A CAREER LIKE NO OTHER
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
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YOUR JOB TITLE
DATE OF TALK
NAME OF UNIVERSITY/SCHOOL
WHY A CAREER IN THE
DIPLOMATIC SERVICE?
• Challenging work that often makes a
difference to people’s lives
• Very early responsibility
• Experience a great variety of work
• Excellent training and support
WHO WE ARE
• The lead government department
handling foreign affairs working in three
key areas:
– Foreign policy delivery
– Service delivery
– Corporate services
WHAT WE DO
– We deal on a daily basis with:
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Child abduction,
Conflict prevention,
Forced marriages,
Blood diamonds,
Counter terrorism,
Climate change,
Trade and investment,
Helping British citizens abroad and so much
more…
ENTRY ROUTES
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The Fast Stream
Band A and B Generalist Recruitment
Specialist Recruitment
Internships and Work Experience
AFFECT LIVES
WORK WITH GOVERNMENT
• The Fast Stream - a demanding graduate
entry point into the Civil Service
• Training and development
• An opportunity to work directly with members
of the public and government ministers
• Could you make a difference to national life,
turn policy into reality?
GRADUATE FAST STREAM
www.faststream.gov.uk
SIX OPTIONS:
• Diplomatic Service
• Central Departments
• Science & Engineering
• Clerkships in Parliament
• Economists
• Statisticians
GRADUATE FAST STREAM
THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE OPTIONS:
• The Diplomatic Service*
• Economists
WHAT WILL YOU DO
• First two years in London
– One year doing Policy delivery work
– One year doing Service delivery work
• Then abroad in one of 200 embassies, high
commissions or consulates around the globe
for two to three years
• After that, the world’s your oyster…
TRAINING AND CAREER
DEVELOPMENT
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A personal training programme
Mentoring and pairing
On-the-job training
Self study
National School of Government
BENEFITS
• Starting salary from around £27,000
(includes £3000 London Weighting)
• Choice of pension costing a maximum
of 3.5% of salary
• 25 days holiday, plus 10.5 public
holidays
• Flexible working widely available
• Opportunities to work internationally
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
• A 2:2 degree in any discipline*
• All Diplomatic Service posts are open to
UK nationals only
HOW THE SCHEME WORKS
• Online application between
September and November annually
– includes online verbal, numeric selfassessment with feedback provided
• Online cognitive and non-cognitive tests
• Invigilated ½ day e-Tray exercise
• Two One-day Assessment Centres*
ASSESSMENT CENTRE
If you are successful in the on-line tests you’ll be
invited to our assessment centre in London for a day:
– Group exercise
– Briefing exercise
– Policy Recommendation exercise
– Interview
It will be a stimulating experience and feedback is
provided!
WHAT IS BEING ASSESSED
Our assessment process is wholly competency based
and tests:
– Drive for results
– Learning and improving
– Decision-making
– Constructive thinking
– Building productive relationships
– Communicating with impact
www.faststream.gov.uk
• Please visit the web site
• There are profiles of current Fast
Streamers to read that will give you a
flavour of the work we do
• Remember, application is online - and
it’s not a good idea to go to the wire on
the closing date!
BANDS A AND B
• Administrative Assistants*
• Executive Assistants
• Operational Officers
– Vital support for the Diplomatic Service
both in London and in our posts abroad
– Specialise in the practical side of
diplomatic work
• Recruitment dependent on business
need
• Check www.fco.gov.uk/careers
SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT
• Specialists provide invaluable knowledge and
expertise to a wide variety of FCO roles
• Recruitment dependent on business need, check
www.fco.gov.uk/careers
• The range of skills they bring is extensive and
includes:
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Research & analysis
Legal expertise
Accountancy & finance skills
Audit, compliance and risk analysis
Library science
Information technology
WORK EXPERIENCE
Visit our website www.fco.gov.uk/careers
for details on the following:
• Undergraduate Placement Scheme
– We offer two-week placements for eligible students at our
offices in central London
• We also participate in Cabinet Office’s Summer
Development and Placement Schemes
– For more details please go to www.faststream.gov.uk
Opportunities are dependent on business need
BLOGS
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office
blogsite:
– Global Conversations
– http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/roller
– Daily accounts of what it’s really like to
work for us
OPEN TO ALL
• Our recruitment policy is aimed at bringing
in a talented and diverse workforce that
represents the society that we serve.
• We actively seek applications from all
sections of society and offer positions to
suitably qualified individuals regardless of
ethnicity, religion, social/educational
background, age, disability or sexual
orientation.
• Appointments at all levels of the FCO
are made on the basis of merit.
www.fco.gov.uk/careers
A world of choice for your career.
Be where it matters.
Any questions?