FAQs
About registering and password - External applicants
Do I have to register every time I want to submit an application?
No. You only need to register once. Then, in future visits, you just need to log-in using the email address and password entered in iRecruitment at the time of your registration.
Can I change my password and email?
If you wish to change your password or email, please log-in at “Already registered in our Job Site?” with your existing email and password. Then go to “My Account”, “Login Information” section to change your password, and to “Personal Information” page to change your e-mail address. You must maintain a current valid email address as iRecruitment does not automatically update your email address should you change it or if it is no longer active.
I have forgotten my password
If you have forgotton your password, click on the link
Did you forget your password? located on the iRecruitment home page and provide the required information. A new password will be sent to the email address registered in iRecruitment. Please contact
iRecruitment@fao.org should you have any problems.
I have forgotten my email address
If you do not remember which email address you used to register in iRecruitment, please contact
iRecruitment@fao.orgI share the email address with another person who is already registered in iRecruitment. Can I create my own account using the same email address?
No, as your e-mail address is your log in, and it is unique for each person. You will need to create your own e-mail account and then register in iRecruitment.
How do I register?
From the iRecruitment Home page, click on “Register now”. You will be requested to enter a valid email address, basic personal data and a password. Please save your email and password information as you will need this information for future visits.
I cannot log-in to iRecruitment, what do I do?
You should first check the security levels in "Tools" then "Internet Options" and if this option is too high, put it on "medium". If you are still unable to log in, please contact
iRecruitment@fao.org.
I have not received an email communication confirming my registration
Due to a number of factors, email messages may not reach the addressee or may be delayed. However, you should be able to log in back in iRecruitment using the log in and password you created and verify your account information.
About registering and password - Internal applicants
I have forgotten my password
How do I access iRecruitment if I am away from HQs?
Please use the link on the Welcome to iRecuitment page for FAO employees who do not have access to the Intranet.
Checking the status of your application
Can I delete old jobs from my iRecruitment user account?
You can withdraw your application from the vacancies that you applied to. However, your application history is retained in iRecruitment.
How can I check the status of my application?
The status of your application(s) will be displayed on your iRecruitment user account. You can sort records by Status, Location, Job Title or Vacancy Name by clicking on the header of the relevant column
My application status “Selection ongoing” has not changed for some time
The selection process may take up to six months to be completed as we receive a large number of applications for FAO vacancy announcements. Please check regularly the status of your application(s) by browsing your iRecruitment user account. Should you be under serious consideration for selection you will be contacted for an interview by the relevant division.
Which are the application statuses that will be displayed in my iRecruitment account?
- Application received: confirmation of receipt of your application
- Selection ongoing: the selection process is in one of the following stages: evaluation of applications, interviews being organized/conducted, proposal for selection not finalized.
- Selection finalized: a candidate has been selected
- VA cancelled: the selection process for the relevant vacancy has been cancelled
- Application withdrawn: iRecruitment has recorded your withdrawal from a specific vacancy
About completing and updating your on-line application
How do I get to my on-line application?
If you are accessing iRecruitment for the first time, please register and create your account. Complete then the three sections of the application on-line to create your FAO Personal Profile form. For more detailed information regarding how to complete your application please refer the Welcome to iRecruitment page which contains Guidelines.
Do I have to complete all the sections of the on-line application?
There are a number of fields which are mandatory and have to be completed in order to proceed with your application. Other fields are not mandatory. The information we request from candidates is the minimum information necessary to evaluate your candidature for a vacancy announcement. Other personal information and additional details are necessary for administrative purposes, should you be considered for an appointment with FAO.
When I enter my Employment History it does not appear in chronological order
iRecruitment saves this information in the order in which it has been entered. If you make a mistake while entering your employment information, you need to delete a record and enter your employment history in correct chronological order.
What do I enter as the end date for my current job?
Leave this date blank.
My mother tongue is not listed. How can I enter this information?
The languages which appear under the Skills section, “Languages – Other” show only the most widely spoken languages (excluding those listed under “Languages – Official”). Please select “Languages –Other” skill type, and “9002.Other Language(s) Spoken” for the name of the skill, and then type the name of non-listed language you speak in “Other Information” field. You can enter more than one language in this field, separating them by a comma.
How can I indicate a degree which I have not yet completed?
You enter your Education Qualification information, listing the Name of the Establishment, Years you’ve been attending and the Academic Qualification information. Then you have to click on “Additional Qualification Details” in order to enter the exact title of your degree, and you choose “Not Completed” for the Status of the degree.
My type of degree is not located in the list. What do I do?
For Professional Qualifications, choose “Other” for Qualification Type and type the exact title of your degree/ certificate, etc., in the free filed available once you click on “Additional Qualification Detail”” icon. For Education Qualifications, you will have to choose from one of the five options provided to indicate the type of the degree, and then click on Additional Qualification Detail icon in order to enter the exact title of your degree.
What do I do if I cannot find my professional area?
You can select the Professional Area(s) which are closest to your qualifications and experience. We have included in the list of professional areas those which are relevant to the main fields of expertise in FAO, as well as areas in the fields of administration, finance, personnel, etc. Professional Area(s) is not a mandatory field and can be left blank. It is mainly used by managers conducing candidate search.
I do not have enough space to describe my current and past jobs. Can it be increased?
The space allocated for the description of your current and past jobs is set to 4 000 characters. We encourage applicants to describe concisely and clearly their duties and achievements. We recommend candidates to save after each Employment History record is entered.
Can I attach a cover letter to each application?
You can attach documents to your on-line application in the Personal Details section, “Documents”. If you wish to apply to more than one vacancy, please indicate in the title of the attachment the number of the vacancy announcement and the nature of the document (e.g. Cover letter VA No. IRCxxx) or Further training VA No. IRCxxx)
How many documents can I attach to my on-line application?
There is no limit on the number of the documents attached, however, we strongly recommend to attach only relevant information. For Publications, please attach the list of publications, not the publications themselves.
How can I view and print my FAO Personal Profile form?
To create or update your FAO Personal Profile form, you need to click on “Refresh My Resume” button located on the right side of each account page (on the top and on the bottom of each page). After creating/ updating your on-line resume, you can view your FAO Personal Profile form in Personal Information page, Documents section, File Type “System Generated Resume”. Please remember to refresh your resume every time you make changes to your account. You can then print your FAO Personal Profile form by using a print button from the regular Internet menu/ browser.
How do I complete my on-line application?
If you have already registered and are an external applicant use the section
Already registered on our Job Site? and enter your email and password. This will take you to your iRecruitment user account; click on “My Account” to display on-line application. If you are a FAO employee use the link “Logon to FAO Administrative Resource Management System/ Administrative Applications” available in Intranet and log-in with your current username and password. If you do not have a username and password please contact
iRecruitment@fao.org. Once employees have been provided iRecruitment access HQs and FAOR employees can use the link provided on the Welcome to iRecruitment page for Employees who do not have access to the FAO Intranet.
About applying
Can I apply to more than one vacancy?
Yes, you can apply for more than one vacancy announcement. However, before submitting an application we advise you to read carefully the Minimum Requirements and the Selection Criteria set up on each vacancy announcement and determine whether these match your qualifications and experience.
How do I withdraw my application for a vacancy if I am no longer available?
If you wish to withdraw an application, go to “Jobs Applied For”” section in “General” tab and click on Application Details of the application you wish to withdraw. Then simply click on “Withdraw” button on the right side and your application will be withdrawn from that vacancy.
In addition to my on-line application, can I mail or fax my application?
There is no need for you to submit a paper copy of your application in addition to your on-line application. Your FAO Personal Profile form (PPF) is maintained in iRecruitment and will be used by managers to evaluate your application. If you wish to provide us with additional information you can attach documents to your on-line application and these will be taken into consideration by FAO managers when evaluating your candidature.
I have not received an email communication confirming receipt of my application for a vacancy
Due to a number of factors, email messages may not reach the addressee or may be delayed. Every time you apply for a vacancy a confirmation message will appear on top of your iRecruitment user account. In addition the section Jobs Applied For will be updated to display your new application. Please check your iRecruitment account regularly.
How do I apply for a vacancy?
Step 1: Register with FAO iRecruitment
To register with our iRecruitment job site you will need to enter your email address and password. Click on the Register Today link on the login page and enter the required information.
Step 2: Create your Online Application
Enter personal and professional information to complete your on-line application.
Click on the each tab at the top of the screen to enter personal data, employment history, educational qualifications, skills and other required information.
You should keep this information current and return to update it as necessary.
Step 3: Search for Job Vacancies
After you have created your online application you can search and view information about open vacancies.
Click on the Jobs tab to display vacancies available.
Step 4: Apply to Vacancies
When you find a vacancy of interest, simply Click on the Apply Now icon to link you application to the vacancy.
Need more information?
You will find more detailed information to guide you through the above steps in our Guidelines available on each iRecruitment screen.
I have seen an advertisement in a magazine, how do I apply?
If you have seen an advertisement in the press, please search for your vacancy in the Job Search page, read the full vacancy notice and click on the Apply Now button on the vacancy page.
I have registered and completed my application. What do I need to do to apply for vacancies?
You can search now for available vacancies. Once you have performed your search, select the vacancy of your interest and click on the relevant Apply Now button. Follow then the three steps to submit your application.
Can I submit customized on-line applications for specific vacancies?
No. Your on-line application stored in iRecruitment is the same for all vacancies for which you wish to apply. However, you can attach under Documents section a cover letter for each application explaining, for example, your motivation for the specific job and how you meet the requirements of the vacancy. We advise you to indicate clearly the number of the vacancy announcement in the title of the document you are attaching.
If I update my application on-line, are all my previous applications updated automatically?
IRecruitment stores only one on-line application for each applicant and it is considered for all vacancies for which you have applied. You can attach, if you so wish, specific cover letters for each vacancy announcement for which you wish to apply (motivation for the job, specific achievements related to the requirements of a specific vacancy announcement, etc.) and we advise you to indicate in the title of the document you attach a clear reference to the vacancy announcement in question.
Do I have to complete the entire application in one session?
You can complete the first section of the application, “Personal Information” and then save, log-off and return at a later date to complete other sections. We advise you, however, to ensure that you have completed your application in all sections before applying to a specific vacancy announcement, as incomplete applications will not be considered.
About Searching for Job and Job Basket
About Searching for Job and Job Basket
You can either click on the Apply Now link for the vacancy you wish to apply to, located on the right side of the Job Search table, or open the vacancy announcement text and click on the Apply Now button on the bottom of the screen. Your application on-line will be displayed for you to review. Click on “Next” button containing the last page of your application for the specific vacancy and then click “Submit”. A message confirming the receipt of your application will appear on the screen. You can also view the application submitted in Jobs Applied For section of your account.
Do I need to register and log-in to search and view vacancy announcements?
You can search for vacancies by clicking on the Jobs icon located in iRecruitment welcome page. However, you need to be logged in to apply for a vacancy of interest.
How does Job Basket work?
If you have not yet registered and created your iRecruitment account you will only be able to add vacancies temporarily to the Job Basket; the selected jobs will remain in the Job Basket for the duration of your session in iRecruitment.
Once you register and create your account in iRecruitment, any vacancies added to your Job Basket will be saved in your account and you will be able to review them at your convenience. Please note that you can only apply to a vacancy prior to the Deadline for Applications indicated in each vacancy announcement.
How often are vacancies published in iRecruitment?
Vacancies are published as soon as vacancy announcements are ready for posting.
About the selection process
I have submitted my application some time ago but I have not been contacted yet
Depending on the number of applications received, the selection process may take up to six months to be completed. Only the candidates under serious consideration for selection will be contacted for an interview. The status of your application(s) will be updated as soon as there is progress in the selection process.
How does the selection process work?
- As soon as there is a need to fill a position, the relevant vacancy announcement is published in iRecruitment. External vacancy announcements are posted for a period of 8 weeks. Internal vacancy announcements for 4 weeks.
- Once the vacancy announcement is closed, Managers responsible for the selection process screen and evaluate the applications.
- The best qualified candidates who more closely meet the requirements of the post are interviewed by a Divisional/Departmental interview panel.
- The Divisional/Departmental proposal for selection is reviewed by the relevant Selection Committee
- The Approval Authority makes a decision on the final selection.
- The selected candidate is contacted to initiate the appointment procedures.
How are the interviews held?
Interviews can be held by phone, videoconference or in person. A Divisional/Departmental Panel interviews the best qualified candidates. During the interview academic qualifications, professional experience and knowledge of languages will be assessed. In some cases candidates will be asked to undergo a written test.
