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All you FSO (and FSO aspirants) kick rear end for creating such an informative thread. Keep up the good work. I took the FSOT in Oct '09 and didn't pass. Even worse, I didn't bother to get my scores back...  But things turned out alright. I'm doing TFA for at least two years, then planning on a scholarship/study back to China in for ~a year to brush up my Mandarin. So as it stands I hope to be entering A100 in 2014... A few quick questions: 1) Can someone elaborate on the logistics of moving all your acquired poo poo/personal possessions around the world? I can't imagine they'd ship the armoire you picked up in Marseilles all the way to Bishkek at no charge. 2) Along similar -- yet more personal -- lines, I'm still trying to understand how most FSOs spend their pay. With housing provided and logistical limits on personal acquisitions, does most of it just go to travel and Thai shemales? And from this monstrosity I'm assuming you're assigned a "class" along with your GS rank? Is this number wholly or just partially based upon the number of black tie high-stakes poker matches you win? 3) I've always assumed that taking the FSOT multiple times could only help you because it provides ample feedback on areas of improvement, unlike the LSAT which forces you to execute a loved one each time you score <170  . Any negative consequences I'm overlooking?
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Apr 29, 2010 20:49
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Business of Ferrets posted:I know plenty of applicants with impressive credentials who bombed the FSOA, probably because of their personality. As in they passed the FSOT and seemed like dicks/sleezebags/IRA sympathizers in the orals?
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May 23, 2010 05:37
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re: Peronality types From what I've heard and from the FSOs I know, I would say full-on Type A people who thrive in new environments, are willing to uproot their life every 18-36 mos, and don't mind being shuffled around into positions that may be well above their experience level. When I think goon I see shut-in nerdlingers who have to be the master of their domain and aren't willing to venture outdoors, much less outside their comfort zones. ....which in many cases happen to be actual zones in MMOs
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May 25, 2010 06:29
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Miss Fats posted:Still waiting to hear back from QEP. I'm also looking into overseas NGOs and/or other organizations that I could look into working with. I'm finished with school and getting ready to begin the campaign cycle but I'd really prefer something else. I'm also getting ready to submit my Peace Corps Application. This all leads me to a couple questions: 1) I'm almost 100% that if you decline your invitation (when they call your number), you have to go through the process again 2) You shouldn't fret about the PC. It's smart to call it a plan B, but their low admission rates stem more from their insanely slow/inefficient bureaucracy than from crazy high standards. Just be patient and ready for the deluge of paperwork. Do you have a preferred field? "helping people" is pretty broad
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May 27, 2010 00:00
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sah deuudes posted:QEP results are out...and I didn't make the cut in the Political cone. If you're serious about reapplying, GET YOUR RESULTS BACK. I blew it off and still kick myself for it.
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Jun 2, 2010 05:02
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Maybe you are. And maybe you are. Check your documents. You have have (I think) six weeks to request a score breakdown.
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Jun 2, 2010 07:06
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Popping in late to say I took the June FSOT. It was my second attempt but I'm calling it my baseline because I didn't send away for my scores on the first one The first round did provide me invaluable experience with the bio section. Outlining my resume was a fantastic idea. Excited to see my (and everyone else's) results in a few weeks. e: I'd also love to hear insight into the SO's life. Are there opportunities to work? The Mantis fucked around with this message at 06:48 on Jun 20, 2011 |
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Jun 17, 2011 05:08
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DasNeonLicht posted:Please tell me what you mean by "outlining your resume." Someone on the FSWE yahoo group mentioned it and I think it really helped me attack the bio section. If you've taken the test before, you know that it asks you if you've ever done such and such, and then asks you for concise, concrete examples. I was thrown off by this when I first took the exam and bumbled through it. This time I intentionally sat down and thought about the last five years of my life. When have I shown leadership/problem-solving/cooperation/etc and how can I frame these examples in a tweet? Anyone feel like taking this question on? The Mantis posted:e: I'd also love to hear insight into the life of a husband/wife of a FSO. I'm sure it's heavily context-dependant, but are there opportunities to work?
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Jun 21, 2011 19:43
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Passed with a 181! Thanks for all the amazing advice goons! Let the PN research begin...
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Jun 30, 2011 00:10
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 e: must have been down. working now The Mantis fucked around with this message at 23:00 on Jul 1, 2011 |
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Jul 1, 2011 10:48
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Macunaima posted:Sent off my PNQs a few days ago, now it's the waiting game again. Same. I think the mystery of the QEP and the long feedback time (September??) made it more stressful than it should have been. Anyone want to take a shot at the attrition rate for this step of the process? It seems like the least understood.
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Jul 19, 2011 05:52
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Diplomaticus posted:TS. But your clearance gets completed before you ever get placed on the register to even have the clock started on your being hired. Care to explain? Also, anyone remember the gap between being 'invited' to the OAs and them actually taking place? Also, does the Final Review Panel disqualify OA-passers for any reason other than medical security? having turned in my PNs has meant relinquishing any power I have over this goddamn sorcery so I'm hungering for information
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Jul 21, 2011 12:38
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That man is a patriot through and through. (also I had to look up the word 'Chancery.' I assumed it was a fancy word for 'low altitude plane shitter.')
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Jul 27, 2011 13:58
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Wanted to double check a couple assumptions I've made about the application process... 1) At the end of the full day of OAs you're given some feedback and will know if you're passing on to the next round. 2) After the Final Review panel you're given a number, put on a roster, and have somewhat of an idea of if/when you'll be called up (as in "yay I'm towards the top!" or "well poo poo I'd better reapply to Georgetown..") Question: I remember people fawning over single digit, single decimal scores (like 6.3?) that seemed to indicate their competitiveness in the applicant pool. Do those exist, and when do they come into play? mute posted:Passed my OA last week for IMS... now worrying about how long it'll take for my employer (only been here 6 months) to fire me when they get called by the investigator for my clearance. Sounds like a foolproof plan. Grats on passing the OAs!
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Aug 1, 2011 06:59
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What on there piques your interest? It's always interesting to hear people's priorities.
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Aug 9, 2011 18:02
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TCD posted:Before I joined, I thought that being a PAO might be a good career, but having seen it in action, hell no, I do not want the PD cone. Also, I became great friends with our consul and that cone seems more and more interesting as technology advances. Right now, my desire is Econ, shortly followed by Pol and Consular. Ok I'm getting that PD is POL but what is PAO and why do you not want the PD cone? Lifestyle? Portfolio?
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Aug 16, 2011 07:52
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Diplomaticus posted:Wat? Woah sorry for the nonsensical post. I've been at teacher training for days and the acronyms and exhaustion seem to be piling up. Thanks for decoding it.
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Aug 16, 2011 17:42
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anyone else waiting on the mid-Sept OA invite?
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Aug 31, 2011 05:49
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Kase Im Licht posted:Where are the QEP results from the June exam? I'm going crazy here. Each day I go through a process of convincing myself I messed up the submission and have a stab of nausea. Ugh.
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Sep 16, 2011 07:06
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gently caress
The Mantis fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Sep 19, 2011 |
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Sep 19, 2011 22:42
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you can check online. and download the letter. and find out that you have to wait another loving year
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Sep 19, 2011 23:53
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themrguy posted:Do I stand enough of a chance applying straight out of undergrad (Poly Sci Degree, good but not amazing GPA from a school that's pretty much the same, couple internships, no foreign language, one quarter abroad) for it to be worth my time applying, or is it something I shouldn't even think about until I have a graduate degree/more work experience? I'm looking at the application for FSO on USAjobs right now (it's pretty close to my dream job), but I just have visions of the hiring people scoffing and tossing it in the trash before they go back to the piles of trilingual people with masters 1) No. You don't stand a chance. But thats ok because you should 2) apply to experience the process anyway. It's free and can do no harm. It's important to realize that 3) the average entrance age is ~27 and most have some post-graduate schooling. If it's really your dream job then 4) find the 13Ds and see how you can fill them out in the next couple years.
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Feb 27, 2013 06:30
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Anyone else waiting on June results? I'm (irrationally and baselessly) thinking they'll come out this week.
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Jun 30, 2013 02:32
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June results are in! Onward, to the QEP!
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Jul 2, 2013 16:36
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Red Crown posted:150.86/154 I can try. But only because I've taken the test 4 times and it's my strongest section (mid-70s). I don't know if discussing 'tactics' is breaking the NDA though. Thoughts?
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Jul 2, 2013 17:07
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Man. Can anyone explain any sort of methodology behind grading the Biographic Information? Or is it all voodoo?
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re: PNQ responses: Should a candidate explicitily state how his actions/response show him to be a strong candidate? Or should that be left up to the panel to be extrapolated? For instance, a line at the end of an answer that says something like quote:As a Political Officer I will continue to place primacy on my mission, rather than myself. and quote:Success as a Political Officer will mean being both objective-driven and culturally sensitive.
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Jul 14, 2013 20:48
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DracoArgentum posted:What is passing?overall percentage? DracoArgentum posted:Is the test only once a year in June? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fswe/ http://careers.state.gov/ https://www.google.com e: Good luck to everyone turning in PNQs on Tuesday! I was stoked to submit mine today.
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Jul 22, 2013 18:19
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Anyone know the official timeline for PNQ responses? I have 3-5 weeks in my head but I think it's just a rough estimate.
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Jul 29, 2013 23:02
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Stolennosferatu posted:Ugh. It's September and the countdown to rejection begins. I'm there with you - keep your head up. I can't imagine languishing on the register with crushing pessimism.
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Sep 3, 2013 23:13
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I know it's more chaff to all you current FSOs, but it's officially mid-September which means PNQ results are not far away. Bon courage to everyone else waiting.
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Sep 16, 2013 16:16
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Going to the OAs. gently caress yeah son.
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Sep 23, 2013 17:01
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Leif. posted:So this is someone from my A-100, who obviously enjoys being a consular officer. I read that yesterday! It's a pretty flattering portrait. Any way you can speak to how "above and beyond" the FSO went?
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Sep 27, 2013 13:19
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Anyone take a look at Royce's funding bill?Chairman Royce posted:While this bill is fiscally responsible — representing a nearly 9 percent overall cut in spending from last year — it fully funds the administration's embassy security request. Not great news for current applicants. Thank god it's unlikely to go anywhere.
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Sep 28, 2013 00:39
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Anyone else doing FSOA prep at SAIS tomorrow?
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Oct 17, 2013 04:42
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Attended a DIR-led information session covering the OAs last night. It was more informational and less practical than I expected, but it was still a good use of time. The guy answered all questions and generally reiterated the importance of substance over style. In fact, he seemed to hint that style can often interfere with substance, especially with regard to candidates in flashy suits or verbose answers. I would highly recommend it to any and all applicants.
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Oct 18, 2013 20:38
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Does the FS offer any assistance to accepted candidates who are still within the terms of their lease agreement? I'm taking the orals in November, and looking at signing another one year lease here in DC this week. Even if I pass, there's a thousand things that could knock me out. It's also possible for me to complete A-100 and receive an assignment within a year, forcing me to break my lease. I'm sure I'm not the first person to face this issue. Any thoughts/experience from those who have been through the process?
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Oct 20, 2013 19:37
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Thanks Leif. Here's to hoping I break my lease!
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Oct 20, 2013 21:02
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Interesting conversation with a pre-A100, post-OA Pickering fellow tonight. He signaled that those lucky enough to influence their start date will work to avoid the September class because it puts you on a disadvantageous cycle. Essentially, he made it seem like those from the May/July classes will have more options and first pick of the litter. Any truth to the importance of your A-100's timing?
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Nov 6, 2013 02:51
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Orals tomorrow. Finally very amped and very nervous. Haven't had the time to attend a true prep session, but I've had some enlightening conversations and done my absolute best to walk in with a strong understanding of the process. I can't believe anyone passes this beast.
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Nov 7, 2013 17:35
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I did it. I loving did it.
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Nov 8, 2013 23:21
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