I'd like to know if it was generally a nice place to work, promotion opportunities, big lavish summer parties etc.

Yes, No, Yes, Yes sometimes but awful people.

At the time I was involved, there were essentially two streams within the FCO: policy and admin. Policy people occasionally got to do quite interesting stuff but obviously you work within a narrow scope and few resources. The "desk" for a medium-sized conflict zone when I was there was…one person.

Admin people (the majority) did mindnumbingly boring stuff: a typical British embassy is mostly papershufflers with nasal voices who do boring civil service type jobs. My "boss's" last job was working in the cooncil's roadworks department. The main topic of conversation was how to fiddle/work expenses and benefits to juice the system best. The salaries are not that great and I was told that most people make their money was by renting out property in the UK while they are living rentfree. These were people who had constructed this whole picture of Britain that was like Heartbeat; Daily Mail readers most of them. Clockwatching is in, initiative is out. It's the civil service, except in Nairobi.

Very few people spoke the language of the country they were based in and even the people that were at the top of the scale were not fluent. The people were not well informed about their country: bear in mind that if you accept a 2/3 year posting, you spend the first six months unpacking and the last six months packing, so it's only the middle bit where they're vaguely any use – and even then they usually don't speak the language, speak to many HCNs (host country nationals) and most of their information is filtered through tame staff and foreign language media.

I was working in an "interesting" and "big" country but even then I couldn't wait to get away and not return. I then went into the private sector and did much, much more interesting stuff. After that, I came into contact with diplomats (mostly from the US and the UK) based overseas pretty frequently but the meetings were never very informative.

Want a particularly interesting job in an overseas embassy?

Linky

^ what konabunny said.

i did some time working in a British Consulate in the US (very good holidays compared to the the yanks as you got a sort of combination of Brit and US hols + they generally get much lower number of days off out there anyway). depends what level you're looking at but essentially lots of pretty boring jobs, a few very interesting ones. however, better to do a boring job in an interesting place is how i looked at it… there are lots of benefits if you're UK-based like being able to rent your house out back home (plus cost of putting kids through school where you're posted if you have a family etc. – EVERYTHING paid for basically), essentially being paid to take time off to learn a new language. there were lots of cuts being made a few years ago, i'm sure it is/has been only been getting worse in that respect…

ooh, thanks geetee – that looks much more interesting!

Kona, I'm already in the country and speaking the language won't be a problem. The role is quite specific and will involve lots of contact with HCNs (but also I have absolutely no relevant experience for it!). Good to know about the civil service aspect – though I think the role would mean not much time in the office.

eckinspain – ah – was talking mostly from the perspective of career FCO employees. Local hire (or whatever the technical term is) could be very different and much more rewarding if you're already based there and have a life there: decent money, lots of public holidays, short hours (often). If you would be working mostly with the locals (and are skilled/interested enough in their culture etc to be mates with them), then the working environment would be different and a bit better, most likely.

Also, I have the distinct impression that lots of the "local hire" jobs were secretly stitched up to be given to foreign hires' spouses as a double dunt.

And one point in favour (not that important for many, but very important to some) is that the FCO has been more aggressive/welcoming of samesex partners i.e. extending benefits, offering employment, getting legal status etc on the same basis as opposite gender marriages where possible. That was under Robin Cook – wouldn't have thought it's changed but you never know.

Also, I think DFID projects might be a different kettle of fish – not sure.