The job that lets you see the world
THOUSANDS of British tourists will be travelling abroad this Easter, and if things go awry Maxine Neely could help them pick up the pieces.
Maxine works for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office ( FCO) providing assistance to distressed Brits overseas.
‘The main problems are hospitalisation, passport loss, mental health and death,’ says Maxine, from Birmingham. ‘The best thing about my job is being able to help people in difficult situations and make the problems they face more manageable.
‘The toughest part is informing people of the death of a loved one, particularly a young person, over the phone, and although it’s rare, it does happen.’
If a high-profile death of a British national occurs overseas, updates have to be provided to ministers and Downing St.
During her time at the FCO, Maxine has worked as a desk officer for economic and parliamentary affairs in the Afghan group and also with the science and innovation group.
She chose an FCO career because she wanted to experience living and working in different countries, learning the language and experiencing different cultures. ‘I replied to an ad in my local paper to join the FCO and was offered a job soon after,’ she says. ‘Just 16 months later, I was on my way to Washington DC to work in the ambassador’s private office.’
The main entry route is through the Civil Service Fast Stream for which you need at least a secondclass degree.
But hurry — recruitment this year closes next Tuesday, and expect fierce competition; the FCO is the ninth most popular graduate recruiter. It also offers work experience.