United Nations careers are often imagined as a single, coherent professional path: apply to the UN, pass a competitive process, and build a stable international career. In practice, this mental model is wrong and actively harmful for candidates.

Careers in International Law is a term that suggests a unified professional field with clear boundaries, recognizable roles, and predictable career trajectories. In practice, it refers to none of that. It is not a single profession, a consolidated job market, or a standardized career path.

International law career paths are widely misunderstood because students are taught international law as a body of rules, cases, and institutions, while the job market operates according to functions, constraints, and institutional needs.