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This question is about foreign service officer.
How hard is it to become a foreign service officer?
It is difficult to become a foreign service officer. The number of annual applicants far outnumbers the positions available, and the qualifying test is very challenging.
Approximately 15,000 to 20,000 people apply each year to become a foreign service officers. There are typically only a handful of openings in a given year. As a result, the selection process can take upwards of 1.5 years.
Beginning with your application, candidates must provide personal narratives and pass the foreign service officer test and health/background check. Six separate essays must also be composed and address topics ranging from your intellectual skills to your management style.
Before finally being accepted into the foreign service as an officer, you must be interviewed by a suitability review panel to determine if you are a good candidate for the position.
After being accepted as a foreign service officer, you must choose an area of career focus. Nearly all new FSOs are placed in the role of consular. In this capacity, you will aid U.S. citizens in foreign locations.
All candidates must be U.S. citizens at least 20 years old and be willing to accept a posting worldwide. The average age of a foreign service officer in 2021 was 42.
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