|
Business of Ferrets posted:So, I log on and see that there are like five new messages in this thread, and I'm thinking it might be something exciting. Last year I spent Thanksgiving in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, and chased after chimpanzees in gorge surrounded by hippos, snakes and other critters. That night we slept outside in a bed with only a mosquito net looking at the stars. This year I'm going to Iguaçu Falls and can check off Argentina as a country visited. FS life can be pretty cool.
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 21:45
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 18:57 |
|
|
TCD posted:Yes, but I can't remember how. You're on the right track though. I mean, the cable folder is just a regular folder with the cable fields added. Yeah but the problem is those cable fields are nowhere to be found in the "add custom field" menu, at least as far as I can see.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 21:50
|
|
|
Outlook has those properties buried somewhere. I found them once. I can't guarantee you use them to make columns, but I bet you can. I'd need it front of me to find it though and I won't be back in the office till Monday.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 22:01
|
|
|
I'm in no rush, but even Monday would be faster than our incredibly backlogged IMS getting me an answer on it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 22:46
|
|
|
Happy thanksgiving everyone  be sure to stuff yourself with whichever host country food is offered 
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2011 04:00
|
|
|
Heya BoF, is the AIP ( or "do three rounds in a dangerous place, your choice for next post" ) program still in effect? I heard Afg was removed from the program last year, but you also got first pick so I was curious.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2011 02:43
|
|
|
Skandiaavity posted:Heya BoF, is the AIP ( or "do three rounds in a dangerous place, your choice for next post" ) program still in effect? I heard Afg was removed from the program last year, but you also got first pick so I was curious. Every year as the bidding cycle begins the incentives (including "linked" assignments) are explained. They vary from year to year and in the current budget situation it is impossible to predict with any surety whether they will stay the same. That said, linked assignments are one of the most cost-neutral incentives State has, so who knows. Also, not all specialists are eligible to link. IT types have been able to in the past I believe, but DS agents have not and are not eligible. Generalists have been eligible whenever the program has been in effect.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2011 04:33
|
|
|
Business of Ferrets posted:Every year as the bidding cycle begins the incentives (including "linked" assignments) are explained. They vary from year to year and in the current budget situation it is impossible to predict with any surety whether they will stay the same. That said, linked assignments are one of the most cost-neutral incentives State has, so who knows. Also apparently (for generalists at least) there are only limited numbers of linked assignments. I think I remember seeing the number at around 150 but I'm not sure.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2011 07:49
|
|
|
Diplomaticus posted:Oh hey now that I think about it I might get a faster response asking one of you IMS types. Right click on the columns you have and select "Customize Current View." The select "Fields." You'll see a screen with a drop down box labeled "Select Available Fields From" from there select "User Defined Fields in Folder" and you'll see some SMART fields you can use. Just add the ones you want.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2011 11:32
|
|
|
Business of Ferrets posted:Every year as the bidding cycle begins the incentives (including "linked" assignments) are explained. They vary from year to year and in the current budget situation it is impossible to predict with any surety whether they will stay the same. That said, linked assignments are one of the most cost-neutral incentives State has, so who knows. Ah, I see. "It Depends." indeed.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2011 16:00
|
|
|
Diplomaticus posted:Also apparently (for generalists at least) there are only limited numbers of linked assignments. I think I remember seeing the number at around 150 but I'm not sure. As far as I know, the cap has never been reached. Some people don't link for good reason, such as an 01 hoping to stretch into a senior position. Others are either too lazy or just don't understand the system enough to make a link and wind up missing out on just about the best deal you can get for going to AIP.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2011 16:11
|
|
|
Business of Ferrets posted:As far as I know, the cap has never been reached. Some people don't link for good reason, such as an 01 hoping to stretch into a senior position. Others are either too lazy or just don't understand the system enough to make a link and wind up missing out on just about the best deal you can get for going to AIP. As I understand it, linking an assignment entails bidding on your next assignment right away. It is a nice perk, but it still involves a significant amount of legwork to line it all up. You still need to do your research, find an open posting that matches your ETD from AIP, get the responsible bureau to offer the job, etc. etc. Hence the folks who just don't bother doing it. Of course, I could be completely wrong. Feel free to correct me here.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2011 16:43
|
|
|
AKA Pseudonym posted:Right click on the columns you have and select "Customize Current View." The select "Fields." You'll see a screen with a drop down box labeled "Select Available Fields From" from there select "User Defined Fields in Folder" and you'll see some SMART fields you can use. Just add the ones you want. My "User Defined Fields" is empty. But I ghetto'd my way around it, by manually adding in MRN, Precedence, etc. and then dragging things around to the proper size/position. Only lovely thing is that I have to do it manually for each subfolder, and I have about 40. Business of Ferrets posted:As far as I know, the cap has never been reached. Some people don't link for good reason, such as an 01 hoping to stretch into a senior position. Others are either too lazy or just don't understand the system enough to make a link and wind up missing out on just about the best deal you can get for going to AIP. Didn't know that it never was reached; the number seemed awfully low to me but I guess the stretching issue makes a lot of sense. In other news, my boss will be going to Baghdad next tour for an 01 position. I'm sad, because he owns as a boss (despite being quirky, though I find them endearing) but the job seems well suited for him and it ought to be the bump he need for a sick principal officer or DCM position after that. (He shouldn't be too far off, one of his former colleagues only slightly senior to him is my new DCM. She also owns.) Leif. fucked around with this message at 16:48 on Nov 30, 2011 |
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2011 16:45
|
|
|
.
maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 03:58 on May 24, 2017 |
|
#
?
Dec 1, 2011 22:49
|
|
|
The people I know who do that gig seem to like it. They're basically always making sure the physical facilities are secure from being blown up/spied upon. Lots of hands-on work (fixing that anti-ram barrier; making sure CCTV cameras, etc., work correctly and have minimal blind spots, etc.) as well as security assessment and planning.
|
|
#
?
Dec 1, 2011 23:04
|
|
|
It's sort of handyman work for security stuff. You'll be expected to be good with tools, electricity, maybe even a little carpentry. Seems like pretty good work if you have the skills.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2011 00:30
|
|
|
.
maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Apr 28, 2019 |
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2011 07:03
|
|
|
My understanding is that you're still a mechanic/maintenance type -- while there are "where are the blind spots" kind of things, most of the time those details are figured out at higher levels than you, and in conjunction with other offices (RSO, Marine Det, Seabees, etc.) You might supervise local guard staff fixing security measures at residential houses though, depending on where you are. For instance, if your post requires bars to be on the windows/doors, or razor wire on your walls, or whatever; STS oversees that. Also a lot of alarm work I think. Network security stuff is a different job.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2011 09:16
|
|
|
.
maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Apr 28, 2019 |
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2011 14:31
|
|
|
I believe that's IMS or IMTS. We have a few of them in this thread.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2011 15:01
|
|
|
My wife has reminded me of something -- do we have/know of any goon FSO spouses? She has an account here but posts much more rarely than I do.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2011 15:05
|
|
|
GregNorc posted:Oh. What would the title be for that? That'd be what I'd be looking for. Security Engineering Officers (SEOs, who normally supervise STSs) can also fill slots for Regional Computer Security Officers. They do much more of the security aspect, however, there are very few of the RCSO slots, so you'd probably be doing much more SEO work over a career. Also, SEOs normally require an engineering degree.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2011 16:25
|
|
|
Diplomaticus posted:My wife has reminded me of something -- do we have/know of any goon FSO spouses? She has an account here but posts much more rarely than I do. If/When I get the offer, yes :P
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2011 16:42
|
|
|
Diplomaticus posted:My wife has reminded me of something -- do we have/know of any goon FSO spouses? She has an account here but posts much more rarely than I do. Sorry, my wife doesn't post on SA.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2011 17:27
|
|
|
Skandiaavity posted:If/When I get the offer, yes :P The IMS offer, or nuptials? 
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2011 18:15
|
|
|
GregNorc posted:Oh. What would the title be for that? That'd be what I'd be looking for. This is a little hard to explain without drowning everybody in acronyms and jargon but there aren't really any full-time network security jobs in the Foreign Service. Usually it's a minor part of an IMS's workload. Some posts have a dedicated full-time Information Security Officer. But those jobs are filled by the same people who fill IMS jobs and they're more about enforcing policies than technical work. We do have network security people in the Civil Service. But I can't tell you much about that.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2011 00:42
|
|
|
Diplomaticus posted:The IMS offer, or nuptials? The IMS, The IMS! Why would she offer the nuptials?
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2011 19:20
|
|
|
.
maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Apr 28, 2019 |
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2011 20:40
|
|
|
GregNorc posted:Civil service... so no cool exotic posts? (Unless we're going to consider Foggy Bottom "exotic") For the most part, Civil Service serve at their assignments domestic with a chance of oversea excursions and live within their salary at their CONUS assignment.
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2011 00:49
|
|
|
Can someone elaborate on the safety situations regarding housing? I've spoken to my wife about becoming a foreign service officer and she is 100% supportive, but I've been dragging my feet on taking the test because I'm concerned about her situation once we arrive. I'm concerned that if we were placed, for example, in a country where women are in many ways treated like second class citizens that she would either be in danger or be a prisoner in our home. I know I didn't ask an actual question, but I was hoping someone had an experience like this that they could share.
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2011 04:56
|
|
|
Eonwe posted:Can someone elaborate on the safety situations regarding housing? I've spoken to my wife about becoming a foreign service officer and she is 100% supportive, but I've been dragging my feet on taking the test because I'm concerned about her situation once we arrive. I'm concerned that if we were placed, for example, in a country where women are in many ways treated like second class citizens that she would either be in danger or be a prisoner in our home. You're not going to hear many experiences like this because it basically doesn't happen very much. I mean, try not to go to Saudi Arabia? There are women's issues in lots of the world, but not usually anything that would affect expats. What makes you think this would be a problem for you? Have you ever travelled outside the USA?
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2011 05:18
|
|
|
Business of Ferrets posted:You're not going to hear many experiences like this because it basically doesn't happen very much. I mean, try not to go to Saudi Arabia? There are women's issues in lots of the world, but not usually anything that would affect expats. Yeah, they'd put in a compound. There are a bunch of expatriates in Saudi Arabia, and you do get special consideration as one. Just don't go walking around with a beer in your hand. I've got a question of my own. I submitted my PN's in the middle of November. When should I be expecting word back to see if I got into the oral assesment?
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2011 06:09
|
|
|
Eonwe posted:Can someone elaborate on the safety situations regarding housing? I've spoken to my wife about becoming a foreign service officer and she is 100% supportive, but I've been dragging my feet on taking the test because I'm concerned about her situation once we arrive. I'm concerned that if we were placed, for example, in a country where women are in many ways treated like second class citizens that she would either be in danger or be a prisoner in our home. It's pretty rare. In the more repressive countries, let's face it -- you're going to be spending time with other expats and the diplo-community -- you may be on a compound and probably will be driving places with a hired driver. Everywhere else, you're made safe enough that it's not a concern.
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2011 13:43
|
|
|
Shageletic posted:I've got a question of my own. I submitted my PN's in the middle of November. When should I be expecting word back to see if I got into the oral assesment? Pretty sure the letter we got that said we passed the written exam said mid-January.
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2011 14:17
|
|
|
Business of Ferrets posted:You're not going to hear many experiences like this because it basically doesn't happen very much. I mean, try not to go to Saudi Arabia? There are women's issues in lots of the world, but not usually anything that would affect expats. I have traveled outside of the USA, but I was thinking places like Saudia Arabia or other more strict Islamic countries. I have never traveled there, and I was unsure of how women from outside the country are treated, even if they are part of the US Foreign Service. Thanks Business of Ferrets and Diplomaticus. *Edit* Also, I wasn't necessarily looking for 'bad' experiences. I was looking for input on any kind of experience people had with bringing their family along into a different culture, good or bad. eonwe fucked around with this message at 20:41 on Dec 5, 2011 |
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2011 18:59
|
|
|
e: wrong thread
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2011 19:17
|
|
|
GregNorc posted:Has anyone done this? What is it like? Given how long the application process is, I thought it might be interesting to apply for the position. What are the duties like? Would I be solving interesting problems, or just laying LAN cable and working as a rather well paid help desk monkey? What was your bachelor's in? If you have a degree in "anything with the word engineering from an ABET certified school, it appears to me that a Security Engineering Officer (SEO) is a much better gig. I got to know our regional SEO and STS and the SeaBee rather well because the Kosovo compound was held together with baling wire and a prayer. The STS and SeaBee spent a lot of trying to fix shredders, changing locks, repairing/replacing alarms/power supplies/cameras/etc. Most of the STS job is repairing broken security equipment. There is also some construction sometimes for forced entry ballistic resistant doors and explosion film on windows, stuff like that. SEO's sometimes actually get to make decisions in conjuction with the Regional Security Officer regarding security upgradesf. There is also a possibility for Regional Computer Security Officer as TCD mentioned, but State has had issues with training SEO's for the job because it's very expensive training and after they get all that training they became incredibly valuable in the private sector. Retention is such an issue that they opened the a slot or two up to IMS for the job last year, which bureaus typically never do. The RCSO job sounded interesting from what the RCSO from Moscow said to me, but you will be doing a lot of travel, as a big part of the job involves inspections of computer security at other posts. This could put significant stress on your family situation if they are not accustomed to you being on the road for weeks at a time. With all that in mind, it is possible to change skill codes if you are more qualified for an SEO and you just want in. You can even come in as a computer nerd and jump ship to Generalist if you get REALLY tired of going home on time and getting paid overtime. Seeing as your field of graduate study is computer security and human computer interaction, there's also always the option of Information Management Specialist. I guess it's also time to update my location. I'm in Sao Paulo Brazil as the IMS.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2011 23:08
|
|
|
ATI Jesus posted:
Updating. Also you're getting at two of my A-100 colleagues coming to consular there. I don't know the one guy all that well, but the other one is awesome.
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2011 13:27
|
|
|
Been a while since I chimed in, but I guess a January class got approved and offers went out today. I got an offer in consular, which is nuts since my candidacy would have expired on Monday. I'm probably going to decline (MY WIFE and infant daughter aren't really into the foreign service) but now I have objective proof that I am better than almost everyone.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2011 00:04
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 18:57 |
|
|
Bizob posted:Been a while since I chimed in, but I guess a January class got approved and offers went out today. I got an offer in consular, which is nuts since my candidacy would have expired on Monday. Hey, congrats! But it's too bad we won't have yet another goon in the FS.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2011 04:32
|
|