In this new and thoroughly revised edition of Career Diplomacy, Foreign Service veterans Harry W. Kopp and John K. Naland lay out what to expect in a Foreign Service career, from the entrance exam through midcareer and into the senior service?how to get in, get around, and get ahead. This guide offers readers a candid look at the profession.

Harry W. Kopp and John K. Naland

An all-new edition of the candid insiders' guide to the US Foreign Service as an institution, a profession, and a career

Career Diplomacy takes readers inside the world of American diplomats in the US Foreign Service. Members of the Foreign Service represent the country abroad, protect and support American citizens overseas, manage government programs and facilities, and move foreign policy from the abstract to the actual. In this new and thoroughly revised edition, Foreign Service veterans Harry W. Kopp and John K. Naland lay out what to expect in a Foreign Service career, from the entrance exam through midcareer and into the senior service-how to get in, get around, and get ahead.

Part one begins with the history and structure of the US Foreign Service in the Department of State and other agencies. Part two looks at a number of professional challenges, including how to be a diplomat in a war zone and how to respond when what the government demands conflicts with what the Constitution requires or one's conscience compels. In part three, the authors explore the trajectory of a Foreign Service career through their own experiences and through interviews with more than a hundred current and former members. Part four brings the discussion up to the present and looks to the future, describing a Service emerging from the Trump years determined to improve diversity in its workforce, protect a high standard of nonpolitical public service, and reward performance with responsibility.

This best-selling guide demystifies the US Foreign Service for those interested in working within or alongside the institution. Kopp and Naland offer readers a candid look at the profession, with its dangers, rewards, challenges, frustrations, and excitement.

Contents

List of Illustrations

Preface

Part I. The Institution

1. What Is the Foreign Service?

2. History

3. Diversity and Inclusion

4. The Foreign Service at the Department of State

5. Other Agencies: USAID, Commerce, Agriculture

Part II. The Profession

6. Form and Content

7. Duty and Danger

8. Politics and Professionalism

9. Team Players

Part III. The Career

10. Getting In

11. Career Trajectory

Part IV. The Future Foreign Service

12. Tomorrow's Diplomats

Acknowledgments

Online Resources

Notes

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

About the Authors