Is it difficult to get a job for the US embassy (in any country)?

Question

I have a B.A. Are embassy jobs really hard to get? Are they only for the "elite"? Can an average person get a job with them?

Answer 1

Not so hard if you pass the Foreign Service exam. (There are some few (local-hire) jobs available overseas especially for family members of FSOs, and it is possible to get an overseas unpaid internship, but nearly all jobs go to career foreign service officers who are trained in the Foreign Service Institute, Arlington, VA and then sent abroad.)

Within 5 years of employment you have to pass an exam (spoken and reading) in a foreign language.

A B.A. is fine. Some few get in with only a high school education.

There are two streams (and several specialties within each):

-- career officers (political, economic, consular, administrative; and information/cultural, commercial, agricultural -- I don't recommend the latter 3, but maybe I know too much for my own good.)

-- staff (secretaries, code clerks (aha: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Kent & http://www.angelfire.com/co4/legalstuff/19411KB454.html ))

Answer 2

Andy is right, as far as he goes. There are also local-hire jobs, as well.

We aren't elite. We just passed the foreign service exam, and are willing to live and work in places most people have never heard of.

Answer 3

as long as u have a american passport & securtiy clearance