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SCRwM posted:Same thing as TCD. I was scared I wouldn't get an invite due to some past medical stuff. But after an extra exam/paperwork it was fine. I wish somebody would have told me in 2005 if you really want to join the FS, start the entry process - dont second guess yourself. Be honest during your med and sec clearance and if they grant them, congrats. If not, well at least you tried.
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Jun 9, 2013 02:51
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TCD posted:I wish somebody would have told me in 2005 if you really want to join the FS, start the entry process - dont second guess yourself. Be honest during your med and sec clearance and if they grant them, congrats. If not, well at least you tried. This. I breezed through the medical process, despite disclosing everything. In the process I discovered some cool things (my cholesterol and lipids are waaay better than I thought they were).
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Jun 9, 2013 03:34
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Thanks for the encouragement! When I first thought about applying I thought I'd never get in due to past serious medical issues. But my medical issues seem to have been resolved and all I need now is an annual checkup. So I'd feel comfortable living somewhere with limited medical facilities.
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Jun 9, 2013 10:16
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TCD posted:I wish somebody would have told me in 2005 if you really want to join the FS, start the entry process - dont second guess yourself. Be honest during your med and sec clearance and if they grant them, congrats. If not, well at least you tried. For me, when I met with my allergist to fill out the paperwork he looked in more detail at my chart and realized I could come off my allergy injections and some other medication I had been on forever. I just went back last week to get some scripts before we leave for DC in July and he ran a couple of tests and nothing has changed since he took me off my medications.
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Jun 9, 2013 12:37
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Are we allowed to talk about FSOT material after taking it? Just had the test yesterday. Finished with time to spare, which was worrying. There were a couple of questions in the biographical section I had to skip, because I had nothing to list for some of those things. Only one other person at the test center was also taking the test, and she said that because she was a Pickering fellow and had done the internship it was "just a formality" for her, which struck me as a bit cocky.
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Jun 9, 2013 14:02
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Ofaloaf posted:Only one other person at the test center was also taking the test, and she said that because she was a Pickering fellow and had done the internship it was "just a formality" for her, which struck me as a bit cocky. In some ways it is a formality, mostly because the State Department has a bad habit of "in for a penny, in for a pound" type of attitude. We had a Rangel fellow intern that I wanted to revoke OpenNet to, and as a result of his conduct in other areas we won't be taking any interns or fellows for the foreseeable future. But I'm CERTAIN he'll get invited to an A-100. Which is frustrating and infuriating. They love to throw good money after bad instead of cutting their losses. All that "mentoring" from FS officers to the fellows seems to do is convince these jackasses that they are more important than they are. Like they don't get enough of that poo poo from FSI. Orientation should be a bit more like "Look to your left. Look to your right. That is the BEST we could do." ATI Jesus fucked around with this message at 14:35 on Jun 9, 2013 |
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Jun 9, 2013 14:15
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Ofaloaf posted:Are we allowed to talk about FSOT material after taking it? Just had the test yesterday. Finished with time to spare, which was worrying. There were a couple of questions in the biographical section I had to skip, because I had nothing to list for some of those things. No. The NDA covers the entire process as far as talking about the substantive content of a particular administration of the test is concerned. Broadly speaking, you can talk about the general process (e.g. there is a biographical section), but not the contents of your actual test (such as questions). This can and does come up in Final Suitability Review. quote:Only one other person at the test center was also taking the test, and she said that because she was a Pickering fellow and had done the internship it was "just a formality" for her, which struck me as a bit cocky. I know a Pickering fellow who was on her last chance to pass the FSOA. She did not pass it. I don't know what happens after that but I presume they're out.
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Jun 9, 2013 15:27
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Ofaloaf posted:Are we allowed to talk about FSOT material after taking it? Just had the test yesterday. Finished with time to spare, which was worrying. There were a couple of questions in the biographical section I had to skip, because I had nothing to list for some of those things. Lucky you. Showed up to my test location yesterday and the proctor never arrived. Just a locked door and about 15 people standing around waiting. And it's the weekend so I haven't been able to get a hold of anyone to help me reschedule. Hope I don't get stuck waiting til the fall to take the test.
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Jun 9, 2013 17:04
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Diplomaticus posted:
Not only are they out, they may have to pay back the State Department for grad school.
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Jun 9, 2013 21:37
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I got an invite for a State Dept. Networking event. What's the expected dress for these sort of events? I was planning to go in a suit and tie get up, and I didn't want to look too formal.
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Jun 10, 2013 03:46
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Salt Maker posted:I got an invite for a State Dept. Networking event. What's the expected dress for these sort of events? I was planning to go in a suit and tie get up, and I didn't want to look too formal. Are you still in college/university? I'd say suit or sport coat would be appropiate.
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Jun 10, 2013 12:59
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Rule of thumb when doing anything State Department related - never hurts to be overdressed. I think my PDAS's pajamas probably have suspenders and a tie.
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Jun 10, 2013 13:35
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Giodo! posted:I think my PDAS's pajamas probably have suspenders and a tie. EUR hand spotted.
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Jun 10, 2013 14:58
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Salt Maker posted:I got an invite for a State Dept. Networking event. What's the expected dress for these sort of events? I was planning to go in a suit and tie get up, and I didn't want to look too formal. The awesome thing about going in a suit and tie is that, if you get there and find that things are really casual, you just lose the jacket and/or tie.
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Jun 10, 2013 15:00
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Diplomaticus posted:No. The NDA covers the entire process as far as talking about the substantive content of a particular administration of the test is concerned. Broadly speaking, you can talk about the general process (e.g. there is a biographical section), but not the contents of your actual test (such as questions). This can and does come up in Final Suitability Review. quote:I know a Pickering fellow who was on her last chance to pass the FSOA. She did not pass it. I don't know what happens after that but I presume they're out. Litany Unheard posted:Lucky you. Showed up to my test location yesterday and the proctor never arrived. Just a locked door and about 15 people standing around waiting.
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Jun 10, 2013 15:38
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I was in the A-100 class in 2007 that had all of the Pickerings and Rangel fellows, and I found them to be just like everyone else - ie, some good, some lovely, some great - but having a few extra years of being told they're great. Most were reasonable enough to know that they still had lots to learn, but some did not. As far as I can tell, that last batch has all left. 
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Jun 10, 2013 19:39
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Ofaloaf posted:Well then! Surely making reference to questions in the study guide is at least acceptable. Should be, I don't see why not. quote:How much of a leg up do the fellows and interns have over those of us foolish enough to have not planned for FSO work since high school? Beyond the explicit benefits of the fellowship program (which you can probably just google), very little as far as I can tell. Once you're in, you're like any other FSO. You won't know who was a Pickering/Rangel/PMF/whatever unless you asked or they mention it. They may have a better idea of the working environment (former interns especially) but that's about it. It may have changed with sequestration's effect on hiring, but there was generally one class per year that had all the Pickerings and Rangels in it (summer maybe?) On the yahoo groups everyone on the POL list would bitch and complain that the Pickering fellows were taking all their spots.
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Jun 10, 2013 20:47
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Having been around lots of Pickering/Rangel fellows, do you guys have any insight (beyond the obvious) as to why they were selected? I am keenly interested in that program.
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Jun 10, 2013 22:15
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hitension posted:Having been around lots of Pickering/Rangel fellows, do you guys have any insight (beyond the obvious) as to why they were selected? I am keenly interested in that program. Have you looked into the program's recruitment targets? They select for underprivileged a/o nontraditional entrants into diplomacy.
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Jun 10, 2013 22:45
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http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57588456/state-department-memo-reveals-possible-cover-ups-halted-investigations Boom goes the dynamite.
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Jun 10, 2013 22:50
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the_chavi posted:Have you looked into the program's recruitment targets? They select for underprivileged a/o nontraditional entrants into diplomacy. Err, sorry if I was unclear, that was what I meant by "the obvious".
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Jun 10, 2013 23:03
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hitension posted:Err, sorry if I was unclear, that was what I meant by "the obvious". Sorry, a number of people I've met at State are dismissive of the fellowships as workarounds for poor/brown kids who don't deserve to be in this field. As a former boss told one of my interns, "The Pickering program is designed to keep people like you and me [white and Ivy educated] out of the Foreign Service." I get defensive pretty quickly, even though I'm not a graduate of the program.
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Jun 10, 2013 23:33
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Oh, I wholly agree with the values of the program as I understand them. I was trying to avoid getting too E/N so I kept my question really simple. I'm not a minority, but I do come from a dirt-poor single-parent family and am a first generation college student and female (not sure if that is even an issue anymore). I love the idea that anyone could become a diplomat. That said, I'm sure lots of people have a similar background with me and I'm always thinking about how to stand out more. I want to do it because I want to pursue foreign affairs more than anything, but MA-IR programs are almost never funded, making grad school pretty much completely out of reach. Same thing with the unpaid internships. The fact that the State Department even has such programs is such a huge draw for me. I don't know of many organizations that do things like that. Sorry to hear that there are still a number of people at State who don't feel that way about the program though. hitension fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Jun 11, 2013 |
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Jun 11, 2013 00:09
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Homie S posted:http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57588456/state-department-memo-reveals-possible-cover-ups-halted-investigations Yeah a friend sent me that earlier today. I can't even imagine how angry I would be if I was ordered off an investigation.
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Jun 11, 2013 00:23
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Stupid app double posted
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Jun 11, 2013 00:24
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Welp, tomorrow is the written test. I'm kind of nervous now, but no turning back. Anything I should remember to bring in beforehand?
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Jun 11, 2013 05:23
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A good night's sleep with a couple of healthy meals on both ends. Good luck!
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Jun 11, 2013 07:25
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Homie S posted:http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57588456/state-department-memo-reveals-possible-cover-ups-halted-investigations Ugh. Just what State needs right now. Bad time to have this news leak.
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Jun 11, 2013 07:54
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hitension posted:Oh, I wholly agree with the values of the program as I understand them. I was trying to avoid getting too E/N so I kept my question really simple. I'm not a minority, but I do come from a dirt-poor single-parent family and am a first generation college student and female (not sure if that is even an issue anymore). I love the idea that anyone could become a diplomat. That said, I'm sure lots of people have a similar background with me and I'm always thinking about how to stand out more. Okay, whew. YES, you should totally apply. Rangel may be more to your type than Pickering (I think Pickering has an ethnic component, but I can't remember). There were several people in my class in 2007 who fit your profile. Talk to your career counsellor at your university; they have to nominate you for the program IIRC. I was in the process of applying for Pickering (or PMF?) when I passed the oral exam in 2006.
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Jun 11, 2013 14:35
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Edwhirl posted:Welp, tomorrow is the written test. I'm kind of nervous now, but no turning back. Anything I should remember to bring in beforehand? Pants. They get really pissy if you go in free-ballin'.
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Jun 11, 2013 14:36
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the_chavi posted:Pants. They get really pissy if you go in free-ballin'. Coming from our resident middle-east hussy, this is some pretty serious counsel.
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Jun 11, 2013 14:46
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Business of Ferrets posted:Coming from our resident middle-east hussy, this is some pretty serious counsel. My legs were the laughing stock of Libya for about three weeks. This is not a joke. Wear pants.
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Jun 11, 2013 16:08
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the_chavi posted:My legs were the laughing stock of Libya for about three weeks. This is not a joke. Pants were worn. Test was taken. Now I just need to wait for my results...
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Jun 11, 2013 22:00
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Been going through this thread over the past few months. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences. It helps a lot in knowing what to expect. Hopefully I'll pass the Fsot this time. I did ok the last couple times, and now I know not to be humble on the biography section!
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Jun 12, 2013 00:13
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Oh no, the second piece of advice was to refrain from using the passive voice 
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Jun 12, 2013 00:56
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Business of Ferrets posted:Coming from our resident middle-east hussy, this is some pretty serious counsel. I don't know why but I find this comment hilarious.
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Jun 12, 2013 02:04
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I was signed up for this, but I ended up cancelling to push it back to the test later this year since I'm also in the middle of studying for the bar (what a poor decision that was) and there were possible issues with me getting over to the testing place that day as well. So I'll be taking the October one, any tips in the meantime besides just keeping abreast of current events and all that? Also, I've got another friend of mine who is looking at the FSOT, but she's been concerned about the possibility of ending up at a dangerous post. Any light current folks can shed on that? I showed her some of the stuff from the OP already but she was still wanting me to ask.
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Jun 12, 2013 08:33
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the_chavi posted:My legs were the laughing stock of Libya for about three weeks. This is not a joke. I was alluding to that!
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Jun 12, 2013 08:39
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Eminent Domain posted:Also, I've got another friend of mine who is looking at the FSOT, but she's been concerned about the possibility of ending up at a dangerous post. Any light current folks can shed on that? I showed her some of the stuff from the OP already but she was still wanting me to ask. Everyone eventually will probably wind up at one or more posts that have varying degrees of danger. Most people will be able to control when this happens to them, but not always. I know of a tandem couple with young children who, for their first post, wound up assigned to an extremely dangerous Mexican border post. It came as a surprise to them, and they weren't happy about it.
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Jun 12, 2013 08:43
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Business of Ferrets posted:Everyone eventually will probably wind up at one or more posts that have varying degrees of danger. Most people will be able to control when this happens to them, but not always. I know of a tandem couple with young children who, for their first post, wound up assigned to an extremely dangerous Mexican border post. It came as a surprise to them, and they weren't happy about it. As BOF mentioned, your friend can be assigned to "dangerous" posts.
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Jun 12, 2013 12:44
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