1. It’s safe There aren’t many countries where you can leave your phone in a taxi and get it back; where you can walk down the street at...

Diplomats in the US Foreign Service work in one of five career tracks. Even though they are called “generalists,” which means they can...

It’s funny to me that many people imagine diplomats as Ivy League educated cocktail-circuit regulars who only hang out with high society....

Traveling with kids is a big part of diplomatic life and so far it’s been hard for me. My kids are 1 and 5—too young to understand what’s...

Passing the Foreign Service Oral Assessment (FSOA) back in March of 2017 felt cathartic. It was the end of a 7-month process that started...

When I graduated from university with a Master’s in International relations (IR), I’m embarrassed to admit, I had no clue what to do with...

I still remember the time when I was intrigued by the word “networking” because I didn’t know what it really meant. When I was studying...

Resumes are important in many industries and international affairs is no different. There is a certain way your resume should look if you...

It’s not for everyone: moving abroad for a short-term mission, internship or volunteer opportunity and staying there afterwards to build...

How I missed the opportunity I sometimes think back on the time when I, however briefly, considered going on a 2–year,...

Are you studying international relations, or considering moving into international relations, and you're not sure how to start out? I...

I’ve written a lot about becoming a diplomat on this blog, but I just realized it’s also about something much broader than that; it’s...

I love answering questions from readers, so I’ll dedicate this post to one I got recently: what type of educational background do you...

You don’t need a special degree to become a political officer. Like in other career tracks within the Foreign Service, diplomats learn...

My experience with political diplomacy is based on two jobs in wildly different countries: the first was as an assistant in the...

No matter their chosen career track, all US diplomats have to complete at least one consular tour at the entry-level (in the first four...

Political officers focus on government-to-government relations, which is what you could call “traditional diplomacy”. They further policy...

Political sections in diplomatic missions (embassies and consulates) work on a large number of international issues. Typical portfolios...

In the US system, anyone can be an economic officer. You don’t need a special degree for it. Like in other career tracks in the Foreign...

I have some experience with economic diplomacy from when I was a political/economic assistant in the US Embassy in Montevideo for two...