embassies and consulate employment?

Question

what does it take to work in an embassy or consulate

Answer 1

You don't say what country you are from. Doghorsemom has correctly stated the situation for the USA, the country with the largest diplomatic contingent worldwide. Career positions are by exmaination (the Foreign Service exam, given most years) or by lateral entry in some cases; or at clerical and administrative levels by competitive appointment based on need and availability.

Most OECD countries have merit-based competitive employment. Some are more competitive than others; some (the country where I am seated comes to mind) don't pay enough and so they have to try harder even at entry levels: they pestered my daughter after she got a First in microbiology at Edinburgh, but we went with a City of London (i.e., Wall Street) bank instead and now makes 8 times what she would have earned with the Foreign Office.

Multi-lingual countries have the additional problem that their diplomatic staff are expected to speak all their languages: the Finns need to speak Swedish (a national language) and English (the internal language of the Nordic Union and the practical language of diplomacy). The Irish have to speak Irish Gaelic. (Although I have to admit that when I went to collect some documents at the Swiss Consulate General in New York, the consular officer preferred to speak English than French; so maybe linguistic capacity is finessed sometimes. I do have a copy here on my bookshelf of "The Ugly American" that railed against State Department linguistic incompetence, and which led directly to the enrichment of the Foreign Service Institute.)

The issue of language vs. technical skills comes to the fore in Britain and the USA, two countries with among the lowest language teching success in the world. It is a trade-off; and to get beyond probatioinary officer status in the State Department you would have to pass a language exam. (I have met a number of diplomats who've passed the exam without really ever mastering the language; but I know not everybody passes. So, if you are American and pursue that track, be warned.) A number of other-agency, non-diplomatic-career jobs in plum postings (like London, Paris, Geneva) are reserved for pre-retirement experts of various agencies: Customs, FBI, USTR, IRS and others I can't think of.

Just some musings. Add to your question if you need to know more. And be aware that the same question has been asked several times in the recent past on Y! Answers, so you might want to do a search for what was said.

Answer 2

Most embassy anc consulate employees work for the State Department. See the center column on this page for an idea of the kinds of jobs available.
http://www.state.gov/aboutstatedepartment/

Other USG agencies such as DOE, DOD, DOC, CIA, also often have offices in embassies or consulates. And we hire large numbers of local personnel, as well.