There is heavy competition and extensive testing involved in obtaining Foreign Service positions. More than 270 posts abroad are staffed by Foreign Service officers and specialists.
The Foreign Service seeks candidates who can manage programs and personnel, as well as demonstrate expertise in transnational issues, such as science and technology; the fight against diseases, such as Ebola and COVID; efforts to save the environment; antinarcotics efforts; terrorism; and trade. The U.S. Department of State also has an increasing need for candidates with training and experience in administration and management.
- Ambassadors
- Anthropologists
- Archaeologists
- Aviation Safety Inspectors
- Bailiffs
- Bank Examiners
- Border Patrol Agents
- Campaign Workers
- City Managers
- Civil Engineers
- College Professors
- Congressional Aides
- Construction Inspectors
- Cryptographic Technicians
- Cultural Advisers
- Customs Brokers
- Customs Officials
- Demographers
- Deputy U.S. Marshals
- Economists
- Emergency Management Directors
- English as a Second Language (ESL) Teachers
- Environmental Lobbyists
- Environmental Planners
- EPA Special Agents
- Ethnoscientists
- Export-Import Specialists
- FBI Agents
- Federal and State Officials
- Fish and Game Wardens
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators, and Analysts
- Futurists
- Health and Regulatory Inspectors
- Intelligence Officers
- Internet Transaction Specialists
- Interpreters
- Land Acquisition Professionals
- Land Trust or Preserve Managers
- Linguists
- Lobbyists
- Management Analysts and Consultants
- Merchant Mariners
- Military Recruiters
- Military Workers, Enlisted
- National Park Service Employees
- Occupational Safety and Health Workers
- Park Rangers
- Policy Analysts
- Political Columnists and Writers
- Political Consultants
- Political Reporters
- Political Scientists
- Political Speechwriters
- Press Secretaries
- Public Opinion Researchers
- Purchasing Agents
- Recycling Coordinators
- Regional and Local Officials
- Secondary School Teachers
- Secret Service Special Agents
- Sign Language and Oral Interpreters
- Statisticians
- Traffic Engineers
- Translators
- Transportation Planners
- Urban and Regional Planners