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Gin and Juche
Apr 3, 2008

The Highest Judge of Paradise
Shiki Eiki
YAMAXANADU
So what's the best thing to do around here for St. Pat's weekend? I was thinking of giving Dupont Circle a try.

Edit: vvv Well I was in The Ocean Walker...

Gin and Juche fucked around with this message at 23:54 on Mar 14, 2014

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TCD
Nov 13, 2002

Every step, a fucking adventure.

Gravel Gravy posted:

So what's the best thing to do around here for St. Pat's weekend? I was thinking of giving Dupont Circle a try.

I was going to walk to Piccadilly Circus.

Skandiaavity
Apr 20, 2005

TCD posted:

I'd love a Mexico City gig.


Also, I really can't wait for tomorrow afternoon.

one of the guys i work with just left for there.

(i am still holding out for a panama gig)

tismondo
Dec 14, 2005

Take that, subspace!
I realize this is much shorter notice than the 1-week window that is customary in this thread, but would anyone be willing to take a look at 4 of my PNQs? I'm still struggling with two of them, but getting a review of the four I've finished would be a big help.

They're due Wednesday at midnight.

TCD
Nov 13, 2002

Every step, a fucking adventure.

Skandiaavity posted:

one of the guys i work with just left for there.

(i am still holding out for a panama gig)

I just talked to a guy that's going there.

Zoots
Apr 19, 2007

No passport for you.

tismondo posted:

I realize this is much shorter notice than the 1-week window that is customary in this thread, but would anyone be willing to take a look at 4 of my PNQs? I'm still struggling with two of them, but getting a review of the four I've finished would be a big help.

They're due Wednesday at midnight.

Yeah, I'd be happy to. Can you PM them my way with a preferred e-mail address? I'll send them back with Word tracked changes.

Skandiaavity
Apr 20, 2005

TCD posted:

I just talked to a guy that's going there.

Initials JP?

tismondo
Dec 14, 2005

Take that, subspace!

Zoots posted:

Yeah, I'd be happy to. Can you PM them my way with a preferred e-mail address? I'll send them back with Word tracked changes.

PM sent. Thank you!

the_chavi
Mar 2, 2005

Toilet Rascal
Happy to look at PNQs for anyone who needs them. PM me your email and I'll write back with mine.

Also, which one of you A100 goons just added me on Office Messenger?

TCD
Nov 13, 2002

Every step, a fucking adventure.

Skandiaavity posted:

Initials JP?

Nope.

the_chavi
Mar 2, 2005

Toilet Rascal
Snow days... when the board games start at noon and the drinking starts at one.

Gin and Juche
Apr 3, 2008

The Highest Judge of Paradise
Shiki Eiki
YAMAXANADU

the_chavi posted:

Snow days... when the board games start at noon and the drinking starts at one.

While I did enjoy not having to wake up at 5am I am kind of disappointed in that I was supposed to hear John Kerry host a talk for us interns later today. Hopefully it will get rescheduled, but I kinda doubt it.

Shageletic
Jul 25, 2007

the_chavi posted:

Happy to look at PNQs for anyone who needs them. PM me your email and I'll write back with mine.

Also, which one of you A100 goons just added me on Office Messenger?

PM'd you about seeing your PNQ. If anyone else is willing to share theirs, it would be a major help. Thanks.

Skandiaavity
Apr 20, 2005

Gravel Gravy posted:

While I did enjoy not having to wake up at 5am I am kind of disappointed in that I was supposed to hear John Kerry host a talk for us interns later today. Hopefully it will get rescheduled, but I kinda doubt it.

the town hall is still on, I think. :>

Gin and Juche
Apr 3, 2008

The Highest Judge of Paradise
Shiki Eiki
YAMAXANADU

Skandiaavity posted:

the town hall is still on, I think. :>

Awesome, just got that message. Maybe I'll see some of you guys down there.

CAPS LOCK BROKEN
Feb 1, 2006

by Fluffdaddy
Holy dick, I took the practice exam 1 on the state website and it said my chances of passing the first part was >99%. However, I flubbed the grammar a bit and my chance of passing that section was 5%. Overall it said my chance of passing was 85%. Do you have to pass each subsection or do they only consider the composite score?

Total Confusion
Oct 9, 2004

Peven Stan posted:

Do you have to pass each subsection or do they only consider the composite score?

You only need a composite score of 154 or higher.

tismondo
Dec 14, 2005

Take that, subspace!
PNQs submitted! I swear, it's easier to write a 50 page paper than 6x200 word essays about yourself... The perfectionist in me had me editing until 10 minutes before the deadline. A big thank you to all the goons who offered to help out with reviews! My PNQs are a million times better than they were last year, and I think I really have a handle on what they're looking for now. Crossing my fingers for good news in a couple months.

Econosaurus
Sep 22, 2008

Successfully predicted nine of the last five recessions

So now that I've submitted my PNQ's (I wish I had thought to come here for editing advice, but oh well), I'm thinking about the actual QEP. How much does your foreign service exam score factor into it? I scored a 174 on the test proper, but thanks to trying to add an extra sentence with 15 seconds to go, my essay got pretty garbled and I only scored a 6. There's nothing I can do about it now, but I'm just curious.

tismondo
Dec 14, 2005

Take that, subspace!

Econosaurus posted:

So now that I've submitted my PNQ's (I wish I had thought to come here for editing advice, but oh well), I'm thinking about the actual QEP. How much does your foreign service exam score factor into it? I scored a 174 on the test proper, but thanks to trying to add an extra sentence with 15 seconds to go, my essay got pretty garbled and I only scored a 6. There's nothing I can do about it now, but I'm just curious.
The QEP is kind of a black box... They never give any feedback other than a final thumbs up or thumbs down, and the panel members rotate regularly so it's conceivable that individuals influence the process from year to year. No one except the people in the room really know what matters more.

Continuous
Jan 5, 2013

Econosaurus posted:

So now that I've submitted my PNQ's (I wish I had thought to come here for editing advice, but oh well), I'm thinking about the actual QEP. How much does your foreign service exam score factor into it? I scored a 174 on the test proper, but thanks to trying to add an extra sentence with 15 seconds to go, my essay got pretty garbled and I only scored a 6. There's nothing I can do about it now, but I'm just curious.

I have no special insight into this, but I suspect that your FSOT score matters a good deal.

The only change between when I failed the QEP and when I passed it -- other than 1 more year of work experience-- was that my FSOT score improved fairly dramatically.

P.S. my essay score was pretty bad, so I wouldn't stress too much about it.

Shageletic
Jul 25, 2007

Well my FSOT grade was pretty crap, so here's hoping the essay is enough to pull me through!

TCD
Nov 13, 2002

Every step, a fucking adventure.
Somebody just showed us a picture of Baghdad's IPC... from 1981 :monocle:

zzonkmiles
Mar 3, 2014

Oh, he was just arbitrarily saying stuff.

tismondo posted:

The QEP is kind of a black box... They never give any feedback other than a final thumbs up or thumbs down, and the panel members rotate regularly so it's conceivable that individuals influence the process from year to year. No one except the people in the room really know what matters more.

^

What he said.

State says that your FSOT scores (including the essay), your self-declared language proficiency and your resume are all taken into consideration. The BEX establishes a "cut-off score" which varies from cohort to cohort and from cone to cone. Candidates exceeding this score are invited to the OA; candidates who don't meet this score are relegated to taking the FSOT again one year later.

In my three attempts, I was only invited to the OA on my last attempt and I had a 173/8 on the FSOT. My scores on my two previous attempts were also passing, but lower than this. When I took my (failed) OA earlier this month, the assessors said that the QEP for our cohort was very strict because the registers had too many candidates. So I'd imagine the QEP for the February 2014 cohort will also be really strict. Once the registers thin out a bit and once State hires at more than attrition again, the QEP may become a bit less severe.

Gin and Juche
Apr 3, 2008

The Highest Judge of Paradise
Shiki Eiki
YAMAXANADU

Shageletic posted:

Well my FSOT grade was pretty crap, so here's hoping the essay is enough to pull me through!

Maybe I am misunderstand your post, but when I took the FSOT there was a cutoff that you had to meet otherwise they wouldn't even look at the essay.

zzonkmiles
Mar 3, 2014

Oh, he was just arbitrarily saying stuff.

Gravel Gravy posted:

Maybe I am misunderstand your post, but when I took the FSOT there was a cutoff that you had to meet otherwise they wouldn't even look at the essay.

The 154/6 cutoff still exists. I think what he means is that even though he passed the FSOT, his score was probably in the mid-150s to low-160s or so, rather than in the 180s. Kinda like saying a 5.4 is a meh OA score even though it's passing. Someone who got a 5.8 would say that's a good score.

Shageletic
Jul 25, 2007

Gravel Gravy posted:

Maybe I am misunderstand your post, but when I took the FSOT there was a cutoff that you had to meet otherwise they wouldn't even look at the essay.

Yeah basically. Got a 157, not proud of it. Should have taken it more seriously.

psydude
Apr 1, 2008

Heartache is powerful, but democracy is *subtle*.
They just opened up the IMS announcement. Do they do decentralized interviews at the embassies, or do you HAVE to go to DC?

problematique
Apr 3, 2008

What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step. It is always the same step, but you have to take it.
You have to go to DC.

Exculpatrix
Jan 23, 2010
I posted in this thread about a month ago, to talk about the recruitment process for the British Diplomatic Service. I found out yesterday that I passed the last round of testing and will (pending security clearance) be starting at the Foreign Office in November. So that's pretty exciting, and if any of you ever end up posted to London possibly we'll interact in some manner.

tismondo
Dec 14, 2005

Take that, subspace!

Exculpatrix posted:

starting at the Foreign Office in November.
Awesome news! Congratulations.

The Mantis
Jul 19, 2004

what is yall sayin?

Exculpatrix posted:

I posted in this thread about a month ago, to talk about the recruitment process for the British Diplomatic Service. I found out yesterday that I passed the last round of testing and will (pending security clearance) be starting at the Foreign Office in November. So that's pretty exciting, and if any of you ever end up posted to London possibly we'll interact in some manner.

Woah! I've talked to a number of friends who haven't made it that far - that's huge!!

I'm going through clearance now. All my docs age submitted and interviews completed - is there any way to check the status of my case?

So little info :ohdear:

problematique
Apr 3, 2008

What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step. It is always the same step, but you have to take it.

Exculpatrix posted:

I posted in this thread about a month ago, to talk about the recruitment process for the British Diplomatic Service. I found out yesterday that I passed the last round of testing and will (pending security clearance) be starting at the Foreign Office in November. So that's pretty exciting, and if any of you ever end up posted to London possibly we'll interact in some manner.

That's fantastic. Congratulations! How is your career path structured? Are you one of the diplomatic services that start all new officers on a "home assignment" before going overseas? I think the US is one of the few that immediately (after a brief training) send officers abroad as the default path.

The Mantis posted:

Woah! I've talked to a number of friends who haven't made it that far - that's huge!!

I'm going through clearance now. All my docs age submitted and interviews completed - is there any way to check the status of my case?

So little info :ohdear:

Have you checked with securityclearance@state.gov?

Exculpatrix
Jan 23, 2010

problematique posted:

That's fantastic. Congratulations! How is your career path structured? Are you one of the diplomatic services that start all new officers on a "home assignment" before going overseas? I think the US is one of the few that immediately (after a brief training) send officers abroad as the default path.


My understanding from talking to people currently there is that everyone does a one year posting here in London in a policy role, then either a one year corporate role or language training, before heading abroad in the third year.

CronoGamer
May 15, 2004

why did this happen

The Mantis posted:


I'm going through clearance now. All my docs age submitted and interviews completed - is there any way to check the status of my case?

So little info :ohdear:

I'm in the same boat! Interviewed two weeks ago, now just playing the waiting game...

Meanwhile, I have a friend who submitted her docs the second week of February, had her interview about ten days later, and had her interim clearance by March 1st. SO MAD.

The Mantis
Jul 19, 2004

what is yall sayin?

Honestly did not know that was a thing! Just reached out. Thanks!

CronoGamer
May 15, 2004

why did this happen
The Mantis-- did you hear back from them yet? And how long had it been since you completed your paperwork and your interview before you sent that email? My interview was in mid-March, so I'm curious, but don't want to be pushy or anything yet...

The Mantis
Jul 19, 2004

what is yall sayin?

CronoGamer posted:

The Mantis-- did you hear back from them yet? And how long had it been since you completed your paperwork and your interview before you sent that email? My interview was in mid-March, so I'm curious, but don't want to be pushy or anything yet...

I'm on the same timeline. I reached out last Friday and heard by Monday.

Just a curt email saying my case is "still pending with investigations."

I assume that means they're still gathering information/trying to track people down?

My plan is to shoot out an email once a month. God knows how long it will all take :-/

d1rtbag
Sep 13, 2012

Eternal Man-Child

The Mantis posted:

I'm on the same timeline. I reached out last Friday and heard by Monday.

Just a curt email saying my case is "still pending with investigations."

I assume that means they're still gathering information/trying to track people down?

My plan is to shoot out an email once a month. God knows how long it will all take :-/

It seems very random. I reached out on a Friday and got the same response, then received notice that I was on the register the following Monday or Tuesday. For perspective I had a boring attorney background, with no close foreign friends, so it was about 2 weeks from interview to register. Others have different experiences, including one of my classmates who was the child of a foreign diplomat, and took 1.5-2 years.

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Skandiaavity
Apr 20, 2005
security clearances (also to a point, medical) are really a mixed bag. What works for some won't necessarily work for others.

Just take your time, be patient and follow up courteously.. I am sure your case manager wants to close the case as badly as you do.

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