Get Hired

Getting hired as a Foreign Services Officer involves advanced preparation. There are five steps to getting hired as a Foreign Service Officer:

1. Select your career track; note that you may not change career tracks after registering for the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT), so choose carefully. 
2. Register for and complete the FSOT, which focuses on three sections that cover your knowledge on United States government and culture, world history, psychology, technology, management theory, finance, economics, and world affairs, as well as your English language abilities and situational judgement. 
3. Submit a personal narrative. 
4. Complete an oral assessment (i.e., job interview).
5. Obtain all medical and security clearances. 
    

After completing these five steps, your file will be examined by a suitability review panel. If selected, you will then be placed on the register and ranked based on your career track as well as the date in which you registered for the FSOT. Note that this does not guarantee an appointment.

Your name can remain on the register for 18 months. If you do not receive an appointment within that time, your name is removed; you can re-enter and proceed through the process in the same, or a different career path after your name has been removed. 

Similar to the Foreign Service Officer recruitment process, getting hired as a Foreign Service Specialist requires five key steps:

1. Choose a Specialist Career Track. 
2. Submit your application for a specific vacancy announcement; note that not all areas actively recruit at the same time. 
3. Wait for your application to be reviewed by a qualifications panel, which compares your application documents to the qualifications listed in the position. 
4. Complete the Foreign Service Oral Assessment; this consists of a writing exercise, structured interview, and exit interview. 
5. Obtain all medical and security clearances. 
    

Upon the completion of these steps, your file will then be examined by a suitability review panel. If selected you will be placed on the register and ranked by overall assessment scores. 

If you would like to apply to become a Language-Designated Consular Fellow, there are eight steps to getting hired:

1. Confirm your eligibility (e.g., you must be at least 20 years old, and be able to obtain and maintain a Top Security clearance, work in various countries on assignment, and speak either Arabic, Chinese Mandarin, Portuguese, or Spanish at a required level).
2. Submit the Online Application.
3. Register for and take the Consular Fellows Program Test (CFPT). 
4. Wait for your application to be reviewed by a qualifications panel examining your CFPT scores, education, experience, and skills. 
5. Take a language proficiency test to confirm your language skills.
6. Complete the Consular Fellow Oral Assessment. 
7. Obtain all medical and security clearances. 
8. Receive a conditional offer and be placed on the register of cleared candidates. 

 These are the five steps to follow for Civil Service recruitment:

1. Determine the type of job you want from the 11 categories.
2. Carefully follow the instructions and apply on USAJOBS.
3. Submit application documentation (e.g., resume) before the closing date; note that you will be evaluated based on how closely your resume matches the requirements for the position.
4. Perform well in the job interview.
5. Complete all background investigations and obtain security clearances; note that this process alone can take between two to four months.