[peter.salamon]

Hello everyone! I'm Peter and I'm clearly new to the forum, hopefully this is the right thread, or right forum for that matter, to be asking this question. But after nearly finishing my BA in Biochemsitry, I've decided that I may just fulfill my dream of travelling the world while sliding into politics, simultaneously. I'm seriously considering becoming a Foreign Service Officer (FSO), a.k.a US diplomat, specifically, a political FSO. I was wondering, does anyone know of my potential future prospects in terms of promotions and moving into Washington? I would like to get down in the grime but I find that hard to do without being a senator or representative of some kind. Maybe more concretely, what are there in terms of positions with the state departments as that seems like it will be my "in", seeing as I would already be affiliated with it as a FSO. In fact, it's the very department I would like to be apart of.

What I am really seeking is simply some information about the possibilities out there and to know whether or not I could realistically build a meaningful career in the long run. Feel free to ask for clarification, this post may seem convoluted and nonsensical at best . Thanks again.

[anarchist23]

Welcome

[warsmith17]

Have you taken the foreign service exam yet? Keep in mind that even if you are selected, you're put on a ranked wait list for what is usually months so you need to have a back-up plan. You will be competing with guys who are getting bonus points for language and military experience (they recruit ex-intel hard).

I looked into this for much the same reasons, and State is not the department that you want to build a political career on. It is an amazing job, a lot of great experiences, but it won't give you much of an advantage in politics. People tend to have a lot of negative associations with state. If you want to turn government service into a political career DOD is your best option.

You lose nothing except the test fee by taking the foreign service exam, so I would recommend taking it and see how well you place. Once again bear in mind that it can be an extremely long process