If you’ve been gifted with eloquence and a sense of human relations, you’ve probably been told many times over and over again how a career in diplomacy would be the right step to take. But, that raises the question of what career to choose, as diplomacy refers to a broad range of possible paths to walk and goals to take on. In recent years, the call to become a diplomatic service officer has become quite popular, allowing many to represent their country’s interests abroad, engage in negotiations, and foster international relations. But, what does it take to become a diplomatic service officer? What are the educational qualifications needed, as well as the skill set? In the text below, we’ll discuss that and more. Read on!
You’ll Need Relevant Experience
Gaining experience beforehand can help you immensely later on, to make a real career for yourself. What kind of experience do you exactly need? Your aspiration should be to seek experience in fields related to international affairs, and for this purpose, any internship with a government body, or even a non-government institution, or international organization can come in handy as these internships are invaluable and give you real insight into the workings of hierarchical bodies and how relations are crafted. Also, any position that allows you public speaking and the ability to negotiate terms and conditions of any sort, any position putting you in the spotlight of any negotiation deals where you have to take the lead or conflict resolutions are immensely important experiences that allow you to walk a straight path later on with a clear vision in mind. Volunteering for exchange programs as a student or as a member of a non-profit organization is highly advised, and the reason is simple: it gives you the chance to travel the globe and create new friendships and relationships that will be of use later on.
Educational Background
As you can imagine, there are a few things you’ll have to complete before becoming an officer, and your educational background varies depending on your long-term goals and aspirations. When it comes to the basics, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in a certain field closely related to diplomacy, such as international relations, history, political sciences, economics, or maybe law. The reason why is quite simple, all these fields provide you with a comprehensible understanding of global affairs and geopolitics and a deeper understanding of political systems and economic principles. Thankfully, due to the technology we have today, you can always acquire an international relations certificate online and the courses give you the chance to advance further while doing other jobs and responsibilities depending on your schedule. You’ll need the knowledge to pursue a career in diplomacy, negotiations, and intercontinental relations and to understand what each country is looking for in terms of economic growth and prosperity.
There are also advanced courses in these fields, you can get a master’s degree as well, pursue additional extracurricular activities, and further advance in these fields. There are many specialized courses in diplomacy, language, economics, and global politics.
The More Languages You Know the Better
Of course, you’ll have to be fluent in English but for many, it’s their native language anyway. You’ll have to work on your language proficiency and learn as much as possible. And if you find it hard to learn and acquire new languages right now, we advise learning a couple of them, like 2 or 3, and choosing carefully the languages you would like to study and learn depending on the diplomatic relations you’ll be working on. The most commonly spoken are English, French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Turkish, and Russian or Chinese. These are the countries’ currencies dominating the world scene and often being proficient in one or all of them gives you more career opportunities and chances to travel the globe and be a remarkable diplomatic officer.
It’s not only because of the language itself, but rather because it’s a great opportunity to immerse yourself in other cultures, their habits, and traditions and to acquire a profound understanding of the people, the country’s history, goals, and global aspirations.
Passing the Selection Process
The hardest part of it all is probably passing the tiresome selection process you’ll have to pass to become a diplomatic officer. The process is known to be quite rigorous and highly competitive, as you can imagine, as there are many young and ambitious candidates looking for a lifetime opportunity and the chance to finally travel the world and be the best at what they do. It typically involves multiple stages, including written exams, interviews, and assessment centers. You’ll have many exams in different fields, such as economics, history, and international affairs. You’ll have to pass the professional evaluation of a whole commission and you’ll have several important interviews. Interviews and assessment centers evaluate candidates’ interpersonal skills, problem-solving abilities, and suitability for diplomatic work. After that’s all been done, you’ll have to wait for the results and hope for the best.
Work On Yourself
Cultivating personal qualities means you’ll have to work on your skills and make sure you’re very well aware of your flaws and the things you’re really good at. You’ll have to work on your interpersonal relations and your communication skills. You’ll have to work on your position on certain matters and questions, and you’ll need to work well under stress and pressure. Knowing your flaws also allows you to constantly work on yourself, improve yourself, and cultivate growth.
It also allows you to navigate complex environments and conflicting situations where you have to be the mediator and work in everyone’s interest, not only yours.
The call of a diplomatic officer is a career chance and an opportunity to truly work on yourself and achieve amazing things. Having a prosperous career and the chance to travel is the dream of many and you’ll also acquire language proficiency, a lifetime of experience, a deeper understanding of international relations and affairs, and the opportunity for personal growth while cultivating invaluable skills. Good luck!
