Homo UN. Early career professionals adapting to the organizational culture of the United Nations

An advertisement on the United Nations' social media website announces that 'the dream' of pursuing a UN career has to be approached 'with a healthy mix of realism and idealism'. Taking this quote as a point of departure, this paper examines early career UN professionals' adaptability to the organizational culture. This aim is approached by juxtaposing the actual experiences in the UN headquarters in Geneva and Vienna with what is condensed in the notion of homo UN , the UN's corporate subject. Junior professionals' modes of adaptability are reflected in their ability to 'create uniqueness' and a 'balanced modesty', an attitude that enables to bridge the frictions between concepts of ideal international civil servants vis-à-vis the individuals' real experiences. The modes of adaptability become visible through the analysis of the informants' self-narrations. This paper postulates that specific strategies of adaptability to the UN's corporate subject homo UN are needed to be able to cope with the UN environment.