Diplomatic service officer

Diplomatic service officers work for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to protect and promote UK interests globally and support British citizens and businesses abroad

You'll specialise in the practical aspects of diplomatic work, including formulating and implementing foreign policy, providing consular support and managing international relationships. You'll also have opportunities to contribute to global development, security and policy initiatives.

The FCDO addresses a range of international issues, including:

• conflict resolution and peace making
• consular assistance
• counter terrorism
• climate change and environmental policy
• crisis response
• human rights
• trade, investment and economic diplomacy.

Responsibilities

Tasks vary depending on where you're working. For example, you could be based in a small or remote embassy, in a large embassy in Paris or Washington, or in the FCDO's UK offices in London or East Kilbride (which will be moving to Glasgow).

However, you'll typically need to:

• draft, edit and proofread written reports
• liaise with high commissions, embassies and government departments
• organise and coordinate ministerial and diplomatic visits, including everything from transport to hospitality arrangements
• respond to written correspondence from the public, businesses and officials by letter or email
• analyse and interpret policy documents and reports
• handle telephone queries from government departments, overseas contacts and the public
• assist members of the public in person with consular and policy-related enquiries
• update and maintain travel advice and official information
• manage staff, oversee performance and conduct annual appraisals
• monitor and manage departmental or project budgets
• maintain personnel records, process accounts and complete administrative tasks
• support colleagues with policy development and implementation
• carry out specific tasks related to your department's focus.

Overseas, your role will be similar, but you'll also need to:

• support British businesses and individuals with trade and consular matters
• assess visa applications and conduct interviews as an entry clearance officer
• lead or contribute to specialist projects, depending on your posting.

Salary

• Starting salaries for both the graduate Civil Service Diplomatic and Development Fast Stream and the Diplomatic & Development Economics Fast Stream are £31,186.
• An additional location allowance is paid for placements in London.
• Upon successful completion of the Fast Stream, you will be at a Grade 7 level and could earn between £45,000 and £55,000.

You will be able to join the Civil Service pension scheme. Other benefits may include professional qualifications, language learning opportunities, season ticket loans, access to sports and social activities, and childcare assistance.

For those posted overseas, benefits may include hardship allowances for posts where living conditions are considered difficult, education allowances for children, travel expenses and rent-free accommodation.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You're likely to work a standard working week of between 37 to 40 hours. However, some of the work may involve being on-call.

Hours may vary for overseas posts, depending on where you work.

What to expect

• You'll be based in FCDO offices in London or East Kilbride (moving to Glasgow) or in embassies, consulates or high commissions all over the world.
• Once qualified, you'll change roles every three to four years. However, you won't be sent anywhere you've not asked to go and will apply for each role based on your own preferences and career ambitions.
• The work can be challenging, but also rewarding as you can make a real impact on international relations.
• The FCDO is keen to recruit people from a range of different backgrounds and encourages applications from diverse communities.

Qualifications

If you have (or are expecting) at least a 2:2 degree, degree apprenticeship or higher in any subject, you can apply to the five-year Civil Service Fast Stream Diplomatic and Development scheme. Existing civil servants can apply without a degree. You must also be a British citizen (dual nationality is acceptable) and have been resident in the UK for at least five of the previous ten years, to include a consecutive 12-month period. You'll be based in London and East Kilbride (office moving to Glasgow) for years one and two, followed by an overseas placement in years three to five.

Alternatively, if you have (or are expecting) a 2:1 degree, degree apprenticeship or higher or a postgraduate degree in an economic subject you can apply for the five-year Civil Service Fast Stream Diplomatic and Development Economics scheme. For mixed degrees, at least 50% should be in economics. Nationality requirements are the same as for the Diplomatic and Development scheme.

Both schemes are highly competitive and aim to fast track graduates into senior roles by providing the experience needed to move into internationally-focused leadership and management roles within the FCDO. You can apply to both schemes at the same time.

The application process involves an initial application, online assessments in three areas - using data assessment, work-based scenarios and case study assessment, and a half-day online Fast Stream assessment centre which consists of a written advice exercise, stakeholder communication exercise and personal development conversation.

If you are successful at each of these stages, you'll be invited to attend the Final Section Board (specialist assessment), where you'll need to show you have the skills and strengths for the scheme you've applied for. If you're unsuccessful, it's possible to apply again the following year.

Before starting on the scheme, you must be granted United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) clearance.

You can join the diplomatic service directly if you have the right skills and knowledge. To become a diplomatic administrative officer, you'll typically need five GCSEs at grade 4/C or above. To become a diplomatic operational or policy officer you'll usually need A-levels (or equivalent).

For details of the current recruitment policy, including recruitment freezes, see Working for the FCDO.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• an interest in foreign affairs, other countries and cultures
• integrity, honesty and objectivity, as civil servants have to be politically impartial
• constructive, creative and innovative thinking
• a proactive and project management-based approach to work
• resourcefulness and the ability to deal with the unexpected
• verbal communication skills with the ability to build and develop productive working relationships
• written communication skills for drafting and editing policies and reports
• the ability to work collaboratively
• the potential to lead and motivate others
• decision-making skills
• the ability to interpret and analyse data and other written material
• attention to detail
• commercial and financial awareness
• the ability to work under pressure and to take on responsibility
• an open mind and the determination to succeed
• a commitment to learning and improvement.

Work experience

You don't need to have lived or worked overseas to apply for the Fast Stream Diplomatic and Development scheme. Although pre-entry experience isn't essential, it's helpful to get some work experience to show what skills you've developed.

Experience of project management or managing change, for example, is particularly useful. Experience that helps develop your communication, decision-making, analysis and team working skills is also useful. The work can be either paid or voluntary.

The Civil Service runs the Fast Stream Summer Internship Programme (SIP), which provides the opportunity to see what a career in the Civil Service is like. You'll need to be in your final two years at university with an expected 2:2 in any subject, have the right to work in the UK and meet the Civil Service nationality rules.

The FCDO also participates in work experience schemes such as the:

• Leonard Cheshire Intern Programme - aimed at talented university students and recent graduates with any disability or long-term condition
• Civil Service Care Leavers Internship Scheme - for care leavers aged 18 to 30
• Ambitious About Autism Civil Service internship programme - for young people with autism aged 18 to 25.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

As a diplomatic service officer, you'll be employed by the FCDO, which has around 17,000 staff in its 281 diplomatic and development offices worldwide. The FCDO has its UK offices in London and East Kilbride (Scottish office moving to Glasgow).

Around one third of FCDO staff are based in the UK, and work in the UK and postings overseas. The other two thirds are employed locally by a British Diplomatic mission overseas (embassies, consulates or high commissions). If you're employed overseas, you'll usually need to be able to speak and work in the main local language of the country you're living in.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Civil Service Fast Stream
• Civil Service Job Search

Recruitment freezes may sometimes be in place, meaning you can only enter the diplomatic service via specialist programmes.

Professional development

The Civil Service Fast Stream Diplomatic and Development scheme provides a combination of structured learning, work shadowing, coaching and mentoring, and on-the-job training. You'll take part in a range of learning activities such as residentials, group sessions and online learning.

The focus is on developing your leadership skills and knowledge of how international development, the FCDO and diplomacy works. Your training will cover both core civil service fast stream learning as well as FCDO specific learning. You'll track your progress and reflect on what you've learned through a personal development plan and portfolio.

Your first placement lasts 12 months and you'll be based in the UK. You'll typically start in a policy role, which could be as a desk officer for a specific country or a policy lead on key issues such as climate change or counter terrorism

Your second placement will also last 12 months in the UK. This time, however, you're likely to undertake an operational role in the consular department, a ministerial private office or the media office.

You'll take up an overseas posting in years three to five. Although you won't be guaranteed your preferred post, they will take into account your personal preferences and circumstances.

As your training progresses, you'll build professional networks and connections to help progress your career and will apply the skills you've developed to a range of diverse situations.

You're encouraged to carry out professional development throughout your career. This can include training in IT and foreign languages. Learning on the job is an important part of developing your understanding of diplomatic operations. It will also enhance your ability to take on new information and deal with different situations, which is important for work both in the UK and overseas.

Career prospects

Once you've successfully completed the Fast Stream, you will be at a Grade 7 level and will be supported to find a permanent role. You can apply for jobs and postings wherever you would like to go. This could either be in the UK or overseas.

With approximately 17,000 staff across 281 offices worldwide, the scope for postings is extensive. Many overseas roles focus on consular, management and immigration-related work within diplomatic missions. However, opportunities are also available in areas such as political affairs, international trade, security policy and public diplomacy.

As your career progresses, you could choose to specialise in a particular region of the world or on a specific area of work, such as bilateral or multilateral diplomacy, consular services, crisis response, project management or strategic media and communications.

Promotion is based on merit, individual performance and the availability of posts. Senior positions require a combination of strong leadership, policy expertise and diplomatic experience, with the potential to progress to ambassadorial or director-level roles.