Navigating career development with the JPO booster: A spotlight Interview with Esmeralda Dikoume

With a career that began at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., Esmeralda Dikoume transitioned to a transformative role at UNICEF Cameroon as a field support officer, where her personal connection to the country deepened her commitment to humanitarian work. Esmeralda has a master's in public administration - international development from Cornell University and has always been passionate about climate change initiatives, disaster risk management, and partnership building. 

Now growing into P3 level role in Mogadishu as the climate change and environment specialist, Esmeralda continues to harness her rich experiences to tackle pressing global challenges. 

In this spotlight interview with Juan Pendavis, we explore her experience in UNSSC’s JPO Career Booster Programme. 

Which aspect of the UNSSC JPO Career Booster Programme did you find most helpful? How has this contributed to your leadership development milestones? 

 I'll pick 2. 

 
The first one is the network of JPOs that you meet from all around the world. The level of representation blew me away, the many different agencies represented, including agencies I was not aware of. There were people working in countries that I have always been curious about.  

We all had such different experiences working in our different fields, yet we all had one thing in common, this JPO career booster and how to transition from being a JPO but remain within the UN family? Being on that journey together and sitting in that room for a week, getting to know each other, sharing meals, learning together, playing together, is something that I will cherish forever. I created a WhatsApp group and we' are still all connected. When we are all directors and chiefs, we are all going to look back on this time and be able to, work together and leverage our network to see how we can help each other progress.  

 The second thing was being able to hear from professionals and former JPOs. Mr. Michael Emery is incredible. To just hear his story, as chief of human resources, on the realities of what HR managers need to see from an external perspective made it easier for me when it came to the job application process and motivated me to include certain elements that I had not considered before.  

How has the programme given you the tools to further your career and perform within the UN system? 

The sessions had a good mix of introspective, retrospective, and future thinking. Many young people may not have the time to do it or may not realize how important it is at this stage in our careers. The opportunity to sit with others facing similar challenges was invaluable. It helped me recognize that we need to align our personal motivations with the organization's goals, which was crucial for my growth. The highlight for me, however, was the introspective sessions and the CV and cover letter workshops with Nancy Raphael. As I was interviewing and applying for positions, her perspective provided honest feedback on my writing. I shared my job success with her afterward, and how I found those workshops to be incredibly beneficial. 

What are some of the challenges you have faced in your work, and how has this training changed your perspective? 

As part of the JPO programme, some of us are fortunate to have a training budget, which provides a substantial amount of money to focus on our career and personal development. However, the reality is that many of us are quite busy and may not have the time to fully utilize these funds. Having a week dedicated to structured sessions geared towards career development was one of the best investments I made. It streamlined the decision-making process for identifying what I needed to elevate my leadership skills and advance my career. One of the main challenges we face is determining what type of programme we truly need. This often leads to doubts, such as: What kind of programme will fulfil my needs as a young professional? This booster programme offers a solution to these uncertainties by providing a comprehensive package. The support helped me clarify my own needs; for instance, I have already signed up for career coaching sessions with UNSSC.  

Would you recommend this training programme to other junior professional officers and why?  

Definitely to two groups of people! I would recommend this to shy people, because it forces you to get out of your comfort zone, to get out of the country where you work and be in an environment where you're only with like- minded early professionals. There are no stupid questions in this sort of training. The instructors really push you to get out of your comfort zone and participate. If you are shy and maybe having a little bit of difficulty finding your people, I fully recommend this experience.  

I also definitely recommend this for people who want to excel in leadership. I am someone who loves to bring people together and loves to make people shine, and I think that's my best leadership quality. As somebody who continues to grow, this is a great place because you have the opportunity to learn more about your leadership style, and hear from leaders in the field, so that you too can take little bits and nuggets of knowledge. 

What message of inspiration do you have for all JPO Career Booster participants or alumni? 

Dear JPOs, please take advantage of everything that is optional and everything that is required, show up on time, have fun with your cohort, get to meet them, and get to know each other. 
 

Connect while you're inside the programme and keep these connections alive after the programme, because honestly, we are all in the same boat. We understand each other and these are the people that when you have very specific questions about your career or you want to bounce some CV ideas or you want to do mock interviews, these are the people that you can count on forever. For those of us who've already gone through it, I think now is the time to put everything that you learn into practice. This is a stepping stone for a lot of people and, really, the programme is what you make of it. 
 
Step outside of your comfort zone and give it your all because it's just a week....and it's fun, so enjoy it! 

If you are a JPO and keen to step up your career development, sign up for the UNSSC Career Booster for Junior Professional Officers (09 June – 20 June)  

For any inquiries on upcoming editions and customized programmes for JPOs, please email jpo@unssc.org