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SEPTEMBER 18, 2006 
No. 6 State Dept.: The Evolution Of A Diplomat In handling emergencies for Americans abroad, "you're right on the front line" If you're a college grad, how do you get to an exotic U.S. embassy? Practice, practice, practice. Or at least that's how the U.S. State Dept. turns you into a diplomat. Two unique aspects of the State Dept.'s training program are foreign travel and simulations designed to give Foreign Service officer candidates a feel for the day-to-day work in U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. The training also includes as much as a year of classroom lectures, study, and language training before new officers board a plane to their first foreign posting. Even before training begins, though, would-be diplomats must pass the highly competitive Foreign Service Exam. During their time at the training facility in Arlington, trainees go through a series of simulations that mimic typical experiences they might have overseas. One involves visiting a morgue to identify a corpse -- a real one. Another includes a pretend visit to U.S. citizens in a foreign jail, where the trainee practices calming the detainees, describing what will happen next, and working with local authorities to make sure the Americans are being treated fairly. Those who have been through the simulation say it works. Four years ago, as a 26-year-old newly deployed Foreign Service officer, Clayton Bond marched into a Barcelona jail to help two Americans arrested on drug charges. He knew exactly what to do because he had done it before, in a fake jail cell. It's the kind of preparation the job demands. Says Bond: "You're right on the front line." Corporate training programs may expose trainees to different divisions of a company, but at the State Dept. trainees rotate around the globe in different country assignments. They perform three years of consular work abroad, where they could be stationed anywhere from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. As part of their duties, the trainees interview visa applicants, find lawyers for U.S. citizens in trouble, and replace lost passports. The training is pretty much 24/7. "We encourage diplomats to get out and do things in the country -- learn the language, the culture," said Robyn Hinson-Jones, coordinator for the department's Diplomat in Residence program. "There is no shortage of opportunities to meet people." After two years at their first posting, trainees go on to their second. In all, they serve in as many as three locations over five years. At least one will be a "hardship" post, where living conditions are difficult or downright harsh. The most dangerous locations, such as Rwanda -- still suffering from a legacy of genocide and war -- come with a pay premium of up to 25%. Small compensation perhaps, but for aspiring diplomats, an invaluable experience.  By Paula Lehman Get BusinessWeek directly on your desktop with our RSS feeds.  Add BusinessWeek news to your Web site with our headline feed. Click to buy an e-print or reprint of a BusinessWeek or BusinessWeek Online story or video. To subscribe online to BusinessWeek magazine, please click here. Learn more, go to the BusinessWeekOnline home page  | | |
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