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solarjaye posted:I think State made a mistake by changing from ACT to Pearson. I'd also like to point out that last year, ACT printed out the passwords for everyone taking the test that day and marked us off one by one (they had a giant list of usernames and passwords) Granted I'm not impressed by Pearson because scheduling a test with them sucked because there were very few options
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Jun 21, 2014 18:07
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Captain Bravo posted:Test over! Now to wait on the results... I think I did pretty well, spaced on some of the international policy questions, but nailed the English and writing portion! The next step is the Personal Narrative, right? How long will it take to find out whether I am through to that step? Is it just the 3-5 week estimate they gave me to grade my exam? Yeah, now the waiting begins. Probably sometime in mid- or late-July you will get your score results. If you pass the test and essay, you will have about 3 weeks to get your personal narratives submitted. Then it's another two-month wait to see if you'll be invited to the OA (oral assessment). Congratulations on surviving the FSOT! Here's hoping for good results!
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Jun 21, 2014 21:59
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Just checking into the thread as my transition settles down. Got my UAB and the first half of HHE (the stuff that came out of Hagerstown and Abuja; the stuff they packed out of Oakwood right before we left is still a ways out) already and am back in fighting shape on the NIV line. Seoul seems a nice enough place to live and the embassy is definitely a good group of folks. I hear we just administered the test; I doubt there were an goons involved there.
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Jun 27, 2014 08:24
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Oh my old OMS is working in Seoul. My condolences, she was awful.
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Jun 27, 2014 22:44
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Starting A-100 on Monday. Any words of wisdom?
The Mantis fucked around with this message at 00:08 on Jun 28, 2014 |
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Jun 27, 2014 23:54
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The Mantis posted:Starting A-100 on Monday. Any words of wisdom. Yikes. Suits in this heat? I'm so sorry. Don't be that person who prefaces every question with "When I'm an ambassador..."
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Jun 28, 2014 00:01
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Zoots posted:Don't be that person who prefaces every question with "When I'm an ambassador..."  what? People seriously do that?
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Jun 28, 2014 00:06
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The Mantis posted:Starting A-100 on Monday. Any words of wisdom? I've never actually tried the food trucks but they've got to be better than the cafeteria. I'm going to at FSI for a month starting a week from Monday. I'd be happy to meet any goons newbies or not.
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Jun 28, 2014 00:25
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apparently the FSI cafeteria is under renovation with the intent to provide better food and traffic flows.
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Jun 28, 2014 01:40
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Gold and a Pager posted:
Oh my god. Also don't be that guy who knows more than everyone else.
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Jun 28, 2014 01:44
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BoF in OP posted:...That said, there are plenty of officers who spend their whole career working in the consular field, and they love it. Some reasons why: I can attest that if you're at a small post, none of this is true. The flip side is that at small posts your work is not strictly any one thing (visas, ACS, etc..) but runs the whole gamut of consular work, and possibly even a few things that wouldn't normally be consular duties. As an example, because it dealt with a consular issue, I recently accompanied our ambassador to a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is normally a POL officer's role.
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Jun 28, 2014 08:23
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Continuous posted:I can attest that if you're at a small post, none of this is true. My first post was at a 1 person consular show, and she routinely worked 12+ hour days as well as weekend work. Although that was her third tour and she's consular cone. When I left there was talks about creating an EL slot- not sure if that happened though. AKA Pseudonym posted:I've never actually tried the food trucks but they've got to be better than the cafeteria. TCD fucked around with this message at 12:21 on Jun 28, 2014 |
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Jun 28, 2014 12:11
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When I'm ambassador, we're moving to a three-day work week.
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Jun 28, 2014 16:01
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Business of Ferrets posted:When I'm ambassador, we're moving to a three-day work week. When I'm ambassador, I'm moving to abolish the necktie in more humid climes.
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Jun 28, 2014 20:04
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The Mantis posted:Starting A-100 on Monday. Any words of wisdom? Don't be the person who always asks reeeeeally specific questions about your personal circumstances in dealing with whatever issues your having. The class hated people who always thought q&a was a soapbox on whatever problems they were dealing with. problematique fucked around with this message at 01:18 on Jun 29, 2014 |
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Jun 28, 2014 20:17
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problematique posted:Don't be the person who always asks reeeeeally specific questions about your personal circumstances in dealing with whatever question you have. The class hated people who always thought q&a was a soapbox on whatever problems they were dealing with. Especially before lunch. Can you tell I was in a large summertime A-100?
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Jun 28, 2014 21:16
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RE A-100: Questions are ok, comments are not. There's no real need to contribute your experiences to the class during class hours. Save that for happy hour. RE No neckties in humid climates: Are you the ambassador in South Korea now? We are Cool Biz players here. RE Consular work at small posts: Life in small consular sections vs large is perhaps the biggest difference you'll find in the foreign service. POL/ECON, MGMT, PD are all more or less the same but I was acting CONS chief with 8 months of experience, contributing to country team and contentious discussions with CA, in charge of the foils and the monies, and everything. At the current post, we're big enough we follow SOP and no untenured controls of visa foils and only FS3 for monies. I've got the experience to carry a lot of responsibility because of the work in Abuja but won't use it here. And we're definitely 8:30-5:00 here. I took all my extra hours as comp time in Abuja and accumulated over 500 hours (some of that was during my POL tour but 2/3-3/4 was from consular). There was just too much work in addition to the interviews. As there wasn't much else to do in Abuja, I was a pig in poo poo about it all. I highly recommend doing a hardship tour out of A-100 if you can. I think it's harder to go from Seoul to Abuja than the other way around.
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Jun 29, 2014 03:42
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Nutrimentia posted:I highly recommend doing a hardship tour out of A-100 if you can. I think it's harder to go from all other 1st/2nd world posts to AF than the other way around. Fixed to reflect my personal experiences being around FSOs and their career histories.
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Jun 29, 2014 08:55
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nice edit. And regardless where you go out of A-100, keep reminding yourself that the next post is likely to be a very very different experience.
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Jun 29, 2014 09:39
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Zoots posted:When I'm ambassador, I'm moving to abolish the necktie in more humid climes. Japan has this figured out, too.
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Jun 29, 2014 14:52
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Manila has a necktie policy! ho ho ho.  not that the Ambassador wears one. Everyone else got to though. Prudence, you know.When I'm an Ambassador.. i don't even know. mandatory 2 week work hiatus (similar to what HR goes through) in order to sort out everyone's EER? edit: mandatory 1/2nd tour Marine House Happy Hours with built-in Boxing Ring
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Jun 30, 2014 01:34
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Echoing the "Go to a hardship tour out of A-100 if you can" line. If for nothing else, the extra equity you'll get coming out of it will give you great options on that second tour, and you'll be ready for a nice post at that point.
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Jun 30, 2014 01:43
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I still haven't gotten a ruling from Pearson about the FSOT/power outage incident. I called them early last week and they told me to just sit tight and wait, but the original estimate had been that a decision would be made in 3-5 business days from the time of the incident. I'm tempted to call again tomorrow and prod some more, but I don't know what else to say besides "hey I'm still waiting, what gives". What's a good way to prod in this sort of situation? Should Pearson be prodded about this?
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Jun 30, 2014 01:46
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Nutrimentia posted:Seoul seems a nice enough place to live and the embassy is definitely a good group of folks. I hear we just administered the test; I doubt there were an goons involved there. 
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Jun 30, 2014 05:56
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Management Officers, start your engines! (by that i mean get out your cigs and lighters) http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/27/statement-president-occasion-ramadan
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Jun 30, 2014 06:31
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tismondo posted:I just finished grad school here and know some of the consular people at the Embassy Annex. I took the TEST there in Feb but got bumped out by the QEP Sorry to hear that. If you're still around, I'd be up to meet and get your take on life around these parts though.
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Jun 30, 2014 12:14
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is Shine still there? She would be the RSO OMS I believe.
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Jun 30, 2014 14:08
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Health insurance query: anyone have strong opinions on Compass Rose vs. FS Benefit Plan?
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Jun 30, 2014 17:38
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On that note between FSBP and Blue Cross Blue Shield plan? It seems most folks are on one of those two. I'm PCSing next week so will be changing from my DC area plan. I'm young, have no special needs, was thinking of just picking FSBP due to popularity.
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Jun 30, 2014 18:06
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IIRC the main difference was that FSBP is nominally better overseas and BCBS is nominally better at home. The difference between them was relatively minor. Either one should be excellent. -e- I was on FSBP.
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Jun 30, 2014 18:23
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Leif. posted:IIRC the main difference was that FSBP is nominally better overseas and BCBS is nominally better at home. The difference between them was relatively minor. Either one should be excellent. BCBS here and they handled me alright when I had a pretty long medevac. But yeah, I agree the differences are pretty minor.
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Jun 30, 2014 18:46
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Most seem to use FSBP or BCBS. I figured since I'm unlikely to seek out medical care on the economy anyway I'd stick with a cheaper plan and did the GEHA HDHP with HSA. Didn't work out great last year when my daughter was medevaced, but I still think overall I've come out ahead for the three years that I've been in.
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Jun 30, 2014 18:51
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Oh man. I forgot there were HSA plans available. I love fsbp but my HSA from my last job is dwindling, I may have to switch for a year and throw some cash into that.
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Jun 30, 2014 19:06
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I'm using mine as a pseudo-retirement vehicle. I max it out and just pay any expenses out of pocket and save the receipts. There is no deadline for qualified disbursements so I just leave the money in there to grow. Then whenever I want to take some out I can get the amount equal to what I've paid out of pocket over the years out tax free.
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Jun 30, 2014 20:03
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I would note that if you do go BCBS, do the standard (vice basic) plan to be able to do easier mail order prescriptions. Makes it easier for those that need to be on anti-malarials and such.
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Jun 30, 2014 20:17
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I heard it as "overseas go FSBP (high if married/kids); Domestic assignment go BCBS." since BCBS has great network/quality of doctors in the States. that said FSBP is fantastic. they have a huge rear end book that is in simple terms on what they cover. (e.g. WE PAY: $x % YOU PAY: $y %)
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Jul 1, 2014 01:33
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I do love my FSBP massage reimbursements.
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Jul 1, 2014 01:51
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Another vote for FSBP overseas and BCBS in the States.
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Jul 1, 2014 02:47
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Skandiaavity posted:I heard it as "overseas go FSBP (high if married/kids); Domestic assignment go BCBS." since BCBS has great network/quality of doctors in the States. IIRC for most things when overseas, FSBP is a flat 90% coverage.
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Jul 1, 2014 03:06
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Nutrimentia posted:Sorry to hear that. If you're still around, I'd be up to meet and get your take on life around these parts though.
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Jul 1, 2014 10:35
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