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Congrats man, I would have had a heart attack reading that email. I'm pretty sure we have a problematique fucked around with this message at 04:00 on May 6, 2014 |
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May 6, 2014 03:56
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The Mantis posted:Good Afternoon Mr. The Mantis: Boom! We just keep multiplying..
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May 6, 2014 04:00
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The Mantis posted:Good Afternoon Mr. The Mantis: Congratulations on surviving the FSO hiring gauntlet! Good luck!
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May 6, 2014 13:12
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Congratulations man. Now if only they would offer the bloody FSOT here in Benin. They aren't offering it this June and offered it the last time in June 2013. More than a year between the tests here, and I'm not allowed to go to Ghana/Nigeria to take it. Peace Corps/Embassy Benin 
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May 6, 2014 15:58
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HiroProtagonist posted:Congrats dude! I can barely imagine what a relief that must feel like after having to agonize for months over your clearance. d1rtbag posted:Great news! I'll be leaving FSI Wednesday evening after you start, but it seems like there's always a few of us around. Leif. posted:Congrats! Nutrimentia posted:Congratulations, indeed! Way to go. problematique posted:Congrats man, I would have had a heart attack reading that email. zzonkmiles posted:Congratulations on surviving the FSO hiring gauntlet! Good luck!  Thank you  Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you  I'm absolutely thrilled. And I know it sounds corny and I KNOW it gets said every few pages in every iteration of this thread, but the people here were invaluable. I actually bought archives yesterday to go dig for one of my earliest posts (maybe circa 2006?) in which I timidly ask about the FSOT. Sadly, either archives is down or I'm a terrible archivist. Slaan posted:Congratulations man. Woah. My wife is a recent RPCV from Benin. We bussed over to Accra when I came and saw her (my god, Benin), and I remember her talking about people taking the same route for GRE tests. They really don't let you do it anymore? Tyro posted:Hahaha wow. Congrats, that is awesome. Are you thinking about deferring or are you all in? Honestly I don't know. There's obviously this very exhausted part of me that wants to sink my claws in and never let go, but there's a more rational side that knows waiting might be better for our schedule. I called today to ask about some of the more cryptic parts of the multi-colored offer letter, and she told me I was 17/130 and had a "very solid chance" of an offer in the August/September class.  Can anyone weigh in with guidance on timing and whether class month matters at all?* I remember a group of Rangel fellows swapping conspiracy theories about which class is best to join. As a DC resident, my biggest consideration (other than the fear of new entries knocking me out of a spot), is that it will be hot as balls in July/August and I'd be in a suit everyday... *: I remember absolutely hating people that talked about offers and then did anything other than unconditionally accept them. Now it's me. I'm the greedy one. The Mantis fucked around with this message at 16:27 on May 6, 2014 |
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May 6, 2014 16:25
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The Mantis posted:Woah. No, they let you taxi/bus over to Ghana to take the GRE/FSOT, etc. But I am not allowed to because it will be during my last 3 months of service. We are supposed to spend the last three months sitting in our village doing nothing because... well, nobody is sure why. But I'm not allowed to leave to do it, because of that.  What village was she in? I'm up in the central north area. 
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May 6, 2014 17:06
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Mantis I will PM you later when not phone posting.
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May 6, 2014 20:12
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Slaan posted:We are supposed to spend the last three months sitting in our village doing nothing because... well, nobody is sure why. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF SECOND AND THIRD GOAL ACTIVITIES and YOU WON'T KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE UNTIL YOU'VE LEFT and GOD DAMMIT WE'RE GOING TO FORCE-FEED YOU WITH YOUR SITE MEMORIES TO ENSURE NOSTALGIA WHEN YOU COS Mostly in that order, I think. Yeah it was obnoxious. e: Congrats, Mantis!!
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May 6, 2014 21:55
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It appears that the FSOT process is getting worse. People are complaining on the State board about how the new test administrator (Pearson VUE) is not offering the test in as many locations. Even in major cities, there are few testing opportunities. I wonder if this could potentially limit the number of actual candidates? But I would have thought that was the function of the QEP. But what do I know?
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May 7, 2014 00:50
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zzonkmiles posted:It appears that the FSOT process is getting worse. People are complaining on the State board about how the new test administrator (Pearson VUE) is not offering the test in as many locations. Even in major cities, there are few testing opportunities. I wonder if this could potentially limit the number of actual candidates? But I would have thought that was the function of the QEP. But what do I know? Pearson is not making a good first impression. There are five test centers within 30mi of me (in the Socal/OC ish area, so not some small town) and there is only one day open per center. I registered the 2nd day they opened the site up. I signed up for a Wednesday somewhere 20 miles away, because the one closest to me had ZERO spots open.
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May 7, 2014 01:22
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Stolennosferatu posted:Pearson is not making a good first impression. There are five test centers within 30mi of me (in the Socal/OC ish area, so not some small town) and there is only one day open per center. I registered the 2nd day they opened the site up. I signed up for a Wednesday somewhere 20 miles away, because the one closest to me had ZERO spots open. When I was looking the same day I posted here about signing up I think there was 5 or 6 locations in Houston metro and all were full except awkward timing/days. My first take I signed up a week before it closed and had to drive 100 miles for the test. If I had waited any longer this time I would have needed to drive to San Antonio for a seat. Edit: SA is ~200 miles for clarity/perspective. Dameius fucked around with this message at 03:24 on May 7, 2014 |
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May 7, 2014 03:21
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The Mantis posted:There's obviously this very exhausted part of me that wants to sink my claws in and never let go, but there's a more rational side that knows waiting might be better for our schedule. I called today to ask about some of the more cryptic parts of the multi-colored offer letter, and she told me I was 17/130 and had a "very solid chance" of an offer in the August/September class. I think early on in your career (esp. your first year at FSI) there's some judgement based on your class' reputation. That fades over time as you all start to distinguish yourselves and as other classes come through. My 2007 class was known as the worst of that year, but now that's mostly faded from collective memory.
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May 8, 2014 00:59
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d1rtbag posted:If you're not married to the Political cone, consider what cone your work experience / education matches with. I chose the consular cone due to interest in the work and my legal background I'm curious. Don't think I'll make it this time, but if I try again, as a guy currently in the legal field, is consular the cone I should apply for? I have a poli sci degree and experience teaching politics, but if legal types tend to congregate in one cone....
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May 8, 2014 01:37
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https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.testprevu.fsot Not my app, but someone in the Yahoo! Group made it and it seems pretty good. If you miss a question, click on the little i in the top right and it'll open up a mini wiki article on the subject! Pretty cool. I'm averaging like 80% on management which is sad because I have a BS in business.
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May 8, 2014 03:42
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Shageletic posted:I'm curious. Don't think I'll make it this time, but if I try again, as a guy currently in the legal field, is consular the cone I should apply for? I have a poli sci degree and experience teaching politics, but if legal types tend to congregate in one cone.... Apply for whatever appeals to you. If you go in for a cone that you won't enjoy, you'll be setting yourself up for unhappiness. Legal types are all over the place, cone-wise. I was primarily involved in criminal prosecution (and later defense), and consular work appealed to me. So many facets hit upon aspects of my old life that I enjoyed, that I think it will be a good long-term match. If you have political science teaching experience and are most interested in political work, then go for it.
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May 8, 2014 04:51
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Nutrimentia posted:All the cones are the same up until you're on the register. At least as far as is known, your cone doesn't impact any step of the process (FSOT, QEP, FSOA). Everyone is looked at the same. The registers can be different depths though but if its still anything like what it was when I went through, there are so many people on them that cone remains irrelevant and it boils down to your OA score plus language and veteran bonuses. Don't choose a cone based on the mistaken perception that cone selection will somehow impact your chances of getting through the process. Hello! Been lurking through this thread for about a year now, on and off, and finally decided to read through it. Anyway, I was wondering if the above is correct? Because from the Yahoo group, it seems that people who passed the FSOT having chosen the Political cone usually had a much higher score than some of the other cones. Thanks! (still on page like 190, odd to read through all your conversations, like a time machine)
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May 8, 2014 05:30
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solarjaye posted:Hello! Welcome! I think the key point in Nurti's post is about register depth. Your cone does not in any way affect how you are evaluated, but your score determines your position on the register. POL is generally perceived/known to be the most competitive cone, although PD may eclipse it. I'm sure you already know this, but State will start from the top of the register and only offer slots to however many applicants they need to fill a class. This is a separate process for each cone. As an applicant, you're hoping to be in the top third to fifth of that group. In Management that might mean a 5.5. For my cycle in in POL it meant a 5.7. I bet you're seeing a bit of self-selection bias. People who choose POL (and are active in the Yahoo group) may be better prepared. Or, more likely, the only people who are reporting are those with a competitive score. The Mantis fucked around with this message at 06:44 on May 8, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 06:41
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The Mantis posted:Welcome! I would also add that even if you just passed your OA with a 5.6, if there are 25 other people on the register with a 5.6 (setting aside the people who scored higher than that), you will be the 26th ranked 5.6 candidate because you are the newest candidate with that score. And if there are only 25 slots for the next A-100 class, all the people with a higher OA score (and/or combination of veterans points and language points) AND people with the same score as you who have been on the register longer than you will be called to class ahead of you (unless they are on do-not-call status). I do not know how long the registers are, but I have heard from several candidates at the OA (who were already on the register and were pursuing a second candidacy) that the political and public diplomacy cones were the most competitive. You could indeed get on the register as a political or PD candidate with a 5.4, but you likely won't get an A-100 offer. I also suspect that people thought the management and consular cones were easier to get into because they were "less popular," but that ended up causing a glut of candidates on those registers, so even if your score is as high as theirs, they will still be called to class before you because of what I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Bottom line up front: Choose the cone that interests you the most. Don't try to game the system. And from what I can understand, you will not always take job assignments in your particular cone at State. In other words, an economic cone officer might have to take a position as a management officer, for example. Disclaimer: I am on the outside looking in, so I could be wrong about this. But maybe another poster who survived the gauntlet can vouch for what I'm saying!
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May 8, 2014 13:56
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Thanks so much for your responses and for all the insights. As I keep reading, I feel more and more informed about the FS. I'm trying to decide what Cone to pick, but it's quite hard. I think my intellectual curiosity leads me to Political, but my experience is more Economics / Management, and I think PD would be a lot of fun though I'm not sure how great I would be at it, and Consular seems like the kind of track that would allow for the best quality of life as far as the schedule and being able to go to any country in the world. So... I'm very torn, and I do hate my current job, so would like to maximize my chances of moving on to the next phase of my life. I don't really see myself hating any of it, but it's hard because I don't truly know the job, and wont know it until I'm doing it. Being a lawyer sounded quite great, until I was finally doing it. LOL Again, thanks so much for this treasure trove of information.
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May 8, 2014 19:52
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solarjaye posted:Hello! Based on all I've seen and read about the process, I think you're right--it is harder to get an OA invite in a cone that is more competitive. My understanding is that BEX has a general estimate of the number of people who they will hire that year in each cone; they also know the average pass rate at the OA, so they know about how many people they need to invite to the OA to get the target number of people on the register. On leaner hiring years, they invite fewer people to the OA, and they use the QEP to filter out the number of people they need at the OA. As a hypothetical, let's assume that they plan on hiring 50 POL officers for the year, and they know that there is a 1/3 pass rate for the OA. Let's also say that they try to get try to get 1 1/2 times the number of people on the register as they actually plan on hiring (as a cushion). Under that scenario, they'd want 75 OA POL passers to get their 150% cushion on the register (1.5 * 50), which means they'd invite 225 people POL applicants to the OA for that year (3 * 75, because of the 1/3 pass rate). If POL has 5,000 applicants, while management only has 1,000, and State will be hiring 50 of each, then a management applicant would have a better shot at getting an OA invite (a 4.5% chance for POL and a 22.5% chance for management, using these hypothetical numbers). Thus, if you're in a more competitive cone, it will be harder to get past the QEP and get an OA invitation.
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May 8, 2014 23:01
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Anyone choosing a come based on what's easiest to get in is making a huge mistake. While this is a lifestyle that every cone/speciality shares its also your day to day job. Pick what you want to do every day.
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May 9, 2014 00:05
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Rode around in an MRAP, wore night vision goggles, shot an M-4 and ate an MRE yesterday (ok the last one wasn't so great). Who says this job isn't awesome?!
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May 9, 2014 03:14
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I can't remember - is there anyone here in the current A100 class? I'll be repping NEA at the Better Know a Bureau shindig on Tuesday. Come say hello!
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May 10, 2014 01:08
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SCRwM posted:Rode around in an MRAP, wore night vision goggles, shot an M-4 and ate an MRE yesterday (ok the last one wasn't so great). Who says this job isn't awesome?! SCRwM - pouch run? LOL
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May 10, 2014 01:56
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the_chavi posted:I can't remember - is there anyone here in the current A100 class? I'll be repping NEA at the Better Know a Bureau shindig on Tuesday. Come say hello! You can't do this and not turn on the PTSD and thousand-yard stare. Also, an empty holster subtly sticking out of the jacket would be a nice touch.
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May 10, 2014 16:02
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Business of Ferrets posted:You can't do this and not turn on the PTSD and thousand-yard stare. Also, an empty holster subtly sticking out of the jacket would be a nice touch. Can do. The guy who repped NEA for my A-100 class Way Back When was certifiably bonkers. I ended up at the same place with him for my first tour and we ended up being big drinking bodies.
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May 10, 2014 20:12
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Business of Ferrets posted:You can't do this and not turn on the PTSD and thousand-yard stare. Also, an empty holster subtly sticking out of the jacket would be a nice touch. try to do that (minus the holster) as much as you can.. bonus for HR\recruiting.. "I've seen things, you people wouldn't believe.."
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May 11, 2014 12:14
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Skandiaavity posted:SCRwM - pouch run? LOL Bahahah! Actually 3 of the 4 wouldn't be bad on a pouch run...
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May 11, 2014 14:18
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Skandiaavity posted:try to do that (minus the holster) as much as you can.. bonus for HR\recruiting.. I'll bring in an e-cigarette and chain puff it.
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May 11, 2014 15:54
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the_chavi posted:I'll bring in an e-cigarette and chain puff it. takes a drag "You're management coned?" blows smoke "Ever heard of Ramadan?"
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May 13, 2014 18:40
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Homie S posted:takes a drag Brilliant.
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May 13, 2014 18:42
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Hello, The AFSA's excerpt, I think it's from "Inside a US Embassy," states the following: quote:What if I Choose the "Wrong" Cone? So, if someone could please answer the following: 1. How many people do you know have been able to change cones? 2. What's the process exactly? How long? 3. Is it even really necessary? Or can you simply just do several tours out of Cone? 4. How easy/hard is it to do an out of Cone tour? Is it harder depending on the Cone? (like if you're Consular, how hard would it be to do an Economic Cone tour?) Thanks so much!!
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May 15, 2014 22:01
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solarjaye posted:Hello, 1. I've been in less than a year, but I've met a few who went through conal rectification. I think all changed from other cones to consular. 2. I'm fuzzier on this, but if I recall correctly, you have to do multiple tours (3?) in the new cone, which will reduce your chances of promotion. 3. I know several people who have done multiple tours out of cone, but, as I said, you won't qualify for in-cone promotion if you're not working in cone. You would then be relying upon class-wide promotion. 4. I'm consular, and my first tour is a consular/political rotation, and I know lots of people in similar circumstances. This is probably easier to do early on.
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May 15, 2014 22:31
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I forget, do you get a letter if you aren't invited to OA?
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May 16, 2014 00:02
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Shageletic posted:I forget, do you get a letter if you aren't invited to OA? Yeah I got a rejection notice last year when I didn't pass the QEP
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May 16, 2014 01:39
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Homie S posted:takes a drag ^^ This is excellent. So I met lots of bright eager young things, all of whom were convinced they were going to get to go to Tel Aviv and Amman for their first tour and then Paris after, because y'know TA and Amman are _hard_.
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May 16, 2014 03:49
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it's kind of funny how everyone "wants" Paris, and yet I hear nothing but horror-or-hilarity stories from people actually posted there.
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May 16, 2014 08:40
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Skandiaavity posted:it's kind of funny how everyone "wants" Paris, and yet I hear nothing but horror-or-hilarity stories from people actually posted there. Interesting. If I ever make it on the inside, I wouldn't bid on places like Paris, Rome, Stockholm, Berlin, Brussels, etc. at all. (Or rather, I would bid them as low for my first assignment.) Different strokes and all. As for the poster who asked about letters and the OA, the letter will be similar to the one you got after the FSOT. If the first word is "Congratulations!," then you are heading to the OA and you will receive special instructions in the letter about what steps you need to take in order to prepare. If the first word is NOT "Congratulations!," then you'll be back at square one. The QEP round is by far the most frustrating.
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May 16, 2014 13:21
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Skandiaavity posted:it's kind of funny how everyone "wants" Paris, and yet I hear nothing but horror-or-hilarity stories from people actually posted there. It's a different kind of FS... more - Washingtoness in a way. Everywhere has it's pluses and minuses, and I certainly would not turn down a chance to do an EU tour.
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May 16, 2014 15:36
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Skandiaavity posted:it's kind of funny how everyone "wants" Paris, and yet I hear nothing but horror-or-hilarity stories from people actually posted there. I must be naive but the 15-25% equity posts sound great to me, good mix of being out of your comfort zone yet in interesting places you might never otherwise experience and accessible enough not to sound like terrible places to live/visit. Some of the zero equity posts sound like a straight bore. This is all from a personal viewpoint, professionally its a different calculation. Not having kids helps too. I probably have no idea what I'm talking about though, I'll grow old and bitter after this tour and bid Paris or something.
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May 16, 2014 20:19
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