How does one become an ambassador?
Asked by
augustlan (
47745
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February 26th, 2011
One of my daughters (Fly) is interested in becoming an ambassador someday. She’s pretty passionate about politics and wants to work in the field, but has zero interest in actually being a politician. Instead, she’d like to work in some capacity that influences politics, but more behind the scenes.
She’s a junior in high school at the moment, and plans to major in International Relations and Political Science when she goes to college. What courses outside her major would be helpful? Is it necessary to be fluent in one or more foreign language? (She’s taken 4 years of French, but I doubt she’s fluent.) What kind of career path would best position her for her ultimate goal? Or is it really just a matter of being in the right place, at the right time, and having friends who might run for President someday? ~
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8 Answers
Knowing, and appreciating , the culture of the country one wants to be an ambassador to would help
Donate a lot of money to a winning candidate of come from an influential family, preferably both.
Ambassadorial appointments are typically a reward for long-term political support and other service to the party in power. To work in the diplomatic service as a government employee in the State Department provides valuable experience. That should be an interim goal.
I believe you need to write some sort of contract…something about souls…
My husband’s uncle became a quasi-ambassador for Canada through his work in the defence department. He got the job because he had a university degree and he spoke French (a prerequisite here). He worked his way up and up until he was appointed and then he was sent all over the world. He had quite an extraordinary career.
Good luck to your daughter.
There’s a world of difference between having a civil service job in Foreign Service, as @marinelife has directed, and being “an ambassador”.
Ambassadorships are awarded as political plum jobs to loyal supporters of a winning presidential campaign. Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the President. Read: are changed with each new administration, and are awarded to heavy fund-raisers or contributors. Foreign Service professionals are civil servants / government employees like most others.
Then there are also military attachés, which are quasi-diplomatic, but reserved primarily for middle-and-higher-ranking naval and army officers who serve the ambassadors at the foreign embassy or consular office.
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