Hi! My name is Nancy Chaudhry and I'm a full stack web developer, but my last job was working as an IMS for the Department of State.

What's an IMS?

In an effort to promote our diplomatic and American values at home and abroad, an IMS will serve America by maintaining secure, reliable IT tools and resources to ensure that the State Department, other federal agencies, non-government partners, and Americans overseas can effectively communicate. The IMS gains experiences that few other IT professions offer, including the reward of living in a foreign country while experiencing different cultures and helping to protect U.S. interests abroad.

Foreign Service IMS’s have access to training and career development programs; health and medical coverage; federal retirement benefits and generous paid leave. Overseas benefits include paid housing or a housing allowance, and paid education for dependent children in K-12. Depending on your post there's also paid Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) and/or Danger Pay plus Rest and Recreation (R&R) trips.

What's the Job Like?

Job responsibilities of the IMS vary, depending on the size of the post and the requirements of the specific diplomatic mission, but they can include: maintaining the classified and unclassified networks, maintaining/instaling all IT equipment, telephones, radios, and diplomatic pouch.