What is a Diplomat?
What Is a Diplomat?
The term “diplomat” is used around the world to describe a person who represents the interests of their country abroad. Different countries and agencies use various job titles for their diplomats, but anyone who fulfills the role of representing their country abroad can call themself a diplomat. American diplomats are part of the “Foreign Service,” which is composed of five federal agencies, but the vast majority work for the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). These diplomats are mostly referred to as Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) and are divided into FSO generalists and Foreign Service Specialists. There are also diplomats from the Department of Commerce’s Foreign Commercial Service, the Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the International Broadcasting Bureau. Most of this book’s contents will be relevant for all members of the Foreign Service, but the book will be most useful to aspiring and current FSO generalists. When I use the term FSO or “diplomat” in this book, I mean an FSO generalist at the U.S. Department of State unless otherwise specified.
FSO generalists typically work two-thirds of their careers at U.S. embassies and consulates overseas and the rest in the United States—mainly in Washington, DC. Diplomats perform a wide range of functions, but their core functions include promoting U.S. foreign policy objectives, assisting American citizens abroad, and adjudicating visa applications of foreign citizens who want to travel or immigrate to the United States. There are five career tracks (also known as “specialties” or “cones”) in the Foreign Service: Consular (visas, American citizen services); Public Diplomacy (media engagement, exchange programs, English education); Political (bilateral and multilateral relations, reporting, negotiations); Economic (promoting U.S. economic interests, reporting, negotiations); and Management (housing, building operations, human resources, financial management, facilities, vehicles, visas, other administrative matters). There are also many more specialized jobs in the Foreign Service that focus on issues such as refugees, the environment, health, science, technology, rule of law, human rights, security, police reform, counter-narcotics, counterterrorism, countering disinformation, countering human trafficking, cybersecurity, non-proliferation, liaising with the military, and intelligence. A diplomat spends most of their career in jobs related to their career track, but they could do one or more “tour” (typically lasting two to three years) in another track or in one of these specialized jobs during their careers. There are also opportunities to do details (temporary transfers) to other agencies or institutions.
Foreign Service Specialist positions also play a crucial role in the success of our diplomacy. While the selection processes and career intricacies for specialists differ slightly from generalists, the principles for success and the lifestyles of specialists abroad are largely the same as for generalists, making this book relevant for all groups. The Foreign Service offers a wide range of career tracks. Specialists can be Diplomatic Security Special Agents, Medical Providers (Family Nurse Practitioners or Physician Assistants), Financial Management Officers, General Services Officers, Human Resources Officers, Office Management Specialists, Construction Engineers, Facility Managers, Information Management Specialists (Radio or Unified Communications), Regional English Language Officers, Regional Public Engagement Specialists, Diplomatic Couriers, Security Engineering Officers, Regional Medical Laboratory Scientists, Regional Medical Officers, or Regional Medical Officers/Psychiatrists.
Another employment category in the Foreign Service is the Consular Fellows Program. Currently, people who have language proficiency in Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, or Portuguese can be appointed for a term of up to five years to adjudicate visa applications and provide American citizen services abroad. This is a limited non-career appointment, but anyone who serves as a Consular Fellow is likely to have an advantage when applying to be an FSO.
The Department of State also includes the Civil Service, which consists of professionals who typically spend their entire careers working in Washington, DC. Civil servants join the State Department through a different path—vacancies for civil service positions are advertised through USAJobs.gov, where you can build a resume and apply for multiple vacancies. Many civil servants also engage in diplomacy; work alongside Foreign Service Officers; work with U.S. and foreign diplomatic missions; and help craft, influence, and implement foreign policy. If you are interested in diplomacy but are unwilling to work in any corner of the world, the civil service might be a good fit for you.