By: Santos
"I have always viewed my role as a sort of ambassador or bridge between groups to help provide a dialogue."
- Jiochi Ito
What it an Ambassador?
An ambassador is a bridge between two nations. The role of an ambassador, or a diplomat as they are commonly known, is to create or strengthen ties between nations. Ambassadors are required to travel and interact with people from all different countries and backgrounds. As an ambassador you represent the nation you work for. The process in which you become an ambassador is highly competitive but also rewarding.
U.S. United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice is pictured above at a United Nations meeting. At a United Nations meeting an ambassador would need to be active participant but also a good listeners. All United Nations members sent an ambassador to these conferences in which international matters are addressed.
A Day in the life of an ambassador
A day in the life of an ambassador is unlike anything else as every day can be filled with new challenges. Ambassadors work to build ties between nations in more than just diplomacy. It is important to build strong ties between nations not only to help promote peace but also to increase trade between nations. Ambassadors must also be able to mediate conflicts between nations. This aspect of the job can be difficult and dangerous. Ambassadors are required to travel around the world to the country they are assigned. Ambassadors travel to other nations to hold meetings with other diplomats and to help in times of distress, for example after a natural disaster. Though ambassadors work with translators it is beneficial to learn more than one language. As ambassadors travel to other countries it is important to learn the culture and customs of their partnering countries in order to be able to build strong ties.
How to become an Ambassador:
Passing the Test
Most diplomats are Foreign service workers (FWS) . To become a FWS candidates must pass a Foreign Service Exam in which they must write do a written exam, an oral interview, and a negotiating exercise. Once passing the exam, candidates must pass a medical checkup and pass a security clearance. The reason diplomats must go through a medical checkup is because they job requires a lot of travel and can be stressful; the job would take a toll on someone who is prone to getting sick.
Most diplomats are Foreign service workers (FWS) . To become a FWS candidates must pass a Foreign Service Exam in which they must write do a written exam, an oral interview, and a negotiating exercise. Once passing the exam, candidates must pass a medical checkup and pass a security clearance. The reason diplomats must go through a medical checkup is because they job requires a lot of travel and can be stressful; the job would take a toll on someone who is prone to getting sick.
qualities of an ambassador
Being an ambassador involves dealing with people from all different backgrounds and nations. The job also requires them to make tough decisions that have the potential to affect millions of people. Though ambassadors come in all shapes and sizes there as some traits that all ambassadors must exhibit.
Trust Me I’m An Ambassador: As an ambassador you are given some of the country’s secrets. Being an ambassador means having insight on future plans, like those in business or those in war, before anyone else has. It is highly important that only a few people know about these secrets and plans which is why ambassadors need to be trustworthy. Since ambassadors also work with other nations it is important that they present themselves are trustworthy so that others would want to work with them. Ambassadors represent the nation so they have to put their best foot forward. |
Pros & Cons of an ambassador
Drawbacks:
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Pros of the Job:
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Prepare for a job as an ambassador:
International Relations & Schools:
International Relations majors study a wide array of subjects. This includes: Ethics, Cultural Studies (African, Asian, Latin, etc.), Government, US History, Economics, Law, Philosophy, Geography, Sociology, etc.
International Relations is a popular major among many schools. Princeton University and Middlebury College both offer very competitive and rigorous programs in International Relations. Both schools are also expensive, the tuition for Princeton is $41,820 a year and Middlebury is $45,637. The schools though also offer a lot of financial aid on a need base basis.
International Relations majors study a wide array of subjects. This includes: Ethics, Cultural Studies (African, Asian, Latin, etc.), Government, US History, Economics, Law, Philosophy, Geography, Sociology, etc.
International Relations is a popular major among many schools. Princeton University and Middlebury College both offer very competitive and rigorous programs in International Relations. Both schools are also expensive, the tuition for Princeton is $41,820 a year and Middlebury is $45,637. The schools though also offer a lot of financial aid on a need base basis.
A Future Look into the role of an ambassador
The Unite States has currently has around 190 ambassadors stationed in different countries around the world. Some countries like Palestine do not have an ambassador because the United States does not recognize its sovereignty, or independence. Then there are some countries like Cuba, which the United States stopped after relations with after the Bay of Pig incident. Wars and incidents like the one mentioned previously have caused the United Nations to cut ties or diplomatic relations with other countries. If the United States cuts ties with a nation the number of ambassadors the United States employs will go down. The number of jobs for an ambassador are limited as of now because new ambassadors are only appointed when slots are open. In the future, the job of an ambassador will be even more important as the world is starting to become more global. International trade is very important among nations and so is keeping peace. There are always going to be ambassadors, but becoming one will continue to be difficult.
The image above shows the countries, in green, that the United States has diplomatic ties with. This means that the United States acknowledges the country's government and independence. The United States has ambassadors stationed in every single green countries. Some countries like those in red have no ties with the US and the counties in yellow, Western Sahara in Africa and Taiwan in Asia, are countries whose independence is still in question.
My observations:
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Its very hard to become an ambassador and even harder being one as the life of an ambassador is very unpredictable and very demanding. I’ve always known that I wanted to help people and as of this summer I realized that I’d like to study International Relations. The major not only encompasses many different areas of study, which I want because I can’t imagine studying just one thing, but requires students to learn new languages and other cultures. When thinking of careers in this field, one of them is being an ambassador. This job isn’t one you get straight out of college but instead one that requires additional work. Though this does make sense. As an ambassador you are able to travel to other nations to strengthen the ties between the US and other countries, meaning that as ambassador you represent the country. Before doing this, I didn’t know that international relations students for the most part had to take a course in ethics but now it makes sense. As an ambassador sometimes you have to make tough choices and they have to be selfless ones. Becoming an ambassador is hard as its an appointed position, so in ten years I doubt I’ll be an ambassador. The job requires a lot of maturity and wisdom which only comes with age and experience. I would love to be an ambassador though because I want to help people in the future and be able to travel the world and learn about different cultures and languages.
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Citation:
"Ambassador Job Description, Career as a Ambassador, Salary, Employment - Definition and Nature of the Work, Education and Training Requirements, Getting the Job." - StateUniversity.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
"Search Results « Office of the Registrar." Search Results « Office of the Registrar. Princeton University, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
"How Do You Become a Diplomat?" How Do You Become a Diplomat? N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
"Search Results « Office of the Registrar." Search Results « Office of the Registrar. Princeton University, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
"How Do You Become a Diplomat?" How Do You Become a Diplomat? N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.