Diplomat

JOB

Law enforcement and security| Media and information dissemination| Trade and Commerce

Diplomats work in the Foreign Service as representatives of Iceland abroad. Their main role is to protect Iceland’s interests and promote good relations between Iceland and other countries.

Working as a diplomat, you can expect to move between countries at some point in your career, and the job is therefore most suitable for people who like to travel, can handle a diverse daily life and like meeting new people.

Icelandic diplomats work at 22 offices in 17 countries, of which 15 are embassies. Diplomatic officials can hold job titles such as ambassador, representative, diplomatic agent, consul and embassy secretary.

Main tasks

– assisting Icelandic citizens abroad
– issuing papers such as visas
– reporting to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on the situation in the country in question
– assisting Icelandic companies in establishing themselves in the country in question
– facilitating cultural relations between Iceland and foreign countries

Competence requirements

Diplomats need to have good communication skills and be good at interacting with people from different backgrounds. Good language skills are important, especially in English and preferably also the language of the country in question. A diplomat is the face of Iceland abroad and therefore needs to have general human qualities such as courtesy and patience as well as maintaining certain work practices.

As diplomats communicate at work with representatives of other countries, it is also necessary to be familiar with world politics and societal affairs in general, especially in relation to the country in which one works.

Partially based on Utdanning.no – Diplomat

Study

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs occasionally advertises internships that take about six months, with the aim of giving young people the opportunity to become acquainted with jobs within the Foreign Service.

A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent is required, as well as good knowledge of Icelandic, English and the Nordic languages. The Ministry also offers special internships for students at the University of Iceland, Reykjavík University and the University of Akureyri. See more here.

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