Diplomat - Career Advice - Government and Defence

Ambassador

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Diplomatic service officers work for the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT), either in Australia or abroad. They promote and protect Australia’s interests and citizens overseas, and provide advice and support to ministers developing foreign policy. Future Growth Strong

A diplomat is someone who is appointed by a nation state to represent and protect that nation's interests abroad. The four ranks of diplomats are determined by international law, and include ambassadors, envoys, ministers, and charge d'affaires.

In modern diplomacy there are a number of ranks below ambassador. These ranks now rarely show a mission's importance, but rather show the diplomat's seniority within their own nation's diplomatic career ladder. This modern ranking system follows a similar, but not exactly parallel, pattern in different countries, and is as follows:

Ambassador (High Commissioner in Commonwealth missions); Ambassador at large
Minister
Minister-Counselor
Counselor
First Secretary
Second Secretary
Third Secretary
Attache
Assistant Attache

ANZSCO ID: 139999

Alternative names: Diplomat,

Knowledge, skills and attributes

To become a diplomatic service officer, you would need:

an interest in international affairs
a willingness to work anywhere in the world
initiative and quick thinking
good problem-solving skills
excellent written and spoken communication skills
the ability to get on with people from all societies and cultures - good interpersonal communication skills
tact, integrity, discretion and self-control
intelligent, adaptable and dedicated
pleasant personality and sociability
prepared to work in any country
speak fluently and good at learning languages
fit and healthy, with good general knowledge
pass a selection process
be prepared to work in Australia before overseas
hold Australian citizenship
obtain security clearance for yourself and spouse, if applicable

Diplomats work in a variety of ways to represent Australian interests abroad. Most diplomats have at least a bachelor’s degree and the following skills:

Relationship building – diplomats work with representatives of foreign governments to advance Australian and mutual interests, so they should be excellent relationship builders

Negotiation – in this role, diplomats also provide assistance and support with a wide range of negotiations, so tact and flexibility are often necessary

Communication skills – written and verbal communication are both vital in this role, as diplomats need to communicate with foreign contacts, prepare reports for their departments and supervisors, and make presentations

Foreign language skills – diplomats should have strong language-learning skills, should have some grasp of the primary language or languages in the countries they work in, and should be willing to quickly learn and adapt to new languages

Organization skills – in this role, diplomats must be highly organized and able to coordinate many activities at once while maintaining excellent attention to detail

Conflict resolution – diplomats frequently work in tense or delicate situations, so they need excellent conflict resolution skills

Did You Know?

Diplomatic Cars have a special licence plates with the letters D.C. in front of a number in Australia.

The 1961 Vienna Convention gave diplomats immunity from criminal and civil jurisdiction.

Duties and Tasks

The work of DFAT is varied and covers every area where Australian interests and citizens are involved internationally. Diplomatic service officers can have political, commercial or consular responsibilities. They could include:

monitoring political and economic developments in other countries
representing Australia in government and the media
assisting Australian citizens in other countries
processing visa applications for people overseas who wish to come to Australia.

Conduct Consular Activities

Consular officers primarily interact with and provide support to Australian citizens abroad. In this role, diplomats assist citizens with foreign adoptions and help prevent fraud and human trafficking. Additionally, consular officers provide direct assistance to citizens during evacuations and other emergency situations. They also play a central role in passport control and the visa process.

Collaborate on Economic Issues

Economic officers support positive economic and trade relations between Australia and other countries. This role can include developing relationships with economic decision-makers and business leaders in other countries to promote Australian and mutual economic goals. They may help develop economic policy and aid in sharing information and trends with Australian foreign partners in government, academic, and business settings.

Manage Embassy [or High Commission] Operations

Management officers support embassy operations from day to day. Most management officers begin by leading a single unit within an embassy and work their way up to managing larger staffs and supporting large-scale operations by negotiating leases for residences and offices. Management officers also play a central role in budget oversight and logistics within the embassy itself.

Negotiate with Foreign Government Officials

Political officers negotiate with foreign governments and monitor the political climate within their host countries. This role requires an excellent grasp of local politics and trends as well as the ability to successfully interact with foreign government representatives and experts to protect Australian interests. High-level political officers may provide direct advice to an ambassador and draft policy documents for senior DFAT officials.

Engage and Influence Nongovernmental Groups

Diplomats engaged in public relations and cultural exchange serve as public diplomacy officers. In this role, diplomats create programs and presentations to inform the public about Australian policies and organize events to strengthen relationships between countries. These diplomats interact with members of the foreign press, arrange fact-finding tours, and manage information resource centers and language institutes.

Working conditions

You will normally work standard hours, Monday to Friday. However, when overseas, your hours and conditions may vary according to the culture and climate of your host country. Some jobs may involve being on call.

When you first start work with DFAT you would work locally for a number of years before getting the opportunity of an overseas posting.

Diplomats work abroad and in Canberra, ACT, to help promote Australian interests around the world. The role of a diplomat can vary greatly depending on their particular area of focus, but they generally seek to engage foreign governments, businesses, and social groups through a variety of policies and programs.

Diplomats typically work in embassies and ultimately report to the Australian Ambassador in their host country.

This role requires an excellent grasp of the political, cultural, and economic climates within a country and region, along with extensive familiarity with the Australian goals and desired outcomes within a particular region. At times, diplomats work in tense or hostile situations and so must work well under stress.

Education and training/entrance requirements

Diplomatic service officers are Australian public servants. Competition for Australian Public Service (APS) roles is very strong, and even more so for roles within DFAT.

There are a number of ways you can join the APS:

as a Trainee Administrative Service Officer who advances to Administrative Service Officer Level 1/APS Level 1 after completing the Government Traineeship
Graduate Administrative Assistant who advances to Research Officer Grade 1 or Administrative Service Officer Level 3/APS Level 3 after completing their training program
Administrative Service Officer/Executive Level Officer who enters with specific skills in response to advertisements for vacant positions, and may progress to Executive Level 1 or 2, in which they may undertake management roles.

Employment Opportunities

Employment of public service officers is driven by the changing structure of Federal Government departments and expansion of existing ones. The Federal Government has, in recent years, been decreasing the number of public service officer jobs available through a number of cost cutting measures. However, the Australian Public Service is a large employer, so opportunities will continue to exist for qualified employees.

Competition for positions in DFAT is very strong, as the number of available positions is comparatively small. Careers in diplomacy generally have become more important in recent times. Many diplomatic service officers find lifetime careers with DFAT.

Did You Know?

The High Commission of Australia in London is the diplomatic mission of Australia in the United Kingdom. It is located in Australia House, a Grade II listed building. It was Australia's first diplomatic mission and is the longest continuously occupied diplomatic mission in the United Kingdom.

The building's grand interior was used as the setting of Gringotts Wizarding Bank in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Ambassadors represent the Australian government, or their country of origin, in place of the Prime Minister, President or Leader. Ambassadors are also known as diplomats, a more general term describing those that work in a foreign country while retaining citizenship in their home country. Future Growth Strong

The foreign country, known to ambassadors as the 'host nation', serves as their base. From this base, they promote international relations on certain areas of government, such as trade, military involvement, and cultural relationships.

ANZSCO ID: 139999

Knowledge, skills and attributes

Composure
The capacity to stay calm, poised, and effective in stressful or difficult situations; to think on one’s feet, adjusting quickly to changing situations; to maintain self-control
Cultural Adaptability
The capacity to work and communicate effectively and harmoniously with persons of other cultures, value systems, political beliefs, and economic circumstances; to recognize and respect differences in new and different cultural environments
Experience & Motivation
The capacity to demonstrate knowledge, skills or other attributes gained from previous experience of relevance to the Foreign Service; to articulate appropriate motivation for joining the Foreign Service.
Information Integration & Analysis
The capacity to absorb and retain complex information from a variety of sources; to draw reasoned conclusions from analysis and synthesis of available information; to evaluate the importance, reliability, and usefulness of information; to remember details of a meeting or event without the benefit of notes
Initiative & Leadership
The capacity to recognize and assume responsibility for work that needs to be done; to persist in completion of a task; to influence significantly a group’s activity, direction, or opinion; to motivate others to participate in the activity one is leading
Judgement
The capacity to discern what is appropriate, practical, and realistic in a given situation; to weigh relative merits of competing demands
Objectivity / Integrity
The capacity to be fair and honest; to avoid deceit, favoritism, and discrimination; to present issues frankly and fully, without injecting subjective bias; to work without letting personal bias prejudice actions
Oral Communication
The capacity to speak fluently in a concise, grammatically correct, organized, precise, and persuasive manner; to convey nuances of meaning accurately; to use appropriate styles of communication to fit the audience and purpose
Planning & Organizing
The capacity to prioritize and order tasks effectively, to employ a systematic approach to achieving objectives, to make appropriate use of limited resources
Resourcefulness
The capacity to formulate creative alternatives or solutions to resolve problems, to show flexibility in response to unanticipated circumstances
Working with Others
The capacity to interactive in a constructive, cooperative, and harmonious manner; to work effectively as a team player; to establish positive relationships and gain the confidence of others; to use humour as appropriate
Written Communication
The capacity to write concise, well organized, grammatically correct, effective, and persuasive English in a limited amount of time
Quantitative Analysis
The capacity to identify, compile, analyze, and draw correct conclusions from pertinent data; to recognize patterns or trends in numerical data; to perform simple mathematical operations

This site provides a listing of all current Australian Ambassadors

Duties and Tasks

Ambassadors have a wide range of responsibilities dealing with foreign relations. Each task is carried out in a diplomatic manner that's made to meet the needs of the ambassador's home country while keeping a positive relationship with that country.

One of the most important responsibilities of an ambassador is to notify their home country of any economic and political developments in the host nation. They write detailed reports in order to communicate foreign development, especially in the area of trade policies.

Because of their unique relationship with the host nation, ambassadors are able to help in the development of foreign policy with that nation. All of these actions are meant to protect their home country's interests within the host nation.

Ambassadors also help travellers from their home country, explain foreign policy and evacuate refugees from dangerous situations. Because of the sensitive nature of their careers, ambassadors carry out their duties with a diplomatic demeanour, with the goal of keeping a positive relationship between the country that is hosting them and their home nation.

Another responsibility of an ambassador is to act as a representative of their country of origin. As a representative, they offer up their home country's position on many political, social, and economic platforms. They also meet with important political leaders and greet or host other diplomats.

Working conditions

Ambassadors try to smooth out the relationship between countries. They do this by attending treaty negotiations, immigration discussions, international meetings (which may include humanitarian aid programs or foreign aid projects), banquets, and parties.
Ambassadors spend most of their time in meetings with either staff members, foreign diplomats or host country officials. They also spend a lot of time in an office, writing up reports and implementing international programs.
The working environment varies from country to country. An ambassador in poor countries may suffer through conditions they find extreme if coming from a wealthy country. In war-torn countries, though ambassadors are well-protected, they may encounter dangerous situations during the course of their stay.

Ambassadors may also be placed in wealthy countries, but may have to deal with tense relations between that country and their own. In countries where international relationships are positive, ambassadors will benefit from a more regular work week.

As high-ranking diplomats, ambassadors enjoy many benefits: world travel, exposure to numerous cultures, opportunities to represent their country on the world stage, job satisfaction in managing often challenging situations, above-average remuneration, and prestige.

Ambassadors, by the nature of their work, must live away from home for extended periods of time. They must travel frequently within the host country and back and forth between the host and native countries. Their job, essentially, is to be a middleman between two governments, which will likely not agree on all issues.

The role, while prestigious, is extremely stressful. Embassies, the principal workplace of ambassadors, are often prime targets for protests, bombings, and other political turmoil.

Education and training/entrance requirements

Ambassadors are Australian public servants and part of DFAT. They usually have graduate and post-graduate degrees and experience within DFAT for a number of years and with postings to several countries before becoming an Ambassador.

Saturday Extra with Geraldine Doogue
Interviewing Sue Boyd
"Females working in diplomacy with Sue Boyd"

mp3 Listen

DFAT Secretary Frances Adamson (L) with Sue Boyd (R) at the launch of her book Not Always Diplomatic, in Canberra this year.

As a young diplomat Sue Boyd was summoned to Prime Minister Gough Whitlam where he asked about her posting in Portugal “what's going on, what does it mean for Australia and what do we do about it." This is the mantra Sue says that a good diplomat has to be able to answer. And so began her long career as a successful diplomat. Sue talks about the struggles for equal opportunity for females in DFAT, that Canberra was often the hardest place to be a female in this field compared to the rest of her overseas postings, and how you do your job when you disagree with the directive given by the government. The example Sue discusses is that of the Pacific Solution under John Howard, where she had to find Pacific countries willing to set up refugee processing centres.

Guest: Sue Boyd, former diplomat serving in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Fiji, Portugal, East Germany, and at the UN in New York. She was a pioneer in improving the status of women in the department of foreign affairs. She recently wrote Not Always Diplomatic: An Australia’s women journey through international affairs published by Western Australia University Press

First broadcast 22nd May, 2021.