
🏠 Accommodation is the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions
🧾 Living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions
Because the costs sit with the intern or the sponsoring institution, plan the funding before you apply. Our guide on how funded traineeships actually work explains the difference between a paid internship and one where the costs sit with you.
Visa and Work Authorisation
Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. The job opening advises that successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.
No Fee at Any Stage of Recruitment
The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process: application, interview meeting, processing, or training. It also does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.
A message that asks you to pay for this internship or to share bank details is not coming from the United Nations. For the checks behind every listing we publish, see how we verify opportunities.
How to Apply
The application is more than a CV upload. Make sure you:
✅ Indicate which education criterion you meet
📎 Attach proof of your studies to the application
🗂️ List the training, education, advance course work or practical skills that would help in the role
📣 List all communication and social media campaign related projects you have worked on
🎞️ List the photo or video editing software you are familiar with
📜 Be ready to provide an official certificate at a later stage
Who This Internship Suits
This placement fits a student in a final year or a recent graduate in communications, public information, media, international relations or a related field who already edits video, designs in Canva or Photoshop, reads performance numbers and follows Swiss or international news in English, French, German or Italian. Opportunities like this one are published as they open on Youth Works Hub, with the application link in every post.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Social Media Intern at UNIS Geneva do?
The intern plans and curates daily content with the UNIS Trello Boards, drafts posts for X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, edits and subtitles news videos, creates visuals, and takes photos and videos at events. The role also includes performance analyses, comment monitoring, press briefing summaries and Swiss newspaper monitoring.
Where is this internship based?
In Geneva, Switzerland, at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The duty station is Geneva and the work location is Geneva, Switzerland.
How long does the internship last?
The expected duration is six months.
Is the UNIS Geneva internship paid?
No. The job opening states that this internship is unpaid and that interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of the intern or their sponsoring institution.
Which section of UNIS is the internship in?
The Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, under the supervision of the Press Officer in charge of social media.
Which software should I know?
The duties name Trello, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Canva or Adobe Photoshop. The job opening also asks applicants to list any photo or video editing software they are familiar with.
What education do I need to apply?
You must be enrolled in or have completed a graduate school programme (second university degree or higher), or be enrolled in or have completed the final academic year of a first university degree at minimum bachelor's level. You need to indicate which criterion you meet and attach proof.
Do I need work experience?
No. No prior work experience is required, and applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. A field of study closely related to the internship is required.
Which languages do I need?
Written and spoken fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French, any other official UN language, Italian, or German is an advantage.
Do I need a visa?
Possibly. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship takes place may need the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization, and successful candidates should discuss their specific requirements before accepting the offer.
Is there a nationality requirement?
The job opening lists no nationality requirement. The stated conditions concern education, field of study and English fluency.
Does the United Nations charge an application fee?
No. The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process, and it does not ask for information about applicants' bank accounts.
When is the application deadline?
The deadline is 08 November 2026.
Deadline
⏳ 08 November 2026
Link
🔗 Job opening and application (Apply Now): https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/286274?language=en
