Any country with embassies abroad employs foreign service officers and specialists to run the satellite offices and act as national ambassadors. The United States Department of State (DOS) is in charge of selecting and training embassy personnel. Most jobs requiring a bachelor’s or even advanced degree in one of a half-dozen career specialties are available to foreign service specialists. Many positions also necessitate a certain level of experience in the field.
Knowing what career paths are available is essential for landing a position in foreign service. Foreign service officers and foreign service specialists are the two main types of overseas embassy positions. Officers are responsible for more types of foreign affairs duties; consular duties, political or public diplomacy, and management or economic affairs are the five basic career types. Although some internships are available, all of these jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree.
If you want to work as a foreign service specialist, you must have a background and education in one of several other fields. Information technology, construction engineering, library science, or English education, health care, international studies, security and administration, or office management are some of the most common. The DOS specifies a minimum level of education and experience for each career path. This can range from a high school diploma and three years of work experience for general service officers to a master’s degree in library and information science as well as a variety of other experience requirements for information resource officers.
The DOS website has detailed job descriptions to assist those interested in becoming a foreign service specialist in determining the best career path. After completing the educational requirements, experience in the field is frequently sought. Candidates must apply for the specific position for which they believe they are qualified once the requirements have been met, as long as they meet citizenship requirements and are between the ages of 20 and 59.
To apply for a position as a foreign service specialist, you must fill out the DS-1950 federal employment application. This is also easily accessible via the internet. The DOS Qualifications Evaluation Panel will check references and verify that all information on the application is accurate once it has been completed. Veterans and those who speak a foreign language are given special consideration.
This initial review is followed a written and oral exam. Candidates will be placed on a list of tentatively approved candidates if they pass the exam, at which point they will be subjected to medical and security screenings. Once these final hurdles have been cleared, a panel must give its final approval before foreign service specialist training can begin.