State Dept. vet gives job talk

Aspiring diplomats got a healthy dose of reality yesterday as they heard of the challenges of a foreign service career firsthand from a seasoned U.S. State Department foreign service officer. Harry Jones, who has been with the State Department for several decades, discussed the experience of working abroad as a diplomat to an audience of more than 50 students -- mostly senior International Relations majors -- at the McNeil Building. Students were in for a shock if they thought diplomacy was all wining, dining and policy-making, as Jones presented all sides of the multi-faceted career. "Every eight years, you must go to hard posts with no electricity, mosquitoes, sickness, no air-conditioning," he said. His speech was laced with personal anecdotes, including the occasionally tragedy. "I had a friend killed in [one of this summer's African embassy bombings], but he wasn't my first friend who died in foreign service," he said. Jones discussed the foreign service exam, which consists of a competitive written examination and an all-day oral exam. Those who pass the test must select one of four specialties: economics, politics, administration or the consulate. "You [must] want what's good for America," Jones said. "Show that you are a team player, which is important, especially overseas." Diplomats stationed abroad who believe that their field decisions would change the world were in for a nasty surprise, he said. "The decision-making comes from Washington, D.C. at the [State Department's] European Bureau or [its] Office of Economic and Business Affairs," Jones said. Several students asked about promotion possibilities, only to hear that it is an "up-or-out system," meaning that after a certain point, unless you are promoted, you will lose your job. The system leaves some officers without a job late in their lives. There is, however, a significant upside that makes it all worthwhile, he said. "I learned a lot and I keep learning," Jones said, adding that the experience of living as an American representative abroad breeds an unparalleled closeness with one's peers. Jones' most recent post was in Madrid. The speech was followed by a half-hour question-and-answer session. In response to a question regarding summer internships abroad, he said that they are very competitive, unpaid positions, yet are a "memorable and valuable experience." The deadline for summer State Department internships in Washington and abroad is in early November. College senior Giadha Aguirre said Jones was "a very good, sincere and approachable speaker," but said the presentation "was and was not what I expected." Since Aguirre's father is a diplomat, she knows the harsh life such a career entails all too well, but felt the speech was too negative. "I am more excited about policy-making," she said. "This discouraged me." It was the second time in as many years that a representative of the State Department came to Penn for an information session.

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