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Recently, I had a reader (and prospective FSO candidate) ask me for some input in choosing between the Consular and Polical career tracks (or "cones," as we dinosaurs know them).

With his or her permission, I post the following:

My advice about choosing career tracks (or "cones") is to pick the one in which you think you will be happiest working during the next few decades.

Not everyone actually stays in the FS for a career, but if you're making the effort to join in the first place, that's how you should plan.

Some people give more weight to things like opportunities for rapid advancement (for values of "rapid"), likelihood of becoming an ambassador, &tc.

As for me, as a potential colleague, neighbor, and/or future supervisor, I would rather you picked the cone in which you would not be miserable working year-after-year-after-decade.

Not that there aren't "interfunctional" assignments.  Not that you can't work "out-of-cone" from time to time (although doing too much of that can detract from your chances for promotion).  But you should at least like your home career track.

Your specific questions, on the other hand, were more targeted:  "Please tell me why you enjoy the consular track, and what you feel are the advantages of it over the political track?"

I initially chose Consular because I wanted to be able to help my fellow citizens abroad.  Consular work has not only provided me with ample opportunities to successfully fulfill that ambition but, post-9/11, to materially contribute to national security through the visa process.

Consular officers (similar to MGT cone) also have opportunities to manage/lead people and resources much earlier than do Political or Econ cone officers.

You also stated "I have also read there are more positions for consular FSO's."

That is true in the entry level grades, but may not be true in terms of actual numbers hired.  Virtually every new FSO does at least one year of consular work during one of their first two overseas tours, many of them do two years or even two entire tours of consular work before getting a job in their actual non-Consular career track.  This is simply because, at the entry-level, consular work is where the need for officers is greatest.

But in consular work, like a pyramid, the cone is broadest at the base, among the vice consuls.  That pyramid narrows considerably as it tapers upwards, so that non-Consular FSOs aren't forced to work (or bid on) mid-grade (or higher) Consular positions unless they want to do so.

In Political work, the need is fairly narrow at the entry-level "base" of the cone before bulges outward in the mid-grades.  So most Political career track FSOs have very little opportunity to work in their home "cone" until they reach mid-grade ranks after receiving tenure.  This means they probably spend most of their first four years or so working in either Consular or Management positions.

Hope this helps!