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Does anyone have an idea how long it will be until DS starts sending out invites to continue the application process? The posting closed on the 30th of March and I keep telling myself it'll be a few more weeks before I get the email. Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment 
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Apr 28, 2012 19:04
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Tyro posted:Vasudus, unless they've changed it recently, they don't email, they call you. Yeah, now I can't remember if they called me or emailed me last year. I know they did both but I don't remember in what order 
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Apr 29, 2012 00:47
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For those still in DS limbo, this is the email I just got:A totally overworked HR person posted:A total of 7,825 individuals accessed the online, this is the most that has ever applied in the history of DS for any of our positions. The first quarter of the year we had 1,981 individuals apply for the Security Protective Specialist position. In December and January we had hundreds apply for our Security Engineering Officer and Security Technical Specialist positions. In four months we have received in excess of 10,000 total applications for four of our specialist position. We are assessing candidates, reviewing application packages as well as other day to day work. So she politely told me to gently caress off, they're busy. I can dig it, at least she didn't tell me I'm not competitive. Back to waiting!
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Jun 8, 2012 23:24
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Kase Im Licht posted:[ask] me about passing the DSS Special Agent BEX What the gently caress are your credentials because 4 years of military, another 3 of generic job experience and a semester of graduate school hasn't gotten me a callback. Either that or they haven't gotten to my application yet
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Jun 22, 2012 18:52
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Kase Im Licht posted:Ex-lawyer, really good at writing and taking tests and interviewing (at least for typical law enforcement formats). I guess I'm spoiled because I got an invite to the 2011 BEX after like two months of waiting. Didn't end up able to go though because of degree fuckery. If they're doing it by geographic area then I'm double hosed, as I picked Stamford, CT as my assessment location because I didn't want to truck it to NYC this year. I keep having this pending sense of dread that I'm not competitive
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Jun 22, 2012 21:41
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A good friend of mine might be finding himself in Uganda doing some foreign aid stuff in a few months, any of you fine gentlemen wouldn't happen to have some contacts to PM me would you?
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Sep 11, 2012 00:39
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TCD posted:I don't have any current contacts in Uganda, but it's a pretty interesting country. is he going to be in Kampala or elsewhere? Not sure, he's doing army civil affairs junk for ~9 months coming up shortly. I'm sure he'll have a point of contact by the time he gets in country (I hope, anyway) but I'm trying to see if I can get him better prepared before that.
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Sep 11, 2012 03:57
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Gravel Gravy posted:You try writing a few sentences about bagging groceries. Can't be done. "With no qualifications to speak of, I learned the value of hard work, efficiency and pride in the workforce as a bagger at [grocery store x]. Although the occupation required little technical skill, I welcomed any opportunity presented that challenged my ability to perform new tasks. While doing so, I earned the respect of both my peers and the management appointed above me with my impeccable work ethic and dedication." Governmentese is the best language to learn.
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Sep 14, 2012 05:48
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I'm starting to wonder if my application for DS got lost, is incomplete somehow or they're still backlogged to hell and back. Half expecting to get a letter in the mail two months from now saying they couldn't read my scanned copy of my transcripts or something and better luck in 2013.
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Sep 17, 2012 21:24
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Introduction to the government process: keep copies of literally everything, both physical and digital. Forever. You never know when that random document you signed nine months ago will disappear into the nether and need to be recreated.
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Sep 26, 2012 15:36
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They sure do love taking their time. Got my BEX invite finally, November 14th. Hooray.
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Oct 10, 2012 16:50
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Tyro posted:Congrats man. They'll be doing those BEXes for at least another few months, honestly I wish I had done it later, since I'm burning register time right now. The faster I get put on the register the faster I can get out of school and pack my poo poo. I doubt I'll get on the register in time for the January A-100 class, so probably whatever after that. I'm assuming it's a standard board procedure? ie: sound confident even if you're not, answer questions quickly but intelligently, and stick to any judgement calls you make even if found to be incorrect?
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Oct 10, 2012 17:11
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Yeah, it's for DS. So I'm just assuming that it's like any military/LEO board. Regardless, I'll start prepping myself for a variety of situations so I don't get too thrown off, even though I know that's one of the main points of the board. I have no idea when they have any classes, I'm just stoked that I'll (hopefully, probably) be picked up and I can get out of the US for a decade or two.
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Oct 10, 2012 20:01
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Bruxism posted:Congrats on making it to BEX! Don't freak out, show up early, and wear a drat suit. Take a moment to brush up on what it is DS, does both domestically and abroad, and be prepared to handwrite (like with pencil) a short essay similar to the one you wrote on the online portion. If you have any specific questions about what to expect or about DS in general feel free to PM me. Good luck! Hand write? COCKSUCK MY rear end. I haven't actually written anything beyond a few sentences in years. My hand is going to be killing me after a paragraph. Moreso if if it has to actually be legible. Oh well. ^^^ wootles
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Oct 10, 2012 21:32
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I wish I could take the BEX today and get it over with
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Oct 16, 2012 17:07
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Written exam doesn't have spell checker does it? Because boy, am I going to get hosed for my over reliance on autocorrect.
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Oct 18, 2012 01:12
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TCD posted:It doesn't make any sense either because, outside of the exam, when do we not have auto correct? I can only hope that the person reading the exam is not as apt at spelling as my third grade teacher. Or that the grading program doesn't have one either. Writing academic papers nonstop this semester has left me using unnecessarily large words and not having any form of spell checking is going to loving blow. But of course, I'm already well beyond over preparing and starting to get into dangerously OCD range. I've read a good portion of the public FAM, at least the relevant sections. I've been reading the DS website bit by bit. I've scoured the internet for every single experience from the BEX that I can manage. I also just finished filling out a fresh SF-86 And I've got nearly a month to go I can only hope that I can get into the March A-100 class, otherwise the next one is scheduled for July. And that would suck many dicks, because I would have to attend another semester of graduate school instead of getting the hell out of there.
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Oct 18, 2012 03:57
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TCD posted:You want to track Specialist Orientation classes, not A-100. Good luck on the interview. I'm not DS, but most DS that I've seen who are respected are thoughtful most of the time, and forceful when required. If you’re too hard charging, I’ve seen some bridges burned. Yeah, that's the class that I was looking at from the FSI FY13 booklet. I could have sworn it was still called A-100 but I guess not! Diplomaticus posted:Quote from my DS buddy at post (who most people now refer to as my husband since we're basically inseparable). YOU AREN'T HELPING MY ANXIETY
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Oct 18, 2012 22:12
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I really need to stop scouring the internet for stuff about DS. Especially when it's a Sunday and I could do this all day tomorrow at work. I alternate between complete sorrow thinking I'll never pass it and total excitement thinking I'm going to kill it. The most encouraging thought was the realization that the majority of the people that don't pass appear to be total loving morons. Like people that don't follow current events or understand that there is a shitload of travel involved, so they get kentucky fried on the interview. That helped when I read post after post on another forum about failing the BEX; I wondered how most of these people put their pants on every day without multiple attempts. I found a guide to general interviews called the STAR method. I didn't realize it but I was already doing what was listed - but tomorrow I'm going to print out and answer every question on the second page. http://www.drexel.edu/scdc/resources/STAR%20Method.pdf Maybe I should apply for a FSOT date too and hedge my bets 
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Oct 22, 2012 00:45
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Skandiaavity posted:Humility is also a valuable asset for a DS agent.. Oh no, I'm not writing them off for not passing the OA because it's difficult or anything. It's probably very hard. I'm just reading the people who failed it and were like 'I didn't want to travel so they ended the interview right there' which is a  when you're applying for, you know, the foreign service. Or when they say that they haven't done an essay in 10 years and didn't prep for the written exam. Prepping and not passing is one thing, intentionally going into it blind and then tripping up on easily avoidable components is another.edit to sound less dickish: I was getting depressed when I kept reading about all these people who posted they failed the BEX for whatever reason. I then found out that for the majority of these people, they either didn't prep at all or clearly had some reading comprehension issues with the main, bolded parts of the job description. It made me feel better, because if I'm going to fail this fucker at this point it'll be because I wasn't good enough, not because of lack of preparation for the most important interview/exam I've had in 10 years. Vasudus fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Oct 22, 2012 |
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Oct 22, 2012 01:59
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Diplomaticus posted:This happens in generalist OAs too. Some people go in just mindblowingly unprepared. It just boggles me why people would apply for such a position, make it all the way to the end and then just stop caring. That's like doing a relay race, one that you trained for all your life, getting to the last leg of the run and just walking the rest of the way. If you didn't want to do it anymore, why didn't you just drop out? The dude who didn't want to travel caused me to practically choke on my drink though. I wonder how many people end up being nonselects because of stuff like this - certainly the OA/BEX is difficult, that's without a doubt. But part of my wonders how much of that 80-85% fail rate is because of things like that, versus simply not being good enough. I signed up for the Feb FSOT for POL. Might as well. I can always cancel it if I get into DS, or just ride it out for the experience of doing the FSOT/QEP/whatever. Never hurts to have options.
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Oct 22, 2012 20:26
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Today's (and probably tomorrow as well) "Holy poo poo, you better pass this interview you gently caress" goal is prepping for and hopefully mastering behavioral interviews. I've got a huge fuckoff list of BI questions that I've found and I'm making a cheat sheet thing for it. Assuming I do pass this stupid thing and I'm not just obsessing for nothing, I'll be sure to put together a guide on what I've been doing to prep. I spend 2-3 hours a few days a week digesting all sorts of specific information that might be helpful to people down the line.
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Oct 23, 2012 20:53
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So uh, random question: For the medical component, does State send you off to an approved medical center to do their thing or are you expected to see your private doctor and have them fill out ye olde form? I ask because I use the VA for my healthcare and appointment wait times are somewhere around 6-7 months. So I guess I better save a few shekels up and get a private doctor to do it otherwise.
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Oct 26, 2012 02:51
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DS BEX in 5 days
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Nov 9, 2012 23:21
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Homie S posted:Where are you BEXing? Stamford, CT.
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Nov 10, 2012 01:45
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I have a freshly completed SF86 just in case. The last time I did a clearance was back in 2003 with EPSQ or something. Please tell me that the new eQuip thingie whatever is easier.
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Nov 10, 2012 03:14
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Welp, didn't pass the BEX. Can't talk about why obviously, but I don't really feel that bad about it. Always next time.
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Nov 14, 2012 19:57
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Homie S posted:Don't sweat it. Lots of people do not pass the first time, and I've met some really switched on agents that were 2 or 3 time BEX takers. I do the local DS recruitment rounds and I always push that the first time is a great way to see how it works and if you don't pass you're able to have some insight into the next time you choose to try. Good luck. I'm not so worried about it. Yeah, I wish I made it past the retardedly high standards this year, but I'll get it next time. The BEX was a great many things but unfair was not one of them. FSOT in Feb anyway, who knows where that'll go.
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Nov 16, 2012 04:58
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Global Critter posted:What would you say is the average age of someone coming into the FS? This would be including Generalists and Specialists if there is no disparity there in terms of the age of the folks coming in, in their respective areas. When I did my BEX for DS earlier they told me I was below the average age of most applicants. I am 28.
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Dec 4, 2012 21:15
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HiroProtagonist posted:This is good to hear. With no F/LEO experience, it's still good to know that DS still accepts people with my relative level of life and professional experience. Yeah, I don't see people being able to qualify remotely until probably 24-25. I just don't see anyone younger able to answer the questions. I'm sure it's been done, maybe.
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Dec 5, 2012 06:16
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I completely forgot about the FSOT test coming up until I got the email yesterday. Whoops. Are the study guides they try and sell worthwhile or should I just use the other ten million internet sources that seem to be floating around?
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Jan 5, 2013 05:41
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Registered for the FSOT on the 2nd, like 20 minutes from my house. That's... surprisingly convenient.
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Jan 8, 2013 23:01
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So if I wanted to live in AIP for the majority of my career is that a thing or does the FS frown on it? Because I wouldn't mind living in AIP in that capacity for a long time.
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Jan 11, 2013 06:05
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FSOT coming up on 2/2. I would like to think that I'm well educated in the relevant sections and then I get the random obscure questions in the guides that make me 
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Jan 30, 2013 22:26
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Done with the FSOT. It was hard, but not as ball-bustingly hard as I originally thought it would be. Practice questions are significantly harder than the real thing. I *should* pass and get to the PNQs, who knows though.
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Feb 2, 2013 23:40
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If it's being covered by the GI Bill that means you can double dip. Collect DC-area BAH (2106/mo) and collect at least 500 dollars for supplies, if not the full 1k. Useful for people who have GI Bill benefits left over (note that this applies to anyone who has at least one day of benefits left). Ends up being a cool 15k or so, for essentially nothing. I'm guessing that State has a tuition assistance program? If so, then there is literally zero reason to not do this if you can. Except that I'm not in DS (yet) and my benefits have been exhausted 
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Feb 15, 2013 05:28
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Zoots posted:Yeah, State has the Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP, or "slurp" for those in the know). If you're serving at a post meeting the minimum hardship/danger differential, they pay off something like five or six grand per fiscal year. That's the same program as the DoD, actually. Different criteria for being eligible, but otherwise the same. I mean tuition assistance as in 'enroll in classes and have the gov'mint pay x dollars per credit'. DoD wide it's primarily used for undergrad, but since DoS has a vastly higher number of educated employees I would imagine it would be mostly for graduate programs.
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Feb 15, 2013 08:18
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Apparently my English Expression skills need work! I never was good at that portion on standardized tests. Oh well.
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Feb 28, 2013 18:51
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Diplomaticus posted:AIP is open on your second tour as a generalist. I believe there is also a convoluted process where you might be able to go your first tour in very limited circumstances, but I don't know anyone who's done it. On the other hand I know tons of people who have gone AIP on their second tour. Probably doable for someone that's already been there, like with the military. Though I have no idea if that qualifies for anything.
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Mar 26, 2013 06:05
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I asked the people at the BEX why they joined State and got a warm response with some pretty neat answers. I guess it's all in how you word it.
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Apr 6, 2013 19:53
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