How does one go about being named ambassador?

Question

Is there a salary?

How much is it?

How is the country decided?

Must you live in that country?

Answer 1

Obelix is right.  I would only like to emphasize that most ambassadors are not political appointees; they are senior foreign service officers who have worked all over the world and rose to the top through their own efforts and excellent performance...and chose to ask for ambassador positions, a job that isn't for everyone (doesn't appeal to me at all, for example).

FSOs 'bid' on their jobs:  that is, every job is specifically time-limited:  one, two or three years, depending on where it is and the hardship involved (for example, three years in Paris, one in Iraq).  When the time gets near that your tour of duty is going to be be over, you look at the list of jobs that will be available at about that time, you add in any training you might need (such as language) and then send in a 'bid list' - sort of like a shopping list - of the jobs you might like to have and are qualified for.  Ambassadors have bid on their jobs just like everyone else does.

Why is ambassador work not for everyone?  It tends to be 20 hours per day, seven days per week.  Yes, it pays well, but your life is not your own.  Most ambassadors in most places can't even go out to buy a liter of milk without a security detail; every trip to a tourist site is a major logistics effort.  And for all the apparent grandeur of the Residence, most of the ambassador's house is for entertaining (imagine hosting two or three different events every night for two years!) and they actually live in a pretty ordinary three-bedroom apartment upstairs.

Answer 2

paid yes very well

the leader of the country that you are from tells you what country he wants you to be ambassador to.

yes you would have to stay in the country .

as far as how to become one most often the person has had some success in elected office in his country then is appointed ambassador to ...... by the leader some times this is a reward for something kind of back door stuff and sometimes it is a tough job that requires a person who can handle delicate issues.

to work at the embassies overseas a person goes to university studies politics or something that would be useful to the job learns to speak at least two languages and applies for a job in the civil service or overseas service.  

a member of my family is doing this work now and it must have great pay and travel perks because he is new to this one year and he and my niece and her brother now have been all over the world on trips not official stuff i don't understand how that works but they have been on every continent and stay in world class hotels.

Answer 3

I take it you're not a career FSO.  For a political appointment you need to be a prominent supporter of whomever is President at the time, plus some knowledge of the country where you're being appointed, as this requires Senate confirmation.  Knowing the language wouldn't hurt either.

It pays a good deal, but that doesn't matter to most political appointees, as they are already wealthy.  And yes, you do need to live there.

I don't know your age or qualifications, but you might consider starting at the bottom by taking the Foreign Service test, which is offered annually.  If you're appointed, and it's a long shot -- the year I got in, about 18,000 people took the exam, and 120 were eventually appointed; it also took about eight months for all the clearances --you'll spend a good deal of time denying visas, dealing with lunatics abroad, coping with emergencies that seem important at the time, and resigning yourself to the fact that you're working for a foreign-policy you may not agree with.  With a whole lot of ambition and luck, you could end up with a minor embassy.  But, understand, though you do have some choice in the matter, you have to be willing to go anywhere they send you.

Answer 4

Donate a large amount of money to the elected officials in charge!

With that much moeny salary is not important!