Canadian Foreign Service

September 13, 2005 8:35 AM

Does anyone work for the Canadian Foreign Service, or know of someone who does? I'm considering this as a career option after finishing my Masters, and I would like to know more about what such a career would entail.
posted by reformedjerk to work & money (4 comments total)

I don't work there but I used to know several people who did, up to and including Ambassador level (ex's father). I also know several people who have taken the exams etc. Truly irrelevant: I live 2 blocks from the Foreign Affairs building.

Anyhow - impressions...

It USED to be an extremely hidebound place, in which everyone started at the same (low) pay grade no matter what their experience and had to rise through the ranks.

I understand that recently they have opened things up quite a bit because they couldn't get the talent they needed. In the olden days Public Service in general was considered some sort of calling and they really insisted on people starting at the bottom with the view to a lifetime career. Period.

Anyhow - it seems that these days if you have special talents or experience they won't just shunt you into the lowest pay grade - they'll allow you to compete for jobs that you're qualified for at other levels.

The other impression I get is that the Ambassadorships themselves are becoming increasingly political appointments, which rankles the professional foreign service a great deal. I don't know what effect that would have, but particularly if your area of interest was "popular" (US, UN, France, UK, etc.) it might really limit the upper end of your career potential.

Be aware that the Federal Public Service in general is a very slow moving beast and can be difficult for some people who move more quickly.
posted by mikel at 9:29 AM on September 13, 2005

I don't know if this is relevant, but the Department of Foreign Affairs offers international internships. Their website gives details about what's involved.
posted by Popular Ethics at 9:32 AM on September 13, 2005

Ask away. I work at FAC (possibly being reverted back to DFAIT) on the IT side, but also worked for 5+ years on the trade/political side as well. I've written the exam foreign service exam 3 times, passed it twice but never got the interview stage (mid 90's). And both my parents are currently posted to London (Dad's been a Foreign Service Officer since 1976). A lot of my family friends are also Foreign Affairs types.

Paywise, the FS group has recently signed a new contract with Treasury Board that expands the FS group from 2 levels to 4 and adds an extra 35K to the top salary (I think, you can check the Treasury Board website for confirmation). This will go a long way to resolving staffing problems at the top of the old payscale (many people were stuck at the FS-2 level for years as there were very few EX level spots to be promoted to) making more promotions available to the younger officers.

At the start, you will need to work a few years in Ottawa before getting out on your first assignment. That's not a hard and fast rule, but it's pretty common. If you specialize in an Asian dialect (Mandarin and Japanese especially) that could speed up the process of getting an overseas assignment. Mikel is correct about opening things up, but that is having some consequences (for instance, my father told me about someone who was pegged as a future star being posted overseas to a program manager position. Due to a lack of experience, the person made some rather embarrassing decisions/moves that a more seasoned diplomat would not have made. This has happened in several cases).

With the "Divorce" currently in the air, things are a bit weird. The Trade people and the Political people are being reorganized under their respective departments although that may be reversed if Pettigrew's comments today are any indication. I'm not up on the current vibe as I work in a satellite office and don't get to hear all the gossip like I used. Maybe someone else can add some comments (or refute what I wrote).

Overall, it's not a bad place to work and the opportunities it affords are fantastic. I just found out today that I was selected to enter the pool of rotational IT support staff and can expect to be sent overseas as early as next summer.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you want any more info.

Mikel: Please tell me you don't live on Stanley Avenue. I used to before I moved to Orleans and started a family. I miss living so close to the downtown core.
posted by smcniven at 6:37 PM on September 13, 2005

(We're on Crichton, just moved here from Montreal though I know Ottawa well as I grew up here).
posted by mikel at 8:36 PM on September 13, 2005