What kind of jobs can I get with my country’s embassy in a foreign country?

Grey: What kind of jobs can I get with my country’s embassy in a foreign country?
Hi everyone,

I want to work overseas in future. I am planning to study political science and then find a job with my country’s embassy in a foreign country such as France. Of course, I also will be training myself to become fluent in the relevant foreign language. What are the kind of jobs I can get with the embassy? Will these jobs give me a comfortable pay? I am a rather smart student, if I may say so myself. Thanks.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Jayne says READ MORE BOOKS
You don’t say what country you are in. So I’ll assume the US.

US Foreign Service jobs are HIGHLY competitive
www.careers.state.gov/

You need more than a BA. You need work experience and overseas experience. The last person I knew who got into the US foreign service (where her first job was processing visa applications at an embassy in Europe) had a law degree and 10 years of volunteering and work experience with various international organizations.

Embassies hire local people for many positions. The entry-level job for embassy staff coming from the embassy’s own country is visa processing.

Once you pass the foreign service exam and go through the initial training, you *might* get your first choice for placement — but you will be moved after a couple of years to a different placement.

If you are a rather smart student, then you need to start looking into ways to get international work experience that will make you appealing in a few years to those who hire for foreign service jobs — and get busy acquiring the knowledge you will need to pass the initial exam.