Foreign Service Officers

Aspiring Foreign Service officers should gain experience in foreign affairs (including in other government positions, teaching, or volunteering overseas).

As you can tell from the education and examination requirements, you must be very intelligent and a quick learner to be a successful Foreign Service officer. You should be flexible and adaptable to new cultures and traditions. You must be interested in the histories and traditions of foreign cultures and respectful of the practices of other nations. You should try to learn the language of the country where you are posted in order to be able to connect with the locals on a more personal level.

Good people skills are important because you'll be expected to work as a member of a team and deal diplomatically with people from other countries. But, you'll also be expected to work independently. You should be in good physical condition, so that you can handle the climate variations and sometimes unhealthy conditions of different countries.

Those people interested in protecting diplomacy and the strength of the Foreign Service need to closely follow relevant legislation, as well as promote the importance of international affairs to their fellow citizens.