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xanthig posted: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. The hiring cycle for specialists (IMS/IMTS) is a bit different. We have an oral exam/interview, but it isn't like the FSOA. I submitted my application, waited a few months to hear it made it passed the QEP. Waited a few more months for my scheduled interview, passed that, and then waited a few months to hear about the clearance process, made it on the roster for IMS(we have rosters just like FSOs), and then finally offered a spot in a hire class. Start to finish was around 12 months. edit: speling 
TCD fucked around with this message at 17:21 on Mar 3, 2010 |
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Mar 3, 2010 06:15
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TCD posted:The hiring cycle for specialists (IMS/IMTS) is a bit different. We have an oral exam/interview, but it isn't like the FSOA. I submitted my application, waited a few months to here it made it passed the QEP. Waited a few more months for my scheduled interview, passed that, and then waited a few months to here about the clearance process, made it on the roster for IMS(we have rosters just like FSOs), and then finally offered a spot in a hire class. Yeah you see we actually have to have pre-existing skills to get in 
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Mar 3, 2010 13:03
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After 10 years of college, the army, and law school I have no pre-existing skills other than shooting people and blowing poo poo up.
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Mar 3, 2010 14:50
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SWATJester posted:I have no pre-existing skills other than shooting people and blowing poo poo up. That's actually really good news because it is also pretty much all you will feel like doing after a day on the visa line.
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Mar 3, 2010 15:58
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BOF, is it that bad? 
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Mar 4, 2010 19:38
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Business of Ferrets posted:That's actually really good news because it is also pretty much all you will feel like doing after a day on the visa line. Line? It's more of a mill really.
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Mar 4, 2010 21:25
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Just got back from my FSOT a little while ago. Test wasn't so bad, though I could have used a bit more time on the writing section. Guess I'll find out if my confidence is justified in 3-5 weeks...
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Mar 5, 2010 00:30
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Add me to the list of goons attempting to invade the State Dept.; I'll be taking the test in a couple of hours.
Ganguro King fucked around with this message at 07:18 on Mar 6, 2010 |
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Mar 5, 2010 03:34
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I felt really confident in most all my answers in the two actual test sections. I really disliked the personal narrative section, partly because I'm fairly inexperienced, having gone right from undergrad to grad school. Then I got to the writing section, and spent half my time on the intro  , and then barely finished in time. That shot my confidence a bit. I got in everything I wanted to say, but didn't get to go back and review at all; I just hope I clear the 7-8 points you need to pass (assuming they even look at it). This particularly sucks because I came in thinking at the very least I would rock the essay. Also, a question about people's experience with the Having lurked this thread for a long time, I just wanted to say it's been extremely informative and interesting. Thanks guys and keep it up  [edit]: QEP =/ PNQ, I've been looking at too many acronyms in the last few weeks Notsosubtle fucked around with this message at 18:38 on Mar 5, 2010 |
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Mar 5, 2010 04:11
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Notsosubtle posted:I really disliked the personal narrative section ME TOO
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Mar 5, 2010 05:09
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Vilerat posted:ME TOO The day before I took the FSO exam I found out I didn't get selected as a PMF finalist. I'm fairly certain I got shafted by the personal narrative part of the assessment. So, in a small and unconfirmed way, I feel your pain. On the bright side, at least I wasn't one of the people who got emails saying they were selected as finalists, only to have it be a mistake on OPM's part.
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Mar 5, 2010 06:13
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MY BOYFRIEND just finished his written exam in NY. It's this third time taking it, and he hopes it's his third time passing, and he hopes it's his third time getting to the final round, and he hopes it's his first time passing through to the hiring stage. I am officially requesting that we pray for him, so I can quit my lovely job and move to Durkastan or Namibia or Colombia with him. Also he said he got the same set of questions, with minor variations, three times in a row.
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Mar 5, 2010 06:52
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According to the yahoo group they got confirmation that some guy passed on his 27th attempt....
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Mar 5, 2010 09:32
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SWATJester posted:According to the yahoo group they got confirmation that some guy passed on his 27th attempt.... Really, people like that should have to pass everything twice in a row just to show it wasn't a fluke. It was Business of Ferrets fucked around with this message at 11:40 on Mar 5, 2010 |
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Mar 5, 2010 11:37
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BigHead posted:MY BOYFRIEND just finished his written exam in NY. It's this third time taking it, and he hopes it's his third time passing, and he hopes it's his third time getting to the final round, and he hopes it's his first time passing through to the hiring stage. I am officially requesting that we pray for him, so I can quit my lovely job and move to Durkastan or Namibia or Colombia with him. Just going to throw out there that Namibia owns. Windhoek is a great city and the beer is awesome.
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Mar 5, 2010 14:00
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I must have gotten the easy PNQ, because they all had a 500 character limits. It was like "DO YOU HAVE MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE" or "DID YOU EVER USE A TELEPHONE BEFORE? PLEASE LIST WHICH JOBS YOU'VE HELD THAT YOU'VE USED A TELEPHONE WITH BEFORE."
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Mar 5, 2010 15:21
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Business of Ferrets posted:Really, people like that should have to pass everything twice in a row just to show it wasn't a fluke. It was what? You don't want to work closely in a far off foreign land with someone who took 20+ tries to pass a personality test?
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Mar 5, 2010 15:35
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Business of Ferrets posted:Really, people like that should have to pass everything twice in a row just to show it wasn't a fluke. It was I was thinking that same thing, but I don't think that it's really necessary given that he'll almost certainly fail out at a later stage of the process.
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Mar 5, 2010 19:59
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Skandiaavity posted:BOF, is it that bad? Sometimes, yes, but not all the time.
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Mar 6, 2010 15:15
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Just got back from taking the test. I think I did okay. My essay turned out much better than I expected. The English section was surprisingly easy, too. I guess I'll find out in 5 weeks.
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Mar 6, 2010 19:39
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Not sure if this has been asked but does anyone know anything about the "Career Entry Program?" It looks like it is a two year entry level program that feeds into being a Foreign Service Officer (I think). But the DoS web page doesn't really explain anything.
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Mar 8, 2010 15:57
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Omits-Bagels posted:Not sure if this has been asked but does anyone know anything about the "Career Entry Program?" Again, 99% of the way into the FS, is through the FSOT and FSOA. However, if you do the CEP program, I'd imagine you'll have a pretty significant advantage on the orals due to insight gained while in the CEP. edit: TCD fucked around with this message at 17:27 on Mar 8, 2010 |
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Mar 8, 2010 17:23
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TCD posted:That appears to be on the Civil Service side. Yeah, I know it is an GS 7 pay-grade.
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Mar 8, 2010 17:35
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Omits-Bagels posted:Yeah, I know it is an GS 7 pay-grade. Well, then it's a feeder into the Civil Service, not Foreign Service.
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Mar 8, 2010 17:47
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Hey guys. Long time lurker, first time poster. I've read the entire thread so far, but may have forgotten parts, so if any of my questions were already asked, please let me know. I've been really interested in the Foreign Service ever since I interned on the FSI campus. Obviously I was bit by the FSO bug because I was surrounded by FS types. All of my questions are super trivial and irrelevant because I still have 2 years of Peace Corps (Central Asia) and probably 2 years of IR grad school (and debt!) ahead of me before I even take the FSOT. That said:
Is there some kind of limit to how much STUFF you can take along with you? Can I order books on Amazon roughly every week or so? Can I have subscriptions to magazines? (Atlantic, The Economist, Harper's, etc) How many people marry within the FS? Is it decently probable that I will fall in love with a fellow FSO when romping around FSI at some point? How difficult is the actual moving process each time? I mean, I'm sure it's no fun, but is it like a serious back breaking ordeal every 2 years? Assuming normal conditions, what is the usual pace of pay grade promotions? What would you say is the "average" yearly salary after, say, 4 years? Double checking: Is all overseas housing paid for completely? Thanks a lot guys! I know you've covered serious job related things and you've definitely covered the FSOT, but I am trying to visualize myself in the FS.
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Mar 10, 2010 07:16
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internetstuff posted:That said: Same thing with all of the magazine subscriptions, although keep in mind, at some pouch posts, mail has been taking around 4 weeks to arrive, so internet based subscriptions might be better. I've only had to move twice so far... Alaska to DC, DC to Post. Been ok both times as you'll have "professional" movers do most of the work. I'm guessing after 4 years, you'll either be a FS-3 or a FS-4, and you should be able to figure out those pay grades online. Housing is taken care of. Sometimes the housing is great, other times it isn't.
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Mar 10, 2010 08:03
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Well, I took the test on Saturday. Pretty good for my second time around. Unfortunately with the way that this testing session fell, I am about to begin my finals this week. Needless to say, I didn't get much of a chance to study. I'm feeling ok about it. If I don't get it, I know exactly why, so I won't feel too bad about it. But if I do pass, I'm going to be putting way more effort into my written section than I did last year.
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Mar 10, 2010 08:21
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TCD posted:I'm guessing after 4 years, you'll either be a FS-3 or a FS-4, and you should be able to figure out those pay grades online. Here are the pay scales. The first chart is the lowest you will ever see, depending on your grade and step, and when overseas (and now during initial training, too, I hear) you will use the "overseas" chart. To figure out what you would make on a domestic assignment, check the chart based on that geographic area (the Washington-Baltimore chart shows what you would make on a DC headquarters tour).
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Mar 10, 2010 08:44
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Hate to be "that guy", but got another update on my courier application. It said "Eligible: Referred to Hiring Official", which is the same thing they sent me a few months ago. Do you think it's just an automated repeat or does it mean it made it through another round of selections or something? Or, who should I ask about this? Edit: Nevermind. Didn't make it through QEP :-\ Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 14:40 on Mar 10, 2010 |
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Mar 10, 2010 12:36
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Thanks guys. I had seen the pay scales before, but I didn't know how rapidly the FS tends to promote people up them. Do you automatically get step increases every year? Do you tend to hit FS-4 or so and then sort of stall there for a while? Thanks
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Mar 10, 2010 15:00
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Hate to be "that guy", but got another update on my courier application. It said "Eligible: Referred to Hiring Official", which is the same thing they sent me a few months ago. Do you think it's just an automated repeat or does it mean it made it through another round of selections or something? Or, who should I ask about this? Sorry man... Nobody really knows the QEP process. On the downside, I've been trouble shooting phone stuff until 23:00(but hey it's OT). Upside, I get to do some Econ reporting! (I've been thinking about trying to convert to be an Econ Off, so this is super awesome) TCD fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Mar 10, 2010 |
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Mar 10, 2010 22:32
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TCD posted:Sorry man... Nobody really knows the QEP process. Filling out an overtime sheet doesn't qualify as econ work fyi.
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Mar 10, 2010 22:51
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Vilerat posted:Filling out an overtime sheet doesn't qualify as econ work fyi. Hahaha. I like working at a medium Post with a small Post staff. Volunteering for a section is pretty easy to do.
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Mar 10, 2010 23:18
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internetstuff posted:Thanks guys. I had seen the pay scales before, but I didn't know how rapidly the FS tends to promote people up them. Do you automatically get step increases every year? Do you tend to hit FS-4 or so and then sort of stall there for a while? You get step increases every two years. Promotion stats vary depending on what job you're in. 6 or so years between promotions seems to be the very, very loose and general rule of thumb. Your first is automatic after 18 months though. One word on weight limits for your stuff, keep in mind that nearly all posts have furnished housing. It's not the greatest (You're guaranteed to get the same ugly couch everywhere) but it makes moves a lot simpler. There are posts without furnished housing, you get a much bigger shipping allowance for that.
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Mar 10, 2010 23:49
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TCD posted:Sorry man... Nobody really knows the QEP process. I honestly didn't expect to make it, but I'd be lying if I said a tiny part of me wasn't really, really hoping. I'll just look at it as saving the cost of a round trip plane ticket to DC and spending a couple of nights on a friends couch  I did save all the questions I answered, I may go over them and see if there's anything I could be working on between now and whenever the next time they're looking.
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Mar 11, 2010 02:14
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Pompous Rhombus posted:I honestly didn't expect to make it, but I'd be lying if I said a tiny part of me wasn't really, really hoping. I'll just look at it as saving the cost of a round trip plane ticket to DC and spending a couple of nights on a friends couch This is me. I am basically going through the process now to familiarize myself with it. I don't think I have much chance making it past QEP (if my results come in high enough) but I am doing it because a) hopefully I slip through the cracks on personality, charm, or dumb luck and b) to familiarize myself for the next few years as I try again.
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Mar 11, 2010 03:34
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AKA Pseudonym posted:You get step increases every two years. Promotion stats vary depending on what job you're in. 6 or so years between promotions seems to be the very, very loose and general rule of thumb. Your first is automatic after 18 months though. It's 1 step increase per year until you hit 10, then it's every other year.
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Mar 11, 2010 15:03
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I honestly don't know why I was thinking that
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Mar 11, 2010 17:55
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U.S. Consular Aide and Husband Killed in MexicoThe New York Times posted:LA UNIÓN, Mexico — Gunmen believed to be linked to drug traffickers shot a pregnant American consulate worker and her husband to death in the violence-racked border town of Ciudad Juárez over the weekend, leaving their baby wailing in the back seat of their car, the authorities said Sunday. The gunmen also killed the husband of another consular employee and wounded his two young children. The U.S. border area of Mexico has been incredibly dangerous for years, but this targeting of U.S. officials and their families is particularly disturbing.
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Mar 15, 2010 03:51
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Business of Ferrets posted:U.S. Consular Aide and Husband Killed in Mexico Ugh. I'm familiar with the border situation cause I deal with it on a first hand basis, but this is particularly disturbing. Also is interesting that they name Los Aztecas as the culprits. I didn't know they were basically freelancing their services to drug cartels.
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