Foreign Service job, best college major?

[Anonymous]

Our DC is interested in a career w the State Dept in the foreign service. Speaks two languages and wants to add a 3rd -as a minor. Unsure if a major in int affairs or poli sci would be best match. Looking for advice from people who have this type of work experience. Would you mind sharing your school, too? Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

1. Does she have results proving competency in the two languages (e.g. OPI, WPI or national exam)?
2. Did she take the World Languages for credit exam (appears on transcript) in high school? FCPS, MCPS and other districts administer these tests.
3. Has she taken summer immersion (e.g. Midd, Columbia, Indiana) during high school for college credit?
4. Has she done a selective program abroad (NSLI-Y, Bundestag etc.) now that things will be gradually reopening?

Forgive my skepticism, but many parents insist that their children are fluent in a this-or-that language when they really aren't.

Many students from many different schools take the FSOT. George Mason to Georgetown to Pomona to Harvard. Far fewer actually pass. It's a long process but you can read more about how it all works online in subreddits.

[Anonymous]

Poli sci/IR/econ all fine; go with passion. Read Economist cover to cover every week.

[Anonymous]

Prepare to send a lot of cables.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure about tailoring your college major to get into the Foreign Service--I think they look for a range of backgrounds although yes you do need a good grasp of world affairs as well and the personality to be in bureaucracy. there are state department summer internships for college students that should be looked at as well

[Anonymous]

I would major in a hard language, if I happened to have a passion for it, and minor in IR or history. Work lasts the rest of your life; college is the time to do what you love.

[Anonymous]

Make sure your kid has the aptitude for languages. S/he could be assigned to cushy assignments in the U.K. or other desirable parts. If s/he doesn’t play politics right, s/he can be assigned to Congo. It’s her job to pick up a new language in a hurry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Does she have results proving competency in the two languages (e.g. OPI, WPI or national exam)?
2. Did she take the World Languages for credit exam (appears on transcript) in high school? FCPS, MCPS and other districts administer these tests.
3. Has she taken summer immersion (e.g. Midd, Columbia, Indiana) during high school for college credit?
4. Has she done a selective program abroad (NSLI-Y, Bundestag etc.) now that things will be gradually reopening?

Forgive my skepticism, but many parents insist that their children are fluent in a this-or-that language when they really aren't.

Many students from many different schools take the FSOT. George Mason to Georgetown to Pomona to Harvard. Far fewer actually pass. It's a long process but you can read more about how it all works online in subreddits.

OP did not say fluent. Get off your high horse.

[Anonymous]

Avoid majoring in political science, its essentially a useless major.

The best bet is foreign affairs/international relations and a focus on the particular region they want to serve in (including language)

[Anonymous]

Politics come into assignments later on in the career. Availability to serve in hardship posts is required of nearly everyone.

[Anonymous]

I was an English major and passed the exam the first time I took it. I'd suggest majoring in whatever interests the student, reading widely on exam-related subjects and taking a contemporary geography class.

[Anonymous]

College and major literally do not matter. Demonstrated fluency in a language comes into play only after you're on the register (i.e. after passing the written exam, resume review, and oral exam) and are angling to move up a few spots to receive an employment offer. If you want to skip the legions of clones who think their political science degrees, Economist subscription, and ability to order tacos in Spanish mean anything -- go into IT and become an FS specialist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Prepare to send a lot of cables.

Lol!

A critical language helps, but the FSO test isn’t really IR focused. When I took it over a decade ago (and “passed”), I guess there was a little bit of IR, but lots of odd questions like “what does WiFi stand for?” And questions about French culture. My essay portion oddly had something to do with maritime policy. There’s really no major that will prepare you for that test.

I do second the PP who said to read the economist.

They could also look in to the presidential management fellow program. Lots of PMFs wind up at State (or at least used to, I don’t work there anymore).

[Anonymous]

Best bet is hard language (Arabic, Russian, Mandarin, etc), and some combo of Poli Sci or Econ. Some experience with an NGO in the field would help her stand out, preferably in some technical area (like water access in Yemen, child literary in rural Brazil, etc). I was a Middlebury grad with hard language and econ (with in-country language immersion), and it was definitely the language that opened the doors. IR without a strategic language is next to useless.

[Anonymous]

Spooks get most of the jobs. The traditional way in is barely a career option available to others