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Post-Course Resources

Who is the Total Candidate: FSO Hiring Today

Key Slides from the Power Point presentation in PDF

So you want to join the State Department Foreign Service?

Today's diplomats are more likely to be found in flak jackets on the road to Kandahar than in pinstripes sipping cocktails at Paris soirees. The Foreign Service is an exciting, sometimes dangerous, career. Are you up for the challenge?

It will take more than your natural diplomatic skills to get into one of the most prestigious arms of the U.S. Government. First you'll need to pass the Foreign Service Exam, an exercise that for years has been shrouded in secrecy.

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This course will show you what it takes to land a job in the esteemed U.S. diplomatic corps.

We'll give you the inside tips on which career tracks within the Foreign Service are hiring, which are best suited to your skills and interests, tips for preparing for the written and oral exams, and what to expect once you're in.

In this course you will learn:

• Which track (political, economic, consular, management or public diplomacy) is best for you
• Road-tested methods for preparing for the written exam and oral assessment
• How the State Department hiring process works and who is the "Total Candidate"
• How to navigate your career path once you're in

Course date: March 29 in New York City
Course

Instructor Bio

Shawn Dorman, a former Foreign Service Officer, is editor of Inside a U.S. Embassy: How the Foreign Service Works for America, the only book that truly answers the question: Who works in an embassy and what do diplomats actually do?

She is also associate editor for the Foreign Service Journal, a monthly magazine for foreign affairs professionals.

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About FPA U Courses:

Career Development for the Global Minded Professional

Foreign Policy Association University (FPA U) Seminars consist of practical learning opportunities for those whose ambitions lay beyond U.S. borders.

Each seminar is facilitated by an industry insider, able to provide instruction and insight unavailable in the traditional classroom, and consists of a single two and a half hour session, with a fifteen minute break.

Upcoming courses in April include:

• April 22 - Landing a Job at the United Nations
• April 27 - Landing a Job in International Development
• All upcoming FPA U courses

Download Related Materials

Power Point Key Slides in PDF (224K) [download]