Well, tough economic times may be upon us, but at least one large-scale employer is looking for fresh blood — and travel experience is a plus. Yup, the US Foreign Service is hiring!

According to this New York Times story, the State Department is seeking funding to fill 800 positions this year, almost 200 of which are brand new (rather than jobs opened by internal turn-over).

There are a lot of factors at play in the hiring of new diplomats-to-be, but travel experience is certainly in the mix.

From the story:

Felix Salazar, hired as a junior officer by the State Department in September, said that during the interview process he felt “a sense of urgency, that they were actively hiring and really valued my experience.” Mr. Salazar, who spent three years in the Peace Corps, leaves in February for his first posting, in South Africa.

For more on the foreign service, check out my post over at The Traveler’s Notebook, The Life of a Diplomat.

The NYT story also has some solid, practical information and useful State Department links, so be sure to give it a thorough read.

Good luck, and let us know if you wind up throwing your hat into the ring!

Photo by Sekimura (Creative Commons)