Agencies that make for a good place to start a career

The cover story in Friday's BusinessWeek is about the best places for people to launch a career. Disney is number one, but look who makes the list...
At number six -- yes, in the top 10 -- is the State Department. That is well above Google (number 13) and even better than GE (number 8).

If you're a college grad, how do you get to an exotic U.S. embassy? Practice, practice, practice.

Or at least that's how the U.S. State Dept. turns you into a diplomat. Two unique aspects of the State Dept.'s training program are foreign travel and simulations designed to give Foreign Service officer candidates a feel for the day-to-day work in U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. The training also includes as much as a year of classroom lectures, study, and language training before new officers board a plane to their first foreign posting. Even before training begins, though, would-be diplomats must pass the highly competitive Foreign Service Exam.