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Got here june last year. So you were probably gone right before I got there, or shortly after.
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Sep 21, 2012 21:47
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Saho posted:The world is backwards on that map. This frightens me. Yeah I had to stare at it for a while before it made sense to me.
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Sep 21, 2012 22:15
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TouchyMcFeely posted:I'm 31 years old in a completely unrelated field. I have a decent (but certainly not in depth) understanding of US culture and government. Just remember that this isn't an honors thesis or anything. General pop-history books will be more than enough and just read a summary of three branches and the constitution. Basically don't stress out over it.
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Sep 21, 2012 22:29
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Hey, new guy here. I'm currently an undergrad at American University and am definitely interested in foreign service (as is pretty much everyone at this school). I'm wondering, though, about graduate school - should I go into law school with maybe a focus on international law, or should I just continue with my current major (International Studies) and get an MA in International Relations? I'd like to get my PhD eventually, but that's quite a while away. Was thinking about going into the Peace Corps after I get my Bachelor's. Maybe see if I can get a Fulbright grant, but that's super competitive so not sure about that!
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Sep 22, 2012 01:23
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the_chavi posted:Yeah I had to stare at it for a while before it made sense to me. those are the best kind of maps. I had a map that was inverted. almost nobody caught it, until someone from Australia visited and was wondering "why new zealand's west coast was east of us"
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Sep 22, 2012 01:47
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raito posted:Hey, new guy here. I'm currently an undergrad at American University and am definitely interested in foreign service (as is pretty much everyone at this school). I'm wondering, though, about graduate school - should I go into law school with maybe a focus on international law, or should I just continue with my current major (International Studies) and get an MA in International Relations? I'd like to get my PhD eventually, but that's quite a while away. If you want to work in the Foreign Service you should just take the test every year offered until you get a job offer from State. If you're looking at graduate degrees in the event it takes you a few tries to get in with State, a good master's degree is preferable to a law degree, assuming you want to do policy work. In fact, unless you want to work as a lawyer (and not the international kind), any field of study will be better than law school. Frankly, one tour doing policy work with State will outstrip the utility of any IR master's education, so if you can do it, take the job earlier rather than later.
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Sep 22, 2012 02:59
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On the job experience: Best Experience
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Sep 22, 2012 03:13
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Saho posted:The world is backwards on that map. This frightens me. Pivot to the Pacific?  And 68 pages? Psh, that's nothing. Try cracking open the DoD's JFTR sometime...last time I checked Volume 1 (not counting appendices) was 824 pages. There is also a Volume 2 (it's not quite as long, only 600+ pages...again, not counting appendices). Thanks for the responses to my questions earlier in the thread...in line with the 68 page evacuation document, here's one more: what's the level of admin bullshit working as a FSO? Keep in mind that I am currently an AF officer so my threshold for admin bullshit is quite high, and I understand that there is going to be some level of it regarding job stuff combined with the nature of the beast in working for the federal government, but I'm specifically asking about stuff not necessarily related to direct job performance. For example, when I was running a flight I probably spent at least half of my time on performance reports, awards packages, and other paperwork poo poo that had nothing to do with my direct job...just wondering what the average breakdown is for FSOs...does it vary depending on cone? (Management has more of it, perhaps?)
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Sep 22, 2012 03:29
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iyaayas01 posted:Pivot to the Pacific? It is minimal during one's first few tours and increases as one moves into management. In larger offices and sections, the deputy tends to spend a considerable amount of time keeping things running. It is worth noting, though, that as generalists the admin part is as much a core part of the job as the operational or policy parts. I don't know that it varies by cone. As a manager, I try to shield my subordinates as much as possible from admin stuff to let them focus on the other aspects of the job.
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Sep 22, 2012 10:19
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Business of Ferrets posted:If you want to work in the Foreign Service you should just take the test every year offered until you get a job offer from State. This isn't the law school thread, but as someone who has both a JD and an MA, I just wanted to say that you emphatically do not need a law degree for the Foreign Service (unless you actually want to be a lawyer within the Foreign Service), and you emphatically should not go to law school if you don't definitely, absolutely, want to be a lawyer. That's a $100k+ mistake (unless you get a free ride, in which case, sure, knock yourself out, go to law school). End ex-lawyer rant.
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Sep 22, 2012 19:53
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raito posted:Hey, new guy here. I'm currently an undergrad at American University and am definitely interested in foreign service (as is pretty much everyone at this school). I'm wondering, though, about graduate school - should I go into law school with maybe a focus on international law, or should I just continue with my current major (International Studies) and get an MA in International Relations? I'd like to get my PhD eventually, but that's quite a while away. The best advise i've heard about the foreign service is don't do anything solely because you think it will help your chances getting in. Even seemingly absurdly qualified people sometimes fail to make it in the first few times while people who "resume wise" are less qualified get in easily. Although as a former PCV and a current FS person I think that peace corps is an incredible experience and there are a ton of rpcvs at state.
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Sep 22, 2012 21:46
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Looks like I'll be going in for my second try in October. Going to focus more on the bio section in my prep now that I have a better idea what they're looking for.
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Sep 23, 2012 04:31
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My OA date came in and I just have one month to wait/prepare/stress before I head to DC. IMTS-T info is pretty thin on the web so any input is appreciated. One question I do have is on the Structured Interview. Is it conversational or do you get the silent treatment with no feedback on your answers or agressive and challenging feedback to check you out under pressure. I know that there are different styles of interview and if I know going in I can better prepare.
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Sep 23, 2012 21:38
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Strudelmeyer posted:One question I do have is on the Structured Interview. Is it conversational or do you get the silent treatment with no feedback on your answers or agressive and challenging feedback to check you out under pressure. I believe at least part of the interview consisted of the interviewer reading prepared questions & they stated that to make it fair that they couldn't add anything that wasn't printed or give you any interpretation or clarification. All they could do was repeat the question.
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Sep 24, 2012 09:19
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I love seeing the circumstances people choose to mention on their requests for replacement passports: "Lost my passport in 1976 when killer whales attacked our sailboat during a transatlantic regatta. The passport sank with the ship." "Ran out of toilet paper in Vatican bathrooms and was looking for tissue when passport fell out of purse into toilet."
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Sep 24, 2012 17:41
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When you work for the State Department nobody understands what your job is
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Sep 24, 2012 21:48
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Zoots posted:I love seeing the circumstances people choose to mention on their requests for replacement passports: Same thing happens in visa interviews when you ask where previous ppts are - I had a family who lost all of their passports (but survived, obvs) the massive passenger ferry that sank in the Red Sea a few years back. Plus a guy who told me that he went to Afghanistan on vacation and destroyed his last passport because he didn't want anyone to see where he'd been. Well, at least he's honest...
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Sep 25, 2012 00:10
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AKA Pseudonym posted:When you work for the State Department nobody understands what your job is Okay, that is hilarious. First of all, Dan is an awesome guy - staffed a visit for him in 2010, he's really funny and down-to-earth, and also a sharp cookie at his job. I think he's the highest out-of-the-closet non-career official in the Obama administration as well, which makes the interior design whoopsie even more hilarious.
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Sep 25, 2012 00:16
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that's right - he takes part in the Drag competitions in Georgetown, doesn't he? Really weird seeing him in high heels. Otherwise, a fun guy to work with I hear.
Skandiaavity fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Sep 25, 2012 |
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Sep 25, 2012 00:32
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AKA Pseudonym posted:When you work for the State Department nobody understands what your job is HA. That is amazing. Same diff, really.
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Sep 25, 2012 05:34
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Saho posted:This is what I could find. Forgive me if I missed someone. Delayed chime-in, but yes. On Register, finally going off Do Not Call in Oct. sooo, hopefully coming in early next year. Or getting dropped if there's not a class by April (yay, budgets.)
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Sep 26, 2012 02:12
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I'm not really sure what the people at Vogue magazine do either.
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Sep 26, 2012 02:59
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the_chavi posted:Plus a guy who told me that he went to Afghanistan on vacation and destroyed his last passport because he didn't want anyone to see where he'd been. Well, at least he's honest... that always makes for an interesting interview. Certainly brings up a certain few .. perspectives ... on the individual in question
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Sep 26, 2012 04:05
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Going to reapply for the FSOT. Do I seriously have to fill out the registration forms again (since I already did the ten year work history thing only last year)?
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Sep 26, 2012 04:39
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Shageletic posted:Going to reapply for the FSOT. Do I seriously have to fill out the registration forms again (since I already did the ten year work history thing only last year)? You saved a copy, right? Right?
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Sep 26, 2012 06:14
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Business of Ferrets posted:You saved a copy, right? Right? Don't think I did....poo poo. Whatever, if I really want to try this I suppose its worth doing again.
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Sep 26, 2012 07:10
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Shageletic posted:Don't think I did....poo poo. Whatever, if I really want to try this I suppose its worth doing again. You're going to want to save that information anyways for your security clearance investigation if you make it passed the OA portion.
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Sep 26, 2012 14:35
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Shageletic posted:Don't think I did....poo poo. Whatever, if I really want to try this I suppose its worth doing again. Would it still be saved on the USAJobs site?
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Sep 26, 2012 14:35
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Introduction to the government process: keep copies of literally everything, both physical and digital. Forever. You never know when that random document you signed nine months ago will disappear into the nether and need to be recreated.
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Sep 26, 2012 15:36
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It's a little ridiculous that they make you reenter that stuff each time. Even if you save it you're still entering a poo poo ton of information that they could pretty easily save.
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Sep 27, 2012 00:33
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flag day this past tuesday. going to Riyadh! Really excited to be going there.  Anyone else in Riyadh or been there?
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Sep 27, 2012 01:25
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Hey, I saw your flag day! What field are you? If you're an IMS, one of your teachers went there for an extended period of time. Congratulations, though!
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Sep 27, 2012 03:14
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Vasudus posted:Introduction to the government process: keep copies of literally everything, both physical and digital. Forever. Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup. Kase Im Licht posted:It's a little ridiculous that they make you reenter that stuff each time. Even if you save it you're still entering a poo poo ton of information that they could pretty easily save. I am reinvestigated for my clearance every 5 years (and actually because of some other poo poo I've had to do a full SF86 three times in the past three years). I have to go back 10 years on the SF86. Every 5 years I have to reenter the full 10 years worth of information. Save everything.
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Sep 27, 2012 03:36
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haggan posted:flag day this past tuesday. going to Riyadh! Really excited to be going there. Hey, congrats! I did my first tour out there in 2008-2009, and Zoots was there with me at the same time. What's the gig?
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Sep 27, 2012 04:55
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haggan posted:flag day this past tuesday. going to Riyadh! Really excited to be going there. Oh yes - PAS in 2010-2011. I hope you can hold your liquor. EDIT: by which, I mean, the Embassy pub is unbelievably amazing. Although I think with families the "frat party" atmosphere has rather fallen off by the wayside. Zoots fucked around with this message at 08:50 on Sep 27, 2012 |
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Sep 27, 2012 08:29
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Zoots posted:Oh yes - PAS in 2010-2011. I hope you can hold your liquor. Yeah, apparently you can't even drink by the pool anymore. What the hell is up with that?
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Sep 27, 2012 12:31
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iyaayas01 posted:Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup. I am doing my re-investigation right now and I can't begin to tell you the fits of rage it sends me into to have to recreate this document every 5 years. So loving stupid. Thank God someone told me very early on in my career the very advice being offered here.
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Sep 27, 2012 14:37
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Actually E-QIP now saves a bunch of your SF-86 information once you've filled it out, so when you go to do your re-investigation, you don't need to refill all your previous foreign trips, places you lived, etc... you just need to add whatever has changed since then.
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Sep 27, 2012 14:50
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Hungry Hippo posted:Actually E-QIP now saves a bunch of your SF-86 information once you've filled it out, so when you go to do your re-investigation, you don't need to refill all your previous foreign trips, places you lived, etc... you just need to add whatever has changed since then. It must've changed since my last reinvestigation because when I opened up e-qip there wasn't a lick of previous information in it. That's great they finally fixed that blindingly obvious flaw in the system now that I've been doing these things for about 18 years or so. Still the original advice still holds, save a copy of everything. vulturesrow fucked around with this message at 15:20 on Sep 27, 2012 |
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Sep 27, 2012 14:56
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Shageletic posted:Don't think I did....poo poo. Whatever, if I really want to try this I suppose its worth doing again. I made a similar mistake and left out some minor jobs I've had in the past, but mentioned the previous time. Would I be better off not mentioning them come the day of the test, or would it be better to bring them up despite not listing them earlier?
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Sep 27, 2012 15:54
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