When I first moved to Yerevan two years ago, I didn’t really like my house (too big) or my neighborhood (lots of stray dogs, trash, no...

I started working in Human Resources (part of the management section) two months ago, and I'm leaving my position next week, so please...

I just completed my first cruise! In only 10 days, our little family visited Rome, Crete, Mikonos, Rhodes, Santorini, Athens, and Naples....

A few weeks ago I went on my first-ever cruise: a 10-day voyage in Italy and Greece on the Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Sea, with my...

And so the journey ends! It’s been two years and two months since I applied for the Foreign Service, and last week the process finally...

In some countries you get only one shot at being a diplomat—if you're rejected you’re done. You can't apply for the job again because, I...

Diplomats interview people all the time. As managers, they're often involved in hiring permanent staff and interns. They may also...

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...