Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 9 hours and 38 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: University Press Audiobooks
Audible.com Release Date: May 14, 2012
Whispersync for Voice: Ready
Language: English
ASIN: B00834KYO2
Best Sellers Rank: #29 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Politics & Current Events > International Relations #46 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Diplomacy
This book is for anyone considering a career or close to someone thinking about a career as a Foreign Service Officer. It covers the up and down history of US foreign services, talks about the process to get in including information and study advice for the FSOT (written exam), PN's and the final interview process that is required to go from application to job offer. It talks about your health and security clearance and what sort of time frame to expect things to happen. You are walked through what to expect during the job orientation program (A-100 class) and advice for selecting your first tours. Full of facts yet a pleasure to read, the book covers almost everything you might be wondering about as a career FSO including salary, promotions and how to obtain them, how to pick assignments and what your chances are of receiving locations you are interested in, the value of foreign languages, which are more valuable than others and how to gain additional knowledge, what it's like to be a married couple working tandem through a career, requirements for advancement and much more. Their are also ample sources for further information and hints to suggest future trends in the foreign service. For some, the drudgery of reading the facts, figures and policies, etc., is softened by interesting real stories of FSO's in various situations, job tracks and career levels. I've written a rather boring review - my apologies - I'm currently in the process of writing the personal narratives for the application process so I'm in the habbit of limiting description and wordiness in favor of content. The book actually reads quite well and was exactly what I was looking for.
A truthful, sterile look at the foreign service. This book analyzes what the foreign service is and how it works, not what it should be and how it should work. I am thinking about taking the foreign service exam; I found this book to be helpful in giving me an accurate description of what the bureaucracy is like and where the service fits in the greater frame work of the US government. As I've said it is sterile, but well worth the investment if one is seriously considering the commitment.
First, I will discuss the reasons why I liked this book. Second, I will offer a constructive critique of what I thought could be improved in a later edition. Third, I will summarize why the overall rating is four stars.First, if one is short on time and can only read one book on this topic, I recommend this one. The material is well researched and the writing is clear. I think readers will appreciate that the quotes are balanced. It provides an institutional view on a foreign service as would be seen by entry to mid-level officers but not necessarily experienced. There are adequate historical and modern updates too.Second, I think readers would benefit from more information on the environmental, medical and familial challenges that members of the foreign service face. I would love the book more if it presented a balance of what insiders like and dislike.Third, I still like this book because it is written from an inclusive perspective rather than an exclusive perspective of being an ambassador or a spouse thereof. This book is one of many highly recommended reads for anyone contemplating joining the foreign service.
I first read this book by borrowing a copy from my local library. Now, a year later, I find the material significant enough to buy a permanent copy as I move abroad. Well written, this is an inside look at the U.S. Foreign Service. An informative read as U.S. foreign policy continues to matter in the world. As Americans and voters, we should understand who and how we are being represented abroad. The greatest eye openers, personally, in was the history of monetary appropriation to the Service from Congress and the cooperation between the military and Foreign Service Officers.
Coming from someone who has very little background knowledge of what is going on in concern to foreign affairs and the people involved, I found this book to be quite straight forward and easy to follow. I loved the author's 'voice,' learned quite a bit and had a good time doing so. Definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in a career in foreign affairs/diplomacy or even the topic in general.
I'm a recent graduate from the United States working at a university in Colombia. I've given some thought in pursuing a career in a government agency, but never for the foreign service until I saw this book for sale on . The book is like an elaborate Wikipedia article on the foreign service. The books explains the structures, positions, and bureaucracy of the foreign service. I wish this book would have had more interviews from people in their field of the foreign service. The book lists the many different roles of the foreign service and what is publicly released about the roles' pay and chance of employment. The introduction makes it clear what to expect from the book. It's dry but this book will provide you a decent introduction. A recommended read for anyone contemplating a career in the foreign service.
I purchased this book a while back, as I was coming out of college and considering a career in the foreign service. While that ultimately didn't pan out, I found this book to be very informative about how one enters into the career of diplomacy. Not only does it go through the process, but it contains a number of personal stories about what it is like to live as an American diplomat.Even if you are only interested in learning more about the conduct of diplomacy, this is a good guide.
Career Diplomacy: Life and Work in the US Foreign Service, 2nd Edition Inside a U.S. Embassy: Diplomacy at Work, The Essential Guide to the Foreign Service The Food Service Professional Guide to Controlling Restaurant & Food Service Operating Costs (The Food Service Professional Guide to, 5) (The Food Service Professionals Guide To) The Food Service Professional Guide to Controlling Restaurant & Food Service Food Costs (The Food Service Professional Guide to, 6) (The Food Service Professionals Guide To) Food Service Menus: Pricing and Managing the Food Service Menu for Maximun Profit (The Food Service Professional Guide to Series 13) Civil Service Exam Secrets Study Guide: Civil Service Test Review for the Civil Service Examination (Mometrix Secrets Study Guides) Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development (9th Edition) Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development (10th Edition) (Merrill Counseling (Hardcover)) Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) 2013 Edition: Complete Study Guide to the Written Exam and Oral Assessment Creating Career Success: A Flexible Plan for the World of Work (Explore Our New Career Success 1st Editions) CliffsTestPrep Foreign Service Officer Exam: Preparation for the Written Exam and the Oral Assessment FSOT Flashcard Study System: FSOT Exam Practice Questions & Review for the Foreign Service Officer Test (Cards) FSOT Practice Questions: FSOT Practice Tests & Exam Review for the Foreign Service Officer Test (Mometrix Test Preparation) FSOT Secrets Study Guide: FSOT Exam Review for the Foreign Service Officer Test American Diplomacy: Sixtieth-Anniversary Expanded Edition (Walgreen Foundation Lectures) King's Counsel: A Memoir of War, Espionage, and Diplomacy in the Middle East China Hands: Nine Decades of Adventure, Espionage, and Diplomacy in Asia Man Called Intrepid: The Incredible WWII Narrative Of The Hero Whose Spy Network And Secret Diplomacy Changed The Course Of History Building Diplomacy: The Architecture of American Embassies The Russia Hand: A Memoir of Presidential Diplomacy