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Vilerat posted:Are you an IMS who wants to learn a foreign language? Heh, that's the trade-off for getting language incentive pay for a 2/2 and being eligible for overtime pay! But isn't this more of an issue with the specialist assignments system, and not really an FSI issue?
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Feb 26, 2010 15:42
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Business of Ferrets posted:Heh, that's the trade-off for getting language incentive pay for a 2/2 and being eligible for overtime pay! They don't really take into consideration that people need to actually live in some of these places sometimes. Yeah I wouldn't need french to do my job in N'djamena but it would really help for our quality of life. I think it's a valid gripe that they don't really care about but in the grand scheme it's a small gripe. Ordering via phrase book can be fun! It's a bitch sometimes though when you want something simple and easily attainable but just can't figure out the words. In Cotonou I ordered a beer. I got a bottle of beer but I saw people with fresh draft beer and tried pointing, tried making pouring motions with a lever, tried using sound effects to show that I wanted a draft beer, no luck. Then some french guy who was laughing at me explained "Biere Pression" so I said it and sure enough there's my beer. This job owns.
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Feb 26, 2010 15:51
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Business of Ferrets posted:The FSOs I know who are most unhappy have some part of their lives that cannot harmonize with the FS lifestyle. Usually this means that their spouse or significant other lives far away from them to keep a job back home or in another country. I have known two or three officers -- incidentally, all women -- who have resigned due to the stress from this kind of situation. But yeah, besides stuff like that, the job is fun. But plenty of people live with their spouse and both partners enjoy the lifestyle? Do they give language training to spouses?
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Feb 26, 2010 16:09
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shmoop posted:I joined SA for the express purpose of posting it (We need to make sure Lowtax gets us some sort of kickback for the  )shmoop posted:Anyway, I recently completed an MBA program, and the State Department came to my attention as a potential employer when they came on campus a couple of times to recruit. They emphasized repeatedly that we should be seeking a position within the Management track, as the requisite skillset there has considerable overlap with the MBA curriculum. They also cited the opportunity for comparatively rapid advancement owing to a general deficit of management officers. Though there are probably some overlaps in skill sets between Mgmt officers and MBA grads, the recruiters were likely touting the management track because it is historically the most under-subscribed track. Personally, I think MBA grads have more relevance as economic officers. Being able to look at a company or an industry and quickly determine the problems/strong points can lead to valuable reporting and analysis. This sounds like it might be more what you are looking for. On the other hand, the management officers I know seem to really like their jobs, and I imagine an MBA would be useful for managing high-dollar-figure programs and projects, HR issues, etc. shmoop posted:At the time I knew little about the functional specializations beyond what I had been told and read in the official literature, but their pitch seemed logical, and with the registration deadline looming I chose the Management track. Having had the better part of a year to reflect upon that decision, I now find myself with a number of questions and concerns. I know that management FSOs and specialists compete with each other for management assignments, so it is safe to say the particular job descriptions (e.g., for a Human Resources Officer position) are identical. I've worked with people from both groups, and really haven't noticed a difference. You're right that there probably is some added flexibility for generalists, though. shmoop posted:Secondly is the issue of language training. As it was a graduation prerequisite, and having interned abroad, I currently speak a couple of languages with reasonable fluency, but so far I have only Western European tongues - nothing especially interesting. I had hoped that as part of a State Department career I might have the opportunity to cultivate proficiency in at least one Asian language, and maybe something from Eastern Europe, or Arabic. However, several accounts I have read indicate that advanced language training is often unavailable to both Consular and Management Officers. In fact, in a recent issue of the official State Department magazine, a cited advantage of choosing the Management track was that you didn't "have to" use foreign languages much, as you were mostly inside the embassy anyway. I find this prospect a tad depressing. While I recognize that everyone generally does a Consular tour or two in the beginning, specialization sets in at the mid-career level, and the idea of spending that time living 100% inside an Anglo-bubble is unappealing. From what I've seen, you might be on to something here. I think it might come through when post needs a management officer right away and the language training is cut to allow the position to be filled more quickly. And I would bet (though I don't know) that it would be trickier for management officers to get "beyond level three" advanced language time. But I know at least one management specialist who got the full second year of an Asian language before coming to post. So YMMV. shmoop posted:Lastly is more a question of subjectivity. I attended an information session with a Diplomat in Residence at a university, and he was an interesting fellow. I believe he was a Minister-Counselor, if that means anything to anybody. In any case, the information session was poorly attended, so we had plenty of time to chat. He painted a happy enough picture of life in the foreign service, and had some good stories. But when he asked what cone I was applying for, and I explained that I had chosen Management, I'd swear he got a "Jesus! God!" look on his face, and he went on to explain that it was a "thankless, thankless" job. He essentially acted as if I was taking one for the team. Now if a man whose job is to sell me on the merits of the FS, or at least not portray it negatively, is warning me - that has me concerned. There is a whole structure of senior management positions at the Department in DC and overseas, as Management Counselors at embassies, so there are definitely jobs at the senior level. Many of these positions, though, do not work the traditional foreign policy issues that political and economic officers tend to dominate. So there is a definite career path, but it probably has a lower chance of ending in a desirable ambassadorship, though that is not necessarily a reason not to make a career in management. One thing that should be said is that the management track at State is not the same as the executive CXO-track you have in the corporate world. Overseas, the last word is the ambassador, and the daily running of the mission falls to the DCM, who, as you noted, may or (most likely) may not be a management officer. Below the DCM is probably the senior Mgmt officer in country, the Management Counselor. In DC, the geographic bureaus, which focus on political and economic issues, tend to steer policy. Mgmt officers will certainly inform and shape parts of the policy, but generally from an administrative or budget standpoint. So that is something to keep in mind.
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Feb 26, 2010 16:52
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I don't know why Management is a generalist cone. The jobs that feed into it (HR/FIN/IRM/GSO) are all jobs that are specialist positions or in the case of GSO, should be.
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Feb 26, 2010 20:56
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xanthig posted:Did you figure out of they were calling people out in order of candidate number? the last people called in to receive their scores are the ones who passed. Once you get the offer there is a lot of admin stuff you need to take care of that will take a half hour or more. A 5.5 is awesome. There's a great chance that you'll get an offer. Congratulations. quote:To do what you did, you got at least a 6.1 on the interview. Seriously people. The structured interview is the easiest part to rake up big points. It is also the easiest part to prepare for. quote:To add another opinion to the fire, I would agree with others that the FSOT is disturbingly easy, the QEP oddly inscrutable, and the OA a decent test of poise and verbal ability, but perhaps a touch overly dependent on luck. The written exam historically has a ~30% pass rate. This is notable because those interested in the foreign service are already a self-selected group. If given to the general population the pass rate would likely be much lower. So while we can say that it is disturbingly easy, I think big picture it is safe to call it a difficult test. I mean there is nothing hard per se on the questions - you either know the answer or you don't. The QEP is just confusing, and I definitely agree with the OA's being overly dependent on luck at least with respect to the group exercise. quote:After all, the skills you learn there are readily applicable to the private sector. It may not, however, be a viable choice for a full career. An informal survey of State's website reveals extremely few officers at the DCM, much less Ambassadorial level who came from any cones other than Political or Economic, State's repeated protestations notwithstanding. Business of Ferrets addressed this better than I can hope to. But I think some perspective is due. So management cones are underrepresented at the DCM and Ambassadorial level. So what? What percentage of FSO's make it to DCM or Ambassador? I would wager surprisingly few. I think that making it to FS-1 is considered the culmination of a successful career for a FSO. To say that you are hesitant to pursue a certain path because you won't make DCM is like someone hesitating to join a particular military skill because he is less likely to make General, or hesitating to getting hired at a Fortune 50 company because there's no clear career track to CEO. All of those are long shots and should not be the primary factor in making a career choice Happydayz fucked around with this message at 01:01 on Feb 27, 2010 |
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Feb 27, 2010 00:52
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If I were to apply to be a consulate, would visible tattoos be a problem? I don't have anything on my neck or hands or anything like that, but if I've got a sleeve or something, will it affect my chances? I assume I'll be wearing suits forever so it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I guess its prudent to ask.
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Feb 27, 2010 02:02
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Omits-Bagels posted:But plenty of people live with their spouse and both partners enjoy the lifestyle? This seems to be the norm. The initial transition for my wife was a bit difficult, as she has a tough time saying goodbye to friends. But once she saw how interesting it was to live overseas and got a taste of having domestic help around the house, she became a believer. She now also appreciates the excellent private education available to the kids. Omits-Bagels posted:Do they give language training to spouses? Language training for spouses is available on a space-available basis at FSI. Most spouses (and same-sex partners now, I think) get to attend if desired, though if there is a real crunch employees have priority. If the spouse enrolls, they are committed for the duration and expected to participate fully. It is a fantastic perk and easiest for people without kids/job/etc. Others do it too, but they have to make trade-offs (day care or quitting the job, etc.)
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Feb 27, 2010 04:09
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Business of Ferrets posted:Language training for spouses is available on a space-available basis at FSI. Most spouses (and same-sex partners now, I think) get to attend if desired, though if there is a real crunch employees have priority. If the spouse enrolls, they are committed for the duration and expected to participate fully. It is a fantastic perk and easiest for people without kids/job/etc. Others do it too, but they have to make trade-offs (day care or quitting the job, etc.) Plan B: Marry an FSO.
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Feb 27, 2010 13:20
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Paytizzle posted:If I were to apply to be a consulate, would visible tattoos be a problem? I don't have anything on my neck or hands or anything like that, but if I've got a sleeve or something, will it affect my chances? This was addressed on page 16. Short answer is that if nobody sees it, it won't be a problem.
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Feb 27, 2010 16:03
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Business of Ferrets posted:This was addressed on page 16. You caught me  Thank you very much.
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Feb 27, 2010 19:13
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Vilerat posted:They don't really take into consideration that people need to actually live in some of these places sometimes. Yeah I wouldn't need french to do my job in N'djamena but it would really help for our quality of life. I think it's a valid gripe that they don't really care about but in the grand scheme it's a small gripe. Ordering via phrase book can be fun! It's a bitch sometimes though when you want something simple and easily attainable but just can't figure out the words. In Cotonou I ordered a beer. I got a bottle of beer but I saw people with fresh draft beer and tried pointing, tried making pouring motions with a lever, tried using sound effects to show that I wanted a draft beer, no luck. Then some french guy who was laughing at me explained "Biere Pression" so I said it and sure enough there's my beer. This job owns.
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Feb 28, 2010 20:39
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Skandiaavity posted:Hey, cool! We're taking it on the same day! Afternoon or Evening? Afternoon. Also: need to study, need to study.. Question: It seems to me that you get a certain offer for a certain cone based on your performance. That is, you may apply for political cone and they may only offer Management or Consular. It's also been said that it is very hard or nearly impossible to switch cones once you're in. If cone offer was a deal breaker* (for instance, if a candidate was not interested in being a consular officer but extremely interested in something else) would it be better for them to reject the offer and try again for a higher score? Or is a rejection basically killing your chances of ever getting reoffered? *I don't care. I want to go political but would probably live with another cone just for the sake of the job and lifestyle.
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Feb 28, 2010 21:54
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Not how it works. If you registered as Pol, you're not going to get an A-1000 offer in Mgt. -e- What you can do is if you don't get in with a good score on the cone you want, you can reapply in a different cone from scratch (retake the FSOT, QEP, OA) and hope you pass. The two scores are treated separately as far as I understand. Though apparently there is some 365 day rule about it so it's not really a quick process.
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Feb 28, 2010 22:17
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ah, I'm in the evening. Have a bunch of meetings I can't miss in the afternoon. Checking my schedule, it looks like I'm having to go into this year's test blind, too. Haven't any time to study except for right now and about thirty minutes tomorrow. any quickie pointers? I've got most of constitution/bill of rights memorized.
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Mar 1, 2010 02:45
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FSOT? Know what major branches of the federal government do. (Which branch of the US Government has the power to enter into treaties with foreign governments) Know what the major agencies within the federal government do, and who they report to. (Which federal agency has authority over unfair restraints of trade? What is the position of the leadership of the FCC called?) Know a little bit about major legislation from the past 50 years. (Which of these bills did not pass?) Know a little bit about trade (Which of these countries has the most foreign trade with the US?) etc.
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Mar 1, 2010 12:55
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SWATJester posted:Not how it works. If you registered as Pol, you're not going to get an A-1000 offer in Mgt. This is correct. Each candidacy is discrete from the others. Incidentally, Miss Fats (and others mulling this over), Econ might be what you're looking for if you're worried about making the high point requirement for Political but still want to be a reporting officer. Econ requires a score much lower than Pol or PD for an offer, and the work is not altogether different from political work; FSO economic officers are not so much economists as they are specialists in political economy. So there is lots of reporting on economic and business events and trends, but no real number crunching or quantitative analysis. Interestingly, Econ is probably one of the best tracks for finding work outside the government, too. Still, I stand by my view that choosing an easier track just to get hired is a bit disingenuous; it would be a shame to really blow away your next FSOA with like a 5.7 -- which would be strong enough to get an offer in any track -- and know you will nonetheless be stuck in your second choice.
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Mar 1, 2010 16:17
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Thanks for the tips. I applied for political as it's what I want to do. I was just confused by all the different talk about getting offers. I assume it doesn't matter what I wear to this test, right?
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Mar 1, 2010 17:04
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SWATJester & TCD posted:Kramerbooks. Oh my god, you were both so right about this place. I had a love affair with their steak sandwich.
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Mar 1, 2010 17:22
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Kramerbooks is one of those places that everyone in DC knows about, and everyone who bothers to look anything up knows about, but since so many tourists are retarded they don't know about it. So then they go to Old Ebbit's Grill. Ironically, Kramerbooks kind of sucks as a bookstore. There's a WAY better one up in NW DC called Politics and Prose. I seriously recommend that every person with an interest in working for State, either as an FSO or otherwise, go to Politics and Prose at some point. The sheer selection and breadth of authorship there is unbelievable, and pretty much every day they have author talks and discussions that are fantastic. Plus you get 20% off the book at is author's event. http://www.politics-prose.com/ For instance, Friday they're having a Q+A with Mark Perry, author of Talking to Terrorists. "Perry, a military, intelligence, and foreign-affairs analyst, has spent some 20 years in and out of the Middle East, where he sometimes engaged in secret meetings with members of terrorist groups. His new book argues that face-to-face dialogue with representatives of organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah can define specific and addressable grievances."
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Mar 1, 2010 17:54
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Another thing you can do to get your head straight on which track you want to take is to get a copy of "Inside a US Embassy" It gives a glimpse into the workday of each of the different tracks, allowing you to get a feel as to whether or not it's for you. I also found it helpful in preparing for the OA; it gave me a sense of how things are handled in an emergency. And although I did just fail the OA, I may not have passed the SI without having read this book.
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Mar 1, 2010 18:42
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Miss Fats posted:I assume it doesn't matter what I wear to this FSOT, right? I ask because it starts in 2 hours and I would rather study than change. I assume it's just some test center worker who doesn't care that I'm wearing sweatpants and a tshirt.
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Mar 1, 2010 18:56
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Miss Fats posted:I ask because it starts in 2 hours and I would rather study than change. I assume it's just some test center worker who doesn't care that I'm wearing sweatpants and a tshirt. doesn't matter a bit. Your assumption is correct. edit: unless you're testing at an embassy.
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Mar 1, 2010 18:58
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xanthig posted:doesn't matter a bit. Your assumption is correct. I am testing at the "Moberly Area Community College Career Center, ACT, Room C-2." Sweatpants it is.
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Mar 1, 2010 20:03
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SWATJester posted:
Thanks for the link, this is going to save me so much money in shipping; Borders sucks for poli-sci/IR books. edit: Busboys and Poets also has pretty cool events. Xandu fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Mar 1, 2010 |
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Mar 1, 2010 21:57
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Xandu posted:Thanks for the link, this is going to save me so much money in shipping; Borders sucks for poli-sci/IR books. Busboys and Poets is p cool too. The thing I really love about Politics and Prose though is the kind of customer it gets. It would suck if the Authors Events were attended by morons, but the audience there are genuinely well informed. Also their bookshelves are studded with "Staff picks". The first book I ever got there was "Pop Apocalypse" . The staff gave it a glowing review so I picked it up and it is to date the best fiction book I've ever read.
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Mar 1, 2010 22:11
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quote:The United States and its Freedom Coalition allies are conducting serial invasions across the globe, including an attack on the anti-capitalist rebels of Northern California. The Middle East—now a single consumerist Caliphate led by Lebanese pop singer Caliph Fred—is in an uproar after an attack on the al-Aqsa Mosque gets televised on the Holy Land Channel. This is like the opposite of subtle satire, but it sounds so amazing.
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Mar 1, 2010 22:20
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Actually the majority of the book isn't about that. Basically the "subtle satire" part of the book involves the concept that social media has become so ingrained in the future of the country, that you eventually become able to trade your name on a sort of stock exchange. So things like celebrity sex tapes and reality TV actually literally become the world economy. It's basically as awesome as you think it sounds, and then it gets better.
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Mar 1, 2010 22:29
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Politics and Prose needs to not be way the gently caress up the redline. I'm sure that helps in keeping the audience free from know-it-all college kids and far left/right zanies, but Kramer's really takes the cake due to the sheer convenience factor of being right in Dupont Circle.
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Mar 2, 2010 01:25
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Welp, just took the FSOT. I got the loaded "Immigration" question and finished it with less than a second to spare. Hope that period made it in, and hope I make it to the QEP.
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Mar 2, 2010 03:09
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Happydayz posted:Politics and Prose needs to not be way the gently caress up the redline. I'm sure that helps in keeping the audience free from know-it-all college kids and far left/right zanies, but Kramer's really takes the cake due to the sheer convenience factor of being right in Dupont Circle. It's fine for me because I'm way the gently caress up on the red line near it. But Kramers also has the benefit of getting drunk.
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Mar 2, 2010 03:56
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Finished the FSOT earlier today. I'm not sure what's covered on the NDA but I figured you guys could let me know (those who do know) if you have questions and I'll answer with your ok. I was pretty comfortable with the job knowledge and English questions. I am also fairly confident in my essay. The biographical part I have no read on. I think I did well but who knows. Here's to you, Last-Minute-Cramming.
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Mar 2, 2010 04:10
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maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Nov 29, 2013 |
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Mar 2, 2010 04:25
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it was covered earlier, but an IT Specialist in the FS is basically an all-in-one Systems Administrator. Has all of the duties, but you may or may not be given a specific duty at one time. Say this month you're doing a network install of outlook 2k7 and next month you're a help desk guy, then the following month you're installing Phones. The load gets dissolved with the bigger the embassy (more people to do the work), but at smaller embassies people have mentioned that they've been the sitting as the ISO role/level due to no one else being available. Room/Board Allowances should be provided, but 'Cost of Living' isn't. You'll get money for rent, but don't expect to live in a swank high-rise? FS, like government jobs, pays way less than the private sector, [not sure if there's a FS Special Track for IT, though]
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Mar 2, 2010 15:44
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GregNorc posted:I plan to work for a bit between college and grad school (possibly writing a novel in the process). I dunno how long "a bit" is in your case, but the hiring process at State seems to be pretty drat lengthy. There are plenty of Peace Corps positions that utilize IT, IIRC.
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Mar 2, 2010 17:01
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Skandiaavity posted:it was covered earlier, but an IT Specialist in the FS is basically an all-in-one Systems Administrator. Has all of the duties, but you may or may not be given a specific duty at one time. Say this month you're doing a network install of outlook 2k7 and next month you're a help desk guy, then the following month you're installing Phones. The load gets dissolved with the bigger the embassy (more people to do the work), but at smaller embassies people have mentioned that they've been the sitting as the ISO role/level due to no one else being available. Er... That's somewhat correct. Depending on the size of your post you could either be doing everything, or specializing in one section. I'm at a one person IT post so I do the classified and unclassified sides. I do the Phone switch, I manage the radio program, I run the pouch system. I'm also the Management officer right now so whoah. quote:Does anyone know anything about what being an IT specialist with the Foreign Service entails? (IE what's the pay like? Do they provide room/board? Will I just be a help desk jockey or actually doing some actual systems admin stuff? Your pay as an IT person is identical to an FSO in the same grade/step. http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/134927.pdf I do not know if you can see this, if you can't let me know and I'll rehost. As an IT person you start at FS-05/FS-06 depending on experience and education. It is more likely you come in as a 5 however. Your housing is identical to FSO's as well as the housing guidelines only look at your family size and grade. After 18 months you are administratively promoted to FS-04 and from there on out it's a competative promotion on up. You WILL receive embassy housing from the housing pool when you reach post but there are some posts that use something called LQA which is a quarters allowance. This is rare however and even then they give you a lot of money for housing, enough to rent a real nice house downtown in a major city. You also receive locality pay and depending on how bad the country you live in, a percentage differential to make up for how bad your country sucks. While you CAN make more in the private sector, the pay is very competative and being tenured as an IT person rules.
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Mar 2, 2010 17:20
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Skandiaavity posted:it was covered earlier, but an IT Specialist in the FS is basically an all-in-one Systems Administrator. Has all of the duties, but you may or may not be given a specific duty at one time. Say this month you're doing a network install of outlook 2k7 and next month you're a help desk guy, then the following month you're installing Phones. The load gets dissolved with the bigger the embassy (more people to do the work), but at smaller embassies people have mentioned that they've been the sitting as the ISO role/level due to no one else being available. Hey Skand, I know you mean well but, what you're saying is only partially correct... Let the few IMS/IMTS or other people in the FS actually answer the questions. And by the way, FS (officers and specialists) also receive COLA depending on the Post.
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Mar 2, 2010 18:56
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I've got a question about the way that post hardship differentials figure into how FSOs get paid. I know that a law was recently passed that is aimed at eliminating the pay disparity between folks staying in DC and those at a post abroad. Going forward will the hardship differentials be calculated based on the base salary or adjusted-to-match-DC salary?
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Mar 2, 2010 20:17
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maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Apr 28, 2019 |
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Mar 2, 2010 20:31
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GregNorc posted:How early would I want to apply? I'm graduating next may. Apply for the written now. You should still be able to get in on the June cohort. If you pass that, the QEP is in July, and your oral testing window would be between Nov- Feb. Take your orals late into the cycle, if you pass you could have your clearance as early as late may, as opposed to taking the OA early into the cycle where you could end up on the roster in mid-march.
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Mar 2, 2010 21:10
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