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Business of Ferrets posted:Well, Vilerat, you were right about the driving training -- it was awesome. The field trauma instruction was great, too. Now for a week of classroom orientation stuff, and movement to Baghdad after that. You're eyes will glaze over and you won't use any of it, sorry. Some interesting things regardless! You're experience will be a lot different that mine being in the apartments instead of the trailers. A lot safer naturally, but you can't really explore the IZ like we could in gators anymore.
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May 10, 2010 11:44
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problematique posted:I applied for the 02/01/10 ITMS posting months ago and the status has been at "Referred to Hiring Official" since March. It took me literally six months with no updates to hear I hadn't made it through the QEP for the courier job after I'd been Referred to Hiring Official.
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May 10, 2010 12:48
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Rabid Koala posted:
Short answer, no.
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May 11, 2010 03:41
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It has been said that reading The Economist is a good way to keep abreast on current events (which is helpful for the FSO test). How in-depth should I be reading it? They are just packed with so much information it is hard to know what is important.
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May 12, 2010 20:10
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Security clearance interview went down today. Took about an hour, asked a lot of questions that I said no to. Learned some new things on my credit report, but nothing major. The investigator was awesome about trying to knock out as much in one day as possible with my contacts; we met at the law school, so he was able to interview my supervisors and get my transcript, all at once.
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May 12, 2010 22:45
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SWATJester posted:Security clearance interview went down today. Took about an hour, asked a lot of questions that I said no to. Learned some new things on my credit report, but nothing major. Keep that phone about you and check your email regularly. I've gone through two of these and case managers and BIs have a habit of calling at any given time looking for last minute info before their deadline.
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May 13, 2010 00:44
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SWATJester posted:Security clearance interview went down today. Took about an hour, asked a lot of questions that I said no to. Learned some new things on my credit report, but nothing major. I don't know if you can go into detail but what were some of the questions that stuck out in your mind?
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May 13, 2010 00:45
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Omits-Bagels posted:It has been said that reading The Economist is a good way to keep abreast on current events (which is helpful for the FSO test). How in-depth should I be reading it? They are just packed with so much information it is hard to know what is important. Like all journalism, the Economist is great when they are writing about things you know little about, and extremely frustrating when they write about subjects for which you have in depth knowledge. That said, I've subscribed to the publication for 15 years now. My suggestion to get the most out of reading it: pick a few sections to read intensely every week, like 'Business' and 'Asia', and then also read the 'leader' articles. Then skim through for anything else that interests you. Finally, recycle. Those fuckers stack up fast if you let them.
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May 13, 2010 03:50
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Vilerat posted:You're eyes will glaze over and you won't use any of it, sorry. Some interesting things regardless! This brings up an interesting question, how useful would it be to be EMT or Paramedic certified while working DoS as a generalist? Do you think it would help in the the bidding process later on?
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May 13, 2010 03:53
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Omits-Bagels posted:I don't know if you can go into detail but what were some of the questions that stuck out in your mind? I don't know if I can either? I'm not sure if NDA extends to that or not.
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May 13, 2010 04:07
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SWATJester posted:I don't know if I can either? I'm not sure if NDA extends to that or not. I'm pretty sure the NDA for your FSOT stuff doesn't cover your security clearance for what it's worth. Don't take my word for it though. Personally I've told people types of questions that they've asked me, but it's not like they are weird questions. Ask yourself: what kinds of questions do you ask someone that you have to be willing to trust with sensitive information? The questions must be verifiable, and they must be clear and concise to avoid ambiguity. It's pretty straight forward if you ask me.
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May 13, 2010 05:16
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Homie S posted:I'm pretty sure the NDA for your FSOT stuff doesn't cover your security clearance for what it's worth. Don't take my word for it though. Personally I've told people types of questions that they've asked me, but it's not like they are weird questions. Ask yourself: what kinds of questions do you ask someone that you have to be willing to trust with sensitive information? The questions must be verifiable, and they must be clear and concise to avoid ambiguity. It's pretty straight forward if you ask me. Does this guy steal stuff? Do they do drugs? Do they have a drinking problem? Do they have lots of debt with missed payments? Do they abuse their significant other? Are they piece of poo poo? Are they a stand up guy? You really only want one of those to be yes. Edit: There's a DOD site that has adjudicated clearance info for contractors and civilians. It's quite hilarious to read. TCD fucked around with this message at 06:48 on May 13, 2010 |
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May 13, 2010 06:46
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There's an SFSO coming to town in a few days to talk about the Foreign Service. I'd like to go if I am still around.
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May 13, 2010 18:20
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TCD posted:Does this guy steal stuff? Basically this. Repeat ad nauseum with 100 different rewordings.
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May 13, 2010 22:46
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TCD posted:Does this guy steal stuff? You're missing another side to it too. Do you travel out of the country a lot? What for? For family? (are they USCs?) List everywhere you've been for the past 10 years. Who do you have continuing contact with abroad? How often? How did you meet them? Where do they live now? List names/addresses/occupations/contact numbers. Do you have any kind of foreign assets? Do you have any kind of business or financial transactions abroad? I think it's obvious why these kinds of questions are asked. quote:There's a DOD site that has adjudicated clearance info for contractors and civilians. It's quite hilarious to read. http://www.dod.gov/dodgc/doha/industrial/ They're fun to read, just try not to derail the thread when you come upon some crazy ones.
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May 13, 2010 23:37
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Omits-Bagels posted:It has been said that reading The Economist is a good way to keep abreast on current events (which is helpful for the FSO test). How in-depth should I be reading it? They are just packed with so much information it is hard to know what is important. If you're pressed for dedicated reading time, try the audio edition. I used to listen to it at work (have a pretty menial job with computers), but commutes, while walking/jogging, or doing chores around the house also work.
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May 13, 2010 23:42
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Homie S posted:http://www.dod.gov/dodgc/doha/industrial/ I think that site is more reassuring than anything else. It shows that the adjudicators really do consider mitigating circumstances when the situation is reasonable.
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May 14, 2010 01:31
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Does anyone think the federal hiring reform President Obama has called for will have any effect on the FSO hiring process?
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May 14, 2010 10:35
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FSO hiring is sort of separate, but thank god.quote:And: "The president is eliminating knowledge, skills and abilities essays as an initial recruitment requirement of the federal government."
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May 14, 2010 15:29
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Xandu posted:FSO hiring is sort of separate, but thank god. I've been applying to Govt jobs and it is a pain in the rear end. It takes forever and half the time the "required" forms aren't available (I have to google them to find them floating out on the internet). I bet it takes a solid hour or more to fill out each application because if the stupid essays. In addition, I am a former AmeriCorps volunteer and I get 1 year of noncompetitive hiring preference... but none of the applications have places indicate that I have this noncompetitive bonus (yet there are spaces for peace corps and other federal employees). I have an official letter that states my status but there is no place to upload my document.
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May 14, 2010 16:49
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Homie S posted:You're missing another side to it too. Oh yeah, forgot about those questions.
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May 14, 2010 22:04
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Forwarded msg:quote:Hello:
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May 15, 2010 06:35
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SWATJester posted:Forwarded msg: This looks interesting but it sucks that it is only open to students. Actually, I am going to be applying to grad school this fall but you have to be accepted in a grad program (or be a current undergrad or grad student) before they'll allow you to participate in this program. Unfortunately most schools don't give their acceptance decisions until about Feb-April (and the internship starts in Jan/Feb. I guess I could apply for the summer program but I bet it is more competitive. EDIT: There is a FSO security specialist position that just opened up. I think you need a little law enforcement experience though.
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May 15, 2010 07:11
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I did our office's screening for summer interns this past cycle. Besides meeting the minimum requirements, I would say that a good personal statement is the most important part of the application. Each office can make its own priorities; when we saw how strong the applicant pool was, we decided that foreign language ability was a primary need, but we paid basically no attention to where somebody went to college, etc. We liked to see a pattern of success, but if someone had a good personal statement they went in the "good" pile regardless of language ability or background. When it came down to making our "short list" and ultimately extending an offer to our top two choices, we scrutinized the resumes and made a final decision based on the "whole person." The work done by an intern varies by office; I think our office was one of the better places to work because we had the interns do essentially the same kind of economic and political reporting work the full-time FSOs did.
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May 15, 2010 14:13
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Omits-Bagels posted:This looks interesting but it sucks that it is only open to students. Actually, I am going to be applying to grad school this fall but you have to be accepted in a grad program (or be a current undergrad or grad student) before they'll allow you to participate in this program. Unfortunately most schools don't give their acceptance decisions until about Feb-April (and the internship starts in Jan/Feb. IIRC they accept you pending your acceptance to the program, but I could be mistaken. Also, I dunno how much more competitive summer is versus regular terms. I got turned down for spring but shortlisted the following summer. Nothing had really changed as far as my qualifications. As it turned out, one of the guys who was selected for the internship at the Bangkok embassy I was waitlisted for was in my sister's MA class. Didn't speak a word of Thai 
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May 15, 2010 14:40
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Business of Ferrets posted:I did our office's screening for summer interns this past cycle. Besides meeting the minimum requirements, I would say that a good personal statement is the most important part of the application. Each office can make its own priorities; when we saw how strong the applicant pool was, we decided that foreign language ability was a primary need, but we paid basically no attention to where somebody went to college, etc. We liked to see a pattern of success, but if someone had a good personal statement they went in the "good" pile regardless of language ability or background. When it came down to making our "short list" and ultimately extending an offer to our top two choices, we scrutinized the resumes and made a final decision based on the "whole person." Well, I doubt I would even be competitive (BS in business, AmeriCorps, attending Middlebury's Summer Language program this summer). Any advice for the personal statement?
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May 15, 2010 16:09
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What would be considered sufficient evidence of rehabilitation and reform when it comes to past drug use?
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May 17, 2010 16:01
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Wickerman posted:What would be considered sufficient evidence of rehabilitation and reform when it comes to past drug use? Everything "depends" from my understanding and experience.
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May 17, 2010 17:31
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Wickerman posted:What would be considered sufficient evidence of rehabilitation and reform when it comes to past drug use? Haven't used in a while, breaking off contact with drug users, an explanation of why you did drugs and why you don't do them anymore. But like TCD, it depends on a lot of factors.
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May 17, 2010 19:02
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Xandu posted:Haven't used in a while, breaking off contact with drug users, an explanation of why you did drugs and why you don't do them anymore. But like TCD, it depends on a lot of factors. I had to sign some kind of a "Drug Use Acknowledgment" form after I disclosed some use in college. The form essentially said that I know it is illegal to use marijuana and that use of marijuana, even in compliance with local laws, precludes foreign service. I was just straight forward with the investigator about smoking in college and stopping. I didn't really give him a reason other than "I didn't really feel like it anymore", so that might be enough if you are convincing. Then again, I haven't heard that I actually passed the clearance process yet so who knows.
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May 17, 2010 22:21
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I missed the boat 2 or 3 pages back when everyone was going into detail about languages... I'm troubled about what language to select when applying. At my best guess, I'm a level 2 in Korean and level 3 in Japanese. I'm taking intensive Korean classes and in another six months I might even be close to level 3 in Korean. Both languages carry the same bonus but... it goes without saying I should stick with my stronger language (japanese), no? The reason I ask is because there's a sunken corvette in the Yellow Sea with North Korean torpedo residue all over it. Am I correct in assuming I should ignore current events (/perceived language need) and just go with the language I'm more comfortable speaking?
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May 18, 2010 11:04
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tismondo posted:I missed the boat 2 or 3 pages back when everyone was going into detail about languages... I'm troubled about what language to select when applying. Isn't Korean a critical-needs language? If so, it will garner you 0.4 points instead of Japanese's 0.17. Both languages require a speaking level of two for the points. If you do Korean, you will be expected to use it during one of your first two tours. This all has to do with getting hired. Once you start orientation training, known as "A-100," you will have the opportunity to test for any and all languages you know.
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May 18, 2010 14:16
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Yeah, "it depends".. if you want the edge, go with Korean. But if you're unsure of your ability in the near future to use it and would rather not, then go with the language that youre most comfortable with. BOF: question about that test, is that a "weed out the guys who fibbed on their resume vs who actually speaks the language" test? Am curious :P speaking of japanese, i need to take the kanken-1 sometime 
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May 18, 2010 14:46
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See, here's the part where I feel sheepish for not reading the fine print closely. "hard language" != "critical needs language". Only Korean gets me extra points. Got it. In that case I'll have to make sure these next six months are spent very wisely and bring my Korean well up to par! If I'm expected to use my Korean within one of my first two tours, there's really nowhere they could send me aside from that small part of China above North Korea. I doubt state has any Korean speakers there. That pretty much decides for me where my first zero hardship tour will be. Not very exotic, given the fact that i live here now already!
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May 18, 2010 15:36
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Skandiaavity posted:BOF: question about that test, is that a "weed out the guys who fibbed on their resume vs who actually speaks the language" test? Am curious :P The FSI test (as opposed to the pre-employment telephone test) is an honest-to-goodness proficiency test, so it is designed to measure degrees of proficiency, not from a pass/fail standpoint. The pre-employment phone test is just to verify that the candidate has sufficient proficiency in the claimed language. I suppose that there could be trouble if someone gets points for a language but then completely fails the FSI test, but it would probably only be a real problem if some sort of fraud or gross misrepresentation were provable (such as having someone else take the phone test for them).
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May 18, 2010 21:07
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Yeah, that is what I thought.. I used the wrong phrase there, sorry. Didn't mean "weed out" as eliminate but separate those whom white lied on their resume/proficiencies and those who were honest. Did they send you to the sandbox yet?
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May 19, 2010 14:23
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Yup. I'm here now. Sandstorm rolling in!
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May 19, 2010 18:21
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I take it you're starting the party? Proper sandstorms are awe inspiring.
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May 20, 2010 14:38
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Business of Ferrets posted:Yup. I'm here now. Be glad you aren't in the old trailers anymore. Everything you own gets covered in a fine layer of dust, don't matter how often you clean.
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May 20, 2010 14:49
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Yeah, the current living conditions are quite good. I have been pleasantly surprised so far. And I've had no problems at all with dust in the apartments. (The trailers must have sucked.)
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May 20, 2010 18:20
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