Floaters are Officers at Grade A2 and B3 trained in almost everything a British Diplomatic Mission does. They are sent around the world covering jobs where the incumbent has gone on leave, or is long-term sick or where there is a major event that needs extra support. In short, they are diplomatic temps! However their work is a lot more interesting than your average temp job.

Below, Richard Stillwell, currently a B3 Floater gives us a brief profile of his FCO career to date:

My first job in the FCO as an Operational Officer was with the Press Office in London.  This was a great opportunity to not only work closely with the various Ministers offices, but also leading news organisations including many of the UK’s national newspapers. This department also allows you to have a good overview of the office with regards to both policy and service delivery because it is effectively a window for the media to see how the office carries out its work and therefore you are very much in the centre.

When looking to broaden my horizons further and experience my first job overseas with the office, it was clear that becoming a Worldwide Floater was the best way to achieve this.  Not only do you carry out the different roles of an Operational Officer; you also get to travel to many different and fascinating parts of the world.  I have been doing this job for ten months and in that time I have already been to eight of our various different missions around the globe.  I have been to posts in Asia, including Hong Kong, Jakarta, and Ulaanbaatar; I have also been to three different regions in Africa by providing floater cover for Cairo, Nairobi and Freetown.  As I write my next destination is due to be Panama City, so within a year I will have worked on almost every continent.

In order to have the necessary preparation for being sent to often far-flung places you are required to complete six months training in the UK, but the opportunities of actually fulfilling the various roles provides an invaluable experience of some of the most important work the FCO does overseas.  All three of the jobs that you cover, Entry Clearance Officer, Management Officer or Vice Consul have generic aspects, which you are taught during many weeks of attending training courses.  However, aside from the common ground, there are many diverse aspects to these roles because the local knowledge required differs from region to region.  So not only have I carried out a wide range of the service delivery work that is completed overseas, I have also been able to experience and indeed learn from a wide range of cultures.  I was in Kenya during the violent protests that occurred following their elections in December 2007 and while the security of the mission was never compromised, it was quite surreal to realise you were in a city where unfolding events were regularly creating headline news around the globe.

In order to be prepared for travelling to literally any part of the world, at occasionally short notice, you need to have the appropriate type of clothing for everywhere you could end up going.  One of the most contrasting changes in weather conditions I have experienced is moving straight from the tropical climate in South East Asia to Mongolia in late November, where the temperature can be as low as -20 at night!  The time you spend in these different posts varies, but it usually averages out to a month in each place, which means that you should have sufficient free time to explore many of the different sights each country has to offer.

The ability to adapt to new situations is enhanced by all the experience you gain as you move around and learn from any problems you might face.  This in turn means the ability to fulfil the core competencies of an Operational Officer are consistently tested and so it’s a very invigorating way of demonstrating your credentials as a diplomat whilst witnessing the varied nature of the planet.