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The US Department of State selects and trains embassy staff for foreign service officer and foreign service specialist positions, with specific education and experience requirements for each career path. Applicants must submit a federal employment application and undergo a skills assessment, written and oral exams, and medical and safety assessments before training can begin.
Any nation that maintains embassies abroad calls upon specialists and foreign service officers to run these satellite posts and serve as national ambassadors. The US Department of State (DOS) is responsible for selecting and training America’s embassy staff. If you want to become a foreign services specialist, most jobs require applicants to have a bachelor’s or even an advanced degree in one of the half-dozen career specialties. Many posts also require a minimum amount of experience in the field.
The key to landing an overseas service position requires an understanding of what careers are available. There are two main types of Embassy posts abroad: foreign service officers and foreign service specialists. Officers handle more types of duties in foreign affairs; its five basic career types involve consular duties, political or public diplomacy, and managerial or economic affairs. All of these jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree, although some internships are awarded.
Wanting to become a foreign services specialist means that your background and education is in one of several other career specialties. These are typically information technology, building engineering, library science or English education, healthcare, international studies, security, and office administration or management. For each career, DOS requires a specific minimum amount of education and experience. This ranges from general service officers who need a high school diploma and three years of professional experience to information resources officers who require a master’s degree in library and information science, plus a variety of other experience prerequisites.
The DOS website contains detailed job descriptions to help those wishing to become a foreign services specialist identify the appropriate career path. Once educational requirements are met, experience in the field is often sought after. Once the requirements are satisfied, applicants must apply for the specific position they believe they are suitable for, provided they meet the demands of citizenship and are between 20 and 59 years of age.
The standard federal employment application, called the DS-1950, must be submitted to become a foreign services specialist. This is also available online. Once completed, the DOS Skills Assessment Panel will check references and verify that all information on the application is true. Veterans and those with foreign language proficiency receive preferential treatment.
A written and oral exam follows this initial review. If successfully approved, applicants will be placed on an interim approved applicant registry, at which time medical and safety assessments take place. Once these final hurdles are cleared, a panel gives its final approval before training to become a foreign services specialist can begin.
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