Best parts: I get to travel and live in different parts of the world, learn about different cultures and see different sites. Interacting with local people helps me understand why...[full comment]
Everyone who becomes a Foreign Service Officer must first pass the written (computerized, now) exam, then also pass the oral exam which is a full day of interviews. There are...[full comment]
"Best parts: I get to travel and live in different parts of the world, learn about different cultures and see different sites. Interacting with local people helps me understand why some things are the way they are, and makes me realize every day that people are similar everywhere in one main way: They want to live their lives in peace, and build better lives for their children. Some of the details change from country to country, but that part remains the same. Worst part: I am away from my family and friends back in the U.S. more than I would like. I get to visit a lot, and sometimes people come visit me in other countries, but it's harder than if I were only a few states away. Also, sometimes there are long hours involved depending on what's going on. Finally, sometimes I have to support official U.S. policy with which I don't agree. Internally, I can argue with my boss to try to change things, try to convince people that a certain policy might need to change, but once the final decision is made, I must be the "face" of that policy to the public, and cannot walk around saying I disagree."
School : MBA, The George Washington University; BA in History, University of Vermont
"Everyone who becomes a Foreign Service Officer must first pass the written (computerized, now) exam, then also pass the oral exam which is a full day of interviews. There are no special requirements, you don't even have to have a college degree. The main things people need for this career I would say are curiosity, flexibility and general intelligence, by which I mean being able to think things through and being able to learn new things. There is no one specific path my colleagues and I took to get where we are. On the day I started, my orientation group had a 58-year old and a 22-year old. We had a professional dancer, a commercial fisherman, some lawyers, a self-described housewife, a university professor. Sure, college will help you know things like economic analysis, but mostly you need to be willing to support U.S. government policy. Sometimes you have to think on your feet, because someone will ask you something you cannot answer, or will not accept your prior answer and will keep pushing. This is when diplomacy really comes into play, because you have to basically cut them off without being rude. Or you have to deliver an uncomfortable message to the local government, maybe "the U.S. is unhappy with your recent decision to do XYZ thing" and you have to deliver the message but still keep the relationship with that government intact. It's challenging and sometimes frustrating and nearly always rewarding. No one takes a job with the government for the money. In fact, I took a pay cut when I first started, but I thought it was worth it because I was interested in the job. It might sound corny, but most of us took this job because we love our country and want to work on behalf of our country."
School : MBA, The George Washington University; BA in History, University of Vermont
