How hard is it to become a diplomat?

Not to mention that there are almost always thousands of applicants for diplomatic positions, and you'll likely be up against candidates who are either supremely qualified and/or very well connected within government.

To become a diplomat, you need to obtain at least a bachelor's degree in political science or a related field. However, a master's degree in political science is highly recommended as you need as much knowledge and credentials as you can get in this field.

You also have to register for and pass the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT). This is an extremely intense written exam. Once you pass, you then must write a personal narrative, as it is a requirement of the Qualifications Evaluation Panel (QEP).

To become a Foreign Service Officer, you must pass an oral interview stage. This interview is designed to determine if you possess the 13 dimensions needed to become a successful diplomat. These 13 dimensions represent skills and personal qualities that you must exhibit to be considered an appropriate option for a diplomatic position.

Here are the 13 dimensions you must demonstrate during the interview:

• Composure. You must know how to stay calm in difficult, uncomfortable, or stressful situations. You must show that you can think quickly on your feet and adapt to change when necessary./p>

• Cultural adaptability. Exhibiting expert communication with individuals from different cultures that may have different political beliefs and values.

• Experience and motivation. You also need to show that your previous work history has given you the skills to become a successful diplomat. Moreover, you must provide a good personal reason why you want this career path. This can be summed up in a personal anecdote.

• Information integration and analysis. You need to exhibit memorization skills and prove you can draw data and analysis from different sources. Also, you must be able to retain information without writing notes during a meeting.

• Initiative and leadership. Exhibit you are sharply focused and can motivate and manage others with the goal of achieving an objective.

• Judgment. You need to know how to judge a situation and know what is the appropriate or practical action at any given moment.

• Objectivity and integrity. You need to demonstrate that you can be fair and honest when working with people and not let your own beliefs cloud your judgment when it comes to achieving an objective.

• Oral communication. You need to demonstrate that you can speak clearly, concisely, and persuasively.

• Planning and organization. Prove that you know how to prioritize effectively and know the order in which certain tasks should be done.

• Resourcefulness. You must exhibit expert problem-solving and critical thinking abilities that can be employed in a quick and decisive manner.

• Working with other people. You need to prove you have the ability to work with the people of your home country as well as those of different countries and cultures. And to do this with an open mind.

• Written communication. You need to have expert-written communication skills with perfect grammar and brevity.

• Quantitative analysis. You must be able to read, interpret, and scrutinize complex information. You also need to prove you can utilize mathematical principles to locate and exploit patterns and trends from this data.

After passing the interview, you then must participate in a medical and security clearance review. Your application must then be approved by the Suitability Review Panel.

If you get approval, your name will be added to a list called the Register. This list has the names of all the candidates that are cleared to be foreign diplomats. It is organized to display these candidates according to how they rank by their prior scores and reviews.