United Nations with Jood W. Alharthi
On this week’s LegalTea, Jood W. Alharthi talks us through the twists and turns of her path from the beaches of Swansea to the Big Apple. With passion and introspection, she explains how she found herself working as a Peace Building Associate at the United Nations having studied law at university, and offers a wealth of useful tips, advice and encouragement on matter what stage you’re at in your own career journey.
After coming to the UK from Saudi Arabia to study law, Jood went to London, to Swansea, and then back to London over the course of her studies. After her Masters, she worked in the legal sector, eventually finding herself at a human rights firm, while all the time maintaining freelancing and volunteering commitments. From there she decided to open, and then close, her own start-up business in legal tech before eventually landing a job at the UN headquarters in New York. For law students who, from day one, face a barrage of noise about corporate law at university, career fairs and events, it’s fair to say that Jood’s route looks a little… unconventional. But, as she explains, you shouldn’t be afraid of taking your own approach and forging a path which works for you.
For Jood, studying and working in law was never the final destination, but a stepping stone to other things. As law students, it can often feel like there’s a lot of pressure to follow a certain path and fit the stereotypical narrative of attending a top-ranking university, doing vacation schemes, and landing that job at a corporate firm. But, as Jood’s story shows, it doesn’t have to be this way. A legal degree is an entry point which can open all sorts of different opportunities. And if you’re on a path or in a position that you’re not enjoying, don’t be afraid to go in another direction.
“Not only thinking which company is suited for me but which company am I suited for is a huge question to ask yourself.”
Of course, taking a risk to follow the road less travelled or to forge a new path altogether can be stressful, and it’s important not to over-romanticize risk-taking. But, as Jood says, desperation also encourages creative solutions! Stay flexible and adaptable and appreciate that the life plan you map out as a student might not go to plan. But sometimes you can end up somewhere better than you had planned.
For Jood, this place was the UN headquarters in New York. There are all sorts of routes into working at the UN, from internships, to consultant work, to official schemes such as the Junior Professional Officer Program (JPO), the Young Professionals Program (YPP), and the UN Volunteers Program (UNV). Jood’s route in was to work out how she could package her background in law with her voluntary and charity work to really sell herself in an interview. There’s no denying that it can be tough to break into large international organisations like the UN. There will be tough days when you feel disheartened or discouraged but don’t let it stop you; keep checking career pages, following social media, applying for different positions:
“Be brave enough to hear 50 no’s to reach that one important yes.”
As a law student, don’t let yourself think that you have nothing to offer a place like the UN. It’s a myth that everyone working at the UN is an international human rights expert or a political affairs officer or an International Relations graduate. The UN needs all kinds of people and Jood’s department like that she comes from the private sector and her training in law means that she can often see problems and solutions that others might miss. Although she wasn’t an expert in things like reconciliation, peace building, or inter-ethnic tension, she had experience working closely with clients and interpersonal skills through her time as a lawyer which were incredibly useful. Always think about how you can present your experience as useful or valuable, rather than worrying that you don’t have some specific knowledge that you think might be required.
There are a few things to bear in mind if you’re thinking of making a move into a large public sector organization like the UN. Firstly, be ready for the bureaucracy. There’s an awful lot of admin, paperwork and things that need to be signed off by various stakeholders. This can sometimes feel a bit slow and frustrating in comparison to the private sector. Secondly, diplomacy is key. Whereas profit is often king in the private sector, the stakes are often higher in the public sector, where you’re launching projects or making decisions that have impacts and consequences to lives. Therefore, you always have to think carefully and analyse every step you take, especially when it comes to working in an international world with different member states and groups. Lastly, it’s important to always remain flexible and adaptable, as situations change and evolve quickly.
If you’re keen to take your law degree to the United Nations, here are just three of Jood’s (many) tips:
Define your own path. Although the career ladder presented to you as a law student can seem restrictive, there are all sorts of paths you can take. The most important thing is to find the best fit for you, and if that means taking a risk and changing course, do it. Although it might be scary, desperation fosters creative solutions!
Work out what you have to offer. Not everyone at the UN is an expert in international relations or human rights. The beauty of working at the largest international organization in the world is that everyone took a different path to get there and bring with them their own unique experience and expertise. Just think about how you can best package your own experience to really sell to a hiring manager and be able to demonstrate real interest in key issues.
Shift to a public sector mentality. There are many differences between working in the private and public sectors. If you’re making this move, be prepared for a lot more bureaucracy and understand that your priorities will change. The stakes are higher, and your work and decisions will impact real lives on the ground.
