This blog has been dormant for a long time. And this blog has remained conceptual in its focus and my thoughts about its very existence for even longer. But I've finally mustered the courage and commitment to try again.
So yeah, I'm Zz. No, that's not my real name. But my aim is to go from being Zz Whatever to being Zz Diplomat. But unless the President taps me to become an ambassador to some obscure country halfway around the world, there's only one way to accomplish this goal: becoming a United States Foreign Service Officer (FSO) with the Department of State.
FSOs have a truly unique and challenging profession. They spend most of their careers working abroad, often in dangerous or inhospitable conditions. They staff our embassies. They visit us in foreign prisons. They negotiate with foreign ministers. They attend international conferences. They conduct visa interviews. They welcome the President and congressional delegations when they travel abroad. They evacuate Americans caught in the wake of a natural disaster or outbreak of war. They provide advice to ambassadors. And they research country conditions and report this information back to Washington.
Sounds pretty cool, doesn't it? Yes, it does. But because of the unique skillset and knowledge base required to do this job, the State Department (DOS) has instituted a rigorous application and screening process. About 20,000 people apply to become FSOs each year, but only about 3% of the candidates are actually hired. In other words, if you want to become an FSO, don't quit your daytime job. But at the same time, even though roughly 97% of FSO candidates are unsuccessful, there's no reason to believe you won't be one of the lucky 3% who survives!
But here's the deal. Unlike most other federal jobs, you cannot apply to become an FSO simply by submitting a resume and answering a few questions on the USAJOBS webpage. You have to take a test, write an essay, submit long-form personal narratives, survive a review panel, pass an oral assessment, receive a medical clearance, pass a background investigation, pass a final review panel, and be called from a register of eligible candidates before you can finally call yourself an FSO. That's a lot of information, so we'll start from the beginning.
When I say "start from the beginning," I must first advise you of three mandatory, non-negotiable, ironclad stipulations that all FSOs must agree to in order to be hired. If you can't agree to these three conditions, you should not waste your time.
1. You must be flexible with your assignments even if they may require you to assume unfamiliar or undesirable responsibilities. For example, even though you might be hired as a political officer (more on that later), you might have to complete a tour as a management officer. Even if your skillset is in public diplomacy, DOS may need you to serve as a consular officer. When dignitaries or other important delegations visit your duty location, you may be assigned as a baggage officer or a notetaker. (More information about this is available at Foreignservicetest.com.) You might need to be trained in a language you have little or no interest in.
2. You must publicly support the policies of the United States Government (USG). As a diplomat, you represent the USG abroad. Your bosses are the President of the United States and the Secretary of State. If you vehemently disagree with the President's decision to send military troops to Country X or you think the Secretary missed a golden opportunity when negotiating with Minister Y, you must be prepared to publicly defend the President, the Secretary, and the relevant policies or actions. If you can't hold your tongue in public, the Foreign Service is not for you.
3. You must be available to serve anywhere in the world at anytime. Yes, there are embassies and consulates in Switzerland, Italy, Britain and New Zealand. But there are also embassies and consulates in Iraq, Libya, Venezuela, and Nigeria. You might be assigned to an impoverished country with poor sanitation. You might have to work in a place where the climate is severe. You might have to work in a country ravaged by war. You might have to work in a place where the locals do not like Americans. And some assignments will not allow you to take your spouse or children or pets with you--and you'll still have to go there anyway. And sometimes you will have to uproot your family on short notice. If you are the type of person who will only become an FSO if you can work in a safe, developed country, then the Foreign Service is definitely not for you.
If you are still reading this, I assume you are okay with these three conditions of employment and are ready to get this show on the road. In my next post, I will provide information on the first steps involved in becoming an FSO and what types of FSOs there are. Stay tuned!
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