Curious how to impress with international hospitality and diplomacy skills? Kickstart your international career!

Many skills are essential every day for the job/industry you work within during office hours but let’s not overlook those other essential skills needed outside your normal working hours; such as multilateral diplomacy skills, refined hospitality skills as well as empathy. Here we are talking about the commonly known skills of top diplomats.

How exactly do you become a Diplomat and what does a Diplomat do?

The list of what a Diplomat does is long but let’s start with eliminating some misconceptions. Multilateral diplomatic activities go way beyond flying around the world in first class, negotiating at meetings, attending wine & cheese parties, classic concerts and hosting receptions.

Diplomats represent their state through their refined skills, values and behaviours 24/7. They need to have the knowledge and skills that are necessary to effectively represent their country inside and outside of their direct job-related functions. They need to be ‘fluent’ not only in various languages but also in their intercultural hospitality, formal cultural and religious etiquette skills as well as dining etiquette.

The service-oriented 'new diplomat' is flexible, open minded and can communicate effectively with a wide range of state and non-state counterparts, possessing strong sustainable leadership skills.

How to become a diplomat? What are the most important skills and behaviours to be a diplomat?

·      strong analytical skills

·      organizational skills

·      leadership skills

·      good judgment

·      flexibility

·      high integrity

·      communicate effectively, both in writing and orally, with tact and diplomacy

·      speak foreign language(s)

·      intercultural networking skills; culture-specific/international faux-pas

·      exceptional social skills

Don’t miss UCCs next blog on How do you develop diplomacy skills? How do you communicate with tact and diplomacy?

Finding the ‘right’ career path that matches your profile, education, skills and competencies, can lead to a fulfilling career where you get the chance to leave an important impact on the world. It means working with people from all over the world, getting to know different cultures and strengthening your multicultural team working skills while working on a good cause for human mankind and our planet.

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