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SCRwM posted:Can I be that guy who has two suits? Honestly, 4-5 suits is better. This way you can have one in dry cleaning. Remember, FSI is all suits during orientation, and it's also like a billion degrees during summer. Serious comment, you're in the Foreign Service. Occasionally, we all have to wear suits. Don't be that guy because you'll always be that guy who doesn't like to dress up when required. People remeber stupid poo poo like that when it comes to jobs and assignments. TCD fucked around with this message at 13:54 on May 20, 2013 |
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May 20, 2013 13:50
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TCD posted:Honestly, 4-5 suits is better. Thanks for the advice! Much appreciated.
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May 20, 2013 14:02
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TCD posted:Honestly, 4-5 suits is better. When I started this job I had 2 suits. I now have 6...Though to be fair, half of them are tailored large for protection work.
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May 20, 2013 14:02
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Bruxism posted:When I started this job I had 2 suits. I now have 6...Though to be fair, half of them are tailored large for protection work. Most of mine are tailored large just so they fit!
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May 20, 2013 14:19
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Depends which post you are at. Sanaa is fairly casual in dress.... except for me. I wear a suit every day :/
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May 20, 2013 14:33
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Again, thanks to everyone on the advice on suits. I guess I'm in a minority, but in my 17 years of professional experience I've never held a job where I was required to wear a suit (any client/VIP meetings blazer/slacks would always suffice). I'm not against suits, I've just never been required to wear/have one (other than when I got married). I'll start shopping around this weekend for another suit or two (Memorial Day sales potentially FTW). SCRwM fucked around with this message at 14:53 on May 20, 2013 |
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May 20, 2013 14:46
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mtreecorner posted:Depends which post you are at. Sanaa is fairly casual in dress.... except for me. I wear a suit every day :/ Right, at post it's totally different. But, you should still have a suit on hand. I'm normally a slacks and shirt guy (occasionally polo it up if I'm working on the roof, or doing other dirty work) but these past few weeks have been a number of suits or shirt and tie days. Also almost all mgt staff wear suits, so when you dress way down in meetings, it is noticeable. TCD fucked around with this message at 15:01 on May 20, 2013 |
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May 20, 2013 14:56
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Yes, 5 suits at least is recommended to provide coverage while stuff is at the cleaners. There will also be times when you're traveling in-country for 3-4 days in weather that makes each suit unwearable after a day. Better to have too many than not enough. I like to keep a spare suit in the office in case of emergency as well. Every post is different with the rules on that. Mission wide we have "traditional" Fridays. Local staff really get colorful on Fridays and direct hires sometimes wear local garb. The Pol/Econ sections still generally wear suits every day but its not uncommon to roll up sleeves and remove a tie in the office. On the visa line, jackets weren't required but we still wore ties. And at this post, you never know when you might be called in to a Front Office meeting and you'll want the full suit then. My best advice with suits is to make sure your dress shirts have a good fitting collar.
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May 20, 2013 15:02
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Nutrimentia posted:Yes, 5 suits at least is recommended to provide coverage while stuff is at the cleaners. There will also be times when you're traveling in-country for 3-4 days in weather that makes each suit unwearable after a day. Better to have too many than not enough. I like to keep a spare suit in the office in case of emergency as well. Shirts are one thing I definitely need to get. When I was prepping for the OA's I tried on the dress shirts I had and quickly realized the necks were way to small ...
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May 20, 2013 15:10
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SCRwM posted:Shirts are one thing I definitely need to get. When I was prepping for the OA's I tried on the dress shirts I had and quickly realized the necks were way to small ... Jos. A. Bank has crazy rear end sales on dress shirts every week, so you should be able to amass a good amount in no time at all.
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May 20, 2013 15:48
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Results are out for those waiting QEP results. Good Luck https://actapps.act.org/fsotresults/
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May 20, 2013 15:48
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Yeah, just got my email. Looks like I didn't get through this time. Thanks again to Business of Ferrets and the_chavi for all the help, though. I think I was a lot better off with your help than without it and even though I didn't make it this year, I still really appreciate it. Just gonna have to keep trying.
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May 20, 2013 15:53
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Barracuda Bang! posted:Yeah, just got my email. Looks like I didn't get through this time. Thanks again to Business of Ferrets and the_chavi for all the help, though. I think I was a lot better off with your help than without it and even though I didn't make it this year, I still really appreciate it. Keep up the good fight. I got knocked out in the QEP too my only time through, but I'm not going to take the FSOT anytime soon unless EUR really sucks. TCD fucked around with this message at 16:30 on May 20, 2013 |
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May 20, 2013 16:23
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You've got the right attitude, Barracuda. I know it isn't easy getting knocked out of the process but it's important not to take it personally.
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May 20, 2013 16:55
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psydude posted:Jos. A. Bank has crazy rear end sales on dress shirts every week, so you should be able to amass a good amount in no time at all. But once they have your email address, you will get spam from them forever.
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May 20, 2013 16:55
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Nutrimentia posted:You've got the right attitude, Barracuda. I know it isn't easy getting knocked out of the process but it's important not to take it personally. Thanks. I think it's only a matter of time before I get in, if I keep trying. I got in the mid 180s on the FSOT, so I know I have the potential...just...I maybe need a little refinement, or even luck, to get through the PNQs.
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May 20, 2013 17:34
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Barracuda Bang! posted:Thanks. I think it's only a matter of time before I get in, if I keep trying. I got in the mid 180s on the FSOT, so I know I have the potential...just...I maybe need a little refinement, or even luck, to get through the PNQs. Whoa, that's a really good FSOT score. I think mine was in the 150s-160s.
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May 20, 2013 17:49
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TCD posted:Whoa, that's a really good FSOT score. I think mine was in the 150s-160s. Well, my written score was like a 7, only 1 over the minimum, so...
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May 20, 2013 17:58
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Business of Ferrets posted:Most of mine are tailored large just so they fit! Most of mine are now unintentionally large, I've dropped almost 45 pounds now. psydude posted:Jos. A. Bank has crazy rear end sales on dress shirts every week, so you should be able to amass a good amount in no time at all. For what they are, the Jos. A. Bank travellers shirts, when on sale, are nice -- they're cut large generally, but wrinkle-free, and very comfortable. Only problem is that they tend to fall apart faster than my other shirts.
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May 20, 2013 18:46
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Diplomaticus posted:Most of mine are now unintentionally large, I've dropped almost 45 pounds now. Whoa dude. Was this the AF diet??
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May 20, 2013 18:47
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Business of Ferrets posted:But once they have your email address, you will get spam from them forever. Solution: filter all emails from them to a "Shopping Ads" folder along with the rest of your online store emails.
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May 20, 2013 18:51
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Diplomaticus posted:Most of mine are now unintentionally large, I've dropped almost 45 pounds now. Sorry to hear that. I hope the stress of moving didn't make anything worse.
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May 20, 2013 18:51
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TCD posted:Whoa dude. Was this the AF diet?? Basically yeah. I lost around 25 pounds in 30 days at one point. Overall I've gone from 230 to 185 since January.
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May 20, 2013 18:56
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Diplomaticus posted:Basically yeah. I lost around 25 pounds in 30 days at one point. Overall I've gone from 230 to 185 since January. I need to go back on the AF diet. For the most part, everything here is fairly sanitary in the major cities. I've only been sick once or twice here in Brazil and that was due to eating stuff like all you can eat ceviche.
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May 20, 2013 19:20
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Barracuda Bang! posted:Yeah, just got my email. Looks like I didn't get through this time. Thanks again to Business of Ferrets and the_chavi for all the help, though. I think I was a lot better off with your help than without it and even though I didn't make it this year, I still really appreciate it. Same here, no dice on the QEP. I second the thanks to BoF and the_chavi, they made my wimpy stories much, much better. I'll keep trying also, for some reason I like taking the FSOT. I also upgraded my Microsoft cert to something current so I plan on giving the IMS route a go!
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May 20, 2013 20:35
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So this may be a dumb question but where do you guys eat, in a place like Yemen? If you can't get off post does that mean your confined to the post cafeteria? Is the food really hit or miss with these places? Could you buy groceries at post and make food at home or does everyone just eat prepared food?
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May 20, 2013 22:28
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problematique posted:So this may be a dumb question but where do you guys eat, in a place like Yemen? If you can't get off post does that mean your confined to the post cafeteria? Is the food really hit or miss with these places? Could you buy groceries at post and make food at home or does everyone just eat prepared food? Totally unrelated but does the AQ Burger in Sanaa still have good swharma? AND THE CAKES.
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May 20, 2013 22:35
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And just in time, my friend who got me started on this process in the first place just got her rejection letter.Bruxism posted:Awesome story! I'm a big fan of your posts and especially of your advocacy for Wasteland 2. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help/encourage your entrance into the Foreign Service!  That is awfully nice of you and your perpetually grinding teeth. I seriously appreciate the kind words. Now I am going to make all of my narratives about how somebody thought I made good posts once.(also I just got to your first post in this thread and your job sounds fascinating, did you go through this process or do you just work with those who do?) Nutrimentia posted:If you score well at the OA or have bonus points from language or previous service, your chances are good no matter which track. The shorter the registers, the less this risk. Because of the common misbelief that its "easier" to get in via the Consular cone, the consular registery was one of the biggest back then. The fact is that your cone is irrelevant until the very end of the process, after you've passed the written, PNQ, oral assessment, med clearance, security clearance, final suitability review and are on the register. I discourage picking a cone based on a calculation that the cone will help/hurt chances of selection. Pick the cone of what you want to do and ride it out. Quarex, you seem to have done this and i'm not directly this advice at you per se. The consular-popularity-conundrum thing makes a lot of sense--if everyone hears something is the "easiest" way to do something, then after that news gets around, that thing will be overrun. (Somehow I doubt my two years of Swedish are going to get me any extra points though) SCRwM posted:Shirts are one thing I definitely need to get. When I was prepping for the OA's I tried on the dress shirts I had and quickly realized the necks were way to small ... Also am I really the only person who never has to wear suits for anything who actually thinks the idea of "having" to wear suits is kind of awesome? I would finally get to figure out how to find affordable suits for someone shaped like a triangle!
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May 21, 2013 00:28
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mtreecorner posted:We don't get out much. Professionally, it is very hard on officers who need to get out to meet contacts. Unless it is at a specific location (Ex. Another embassy or ministry), it generally doesn't happen. We try to bring people TO us to keep off the streets. Personally, it can be very draining. We really only are in two locations unless you have a very specific need to go somewhere else. As a specialist, I don't really NEED to leave our compound... so I get out even less so. While it is easy to complain about it... it is very much needed. Kidnappings of westerners happen quite often and AQAP is pretty serious about getting to US Diplomats. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/31/us-yemen-us-qaeda-idUSBRE8BU02I20121231 Thank god my next R&R is in June. Diplomaticus posted:
Thanks for the response, guys. Interesting stuff. It's a cool country, but sounds like a difficult place to be when working for the US government. So does this mean they're going to reopen DSS positions soon? quote:With Congressional support, the Department is creating 151 new Diplomatic Security positions -- 113 are expected to be hired this fiscal year. The remainder will be hired in FY14. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/05/209672.htm
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May 21, 2013 00:36
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DS includes a lot more than Special Agents but could be good news for S/A hopefuls.
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May 21, 2013 00:39
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Quarex posted:Also am I really the only person who never has to wear suits for anything who actually thinks the idea of "having" to wear suits is kind of awesome? I would finally get to figure out how to find affordable suits for someone shaped like a triangle! I've never had to wear suits at any job except for the interview, but I've got a couple (and will be picking some more up as soon as I get my confirmation letter). I will miss my days of jeans and polo shirts. I will not, however, miss destroyed clothing every week or so.
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May 21, 2013 01:09
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Tyro posted:DS includes a lot more than Special Agents but could be good news for S/A hopefuls. Yeah, this is awesome. I've been waiting the greater part of a year to just apply. Hopefully it opens on schedule (late summer at the earliest, as far as I know).
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May 21, 2013 01:33
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Business of Ferrets posted:Most of mine are tailored large just so they fit! That's why I like the diplomatically-labeled 'executive fit'
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May 21, 2013 01:53
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Xandu posted:So does this mean they're going to reopen DSS positions soon? Stay tuned and keep your ear on the ground. Everyone is seeing this as a fluid and ever changing situation right now due to post-Benghazi mandates from up on high, so it could show up faster than you (or me) think.
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May 21, 2013 03:21
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Quarex posted:(also I just got to your first post in this thread and your job sounds fascinating, did you go through this process or do you just work with those who do?) As a DS Agent I am a "Specialist" rather than a "Generalist." We go through a similar but different process. We have as many steps, but there it is more focused in terms of what they think will make a good agent. I have been through the generalist hiring process, but decided to go with DS instead.
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May 21, 2013 03:39
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Last BEX I was told they were training 63 DS agents for this FY, so 151 is a good number even if they aren't all DSS. That just means I'll be nearly three times the level of disappointment when I miss the cutoff by a teeny tiny amount again.
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May 21, 2013 03:41
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Bruxism posted:As a DS Agent I am a "Specialist" rather than a "Generalist." We go through a similar but different process. We have as many steps, but there it is more focused in terms of what they think will make a good agent. I have been through the generalist hiring process, but decided to go with DS instead. I am kind of glad I did not see the specialist thing first, as these positions seem somehow more intimidating. Clearly it is entirely in the word "specialist."
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May 21, 2013 04:11
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just a reminder, when you buy the suit, spring for a tailor. If you don't know one, someone can reccommend one or worse case the place you buy it at will do it. Seriously, get your suits tailored. And if you've never worn a suit before never button the last/bottom button. Congrats & condolences to all those who took the FSOT.
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May 21, 2013 05:45
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Skandiaavity posted:Seriously, get your suits tailored. And if you've never worn a suit before never button the last/bottom button. This. Also, if you get a three piece suit, leave the top and bottom buttons of the vest unbuttoned unless you know what you're doing. With a three button suit jacket, either only button the top two buttons or only button the middle one. Again, unless you know what you're doing. Yes, people notice these things. Yes, it makes a difference.
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May 21, 2013 06:10
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Homie S posted:Totally unrelated but does the AQ Burger in Sanaa still have good swharma? AND THE CAKES. Sanaa would have a place called AQ Burger. problematique posted:So this may be a dumb question but where do you guys eat, in a place like Yemen? If you can't get off post does that mean your confined to the post cafeteria? Is the food really hit or miss with these places? Could you buy groceries at post and make food at home or does everyone just eat prepared food? I'll let mtree answer as to Yemen, but generally you can get around to places in town unless its an extremely high threat location. Usually there will be some kind of catering/takeout taxi style service that can deliver (expensively). You may hire a home cook/maid for a couple hundred bucks a month, who will make you stuff. You order things via the pouch/consumable shipment. You hit up the grocery store/commissary for stuff to cook. Generalists, especially in Pol/Econ or Public Affairs, will probably have quite a few catered work events from time to time, or will arrange a working lunch/business lunch with contacts. So overall it works out. HiroProtagonist posted:This. Also, if you get a three piece suit, leave the top and bottom buttons of the vest unbuttoned unless you know what you're doing. Suits for dummies: Don't get a three piece suit. It's really that simple. Very few people can pull it off, it's like having big pinstripes, most people just look awkward or pretentious with them. If you want a slightly more "stylish" suit, go to Banana Republic and they usually sell suit separates (trousers and jacket separate) that are usually around $100-$150 for the trousers and $200-$350 for the jacket. Buy one in a charcoal grey, it's your most versatile color (no pinstripes on this one). If you go for a second, my suggestion is a light tan/beige suit, but navy works too. Banana's suits are very well cut to make you look like you actually belong in a suit, roomy enough even for bigger guys, last forever, high quality, lightweight, and super comfortable. Then once you've bought it, get it tailored. Get non-pleated (flat-front) trousers, they look much better than pleated (exception: fat guys, and by fat I mean "you need to shop at big and tall and you're 280+", not just that you could stand to lose a few.) Buy a couple dress shirts that match, and a tie for each shirt. Get your shirts tailored too. Now you've got the core of a wardrobe, and can expand from there.
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May 21, 2013 08:04
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