Over my interactions with diplomats from various countries in the years I was in service, there were two impressions that have stayed with me. First, there was near universal consensus that life in the service was often very hard. The second was that it was not uncommon for the foreign service to have a rigorous process of recruitment.
I used to think that Singapore was alone in administering several levels of assessments and interviews which a candidate had to successfully clear before they would be offered employment with their country’s foreign ministry. It was quite a pleasant surprise to me that it was done by many of my counterparts’ headquarters as well.
Confession – I did not go through the assessment process before I joined the foreign service. I had heard that around the time I had applied for the scholarship that would eventually be my way in, the assessment process was being refined and improved. Thus, I only had to undergo a psychometric test and some interviews and that was it. Can’t say I begrudge the good luck.
While in the job, I participated in the process from the recruiter side of the table. And even so, I can’t say for sure what you need to join the foreign service. But I can say with a bit more certainty what you can’t be, and these are relevant regardless of the role you apply for.
Note that this is NOT based on actual criteria at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore.
You can’t be a wallflower. Working in the foreign service will put you on a road on which you will encounter a lot of people in different capacities. you have to be able to talk to them. This is particularly important for aspiring political officers, and those who will take up a role involving dealing with the public and/or the media.
You can’t be domineering either. If you think that you are naturally charismatic and charming – you probably aren’t. While having a strong personality and sense of self-awareness is an asset (IMHO), crossing that line where you insist on the sound of your own voice won’t do. Teamwork is key, and domineering folks aren’t usually so keen on teamwork unless it means them getting everyone else to carry out their commands.
You cannot be unwilling and/or unable to consider working overseas. Particularly for those on the political track. The overseas posting is a key part of the job. You should seriously consider why you are applying for a foreign service job if you have issues with working overseas.
For the non-political track, it is possible to spend the entirety of your career in a role based in Singapore (and to some extent, also true for the political track). But it is likely to be a role that you could have played in any other organisation. I can only assume that there were extenuating circumstances behind you wanting to join the foreign service.
Being able to act fast and think on one’s feet are the most important attributes to have for anyone in the service. Aspiring political officers should have a fairly good sense of current affairs and has good analytical thinking skills. Being able to write well is good, but that is something that can be taught….to an extent.
These are just some of the more prominent deal breakers, with a little sweetener at the end. I’d love to hear what you think.
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