>> Practice your writing.
Strong writers do not survive.
We, every single person at an embassy or in the Department of State,
no matter what position you're encumbering, you have to be a strong writer.
You have to be able to write clearly, concisely, and persuasively, and do it very quickly.
When someone comes to you with an assignment and says,
"I need to know exactly what our policies are in this country."
They're not asking for it next week.
They're not as kind as Pomona professors.
They don't come to you and say, "Next month, I want this term paper.
It's 25 pages."
They want it in an hour, and you have to be able to respond.
So quick concise, clear, persuasive writing is a key skill that everyone should practice.
People should be reading major media sources.
They should be knowing what's going in the world around them, both domestically and abroad.
You should know, sort of, the kinds of things that the U.S. government is interested in
and focused on and worried about.