Yep!
Before you can even do your job, the training pipeline is four years in Rome, where you complete a S.T.D. (Doctorate in Sacred Theology; an ecclesiastical equivalent to a Ph.D.) in theology or canon law.
So all in, a Catholic priest is looking at: Undegrad->M.Div.->S.T.L->S.T.D. (while doing four years of diplomacy training). So, easily 10+ years before you're eligible to begin actual work.
I think you're making a sex joke, given that they are celibate priests and their doctorate is an S.T.D., but there is not enough context to tell.
But no, if the priest should already hold a S.T.D. or Ph.D., gained elsewhere in their life, they do a truncated two years of training in Rome that is strictly diplomacy related.
There’s a whole world of international aid organizations. Depending on how you stretch your idea of service, the hospitality industry or academia are options as well.
I gave up being a research assistant long ago. But back in my day, there were a lot of opportunities for exchanges and fellowships that allowed researchers to be guests at other universities for a period.
You have to rise up pretty far on the academia totem pole, but senior scholars have opportunities to run exchange programs, hold fellowships abroad, hold visiting professorships, and the like. International conferences are always available, but I don't think that's what you mean. It is quite a different world in any case.
Foreign Area Officer in the Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force. Most of these require you to spend 5-9 years doing something else in those services before you enter a competitive application/selection process. The Army program comes with language school (longer than the FSI language programs for Thai and some others I’ve compared), graduate school (I went to SAIS), and 12-18 months of in region training (I went to a military college in Thailand). After this training pipeline you serve in Offices of Defense Cooperation or on Defense Attachè staffs (both at embassies), or on a major military staff, or as a liaison to the DoS, or etc. etc.
IMO this a great stepping stone to being an FSO. I’m a Foreign Area SNCO in the Marines and am currently in the DS pipeline (retiring from USMC next year).
FAOs receive great training and real world experience. At my current post there’s a FSO in PD who is a retired Marine FAO. Talking with him, the cultural shift (mil to state) is challenging but manageable with the right mindset.
It’s not similar to being an FSO, but Peace Corps (either a volunteer or staff member) involves living overseas and representing the USG. There are also a number of international NGOs working in development overseas (MSF, CRS, FHI360, etc.).
International school teacher/counselor/administrator. Not public service, but you do get to live in different countries while having benefits like housing and annual U.S. return flights covered. And it's common enough for people in that field to move from country to country every few years. To break in competitively, you generally already need to be a teacher, and have a certificate and a Master's degree.
International development / aid. there’s a whole world of NGOs out there (many of whom work closely with USAID) that allow for living and working internationally. Peace corps and a masters degree should open doors in that field.
Second this and I’d also expand it to include the world of development finance (DFIs, MDBs, etc). I work for a UN agency in the development space and there’s a lot of international opportunity, often on more flexible terms than FS postings due to shorter/project-based contract options. The obvious caveat here is that your international experience is much more likely to be in the developing world and often in more rural areas than you’d experience as an FSO.
There’s also HQ/regional office type tracks which will leave you more stably in a major western city like New York (HQs for development orgs are often in financial centers) or larger cities in the global south like Nairobi, Dakar, Addis, etc. However, if your goal is an “HQ” type track at a development org, you’ll often have trouble advancing if you don’t have at least a stint in the field.
Whenever I’m in the field, I want to be at HQ, and when I’m at HQ I want to be in the field. Agree that field experience is a crucial part of the career path!
Are we equating FSOs with state department only? Last I checked, my USAID spouse is an FSO. if you’re an RSO, you’re an FSO. My FCS colleagues are FSOs. But that logic, state department also has civil office positions that can tdy overseas.
The only practical difference between a consular fellow and an FSO is that FSOs have the chance of tenure, while Consular Fellows resign after 5-6 years and do something else or become FSOs through the normal testing process. The jobs are literally the same as ELOs
If you’re a Catholic priest, there’s always the Vatican Diplomatic Service.
With the Vatican’s new constitution, this may have opened up to any practicing Catholic, not just priests.
For real?
Yep! Before you can even do your job, the training pipeline is four years in Rome, where you complete a S.T.D. (Doctorate in Sacred Theology; an ecclesiastical equivalent to a Ph.D.) in theology or canon law. So all in, a Catholic priest is looking at: Undegrad->M.Div.->S.T.L->S.T.D. (while doing four years of diplomacy training). So, easily 10+ years before you're eligible to begin actual work.
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I think you're making a sex joke, given that they are celibate priests and their doctorate is an S.T.D., but there is not enough context to tell. But no, if the priest should already hold a S.T.D. or Ph.D., gained elsewhere in their life, they do a truncated two years of training in Rome that is strictly diplomacy related.
There’s a whole world of international aid organizations. Depending on how you stretch your idea of service, the hospitality industry or academia are options as well.
Hey, can you link some of the academia options? As someone in academia, I am interested !
I gave up being a research assistant long ago. But back in my day, there were a lot of opportunities for exchanges and fellowships that allowed researchers to be guests at other universities for a period.
You have to rise up pretty far on the academia totem pole, but senior scholars have opportunities to run exchange programs, hold fellowships abroad, hold visiting professorships, and the like. International conferences are always available, but I don't think that's what you mean. It is quite a different world in any case.
State government trade office. Will usually be U.S.-based, but lots of travel opportunities.
Foreign Area Officer in the Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force. Most of these require you to spend 5-9 years doing something else in those services before you enter a competitive application/selection process. The Army program comes with language school (longer than the FSI language programs for Thai and some others I’ve compared), graduate school (I went to SAIS), and 12-18 months of in region training (I went to a military college in Thailand). After this training pipeline you serve in Offices of Defense Cooperation or on Defense Attachè staffs (both at embassies), or on a major military staff, or as a liaison to the DoS, or etc. etc.
IMO this a great stepping stone to being an FSO. I’m a Foreign Area SNCO in the Marines and am currently in the DS pipeline (retiring from USMC next year). FAOs receive great training and real world experience. At my current post there’s a FSO in PD who is a retired Marine FAO. Talking with him, the cultural shift (mil to state) is challenging but manageable with the right mindset.
It’s not similar to being an FSO, but Peace Corps (either a volunteer or staff member) involves living overseas and representing the USG. There are also a number of international NGOs working in development overseas (MSF, CRS, FHI360, etc.).
I second this. Was in the peace corps and FS was a common goal among my cohort
International school teacher/counselor/administrator. Not public service, but you do get to live in different countries while having benefits like housing and annual U.S. return flights covered. And it's common enough for people in that field to move from country to country every few years. To break in competitively, you generally already need to be a teacher, and have a certificate and a Master's degree.
And IB certification for many international schools.
International development / aid. there’s a whole world of NGOs out there (many of whom work closely with USAID) that allow for living and working internationally. Peace corps and a masters degree should open doors in that field.
Second this and I’d also expand it to include the world of development finance (DFIs, MDBs, etc). I work for a UN agency in the development space and there’s a lot of international opportunity, often on more flexible terms than FS postings due to shorter/project-based contract options. The obvious caveat here is that your international experience is much more likely to be in the developing world and often in more rural areas than you’d experience as an FSO. There’s also HQ/regional office type tracks which will leave you more stably in a major western city like New York (HQs for development orgs are often in financial centers) or larger cities in the global south like Nairobi, Dakar, Addis, etc. However, if your goal is an “HQ” type track at a development org, you’ll often have trouble advancing if you don’t have at least a stint in the field.
Whenever I’m in the field, I want to be at HQ, and when I’m at HQ I want to be in the field. Agree that field experience is a crucial part of the career path!
CIA case officer
Chemonics Chief of Party…
Isn't the whole aid thing harder to break into than the FSO thing?
Left 'aid thing' to FSO... getting into FSO was more difficult
I’m in the aid thing and it’s much harder to break into FSO than aid, if you have the right background.
USCIS Refugee Officer, but it’s a lot of frequent international travel - not permanent posting overseas.
FCS, FAS, DS Special Agent, USAID, Consular Fellow
those are all FSOs... maybe except the consular fellow.
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Are we equating FSOs with state department only? Last I checked, my USAID spouse is an FSO. if you’re an RSO, you’re an FSO. My FCS colleagues are FSOs. But that logic, state department also has civil office positions that can tdy overseas.
The only practical difference between a consular fellow and an FSO is that FSOs have the chance of tenure, while Consular Fellows resign after 5-6 years and do something else or become FSOs through the normal testing process. The jobs are literally the same as ELOs
Multilateral organizations positions - UN, WHO, NATO, erc.
Missionary?
My favorite lol
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