|
Skandiaavity posted:he was FSS -> FSS, though wasn't he? I know of FSS -> FSO.. but I was speaking of FSO -> FSS being unheard of to me. I know of a Consular FSO that went DS Agent. Didn't talk about it much but from what I gathered from conversation, it appeared the process was relatively easy and this person has no complaints about switching. Better fit, I guess.
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2013 04:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 24, 2024 23:28 |
|
|
Homie S posted:I know of a Consular FSO that went DS Agent. Didn't talk about it much but from what I gathered from conversation, it appeared the process was relatively easy and this person has no complaints about switching. Better fit, I guess. There was a Pol FSO that went DS in my hire class.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2013 04:56
|
|
|
Homie S posted:I know of a Consular FSO that went DS Agent. Didn't talk about it much but from what I gathered from conversation, it appeared the process was relatively easy and this person has no complaints about switching. Better fit, I guess. I'm pretty sure this guy is a friend of mine. If he spent most of his fso time in AF and eastern Europe, it's definitely him. I was working with him when he made the change.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2013 06:08
|
|
|
Is there anyone else taking the FSO exam in Seoul this time around? I still don't know when it is, but I know it's supposed to be in February. Usually there are two a year outside the US right? Also, is there a book that people recommend for FSOs like chefs recommend Kitchen Confidential to aspiring cooks? DontAskKant fucked around with this message at 08:02 on Jan 7, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2013 07:58
|
|
|
Business of Ferrets posted:I'm pretty sure this guy is a friend of mine. If he spent most of his fso time in AF and eastern Europe, it's definitely him. I was working with him when he made the change. Not him.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2013 13:00
|
|
|
Business of Ferrets posted:I'm pretty sure this guy is a friend of mine. If he spent most of his fso time in AF and eastern Europe, it's definitely him. I was working with him when he made the change. I've heard of this guy as well, and one other; he's friends with some of our RSOs as well.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2013 13:05
|
|
|
DontAskKant posted:Is there anyone else taking the FSO exam in Seoul this time around? I still don't know when it is, but I know it's supposed to be in February. Usually there are two a year outside the US right? The test is offered three times a year - February, June, and October - domestically and overseas. Whether or not it's offered overseas is up to each individual post. Read the paper every day. Learn some US politics. Read some FS blogs and this thread (OP has lots of good info). Know what the basic job is like.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2013 18:40
|
|
|
Heard that another goon passed his IMS orals... our ranks continue grow!
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2013 20:42
|
|
|
TCD posted:Heard that another goon passed his IMS orals... our ranks continue grow! Just got back from OA with a 5.5  Not the highest score but I'll take it after all the stress! I'll hopefully be knocking out my Polish fluency test soon for some more points. Also hoping that with my current clearance can move things a little quicker. Serious hats off to all the people here. I can't believe I started seriously considering FS after seeing this thread many, many years ago. I must have poured through the entire thread in the last week. Off top of my head, thanks the_chavi, Diplomaticus, BoF, Skandiaavity, 1of7, Tyro (especially TCD for helping answer questions via email) and anyone else I missed -- you all deserve a large 
problematique fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Jan 7, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2013 21:48
|
|
|
How many sites in the U.S. is the FSOT usually offered at? Is it like multiple locations per state or just large metropolitan centers?
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 02:14
|
|
|
Ron Don Volante posted:How many sites in the U.S. is the FSOT usually offered at? Is it like multiple locations per state or just large metropolitan centers? Not sure. FSOT is administered by ACT I think. When I took it in Alaska, I think it was offered in 2 cities.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 02:28
|
|
|
I took it in Massachusetts last year and it was offered in 3 different places just in MA, plus 1 in New Hampshire and 1 in Rhode Island = 5 locations within a ~2 hour drive. It might also have something to do with demand; I think Boston's slots filled up in a day or so.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 03:09
|
|
|
I think it's offered in most U.S. states or within "a reasonable distance" ..not sure on territories such as P.R., Guam, Virgin/Marshall Islands, etc. Logically, should have some there at the embassies.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 04:53
|
|
|
problematique posted:Just got back from OA with a 5.5 Congrats! I just found out that I'm at the top of my register, and can't wait for the A-100 invites to go out for the March class.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 04:56
|
|
|
Congrats everyone who is getting positive news. I know you can only take the test once a year, but is that a calendar year or does it have to be one year from the last time you took the test.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 07:13
|
|
|
DontAskKant posted:Congrats everyone who is getting positive news. If you take the February administration of the test you can't take it again until the following February administration.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 10:09
|
|
|
Dameius posted:If you take the February administration of the test you can't take it again until the following February administration. Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know. I'll push back my test date to June so I can feel more prepared, but I will have done this twice now. At some point I should just take it and accept that I'll fail the first time.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 10:41
|
|
|
DontAskKant posted:Is there anyone else taking the FSO exam in Seoul this time around? I still don't know when it is, but I know it's supposed to be in February. Usually there are two a year outside the US right?
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 13:45
|
|
|
tismondo posted:I took it here in fall. They do it at the consular annex near samgakji rather than the Embassy itself. Not sure of their schedule this time though. It's coming up Feb 2-9. I will just be coming back from vacation and still frantically looking for a new teaching/other job.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 14:35
|
|
|
Woot! Looks like I'll be working in ISC for the rest of my tour.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 22:12
|
|
|
Ron Don Volante posted:How many sites in the U.S. is the FSOT usually offered at? Is it like multiple locations per state or just large metropolitan centers? When I took it in October, the Dallas site was already full, but they had openings in Fort Worth (~30 minutes away). It seems like there are places within a 2 hour drive of just about anywhere you might be living in the U.S.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 22:45
|
|
|
Registered for the FSOT on the 2nd, like 20 minutes from my house. That's... surprisingly convenient.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 23:01
|
|
|
Fact: most of the cool kids already know where they're going once the bid list gets released (after EL, 3rd tour and up). My question is how does bidding work from the other side at this level? Meaning, how do the people that do the selecting, select? Do generalist section heads, or, say an IMO simply get to choose anyone they want -- if you didn't network properly you just wont get that job, even if your review marks are superior? Is there any kind of 3rd person check on this? For an organisation that seems to emphasize meritocracy when initially hiring, it seems like a bit of a diametric approach. problematique fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Jan 9, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 01:52
|
|
|
All of the above. For EL it's different. Regardless, it depends. There is a board, people (like IMO's) can influence the assignment board to pick their teams; etc. People make unofficial phone calls to find out what you're like before assigning you there, handshakes, etc. Review marks only tell you one aspect of a person. The FS, considers several aspect when determining. So yes a person might be pretty dang good at the job, but at the same time completely insufferable to work with. As such, nobody wants to work with that person althought they are more than competent on the job. It also depends on the assignment; if you want to go to a comfortable place - say, EUR, or Sweden. Networking or Luck is critical to get that kind of assignment. Whereas if you want to go to say somewhere in AF; there could be plenty of vacancies there you can fill and you'll have your pick. by the way, consider Networking as part of your job. It might not be overtly stated, but it'll be under "additional duties." It's also a valuable life skill you'll pick up one way or another. Can't really comment on 3rd party but I believe you're not forced to choose an assignment you're unhappy with. Of course, doesn't apply to EL.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 02:59
|
|
|
problematique posted:Fact: most of the cool kids already know where they're going once the bid list gets released (after EL, 3rd tour and up). At this level, it's both bureau and post that needs to chop off on you. So, in this last round of bidding, I was working with post for an extension which turned into a bid own position(my present bureau concurred on both the extension and bop)and then I was having a conversation with VileRat and EUR along with the post I was offered also in EUR. When Vile died, I was in contact with his IMO about his death and arrangements... As I was Vile's preferred candidate for a FP4 IMS position in the Hague, I was offered VileRat's job (my supervisor - and previous supervisor, also knew Vile's supervisor as all four were IMTS-Rs). EUR gave me the option of an FP4 job or the up-stretch FP3 job to fill Vile's vacancy. To all the new IRMers, I would have not been in the position to turn down an upstretch EUR assignment had Vile and I not been the friends we became - IE network, network, network. I also beat out around 40 bidders on my job that I landed. A lot of this had to do with my current and previous supervisors calling in references as well as my former IRM contact in the African bureau giving me a recommendation. There's a lot of ground work you have to do, but, a good candidate is already talking with bureau and posts well before the official list comes out - usually months. TCD fucked around with this message at 04:47 on Jan 9, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 04:43
|
|
|
For those who are veterans of the FSOT; I'm looking to cut down the suggested reading list by several books, or choosing a set of better reading materials. What suggestions do you have? I'm trying to put together a comprehensive, yet smaller reading list to occupy myself with for the next 4-5 months before I take the test again. I know I need to focus more on American history, government, human management, and English grammar than other areas. Here's the suggested reading list from the State Department: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...357316858,d.aWM
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 05:00
|
|
|
Gumog posted:For those who are veterans of the FSOT; I used the Master Flash Card List from the FSOT Study Guide.zip that is posted on the Yahoo group as a good way to familiarize myself with a bunch of different topics. You can find it in the Yahoo FSWE group under "Files/1. Essentials for you!" If you still want to read all those books, that is fine, but looking over this list a few times was all the studying I did and it worked for me, YMMV.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 09:39
|
|
|
Gumog posted:For those who are veterans of the FSOT; I focused mostly on a newspaper (New York Times) and a news magazine (The New Yorker) for my prep, and thought that they gave me a good enough general background. Just keep in mind that the Job Knowledge section is only 1 of 4 parts, and isn't necessarily the most important part of the test.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 14:16
|
|
|
Continuous posted:I focused mostly on a newspaper (New York Times) and a news magazine (The New Yorker) for my prep, and thought that they gave me a good enough general background. What would you say is most important then?
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 18:02
|
|
|
Is there downside to taking an FSOT now even though I know that unless something changes drastically I will still have 5 and half years left on my military service? How common are old coots (like I'll be, 42 when I get out _ ) like me in the classes?
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 21:51
|
|
|
vulturesrow posted:Is there downside to taking an FSOT now even though I know that unless something changes drastically I will still have 5 and half years left on my military service? How common are old coots (like I'll be, 42 when I get out Take it for the practice. It never hurts to have more practice. Lots of old coots join after 20 years in the military - you'd be in good company.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 22:16
|
|
|
problematique posted:Just got back from OA with a 5.5 Congrats! What cone?
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 22:17
|
|
|
Aww poo poo yeah, folks, just found out a high school classmate (who oddly ended up at the same university as me, we were the only ones from our class) is joining next week's A100 class! That makes three of us from my high school - me, my classmate, and one teacher who encouraged us to join. (My school's only about 20 years old and is pretty small, so this is a pretty big sample size of us.)
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 22:31
|
|
|
There's an A-100 class coming in? Welp, I guess that means I won't be going to the cafeteria at all next week.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 22:40
|
|
|
problematique posted:Just got back from OA with a 5.5 Oops, missed this earlier. Congrats!! Glad we've been helpful - so glad to see more Goons at State! We should make a Corridor group.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 22:43
|
|
|
Diplomaticus posted:Congrats! What cone? IMS the_chavi posted:Oops, missed this earlier. Congrats!! Glad we've been helpful - so glad to see more Goons at State! We should make a Corridor group. Let's not stop until we have an entire bureau filled with just goons and/or BoF becomes deputy secstate.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 23:15
|
|
|
problematique posted:Let's not stop until we have an entire bureau filled with just goons and/or BoF becomes deputy secstate. S/GOON - Global Operations in Online Networks. We'll be filed right between S/GWI and S/GAC in our org chart.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2013 23:30
|
|
|
Barracuda Bang! posted:What would you say is most important then? There are 3 sections and an essay, and I believe that they're all weighted equally. I've heard it said that the biographical section trips people up the most, in which case it might help to think about all the jobs you've had, and how you may have learned skills or possess traits that may be useful for working in the Foreign Service. Also, no matter how high you score on the first 3 sections, if you don't pass the essay, you don't pass the test, so if you're not comfortable writing timed impromptu essays, you might want to practice it a little bit.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2013 01:52
|
|
|
How sad is it that the highest position to which most of us can realistically aspire is to be Deputy Assistant Secretary of something. Not the most impressive title, to be sure.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2013 02:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 24, 2024 23:28 |
|
|
Business of Ferrets posted:How sad is it that the highest position to which most of us can realistically aspire is to be Deputy Assistant Secretary of something. Not the most impressive title, to be sure. Chief Information Officer! probably not
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2013 02:27
|
|