A Foreign Service Officer (FSO) is a commissioned member of the

United States Foreign Service The United States Foreign Service is the primary personnel system used by the diplomatic service of the United States federal government, under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of over 13,000 professionals carry ...

. Foreign Service Officers formulate and implement the foreign policy of the United States. FSOs spend most of their careers overseas as members of U.S.

embassies A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...

consulates A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth coun ...

, and other

diplomatic missions A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...

, though some receive assignments to serve at combatant commands,

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, and educational institutions such as the various U.S. war colleges. Foreign Service Officers are one of five categories of Foreign Service employees. Other categories include chiefs of mission, ambassadors at large, Foreign Service personnel, and Foreign Service nationals. As of 2021, there were over 8,000 FSOs.

Career tracks

FSOs of the State Department are split among five career tracks, called "cones": consular officers, economic officers, management officers, political officers, and public diplomacy officers. * Consular officers are charged primarily with working with American citizens overseas on such activities as adoptions and issues in the country where stationed. In case of a disaster, these officers would be charged with evacuating Americans from the country. * Economic officers work with foreign economic agencies to facilitate economic issues as well as foreign policy dealing with technology and sciences. * Management officers are responsible for the internal affairs of an embassy or consulate; they deal with the personnel and budgets of the embassy, contracts and services. They negotiate administrative issues with the host nation. * Political officers interact with foreign governments on policy issues and negotiating policy. * Public diplomacy officers inform the citizens of their respective countries on the actions of the embassy, including meeting with the press and giving educational events. FSOs of the U.S.

Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 ...

(USAID), Commercial Service,

Foreign Agricultural Service The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is the foreign affairs agency with primary responsibility for the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) overseas programs – market development, international trade agreements and negotiations, ...

, and

Broadcasting Board of Governors The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), formerly the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), is an independent agency of the United States government that broadcasts news and information. It describes its mission, "vital to US nation ...

are selected through processes specific to the hiring agency. They follow career tracks separate from those of State Department FSOs. For example, within USAID, there are multiple technical "backstops", including: * Agriculture * Contracting * Crisis stabilization and governance * Economic growth * Education * Engineering * Environment * Executive * Financial management * Legal * Population, health and nutrition * Private enterprise * Program/project development Many leadership roles at U.S. embassies are typically filled from the ranks of career FSOs, who receive extensive training for these roles, including learning languages and cultures of numerous countries. In the early 21st century, about two-thirds of U.S. Ambassadors have been career Foreign Service members primarily drawn from the Department of State. Ambassadors have been selected from other foreign affairs agencies from time to time. Almost all of the remaining third are political appointees, considered patronage appointments by changing administrations. A handful of State Department Senior Executive Service personnel have received Ambassadorships. FSOs also help fill critical management and foreign policy positions at the headquarters of foreign affairs agencies in Washington, D.C.

Hiring process

Applicants for State Department FSO jobs go through a highly competitive written exam, oral assessment, and security investigation process before they are eligible to be hired. Of the more than 100,000 applicants for State Department FSO positions between 2001 and 2006, only 2,100 became Foreign Service Officers.H. Kopp and C. Gillespie, ''Career Diplomacy: Life and Work in the U.S. Foreign Service'', 2008. Once candidates have completed the application process, received a

top secret Classified information is material that a government body deems to be sensitive information that must be protected. Access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of people with the necessary security clearance and need to kn ...

security clearance, been medically cleared for worldwide deployment, and passed a final suitability review, they receive a score and are placed on a hiring register for their career tracks. New candidates are appointed from the top of the register (highest score), and candidates who are not appointed within 18 months will be removed from the register. Candidates may decline one offer; declining a second will strike their names from the register. Some candidates go on "do-not-call" status until they are ready to receive offers, but the 18-month timer still continues to run. It is common for a candidate with a low score to simply expire from the register, thus making the process even more competitive. In the end, fewer than 2% of initial applicants to the State Department Foreign Service will matriculate as Foreign Service Officers. In extremely rare cases when no Foreign Service Officers are available, non-career civil servants can be appointed by the Secretary for entry into the Foreign Service, providing they meet rigorous standards expected of career members. These limited appointees are not officially members of Foreign Service and must leave anytime a career officer becomes available for their positions. This is a legal requirement negotiated with the American Foreign Service Association. Applicants for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) FSO jobs follow a somewhat different process. Because USAID has a strong technical focus in many of its overseas positions, FSOs are generally recruited for specific backstops. Most successful candidates will have an advanced degree (often a masters) and pertinent job experience related to their backstop and will undergo an interview and testing process tailored to that backstop, but otherwise it is similar to that for State Department applicants."USAID Careers". May 17, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2011.

References

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External links

State Department Official Career Site

State Department Official Website
United States Department of State Foreign relations of the United States

International relations

Career tracks

Hiring process

See also

References

External links