Becoming a Foreign Service Officer
The Foreign Service is a highly competitive career path in the State Department that requires its officers to be generalists with knowledge on a broad variety of topics. Foreign Service Officers implement US foreign policy and aid US Citizens abroad from positions in 265 embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions around the world.
There is no educational or language requirement to become a Foreign Service Officer(FSO), but there is a need for qualified individuals with advanced degrees of all kinds. Proficiency in a foreign language can increase your exam score and therefore likelihood of employment.
If you are interested in becoming a FSO read over this site for information on all facets of Foreign Service life. From the year-long application process, to day-to-day activities, to salary, and more. I have tried to cover as many topics as I can think of in a manner that makes sense.
Requirements
You should be aware of these requirements before continuing. If you do not meet these basic requirements you cannot apply.
- Be a US Citizen
- Between 20 and 59 years of age to apply, between 21 and 60 to serve
- Available for worldwide assignment
Before the Exam
There is a great deal of information available for how to become a foreign service officer, much more information than you can find for any other positions in the USG. Take advantage of all of these resources. This quick test can also help gauge whether or not the Foreign Service is right for you.
Before you take the test you should also have picked a career track. The 5 different career tracks are:
Studying for the FSOT can be daunting due to breadth of information covered, but with the right tools you can prepare without too much stress.
The Foreign Service Exam
Of the 20,000 people a year that take the Foreign Service Exam only about 400 are hired. Knowing what to expect on the exam is essential. The FSOT can be broken down into 3 main parts.
There are more steps, but passing all three of these is the bulk of the exam portion of becoming a Foreign Service officer.
Foreign Service Life
Know what to expect of the Foreign Service before you even begin the application process. Many successful applicants are disappointed by what FS life is like after the rigorous and lengthy process to get there.
The more you know about Foreign Service life the better, don't make uninformed decisions about what could be a lifelong career.
Other Resources
- State.gov
- Others
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