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TCD posted:Thinking about it, I can't remember seeing any girls(or guys) who had a nose piercing. Alright then. Thanks for the info guys, I guess the nostril stabbing will have to wait!
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Dec 29, 2009 08:04
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So when we're talking about visible tattoos, are we talking visible in a suit or visible in a bathing suit?
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Dec 29, 2009 09:52
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CherryCola, you should get it for your end-of-training swearing-in ceremony. Tons of family members and some State bigwigs are usually in attendance. Miss Fats posted:So when we're talking about visible tattoos, are we talking visible in a suit or visible in a bathing suit? In a suit. Plenty of folks have ankle or shoulder work. There are probably even a few tramp stamps out there in the FS. I guess that could give new meaning to the term "back-channel diplomacy." 
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Dec 29, 2009 10:18
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Out of curiosity, do any FSOs hash at all or is it looked down upon/considered unprofessional? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_House_Harriers) Also, do FSOs ever get involved in any ground-up international development, formally or informally (Three Cups of Tea sort of stuff) Are there restrictions on your vacation time involving being out-of-contact with the embassy? For instance, if you want to go mountaineering or spend a week or two hiking, are there any formal restrictions (espionage, etc) or informal cultural biases against it?
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Jan 1, 2010 20:03
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WhoDaresWins posted:Out of curiosity, do any FSOs hash at all or is it looked down upon/considered unprofessional? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_House_Harriers) Lots of people Hash. I know an officer with a huge collection of Hash T-Shirts. There aren't any particular rules about being out of contact while on vacation. There are scheduled times when your expected to serve as a duty officer and be in contact for various things. But you'll know when thats coming and be able to plan for it. Some places may only allow a certain number of people from your section to be out of town at any given time, but again that's easy to plan for.
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Jan 1, 2010 20:30
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I just stumbled onto a few potentially useful blogs for prepping for the FSOT and FSOA. http://thehegemonist.com/2009/02/guide-to-foreign-service-exam.html http://lifeafterjerusalem.blogspot.com/2009/11/taking-orals.html I haven't dug all the way into them, but looks like there could be some good stuff there.
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Jan 4, 2010 06:55
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Thanks for all the input in this thread BoF. Can I ask what you did before becoming a FSO?
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Jan 4, 2010 12:11
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Quiet Longing posted:Thanks for all the input in this thread BoF. Can I ask what you did before becoming a FSO? Full-time student. I started working for State a few months after completing my undergraduate degree. I like to tell people it was the only place that wouldn't take into account my lack of experience or my limited educational background. (In those days, the examiners were not allowed to know anything about your background, only how you performed on the test. This has since changed.)
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Jan 4, 2010 12:25
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CherryCola posted:well that's what I was wondering. Is a piercing like that still considered an extreme "body piercing." Maybe it's from all my time in South Asia, but I had been thinking that a small diamond on the side of the nose was not really that big of a deal anymore since pretty much every woman has one.. Anyway, this is kind of a weird tangent, but it's good to know what the expectations are. All that said I have met two FSO's with nose piercings and it was no big deal. Wait till you get in and tenured before you do it in my opinion  And hashing. Lots of FSO's hash. We had a fun hash going in Pretoria. It's absolutely not considered a negative for you to go out and have fun like this. It's actually considered a positive since you are getting out and doing things with other post people or locals.
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Jan 5, 2010 12:47
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When are the scheduled testing times? Is it always in October for the written? I've finally convinced my ultra-stubborn SO that it would be a good idea for me to get a job as a FSO and drag him around the globe until I retire. He's a Network Admin and has been working in IT for about 15 years, so hopefully he'll be able to get into a Specialist position without too much difficulty. I am now trying to plan out my time line for studying and test taking. So, I'll be rereading this thread, but would also appreciate any suggestions for reading lists and such. And I'll be looking into the other great resources that have been listed here. Any magazines or periodicals that I should be subscribing to? I took the test once before when I was fresh out of college. That was back in 2002, so I imagine that a lot has changed since then. At least I now have some good work experience to talk up.
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Jan 9, 2010 18:54
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Haji posted:When are the scheduled testing times? Is it always in October for the written? They have the written test several times a year now, at locations around the world. They recommend subscribing to "The Economist", which if you're in a crunch for reading time also has an audio edition. It's a weekly publication. I think there's a more complete reading list attached to the study guide, which you can purchase in .PDF format from the State Department's website for $20 or so.
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Jan 9, 2010 22:46
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Hey, me again. I was talking with BoF over PM and had some general stuff I thought would be better in the thread. What's the deal with language training early in your career, especially if you get the points bonus for proficiency? For example, say I tested with a 2 in spoken Mandarin and got the bonus, which requires me to serve in China for at least one of my initial tours. Would they be likely to send me for language training before my first tour in China, or would they be more likely to have me scrape by with what I have, and not pay for language training until I became tenured?
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Jan 10, 2010 18:27
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Pompous Rhombus posted:What's the deal with language training early in your career, especially if you get the points bonus for proficiency? For example, say I tested with a 2 in spoken Mandarin and got the bonus, which requires me to serve in China for at least one of my initial tours. Would they be likely to send me for language training before my first tour in China, or would they be more likely to have me scrape by with what I have, and not pay for language training until I became tenured? It would depend largely on timing and the needs of the Service. If the position is open immediately and you already had sufficient proficiency (most hard and super-hard language jobs require a speaking 2/reading 0-2 for entry-level officers) you would probably wind up at post fairly quickly. In the last few years some new officers with preexisting language skills went into up to a year of long-term training to improve their Chinese or Arabic. Not sure if other languages did this, too; these are the ones I've heard about. New officers are basically allowed one "full" course of language before tenure. For ELOs, that means the full six months of an easy language or 6-9 months of a hard language (to get to a 2/2 or so). If you use your training up on your first tour, you will not get anything except maybe a top-off for your second tour. At the mid-levels after tenure, the training you can get is pretty much wide open.
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Jan 11, 2010 09:07
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Got the result of the challenge back from ACT and they just said they reviewed it and scored it correctly. I don't think they rescored it at all, just checked to make sure the numbers match what they originally put. Oh well!
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Jan 11, 2010 20:30
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Business of Ferrets posted:It would depend largely on timing and the needs of the Service. If the position is open immediately and you already had sufficient proficiency (most hard and super-hard language jobs require a speaking 2/reading 0-2 for entry-level officers) you would probably wind up at post fairly quickly. In the last few years some new officers with preexisting language skills went into up to a year of long-term training to improve their Chinese or Arabic. Not sure if other languages did this, too; these are the ones I've heard about. Yeah, this is really good to know. Even though I passed with Urdu proficiency, all the advanced Urdu courses at my University are pretty much poetry based...so I'm worried that my real-world colloquial speaking skills are suffering a bit. I'd hope they'd at least give me a month long refresher or something. Just waiting to find out about the orals now! Argh! I hate this part!
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Jan 11, 2010 21:44
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Vilerat posted:Got the result of the challenge back from ACT and they just said they reviewed it and scored it correctly. I don't think they rescored it at all, just checked to make sure the numbers match what they originally put. Sorry to hear that, Vilerat. That was a maddeningly small amount by which to miss.
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Jan 12, 2010 16:04
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I am in the Americorps right now and we get the non-competitive hiring bonus on govt jobs for a year after our service is up. Do you know if that would give me a boost on the foreign service hiring scheme? I kind of assume it doesn't.
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Jan 12, 2010 16:11
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Business of Ferrets posted:Sorry to hear that, Vilerat. That was a maddeningly small amount by which to miss. Oh well. I'm up for my 2 this year so I'll just comfort myself with the knowledge that I'm probably too far along to start over anyways.
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Jan 12, 2010 16:33
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That sucks, Vilerat. Omits-Bagels posted:I am in the Americorps right now and we get the non-competitive hiring bonus on govt jobs for a year after our service is up. Do you know if that would give me a boost on the foreign service hiring scheme? I kind of assume it doesn't. I've got the same thing (not from Americorps) and I'm pretty sure it doesn't. Edit: your experience will probably help you out with the Biographical section, at least  Edit 2: What's the deal with only requiring a 2/2 in languages for FSO's, but most regular embassy positions I see advertised requiring something like a 4/4 for most jobs? Are foreign languages really not that big a deal in the working life of a Foreign Service Officer? Also, is there a pay bonus for languages like in the military? Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 18:32 on Jan 12, 2010 |
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Jan 12, 2010 17:04
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Pompous Rhombus posted:That sucks, Vilerat. I just looked through the staffing pattern list and most language designated jobs are 3/3 or 2/2. I see no 4/4's. Actually I see one but it's a senior foreign service position as a public diplomacy chief.
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Jan 12, 2010 19:13
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Pompous Rhombus posted:That sucks, Vilerat. I just looked through the staffing pattern list and most language designated jobs are 3/3 or 2/2. I see no 4/4's. Actually I see one but it's a senior foreign service position as a public diplomacy chief.
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Jan 12, 2010 19:13
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Vilerat posted:I just looked through the staffing pattern list and most language designated jobs are 3/3 or 2/2. I see no 4/4's. Actually I see one but it's a senior foreign service position as a public diplomacy chief. Not talking USAJobs, going by the positions offered on an embassy's HR page. (Or this could be specific to Thailand.)
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Jan 12, 2010 19:43
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Pompous Rhombus posted:That sucks, Vilerat. I think it's a 2/2 to get the bonus, but the positions are still mostly 3/3 (depending on language and position).
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Jan 12, 2010 20:05
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Also when is MLK weekend? Apparently that's when FSOA invites are supposed to go out?
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Jan 12, 2010 20:06
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SWATJester posted:Also when is MLK weekend? Apparently that's when FSOA invites are supposed to go out? This weekend, MLK day is Monday.
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Jan 12, 2010 20:36
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Not talking USAJobs, going by the positions offered on an embassy's HR page. (Or this could be specific to Thailand.) Oh that's going to be country specific direct hire for that position jobs only. Foreign service positions typically don't require 4/4's.
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Jan 12, 2010 21:22
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Not talking USAJobs, going by the positions offered on an embassy's HR page. (Or this could be specific to Thailand.) As Vile mentioned, Jobs advertised on Embassy websites are not FSO/FSS job advertisements. We have an internal bid program. Jobs offered on HR websites are typically LES (locally engaged staff). For example, I just interviewed and hired one of those types of advertisements, and the requirements was 4/4 in 4 languages. Now, I'm not sure our 4/4 is the same as getting 4/4 at FSI 
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Jan 13, 2010 06:58
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TCD posted:As Vile mentioned, Jobs advertised on Embassy websites are not FSO/FSS job advertisements. We have an internal bid program. Jobs offered on HR websites are typically LES (locally engaged staff). For example, I just interviewed and hired one of those types of advertisements, and the requirements was 4/4 in 4 languages. Now, I'm not sure our 4/4 is the same as getting 4/4 at FSI Ah, are you saying it's self-assessed, rather than assessed by the State Department? That makes sense I suppose, given the expense of testing. Interesting food for thought. Hey, looked what popped up on my Tweeter feed: dos_interns posted:
quote:The application period for the Career Entry Program is now OPEN. We accept applications every six months. Applications should be sent electronically to Lana Chung at chunglw@state.gov between Monday, January 11, 2010 (12:00am) and Sunday, January 17, 2010 (11:59pm deadline). Late submissions will NOT be accepted. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 04:34 on Jan 14, 2010 |
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Jan 14, 2010 04:29
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Pompous Rhombus posted:
What is this?
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Jan 14, 2010 04:49
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Yeah, I'm not really seeing anything on the link about what exactly the Career Entry Program entails. Is it just a twice-yearly hiring period to start in those various areas?
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Jan 14, 2010 06:12
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Pompous Rhombus posted:
Do you think a 'statement of interest' means cover-letter or do they just want you to state what program/programs you are interested in applying for?
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Jan 14, 2010 06:17
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Those don't look like foreign service positions, just GS.
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Jan 14, 2010 14:16
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Vilerat posted:Those don't look like foreign service positions, just GS. From my research it looks like these positions are 'entry level' foreign service positions. You complete two years of this program and then you pretty much a shoe-in for an actual foreign service position. So it looks like an internship of sorts, but it still looks ultra competitive. Omits-Bagels fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Jan 14, 2010 |
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Jan 14, 2010 14:39
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I'm almost certain that is the State Department's version of the Federal Career Intern Program, where you can "intern" for 2 years after you graduate college and if they like you, it converts to a direct hire position. I knew a guy who did that at DoJ, but he ended up going to the USMS before he finished up. But looking at the list, those definitely convert to civil service positions. Through OPM http://www.opm.gov/FedLDP/ProgramDetails.aspx?ProgramID=34 quote:Career Entry Program
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Jan 14, 2010 17:59
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Omits-Bagels posted:From my research it looks like these positions are 'entry level' foreign service positions. You complete two years of this program and then you pretty much a shoe-in for an actual foreign service position. Uhhh I don't think we do that. Do we?
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Jan 14, 2010 18:11
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Xandu posted:I'm almost certain that is the State Department's version of the Federal Career Intern Program, where you can "intern" for 2 years after you graduate college and if they like you, it converts to a direct hire position. I knew a guy who did that at DoJ, but he ended up going to the USMS before he finished up. I've heard some people say that it was a loophole for elite student to get into the foreign service (without all the mysterious tests/interviews). Supposedly pretty much everyone has an MA from a top IR school and there are a few PhDs thrown in there. I'm still going to apply though.
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Jan 14, 2010 18:12
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Yeah that's not Foreign Service. That's a way to work for state as a GS employee.
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Jan 14, 2010 18:34
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Well you are based in DC, so be aware of that going in. Those civil service positions can be really competitive though. My former teacher is a an foreign specialist and he was a Fulbright scholar and has a MA and PHD from top DC schools.
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Jan 14, 2010 18:36
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Xandu posted:Well you are based in DC, so be aware of that going in. Those civil service positions can be really competitive though. My former teacher is a an foreign specialist and he was a Fulbright scholar and has a MA and PHD from top DC schools. Yeah just as long as you don't think this is a way to transition into the Foreign Service. If you become a GS employee you still have to go through the normal hiring process if you want to become a FS employee.
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Jan 14, 2010 18:46
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Anyone get any updates on that courier position from a while back?
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Jan 14, 2010 20:07
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