Application Guide
How to Apply for Graphic design intern
at United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
🏢 About United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
UNFPA is the UN's lead agency working toward a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. Unlike typical corporate design roles, this internship offers the unique opportunity to use graphic design skills to advance global humanitarian goals like ending preventable maternal deaths and gender-based violence. Working here means contributing visual communication that directly supports life-saving programs and advocacy campaigns worldwide.
About This Role
This graphic design intern will support UNFPA's Communication Unit by creating professional-quality digital and print materials that enhance the organization's visibility and support campaigns, programs, and institutional products. You'll be designing everything from social media graphics to reports and presentations, ensuring all visuals strictly adhere to UNFPA's brand identity while communicating complex humanitarian topics accessibly.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a virtual check-in with the Communication Unit to discuss priorities, then designing social media graphics for an upcoming campaign about youth potential. You'd spend the afternoon creating infographics for a maternal health report, ensuring data visualization is both accurate and accessible, while adapting designs for different language versions. The day would wrap up with reviewing feedback on presentation layouts and preparing assets for the next day's deliverables.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Is Looking For
- A current student or recent graduate in graphic design, visual arts, or multimedia who can demonstrate proficiency in Canva, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign through a portfolio
- Someone with both creativity and meticulous attention to detail, able to translate UNFPA's sensitive topics (maternal health, gender equality) into compelling, respectful visual narratives
- A bilingual communicator fluent in French or English (ideally both), capable of creating designs that resonate across different cultural contexts
- A curious learner passionate about humanitarian work, eager to understand how design supports UNFPA's three transformative results: zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet family planning needs, and zero gender-based violence
📝 Tips for Applying to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Create a portfolio section specifically showing how you've designed for social causes or complex topics (not just commercial work), with examples of infographics, social media campaigns, or reports
Include any experience designing multilingual materials or working with brand guidelines, as UNFPA has strict visual identity standards
Mention specific UNFPA campaigns or initiatives you admire in your application, showing you've researched their visual communication approach
Highlight any remote collaboration experience, as this internship is remote and requires coordinating with a global team across time zones
If bilingual, explicitly state your proficiency levels in French and English, as this is a key requirement for communicating with diverse stakeholders
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Demonstrate understanding of UNFPA's mission by connecting your design skills to their specific goals (e.g., 'My experience creating accessible infographics could help communicate maternal health data')", 'Show how you balance creativity with adherence to brand guidelines, providing a specific example of working within established visual systems', "Express genuine interest in humanitarian design rather than just seeking any design internship, explaining why UNFPA's work resonates with you personally", "Mention any experience with the specific tools listed (Canva, Adobe Creative Suite) and how you've used them in collaborative, deadline-driven projects"]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Study UNFPA's current visual identity and brand guidelines (available on their website) to understand their color schemes, typography, and imagery standards
- → Review their recent campaigns like #BodyRight or initiatives for International Women's Day to see how they communicate complex issues visually
- → Explore UNFPA's three transformative results and how they're measured, as your designs will need to support these specific outcomes
- → Look at how other UN agencies approach humanitarian design to understand the sector's visual communication conventions and challenges
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a portfolio with only commercial or entertainment-focused work without showing ability to handle sensitive, information-heavy humanitarian topics
- Not demonstrating familiarity with UNFPA's mission or using generic praise like 'I want to work for a great organization' instead of specific references to their work
- Overlooking the bilingual requirement by not clearly stating language proficiencies or assuming English-only communication is sufficient
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)!