Career Diplomacy: Life and Work in the US Foreign Service

by Harry W. Kopp, John K. Naland

Career Diplomacy is an insider's guide to the Foreign Service as an institution, a profession, and a career.  In this thoroughly revised third edition, Kopp and Naland provide an up-to-date, authoritative, and candid account of the life and work of professional US diplomats, who advance and protect this country’s national security interests around the globe. The authors explore the five career tracks—consular, political, economic, management, and public diplomacy—through their own experience and through interviews with more than a hundred current and former members of the Foreign Service. They 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.

New in the third edition: • A discussion of the relationship of the Foreign Service and the Department of State to other agencies, and to the combatant commands • An expanded analysis of hiring procedures• Commentary on challenging management issues in the Department of State, including the proliferation of political appointments in high-level positions and the difficulties of running an agency with employees in two personnel systems (Civil Service and Foreign Service) • A fresh examination of the changing nature and demographics of the Foreign Service

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, History, International Relations, International Affairs, Travel, The United States Of America

367 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2017

About the author

Harry W. Kopp is the co-author (with John K. Naland) of Career Diplomacy: Life and Work in the US Foreign Service. Lawrence S. Eagleburger, the only Foreign Service officer to serve as secretary of state, called Career Diplomacy "the best description of life in the foreign service -- its challenges, dangers, satisfactions, and fun -- I have ever seen." Georgetown University Press will publish a fourth and thoroughly revised edition of Career Diplomacy on November 1, 2021.

Kopp, whose other works include Commercial Diplomacy and the National Interest (American Academy of Diplomacy, 2004), and Voice of the Foreign Service: A History of the American Foreign Service Association (Foreign Service Books, 2015), joined the Foreign Service in 1967. He served as deputy assistant secretary of state for international trade policy in the Carter and Reagan administrations. His overseas assignments included Warsaw, Poland and Brasilia, Brazil. He received superior and meritorious honor awards from the Department of State and a presidential award for public service from President Ronald Reagan.

Kopp writes often for the Foreign Service Journal (http://www.afsa.org/publications), where he is also a member of the editorial board. His articles and commentary have appeared in The New York Times and other publications. His short story "Trotsky in the Bronx" won the 2012 Goldenberg Fiction Prize from the Bellevue Literary Review.

Kopp holds degrees from Hamilton College and Yale University. He lives with his wife Jane in Baltimore, Maryland.

Reviews

[Adam Rabiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a general interest book. Career Diplomacy is, however, a MUST READ for anyone considering a career in diplomacy or already in midst of the application process. Most readers with a cursory interest in diplomacy or statecraft are better served with more journalistic fare. Those already working for the State Department or other Federal agencies with employees abroad don't need this book because they have lived experiences. But if you are a potential or actual job applicant and really want to know the nuts and bolts of a job in Foreign Service this book is essential. This book will provide you with concrete information about what is expected of you, the application processes, the strengths and weaknesses of the system, tips on how to advance your career, and future trends in diplomacy. It will help you make decisions about your career and may even provide some additional confidence to help with your candidacy.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a solid explanation of all aspects of the foreign service--I had no idea there was a dedicated foreign service in the commerce department, for instance, however small it was--and I had particular interest in learning about the history of the foreign service within the state department and how it's grown over the years. The writing was succinct and only occasionally uninteresting, and the interviews were quite interesting (especially from those within the field). I think it had a lot of information packed into a little book. I'll probably reread several sections if I pass the written exam and make it to the Oral, as Kopp goes into great depth regarding what makes a good foreign service officer.

Overall, super good for those of us who want to enter the Foreign Service.

[GJS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Information was great. Narrator was terrible and dry. Made it through though!

[Victoria Click]

started this while studying for the fsot but then put it down because i was noticing myself fall into a reading slump with this type of text-booky reading (just picked it back up and finished it on the airplane). with that said, this is a SUPER interesting and INFORMATIVE book for someone interested in becoming a foriegn service officer. the authors do an excellent job demystifying all of the many complicated aspects of a career in u.s. diplomacy it’s almost like a gossipy tell-all lol

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty detailed look at the career of the foreign service officer. I was anticipating more of a recruitment slant to the book, but I was pleasantly surprised that the authors cover the good as well as the bad. The book is at its finest when it focuses on narrative/FSO stories to detail a point, as the rest can get weighed down with jargon and procedure. If the topic interests you, and you have a basic understanding of the foreign service, you'll enjoy the book.

[AmyLyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazingly thorough and yet still interesting look at a career with the Foreign Service. It also touches on careers with USAID and with the Commercial service, but the emphasis is definitely on the Foreign Service. Anyone interested in what the State Department really does and what diplomats do for our country, should read this book, especially those considering such a career.

[Chris Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is much more informative than Inside an Embassy and it provides a more objective view of the Foreign Service.

[Dallas Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% would recommend to anyone looking to become an FSO.

[Hannah Whiteman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It gave a thorough background and understanding of how the foreign service was developed and how it plays out today. I enjoyed the peak into the process of joining as I begin my own journey to apply for the foreign service and I feel far more equip after reading this to pursue my career. Couldn't recommend this enough to anyone in the international affairs or foreign policy realm.

[Connor Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, the book is exactly as the title implies.

If you’re thinking about joint the Foreign Service, then this is a great guide about what to expect from the job and even the pitfalls of the State Department. I will give credit to the author for not glazing the State Department and just simply showing it as is. It is a very dry read, but very informative.

3/5⭐️

[LeeTravelGoddess · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book that entails the Department of State, it’s many nuances and ways of working with other organizations and countries. I’m floored at the level of responsibility and hope to be in the ranks someday 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽! It’s a tops cause I found it amazingly helpful!

[Chey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was neat! I enjoyed all of the history and found this the most recent guide to the way foreign service has changed following the COVID19 pandemic.

Toward the end it was a bit repetitive but overall a solid read.

3.5 stars

[William Jongeward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. Exhaustive, which is it's best attribute and worst drawback.

[Vivek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly useful for anyone thinking about joining the Foreign Service. It is a comprehensive overview of the organization, from its history, role in the State Department, role of FSOs, and a thorough description of the process of becoming and being an FSO. Although it doesn't tell you too much about the exam itself, I think this book should be required reading for anyone before taking it.

[Flannery · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only negative I can find about this book is one that is probably only relevant to Kindle users. I read it on a Kindle and some of the graphs and charts contain words and images that are impossible to decipher because they are so tiny on the screen.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indispensable guide for anyone considering a career in the U.S. Foreign Service. Read before & during the application period, especially in preparation for the Oral Assessment. Helps demystify the application process and set realistic expectations for each career track.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read better books on the Foreign Service. This was dry and seemed defensive of any scandal that happened in State Department history. I get why they would want to do that, but it seemed excessive.

[Melissa Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book convinced me to NOT take the FSOT. Very informative, honest and detailed. By far the most helpful and transparent look into the foreign service I encountered. Utmost respect for those who choose to serve as FSOs, but thanks to this book I know it’s not the path for me.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a useful and valuable book. My husband is currently a Specialist in the Foreign Service, and reading this book provided an insight into the history of the Foreign Service. The book is very detailed with quotes from interesting interviews.

Excerpts

"After the attacks of September 11, 2001, changing other societies became a more explicit and important goal of American diplomacy. A White House paper, published in September 2002, said: 'The U.S. national security strategy will be based on a distinctly American internationalism that reflects the union of our values and our national interests. The aim of this strategy is to help make the world not just safer but better.' A second National Security, published in April 2006, was even clearer: 'The goal of our statecraft is to help create a world of democratic, well-governed states that can meet the needs of their citizens and conduct themselves responsibly in the international system. This is the best way to provide enduring security for the American people.'"


"The shift of emphasis in policy implied a change in American diplomacy and in the demands placed upon the foreign service. Traditional diplomacy aims to influence how states relate to other states: 'Governments,' wrote Henry Adams, 'were meant to deal with governments, not with private individuals or the opinions of foreign policy.' Transformational diplomacy, to use Secretary Rice's phrase, aims also—even primarily—to influence how states behave inside their own borders."


Toby Bradley's story of organizing democratic elections in Iraq where elections had never before been held was very interesting (pages 75–77).


"Foreign policy is no longer foreign. Ambassador L. Craig Johnstone wrote in 1997: 'Almost every international issue has a domestic consequent, more visible and direct than ever before. Almost every major domestic issue has an international component. The distinctions between domestic and foreign are gone.'

The last decade has proved him right. How we respond to international terrorism affects our civil liberties, and how we define our liberties affects our response to terrorism. Budget decisions made in the U.S. Congress affect the value of the trillion dollars of U.S. bonds held by the Bank of China, and what China does with its holdings affects U.S. economic welfare. How we deal with global warming affects spending by domestic businesses, and vice versa. Political differences over privacy, taxes, and regulation—and over almost any other domestic issue—are differences over foreign policy as well.

Political clashes over foreign policy pose two questions for the foreign service. First, how does the foreign service remain professional while carrying out policies that may change radically with each election? Second, how can each new political leadership comfortably entrust its policies to a foreign service that worked hard and effectively for the policies of its predecessor?"


"The relationship between Congress and the foreign service faces a test each year at budget time, though the budget yields only a murky picture of congressional satisfaction with the service's past performance or its expectations for the future. That is because in the vast federal budget, there is no line or box marked foreign service. The funds for America's diplomats are scattered throughout the budget and hard to find. Foreign service people watching the progress of the budget through the Congress are often confused or disheartened, because the process itself is confusing and often discouraging.

One source of confusion is the difference between legislation that authorizes programs and legislation that appropriates funds. Authorizing laws establish or modify federal programs but do not necessarily provide the money to run them. Authorizing legislation often indicates a dollar amount for a program, but authorizers cannot require appropriators to provide it. Appropriators, however, can effectively kill an authorized program by failing to fund it. They can also use appropriations to fund a program that has not been authorized."


"Thrashing out positions within and between government agencies is time-consuming and often frustrating. George Shultz, who may have headed as many large bureaucracies as anyone in the history of American government, wrote that 'in government, if [a] decision is going to stick, the divergent and divisive constituencies with a stake in the decision have to be persuaded—or if not fully persuaded, at least consulted—so they feel that their views were considered. Even then,' he added, 'they can give you plenty of grief.' Business executives and others from outside government who take on cabinet and subcabinet positions are almost always astonished by the amount of effort and the degree of compromise required to move a proposal or project through the system. 'Don't we all work for the same president?' they lament. 'Aren't we all on the same team?'"


"Coordination is especially challenging where relations are deep as well as broad, and where U.S. government agencies communicate easily and frequently with their foreign counterparts—places like Mexico, and especially with regard to the Mexican border. Amid the range of cross-border issues—trade, crime, pollution, transportation—the most sensitive and important is immigration.

Travel across the border is vital to commerce and family life. In 2005, about thirteen million Mexicans visited the United States, and twenty-one million Americans went to Mexico, accounting for over a million level border crossings per day. The U.S. embassy in Mexico City calculates that twelve million people live in the counties and municípios adjacent to the border. The Mexican-born population of the United States numbers well over ten million. But though U.S. efforts to control the border certainly affect U.S. foreign relations, they are not really part of American foreign policy.

Ambassador James Derham, a career foreign service officer who was the U.S. ambassador's deputy in Mexico from 1998 to 2002, remarked: 'Humane, orderly, legal immigration. That's the goal and the policy as they come down to us from Congress and the White House, and we reinforce that message with Mexico at every opportunity. But immigration is essentially a U.S. domestic issue. Mexico has a role, of course, and the Mexicans can be helpful or harmful by their actions, but immigration policy is not like trade policy. There are no international negotiations.'"


"The Department of Homeland Security establishes visa policies and frames its regulations and enforces policies on the U.S. side of the border. The foreign service, through its consuls and vice consuls, carries out U.S. immigration policy on the Mexican side of the border.

The Mexican border is where many members of the foreign service start their careers. Entrants typically spend at least a portion of their first overseas tours in consular work, and especially in visas. The United States issues visas and similar official travel documents at ten posts in Mexico, including seven along the border.

Visa work is hard, tedious, and challenging. It entails long hours in front of a line of nervous applicants, trying to separate legitimate travelers from potential illegal immigrants and security threats in interviews that last little more than a minute. A new officer may conduct one hundred interviews in a day; an experienced officer may conduct two hundred or more each day, and as many as one thousand in a week. There is no time for a lot of analysis. An experienced visa officer comes to rely on visual clues, an applicant's manner and air of confidence, as much as on answers to questions: A good consular officer can make good decisions about 90 percent of the time as the applicant walks up to the window.'

A year on the visa line, one former visa officer said, 'is absolutely the best way to learn about a society—what people do, how much they earn, how they live and how they would like to live, how their families are put together, how they relate to the United States.' Visa work tests stamina, language skills, and the willingness to say 'no' to people who are desperate for 'yes.' It is daily instruction in making quick decisions, and daily proof that sensitivity to a foreign culture does not mean softness."


"The decision to give the Department of Defense, and especially the armed services, broader responsibilities in foreign relations is in part of a natural consequence of wartime. But it also flows from the great respect that policymakers have for the military's competence and energy. There is a sentiment, not always unspoken, that associates the U.S. military with decisiveness, a grasp of core issues, and a single-minded focus on U.S. interests, and that associates U.S. diplomacy with hesitation, infatuation with complexity, and a too-tender regard for the opinion of foreigners."


Ambassador Robert Loftis: "The stereotype . . . of the soldier in the field who knows what's really going on, while the diplomat is clueless and isolated in the capital is false. Many soldiers in the field, smart as they are, are in one place for only a few weeks. They talk only to a small group of people. They don't have the same depth that someone a long time in the country can acquire. The idea that the military is always right, while the State Department only cares what foreigners think, is powerful, but it's just not true."


"Differences among analysts from different agencies are supposed to be resolved at the National Intelligence Council, an interagency operation run by the DNI. Those differences should be fewer and narrower as intelligence agencies learn to switch from the pre-9/11 rule that limited information exchange to those with a need to know, to the post-9/11 rule of responsibility to share. Analysts working with similar information should reach similar conclusions."


"The four key people in an embassy are the chief of mission, the deputy chief of mission, the regional security officer, and the top management officer. If two of these four are first-rate performers, the embassy will be a well-run place; if three, it will be well run and happy; if all four, at least one is due for a transfer."


"The threshold question is whether the foreign service will again face a situation at all like the one it faced in Iraq. Is economic and political reconstruction in places like Somalia, Darfur, Palestine, or Mindanao part of the future of American foreign policy? If so, is the foreign service the right organization to take on the task? If it is, to what extent should the service rely on contractors to supply specialized personnel, and to what extent should it develop its own expertise?"


"The public diffidence, and its obvious contrast with military display, emphasizes the difference between diplomats and soldiers. The foreign service may be what it is often called, America's first line of defense, but it relies on persuasion, negotiation, inducement, and threat, not on force. 'Diplomats,' wrote David Newsom, 'live in realms that are conspiratorial, cynical, and devious.' They can be, but often are not, plain talkers and straight shooters. They seek clarity but are comfortable with ambiguity. Their most prized skills are verbal, psychological, and manipulative. As David Brooks observed, these are not talents most Americans regard with moral admiration."


"It bears repeating that since World War II, more American ambassadors than general and flag officers have been killed in the line of duty."

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for FSOT.

From the beginning of the book:

Secretary of State George Shultz made it a practice to receive newly appointed American ambassadors in his office before they left Washington to take up their posts. He would take them over to a large globe that stood near the secretary's desk and ask them to "show me your country." When they did, Shultz would correct them. "No, that is the country to which you are assigned. Your country is here, the United States of America." No diplomat can afford to forget, even for a moment, for whom he works and whose interests he serves. It is not the country to which he is accredited, nor the world in general, nor the cause of peace. A diplomat serves his country, his people, and his government, and them only.


From the end of the book:

There are no insignia of rank except for an ambassador's flag. There are few traditions or ceremonies. Promotions generally go unmarked. Awards may be conferred by mail or in perfunctory group presentations. New diplomats and new ambassadors get a gaudy swearing in, but otherwise a member of the service may pass a thirty-year career and see no pomp under any circumstance. This public diffidence, and its obvious contrast with military display, emphasizes the difference between diplomats and soldiers. The foreign service may be America's first line of defense, but it relies on persuasion, negotiation, inducement, and threat, not on force. The army is fond of shock and
awe and likes to describe its mission as "break things and kill people." The foreign service, with equal swagger, could counter, "We don't kill them, we bend them to our will." "Diplomats, wrote David Newsom, "live in realms that are conspiratorial, cynical and devious." They can be, but often are not, plain talkers and straight shooters. They seek clarity but are comfortable with ambiguity. Their most prized skills are verbal, psychological, and manipulative. As David Brooks observed, these are not talents that enjoy high honor among most Americans.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superbly organized and written, this was the best of five insider books I've read about the Foreign Service. The book gave insight into the organization, function, strengths, weaknesses, and role of the Foreign Service using a structured narrative full of examples. It is an honest account that highlights more than the importance of the Foreign Service; it unveils the frictions and systemic issues within the Department of State.

Published in 2017, Kopp and Naland divide the contemporary book into four sections: the institution, the profession, the career, and the future. Each section has enough historical background to provide context and the personal examples highlight the narrative instead of standing alone. The characteristics and responsibilities of diplomats are conveyed throughout. Not only does this book give the reader an understanding of the basics, but it also provides a balanced view that enables contemplation. You understand where you are, based on how you got there. My key takeaway was found in the frictions described within the institution. State is dwarfed by the resources of DoD, has limited funding, low popular prestige, and workforce tension between Foreign Service Officers, the Civil Service, and political appointees. Yet despite these issues, U.S. diplomats have the lead to achieve U.S. foreign policy goals in security, trade and economics, human rights, and democracy.

This is a recent, highly readable, and thorough book on the Foreign Service. If you are trying to learn about the Foreign Service, this is a great introduction. I would recommend looking here before tackling Kissinger's Diplomacy. If you are looking at a career in the Foreign Service, this is essential reading.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a very good overview of what the foreign service is, its history, and what to expect if one decides to become a foreign service officer, whether generalist or specialist. The only weakness may be that it uses information heavily focused on about 2000-2010, and so in the intervening 7 years, things may have changed, but it doesn't appear to have changed too substantially in that time (from what I've read at the State Department website and looking at the available literature on the internet, although change seems to be somewhat influenced by whatever the current presidential administration desires).

This book gives a nice history of the foreign service, actually explaining what the foreign service is (it isn't only in the State Department, and it isn't as easy as one would think to separate out the foreign service within the governmental hierarchies), then explains what the foreign service is used for, or, at least, what people have desired it to be used for, and then what to expect if you go through this career path. The first years will involve consular duty, later years more freedom and leeway if you make the cut. The author also explains the challenges of being an FSO, such as living in places that will give you hardship and bureaucratic inertia, while also explaining what makes being an FSO have appeal.

The book succeeds in its main objective, letting a person know whether they may like a job as an FSO, and explaining what that entails. The author includes quotes from relevant FSOs in all the different specialties, and gives a good overview of what each specialy can entail, as well.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite informative, meticulously organized, and noticeably well-written. Career Diplomacy approaches the history of the foreign service from a few different angles in an effort to present a complete picture. The middle chapters drill down into current functions and recent history through a series of examples more than anything else, especially in the wartime chapter. The last few chapters cover basic internal workings. Throughout, the writing is clear and frank with the occasional delightfully witty turn of phrase. This book is introductory but comprehensive, and it’s excellent for informing a decision on whether to pursue a career in diplomacy.

I picked this book up at a Half Price Books a couple of years ago when I was thinking about jobs in the foreign service. I have since decided that it’s not the field for me, but this is still a pretty interesting read, from a foreign policy standpoint if nothing else.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very practical, if at times dry, guide to the history, function and work of America's Foreign Service. Very useful if you want to understand career trajectories, promotions and how the service relates to other agencies. I would have enjoyed more on sources of power within the State department and how information flows.

A considerable amount of emphasis is spent on how provincial level assignments during the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan fundamentally reshaped the foreign service and expanded its potential scope. It also puts Secretary Tillerson's efforts to restructure and reduce the size of the foreign service into perspective (although there is little mention of any secretary after Clinton).

I would recommend the book only to those with a strong interest in how the service functions at a general operational level but it is an excellent resource for those seeking that type of explanation.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting and comprehensive overview of life and work in the U.S. foreign service, as the subtitle suggests. It definitely helped me get a good big picture view of what it entails, along with some examples and details that helped undergird it all.

This reads like a textbook, albeit an interesting one, and I definitely found some sections more interesting than others--the career information most of all. That being said, all of it was helpful and interesting. I was particularly amused (maybe dismayed?) reading about the future of the foreign service in the last chapter. Pickering's predictions prove eerily prescient and no, the thirteen dimensions have not been replaced. They were what I was judged on as a Pickering Fellow. :)

[Samuel Albello · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great for people who want to have an idea of what it’s like to work as a foreign officer/diplomat. However, it was a little biased. I do agree that Trump’s foreign policy was relatively aggressive compared to his predecessors, but the book could have at least mentioned some of his foreign policy achievements/successes during his time in the office. The book was pretty neutral in regards to other presidents like Bush, Obama, and Biden, and it did a good job at presenting both the pros and cons of each administration. But when it comes to Trump’s the book just couldn’t stop hammering the readers that his policies was just BAD…AGGRESSIVE…TERRIBLE. Like bro..chill. We survived his term and the international order is still standing…chill out.

[Jason Marciak · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book about the organization structure of various foreign services that provide diplomatic efforts on behalf of America. It’s a collection of definitive explanations as to the various career tracks and departments that one could find themselves working for during a career with any number of the foreign service agencies. It is also peppered with anecdotal examples of the methods of diplomacy and how these diplomatic efforts interrelate with various branches of public and private center enterprises.

It’s a fascinating resource for anyone looking to educate themselves about careers in diplomacy with the U.S. Foreign Services.

[Anr706 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Careers In Diplomacy is a must read for anyone interested in working for or just learning about the US State Department. If you plan on working for State, I’d read it twice. I listened to the audiobook and slightly bumped up the reading speed. Valuable information!

[Tigo · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative (if at times boring) introduction to a fascinating career path. Highly recommend to anyone that may be interested in working in the Foreign Service or the State Department more broadly.
🇺🇸🦅🌎

[Christy Hillebrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and helpful look at the foreign service career.