U.S. Foreign Service

Work for the U.S. State Department in one of the 265 embassy and consulate offices around the world as well as in Washington, D.C. 


Foreign Service Officers & Specialists:

  1. Represent the United States to the world
  2. Promote peace, stability and prosperity
  3. Advocate for American foreign policy
  4. Protect American citizens
  5. Nurture U.S. trade and business
  6. Supervise embassy operations
  7. Solve problems for Americans overseas

Things to Consider:   

  1. U.S. citizenship is required for all U.S. Department of State career opportunities
  2. You must be culturally aware, adaptable, strategic-thinking, and problem-solving
  3. No foreign language is required, but familiarity and proficiency in foreign languages and cultures important to national security make you more attractive (e.g., Arabic, Farsi, Russian, Chinese).
  4. You should be very familiar with the structure and workings of the U.S. Government
  5. Familiarity with elements of psychology, management and finance are important.
  6. A clear understanding of American culture is essential.
  7. You must pass the Foreign Service Written Exam, which assesses your knowledge of subjects necessary for fulfilling the responsibilities of a Foreign Service Officer. 

Resources:     

  1. The U.S. Department of State careers: www.careers.state.gov
  2. National Security Education Program (NSEP) Boren Scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study abroad (http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep/default.htm)
    - The Boren Scholarship provides funding to study abroad in a country deemed important to national security.  Recipients are required to work one year for the federal government in an area related to national security.
  3. National Flagship Language Program (NFLP) (http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep/flagship/default.htm)
    - The NFLP provides fellowships to support language training in Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Persian and Russian.  Recipients are required to work one year for the federal government in an area related to national security.