What Diplomats Do

You may have noticed that I haven’t written a word on this blog since I joined A-100. Because I’m too busy, right? Well, there’s actually another important reason.

I could hardly contain myself as the announcer, speaking to a room filled with newly minted diplomats and 300 of their closest friends and family, began: “Berlin, Germany….” I buried my face in my hands as I muttered “there is no way I’m getting this” before jumping out my chair when my name was called, stumbling past my classmates and generally acting like an idiot as I progressed towards the podium where I received a little German flag.

Foreign Service exam advice for students: where to start, what to know, and what to expect.

Jobs at the US embassy are not just reserved for diplomats (I mean FSO Generalists) – the majority of American employees in embassies are actually something else. So what types of hires are they? And how do you get a job like that?

HOW TO BECOME A DIPLOMAT

LIFE AS A DIPLOMAT& WORLD CITIZEN

5 days ago
3 min

How we pick an international school

Before I had kids, the availability of good schools overseas was just about the last thing on my mind. As soon as I got a kid, however, i...

Sep 6
3 min

6 Things that surprised me about Germany

It’s been almost two months since I moved here but I’m hard-pressed to describe Berlin. The best I can come up with is that it’s full of ...

Sep 2
2 min

On the edge of the visa abyss

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Four weeks ago I walked into a busy consular section in Berlin—so busy, in fact, that I started adjudic...

Aug 20
3 min

Interior deco in the Foreign Service

I’ve wanted to write something about interior decoration in the FS but never really knew what. I’m not exactly good at decorating, nor do...

Aug 16
3 min

Second week in consular: like/dislike

I just wrapped up my second week in the consular section in Berlin and I feel good. I was a little worried about the work before I began ...

Aug 16
3 min

First week in consular affairs: the basics

After two weeks of quarantine in Berlin I started working in the office of consular affairs. I go to the office every day and apart from w...

Jul 29
3 min

Girl power: on combining a diplomatic career and a family

The main reason I didn’t pursue a diplomatic career before I had kids was that I couldn’t imagine being both a mom and a diplomat. In my ...

Jul 28
4 min

What can art do for diplomacy?

This post is written by Megan Dixon, a guest blogger and art graduate with an affinity for international affairs (see more of her autobio...

Jun 19
4 min

What to expect from your first two assignments

New (Generalist) FSO start at the bottom of the career ladder, even those who already have 20 years of experience. They all start with tw...

Jun 17
4 min

Security clearance: problems with dual citizenship

Can people with dual citizenship qualify for a top secret security clearance? The answer is unequivocally YES. That’s important, because w...

ABOUT THIS BLOG

What Diplomats Do is a blog about my experience with the US Foreign Service, working in international affairs generally, and expat life.

It is a long journey to become a U.S. Foreign Service Officer (FSO). I passed the first exam in 2016 and I will finally start in June 2019. Because this is such a long process, I've been sharing my story with everyone who's interested in becoming a diplomat or simply wants to know more about working and living abroad.