Thirteen (13) Dimensions
FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER ATTRIBUTES
What qualities do we seek in a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) candidate? The successful candidate will demonstrate the following dimensions that reflect the skills, abilities, and personal qualities deemed essential to the work of the Foreign Service at the United States Department of State.
1. COMPOSURE
To stay calm, poised, and effective in stressful or difficult situations; to think on one’s feet, adjust quickly to changing situations; to maintain self-control.
2. CULTURAL ADAPTABILITY
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.
3. EXPERIENCE & MOTIVATION
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.
4. INFORMATION INTEGRATION & ANALYSIS
By absorbing and retaining complex information drawn from a variety of sources; drawing reasoned conclusions from analysis and synthesis of available information; evaluating the importance, reliability, and usefulness of information; to remember details of a meeting or event without the benefit of notes.
5. INITIATIVE & LEADERSHIP
To recognize and assume responsibility for work that needs to be done; to persist in the 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.
6. JUDGMENT
To discern what is appropriate, practical, and realistic in a given situation; to weigh relative merits of competing demands.
7. OBJECTIVITY/INTEGRITY
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.
8. ORAL COMMUNICATION
By speaking fluently in a concise, grammatically correct, organized, precise, and persuasive manner; conveying nuances of meaning accurately; to using appropriate styles of communication to fit the audience and purpose.
9. PLANNING & ORGANIZING
As prioritizing and ordering tasks effectively, employing a systematic approach to achieving objectives, to make appropriate use of limited resources.
10. RESOURCEFULNESS
To formulate creative alternatives or solutions to resolve problems; to show flexibility in response to unanticipated circumstances.
11. WORKING WITH OTHERS
To interact 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 humor as appropriate.
12. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
To write concise, well-organized, grammatically correct, effective, and persuasive English in a limited amount of time.
13. QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
To identify, compile, analyze, and draw correct conclusions from pertinent data; to recognize patterns or trends in numerical data; to perform simple mathematical operations.