7 myths about working for the US State Department

Many internationally-minded U.S. citizens consider joining the foreign service at some point. Yet recruiters say there is a lot of misinformation out there about what the State Department actually does. Like any large government body, the State Department has its own organizational culture. Given that State deals with a lot of classified information, there is perhaps a veil of secrecy that makes it more difficult for outsiders to glean insight into what a career in the foreign service entails. Here are some of the main myths cited by recruiters. 1. The foreign service exam is for fresh graduates only. Actually, the average age of an entry-level foreign service officer is 30-32, and it is common for people to look to the foreign service as a mid-career transition. According to Deborah Graze, chief of outreach and coordinator at the Diplomats in Residence Program, said people now come to the foreign service from many walks of life, whether they are lawyers or returning Peace Corps volunteers. Another diplomat mentioned that the hiring process may actually favor older candidates, as they are best able to showcase life experience and demonstrate in-demand skills. 2. Many diplomats end up as glorified desk jockeys. The view that entry-level foreign service workers spend most of their time stuck behind a desk writing cables is rooted in the days when the State Department required embassies to collect a lot more data. According to Senior Foreign Service Officer Robert Dry, “it’s not about pin-striped suits and reporting anymore,” since much of the facts which diplomats used to collect are now readily available from other sources. Rather, embassies have become places of what Dry called “active engagement,” and he suggested that aspiring diplomats must learn to test the boundaries of their comfort zone. Luis Arreaga, director of the State Department’s Office of Recruitment, Examination and Employment, emphasizes that each of the career tracks involves extensive interaction with different levels of the local population. “You need to go out there, meet people, learn from them and teach them about the United States,” he said. “You can’t be an introvert.” 3. Development and diplomacy are fundamentally different. Certainly, there are times when the long-term goals of promoting development are insulated from the ebb and flow of strategic policy. But many diplomats view the difference between diplomacy and development as no more than an operational distinction. In theory, the State Department deals with foreign governments while the U.S. Agency for International Development brings development directly to the people. In practice, even this division has always been fuzzy. As Dry pointed out, diplomats often maintain a “hand-in-glove” working relationship with USAID in the field. It is also common to coordinate efforts with a variety of international and local non-governmental organizations. Arreaga recalled his posting with the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, in which he worked closely with the Red Cross and United Nations High Commission on Refugees to coordinate refugee flows. When a crisis hits, he said, you are “smack in the middle.” But why would someone with a background in international development consider joining the foreign service? According to Graze, some people with development backgrounds felt that “they ultimately needed to affect the big picture to change people’s lives.” In essence, while development workers may see the immediate effects of a particular project, many diplomats work to change policies at the top in order to bring about long term prosperity. 4. You have to be stationed in a poor country to work on development issues. Actually, because of the State Department’s global mandate, diplomats often find themselves working on issues that involve countries other than the ones they are assigned to. For example, diplomats in European countries may end up working with international organizations to tackle global issues like climate change or nuclear proliferation. Graze is particularly proud of her posting at the embassy to the Vatican in the early 1990s, when she worked with a Catholic lay organization to arrange peace talks between warring factions in Mozambique. 5. Working as a diplomat means sacrificing family life. The need to move somewhere new every few years can indeed be trying for a diplomat’s family. But according to Arreaga, the State Department has changed in recent years, working through its Family Liaison Office to make these transitions less stressful than ever before. Gone are the days when being a diplomatic spouse meant whiling away the days sipping tea at some walled-off country club. It is more common now for spouses and certain other “eligible family members” to maintain careers of their own while abroad, often finding work at international corporations, schools, or the embassy itself. In fact, the State Department has employment coordinators at some posts who are tasked with helping diplomats’ family members to find jobs. 6. Diplomacy is all about smoke-filled rooms and Machiavellian politics. Diplomats represent official government policy at all times, and it can be challenging to explain controversial policies. But according to Dry, the constant engagement with the local population means that diplomats do not feel like a government mouthpiece. “We conceive of ourselves as bridge-builders, finding ways to enhance our relationship,” Dry said, dismissing some cynics’ view that diplomats are “sent abroad to lie for their country.” Diplomats do have a way to voice opposing views within the State Department through an internal “dissent channel.” In fact, the American Foreign Service Association, the diplomats’ union, grants awards to those who voice dissent. One diplomat also noted that while diplomats represent the executive branch, their sworn allegiance is not to the president but to the U.S. Constitution. 7. You’ve got to become a foreign service officer to work abroad for the State Department. When most people think of U.S. diplomats, they think of the foreign service officers, who are hired as generalists to work in one of five career tracks. But numerous other opportunities exist for people with specific skills sets, who may be hired as “foreign service specialists.” According to Graze, this is an option that is all too often overlooked by development professionals who may possess skills that are in high demand. Foreign service specialists serve in one of 16 areas, ranging from information technology to human resources and medical services. Though the job duties are more specific than those of foreign service officers, Graze said “the lifestyle is basically the same” for foreign service specialists. The process for getting hired as a specialist is simpler than for a foreign service officer, though the initial qualification requirements can be more stringent. Rather than take an exam, candidates apply directly for vacancies posted on the Web site. If assigned a high score by a “qualifications evaluations panel,” they are invited to come to Washington to participate in an oral assessment, which entails a written exercise and personal interview. Read more U.S. State Department career advice: - US State Department is Hiring - The US Foreign Service Exam: A Step-by-Step Guide - US Foreign Service Career Tracks: What You Need to Know - Becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer Read more career advice articles.