Diplomatic Service officer
Diplomatic Service officers help to promote and protect British interests, businesses and citizens overseas.
Typical Salary
£35,000 – £60,000
per year
Working Hours
37–40
hours per week
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day duties will depend on your role.
You could:
- monitor and analyse overseas events
- develop policies and strategies towards different countries
- deal with press and communications at home and abroad
- give consular support to UK citizens abroad
- process UK visa applications
- handle queries and give advice
- work on official documents and give admin support to other embassy staff
Skills needed
- administration skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- to be flexible and open to change
- sensitivity and understanding
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- knowledge of English language
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to get into this role
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- working towards this role
- applying directly
- a graduate training scheme
Career progression
You'll have access to a wide range of Civil Service training, designed to prepare you for your first overseas posting. This includes foreign language training.
You'll be encouraged to identify your own training needs as part of an appraisal and staff development programme.
After 2 years, you can apply to join the Fast Stream programme if your manager thinks you have the potential for senior management.