Blog Post: A “window on the world of diplomacy”: Amy Hyatt, ASU’s Diplomat in Residence

Today we have a brief interview with Amy Hyatt, who is serving a two-year tour of duty as the Diplomat in Residence at ASU. Hyatt offers information on what it takes to be a part of the United States’ Foreign Service corps, as well as what would-be diplomats can do to prepare to work for the State Department.
Hyatt arrived at ASU in August 2008.  She is a career Foreign Service Officer with over 24 years working for the U.S. Department of State, serving in Washington, D.C. and at six embassies overseas.  In her most recent assignment, she was the Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge' at the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki, Finland.  She has also served in Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Norway, and the Czech Republic.  While in Washington, DC, she served as Political Analyst handling North Korea for the Bureau of Intelligence & Research and as Post Management Officer for several East Asian posts.
Hyatt’s interview is a fascinating look into a career field that is vitally needed in today’s turbulent international environment. For more information on the Diplomat in Residence program at ASU, which is housed in the Political Science Department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, you can e-mail Hyatt at Amy.Hyatt@asu.edu.

Tell us a little bit about ASU’s Diplomat in Residence program.
The “Diplomat in Residence” program is a cooperative arrangement between the US Department of State and a dozen universities around the country. The program assigns Foreign Service Officers, who normally work overseas as US diplomats, to universities for a two-year rotation. ASU has had a Diplomat in Residence for about seven years, and I am the fourth diplomat in the position here.

What are your primary duties in this position? Do you teach?
From ASU's perspective I am a resource for students, offering them a practical window into the world of diplomacy and foreign affairs (through where) I sit in the Political Science Department. The Department of State sees me as a "talent scout", who looks for good candidates to encourage toward a Foreign Service career. This past year I have given many guest lectures in a variety of courses at ASU and this fall I will be teaching a course of my own, which is something new for the Diplomat in Residence here.

What was your own path from college into the Foreign Service?
I had been working as a trial attorney in San Francisco, and I decided to take a “time out” from law to do a tour in the Foreign Service.  Although I had planned to return to practicing law after that one tour, I enjoyed the Foreign Service so much I never looked back—I was hooked.

Who (in terms of college major or degree) might be a good fit for working with the U.S. State Department?
There is no "one right path" into the Foreign Service.  We want a diplomatic corps that reflects America.  We are interested literally in every kind of degree program, including liberal arts, sciences, math, the technical fields, etc.
And there is no requisite level of education—you simply have to pass our examination process, which is rigorous.  Some folks enter with only an undergraduate degree, others with graduate degrees, and others (qualify who) have been out in the working world for many years.  To enter the Foreign Service you must simply be a US citizen, between the ages of 21 and 59.

Are you looking to speak with alumni of ASU during your time as Diplomat in Residence?
We are very interested in ASU alumni and folks considering the Foreign Service as a second career.  The average age of entrance to the Foreign Service is now around 32, and we find that these folks bring a level of maturity and life experience that serves them well as diplomats.

How can alums prepare to join the Foreign Service? Do they need to go back to school to qualify?
They do not need to go back to school to prepare for the Foreign Service.  The best thing to do is look at our website, www.careers.state.gov, to learn more about the examination process. There is even a practice exam on the website that folks can take to see if they need to brush up on any subject areas before they take the actual exam.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about working in the State Department?
One of the biggest misconceptions involves foreign languages.  You do NOT need to know a foreign language to enter the Foreign Service, but you must be willing to learn languages during the course of a diplomatic career.  The State Department has its own language school, which is excellent.  If you need a foreign language for a particular job, you will be sent to our language school to learn it.

What are some good career resources for staying up on topics of interest in your field?
The best resource for information about the Foreign Service is our website mentioned above.  In addition, it is important to stay informed about current events happening around the world, by reading a good national newspaper.

Is there anything else you’d like our blog’s readers to know?
I am a resource for ASU students and alumni.  Blog readers are welcome to contact me to set up an appointment to discuss the career as well as the examination process.  My office e-mail address is amy.hyatt@asu.edu.