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SWATJester posted:And finally, IIRC this is an exempted service position right? Will I still receive veterans preference (I qualify for 5 points). Yeah, if you make it to the oral assessment, you have to reach a certain points threshold to be given a job offer (and if you reach that points threshold I believe the offer is automatic). Veterans are given a slight boost in points from the get-go. If you speak a need language you are also given a slight boost in points (Arabic is the highest, then things like Russian, Farsi, Urdu, Serbo-Croatian, etc.) Plus it helps in the QEP stage because it adds to your resume and makes it more likely you'll be invited to the oral assessment in the first place. A law degree isn't going to overqualify you. Most people applying will have advanced degrees (most commonly Masters in International Relations or the such). The written exam is easy as pie if you're relatively intelligent and someone who's graduated law school isn't going to have a tough time with it at all. I passed it but did not get invited to the oral assessment (I assumed I wouldn't, my resume isn't super-impressive and my essays were pretty weak).
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Jul 9, 2009 18:27
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Your resume is basically the QEP stage, along with answering essay questions about your experiences. It's basically like resume plus initial interview rolled up into one.
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Jan 18, 2010 18:48
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Bizob posted:I don't mean to come off as harsh with regard to my fellow applicants, but part of me hopes that at least part of the suitability review process following OAs includes monitoring the yahoo boards and the nature of a candidate's contacts with the DoS workers that manage the register and A-100 invitations. You should see the gradcafe thread for the Fulbright, same deal. Obviously intelligent people go nuts and harass the office staff, it's pretty disturbing.
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Jun 4, 2010 16:03
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Remember that international experience does not necessarily have to be volunteering abroad or studying abroad or something of the like. Obviously that stuff is great, but, for example, it could also include tutoring or mentoring refugees within the United States. It's been awhile since I did the personal narrative (almost two years, when you did it before taking the written test), but if I recall correctly, they asked your interactions with another culture, not explicitly another culture outside the US. Obviously answering such a question is quite a bit easier if you lived with a tribe in the Amazon for four years, but it could also be as simple as growing up on a farm in the Deep South and going to school in, or even having a roommate from, a big city like New York. Moreover, having no international experience can be an ironic boon if you actually do pass the orals, because foreign contacts are the most obnoxious part of any security clearance investigation. HeroOfTheRevolution fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Jul 22, 2010 |
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Jul 22, 2010 05:10
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Slaan posted:Do Security clearances travel with you to other departments, say from State to Interior, or even Public -> Private? All three questions are a yes. For the first one, an security clearance than can be activated without re-investigation (especially TS/SCI) is really a boon to your desirability for both federal and private contractor employers, and in some cases can be a defining reason as to why they choose you over other applicants for employment. However, some agencies will not accept other agencies' clearances. If you applied to the intelligence community, an active clearance from a State Department internship probably would not do much for you, for instance. However, clearances expire. Top Secret lasts 5 years, Secret lasts 10 years, and Confidential lasts 15 years if you stay in the same job and then you have to be re-investigated. If you leave the job, your clearance becomes inactive but can be re-activated if within 24 months without requiring a new investigation, assuming it wouldn't fall outside the re-investigation window in the first place. And yeah, you can say you have a clearance. As long as you're not a CIA superspy and going around telling people that. Maybe bragging to strangers at bars about it isn't the best idea, but it's not something you are required to withhold from friends, family members, and most people with active clearances put them on their resumes as well. Here's a website about it: http://govcentral.monster.com/security-clearance-jobs/articles/2327-dont-let-your-security-clearance-expire
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Dec 2, 2010 17:36
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Save me jeebus posted:What's the word on getting clearances with a juvie felony? We're talking non-violent/property offense, with 20+ intervening years of being a good citizen and clerking for judges etc. My husband sits the FSOT next month (he chose consular track) and I'm afraid his history might exclude him. He'll have to list it on his SF-86 but I have to assume it would be mitigated considering the circumstances (minor, property damage, 20 intervening years without a record).
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Jan 9, 2011 09:09
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brotastrophe posted:I'm currently a junior in college and want to take the FSO test in an attempt to find a job when I graduate. Should I wait until graduation next year to test or is it something that I should start, say, in my last semester to minimize the wait of what I figure is a lengthy application process? Do it ASAP. The process takes forever and many successful applicants need to take it more than once anyway.
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Mar 26, 2011 23:12
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Huckleduck posted:I was thinking about taking the test in the fall, mainly because I won't be able to pass the Arabic proficiency phone call until I get back from Middlebury. You should take the next one, which is the June test. The language proficiency test isn't until you pass through the QEP, which (assuming you make it) could be anywhere from 6-9 months after you sit for the written test. Timelines are really long in the process - you should be more worried about forgetting the Arabic than being tested too soon!
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Apr 17, 2011 20:59
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Hammer of Loki posted:Would it be possible for you to elaborate on this? I was under the impression that everyone who wanted to be an FSO had to do the oral assessment and wait on the register. Specialists can become generalists through a different process that doesn't involve the register, basically.
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Apr 17, 2011 21:10
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Pamchenko, I have a couple questions about USAID. One, how long does the hiring process take? I'm particularly interested in working as a Governance and Crisis Stabilization officer, but I'm beginning a Masters (Security Studies at Georgetown SFS, concentration in development in conflict) program this Fall. The thing I worry about is that the hiring periods for USAID JOs in any given technical area only come along so often and I'm afraid of being shut out of the opportunity for awhile. Second, is the hiring process more like normal federal jobs than the Foreign Service? In other words, is there a benefit to having an insider who can vouch for you and flag your application for HR to read followed by an interview, or is like the FS where there's at least seemingly an objective set of criteria including an oral assessment? I'll probably have more, but I only recently became interested in working for AID. Out of curiosity, what are some of the 'best posts' you can get? My specialty is the Balkans and Eastern Europe (currently a Fulbright Fellow in Bulgaria and worked with an NGO in Bosnia for a bit), and I speak professional Bulgarian, some Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian, and Russian, and a tiny bit of Czech and Bashkir. Next year I have the option of taking intensive language courses for free and I'm torn between learning Turkish or trying to improve my Russian proficiency. Would either be more helpful than the other in getting a job? Also, the USAID internship page is a little confusing. The SCEP program is one that a lot of federal agencies seem to have, but it seems like they only accept summer interns for it? I assume it starts in the summer (so I could apply this November for summer 2012), then you do a co-op basically until you graduate then transition to a full-time job? I don't really get it, but it seems like it would be a good option. HeroOfTheRevolution fucked around with this message at 17:14 on Jun 20, 2011 |
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Jun 20, 2011 10:50
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The most important thing is going back over the Constitution. For the most part, everything on the FSOT is stuff you learned in American history and civics classes in high school. You just probably don't remember it.
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Jul 6, 2011 14:11
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The only geography question you're liable to see is something like Which of these is a former Soviet republic? a) Bulgaria b) Tajikistan c) Laos d) Iraq e) Chicago I'm probably going to put in to take the October FSOT, too, even though I'll be starting my first year at SFS. Might as well try to get my name on the register, and can always retake it if I don't. I took it back in 2009 and passed easily but didn't make it past QEP, but with a couple years of experience, a Fulbright Fellowship, and soon to be a masters degree from Georgetown, I figure I have a much better shot. HeroOfTheRevolution fucked around with this message at 05:32 on Jul 9, 2011 |
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Jul 9, 2011 05:29
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When they have you list your language proficiencies, do they always test you on the first one you list? Kind of a conundrum. I speak Bulgarian with some fluency, but it's only worth .17 points, while Russian is a .4 language. I'm planning on restarting Russian this year (took 6 years of it between high school and college, though it's disappeared since and when I try it's a bizarre Bulgarish mix with poo poo grammar), but I'm pretty confident I could pull a 2 in speaking by next spring if I'm taking intensive classes while in grad school. That said, there's a chance I won't be able to take Russian (need a scholarship from the grad school) so it would kind of suck if I pissed away any points at all by choosing to take the test for that language. I could always reteach myself, though, and I have a Russian friend who I can practice with via Skype... well, whatever. HeroOfTheRevolution fucked around with this message at 13:16 on Jul 9, 2011 |
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Jul 9, 2011 13:12
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Ramms+ein posted:Hey, I'm looking into Georgetown for my Masters and have some questions, would you mind if I emailed you? I don't have PMs but can give you my email address. I'm just starting this September, so I don't think I'd be much help, unfortunately.
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Jul 12, 2011 13:30
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Dameius posted:One thing you might consider, though it would most likely have to wait until the next year's (2013-2014) application cycle, is the Fulbright fellows program. I was a Fulbright Fellow (Bulgaria) last year. If anyone has any questions about the process, ask here or PM me (and also get rolling because it's due in like 3 weeks). I also made a post in the SAL grant thread back in June. In other news, recently applied for SCEP. We'll see how that works out. HeroOfTheRevolution fucked around with this message at 04:37 on Sep 27, 2011 |
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Sep 27, 2011 04:34
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Passed again (first time was 3 years ago in last year of undergrad), going to put a lot more effort into the PNQs this time though, and have some much cooler stuff for them. Looking at the multiple choice questions, I wonder how they're graded. How do you get a score like 59.97 on the job knowledge section? It doesn't really matter since I passed (with a 175 or so), but I'd be curious to find out the grading algorithms. HeroOfTheRevolution fucked around with this message at 04:40 on Oct 29, 2011 |
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Oct 29, 2011 04:36
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I put in for C/RS (forget where the slash goes in it) and INL. The former offers paid internships. Also got my PNQs to finish. LOL
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Nov 8, 2011 03:21
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Business of Ferrets posted:You're probably thinking of S/CRS. Yeah. I had a 2.5 hour class on it and GPOI last night so my brain was super fried. Also I was told it's becoming a bureau.
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Nov 8, 2011 14:21
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internetstuff posted:Hey all. I read the last couple of pages of this thread, but I haven't seen this question directly addressed: It doesn't list (S)CNLs on the website, but I can't imagine the point system or anything has changed. I'm guessing that the only thing that the language being after orals means is that you only have to worry about bonus points if you pass the orals, which can mean the difference between your passing score being high enough on the register to get hired or not. I think you can also pretty much call up at any time after you pass the orals to schedule a test to get your score up, too, giving you time to take a refresher course or prep for it or whatever if need be.
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Nov 13, 2011 15:24
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You apply separately each time. I believe you can only take it once a year.
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Dec 13, 2011 17:48
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What's this about Russian not being a CNL anymore? shiiiiiiit (also I think QEP results should come in around January 24th, that's when the October FSOT people got them last year) HeroOfTheRevolution fucked around with this message at 00:33 on Jan 13, 2012 |
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Jan 13, 2012 00:30
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Monkey Fury posted:According to the State Department it's still worth .40 points, but you have to opt-in to serving in a Russian-speaking country during one of your first two tours: Oh, well that's 100% fine then
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Jan 13, 2012 17:51
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Darksim posted:Hey I am a dual U.S. and Canadian Citizen, residing in Canada. You would almost certainly have to renounce your Canadian citizenship.
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Jan 16, 2012 04:23
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Even the IC doesn't really care about weed smoking more than a year ago, from what I've been told. It's more important to be honest and not have them ask or care than to have them ask or care and make it look like you're hiding something. And that's assuming it's for a TS. They hand out Secrets like candy, I think it took like a few weeks when I filled my form out to get approved.
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Jan 18, 2012 03:51
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Internships, in pretty much anything, also vary based on supervisor and the intern themselves. Just be proactive and try to ask or volunteer for substantive work.
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Jan 18, 2012 05:33
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Didn't pass the QEP. Nor did a friend of mine who has a JD from a top-5 law school, and nor did another friend who made it to the OA last year. Congrats Tyro, though!
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Jan 24, 2012 05:02
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Czolgosz posted:So I'm hoping someone could give me a little advice. Even if you pass every stage and make it to the register with the highest score possible, the hiring process will take you past August 2013. The chance of even getting to the orals seems pretty minuscule though so I wouldn't worry too much about it; I certainly wouldn't consider becoming a FSO to be a Plan A.
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Jan 27, 2012 17:44
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PrezCamachoo posted:If you pass the February test you will do the OA anywhere between July and November of 2012. Background checks plus register calls (assume you got the top score) takes more than 9-14 months? Background checks for a clearance can take 6-9 months quite easily, and then you're at the mercy of whenever they hold a class. Which, given the current budget climate, probably won't be very often for the next few years.
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Jan 28, 2012 00:37
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