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Foreign Service Officer

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Thomas Switzer says he had a "big psychological advantage" when he joined the foreign service. Why? Because he had served in the Peace Corps for two years, doing development work overseas.

"It was a big advantage in the exams," he says. It was especially helpful for the part of the exam in which applicants are asked how they would handle hypothetical situations they could face in the field.

Switzer had another advantage: "I grew up speaking languages," he says. "My father was a journalist who spoke five or six languages."

Knowledge of a foreign language is a great advantage because you can much more easily adapt to another country, says Switzer. This means you avoid much of the culture shock experienced by those suddenly plunged into an unfamiliar culture and environment.

Switzer has retired from the foreign service. He's now the director of communications for the American Foreign Service Association. He says the foreign service offers an extremely rewarding and challenging career path.

"It is an extraordinarily complex and nuanced profession," says Switzer. "It's an art form."

Ron Cochrane agrees. He's executive director of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers, an association for Canadian foreign service officers.

I think you have to be very innovative," says Cochrane. "You have to look at work as a challenge and not just sit and wait for the work to come.

"So, you have to be a self-starter," Cochrane adds. "[And] you certainly have to be knowledgeable about world events, and someone who isn't afraid to speak up and give your views on things."

Sometimes foreign service officers leave the profession. It's certainly not for everyone. Spousal employment challenges are a key reason some people don't stay in the foreign service, says Cochrane.

"We find there's a big problem with spousal employment at posts," says Cochrane. "If they're not lucky enough to find work at the embassy, then they're unlikely to find work in their chosen profession."

Another big challenge is dealing with social isolation, especially during your first posting overseas.

"The first posting is a telltale sign whether you're going to like this or not," says Cochrane. "It's like an island, because when you accept a posting you've left your social network behind. Your social network has changed because they're not all going to move with you to Nigeria."

For Sara Rosenberry, the foreign service was a second career. This is the case with many foreign service officers. She used to be an urban studies professor at Virginia Tech.

Rosenberry has worked as a foreign service officer in Guyana, Burundi, Bosnia, Luxembourg, Great Britain and Afghanistan. She's now the staff director for the board of examiners with the Department of State.

In her current role, Rosenberry is in charge of assessing foreign service applicants. She says many applicants have long thought about joining the foreign service.

"I think most people in the foreign service can't really describe [the appeal] but it's just an interest that's been latent... and it's sort of a dream come true for most people who do it," says Rosenberry.

What are the most important qualities a foreign service officer should have?

"First of all, I would put the idea of service and a commitment to represent the U.S. abroad," says Rosenberry. "[Also], an interest in foreign affairs, good judgment, good interpersonal skills and good communication skills, both written and oral, [and] good problem-solving skills."

Rosenberry says the foreign service does its best to recruit people from the broad spectrum of society. This includes various ethnic groups, economic levels and areas of the country.

"This is a very accessible career," says Rosenberry. "This is not for some special group out there -- this is for everybody.

"The attrition level [drop-out rate] is really low," Rosenberry adds. "People really love it."

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