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What I really like about joining the FS is that if I did, I'd actually look at OT as a blessing. 
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Sep 6, 2014 01:36
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Count me in to the 5 hour OT club this weekend (Sunday for me though).
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Sep 6, 2014 04:45
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Tyro posted:I had enough OT this period to hit the pay cap as a 6. I'll get drunk on my R&R for you as you head to NYC in the next couple weeks 
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Sep 6, 2014 15:15
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Homie S posted:I'll get drunk on my R&R for you as you head to NYC in the next couple weeks Actually I don't think I am going to that but who knows. My work travel plans have changed about 5x in the last week. I'm in a holding pattern waiting for an itinerary. Have a good R&R!
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Sep 6, 2014 15:36
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Homie S posted:I'll get drunk on my R&R for you as you head to NYC in the next couple weeks I just wrote my post trip thank you emails in a pub 
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Sep 6, 2014 16:09
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Homie S posted:I'll get drunk on my R&R for you as you head to NYC in the next couple weeks How many people are going to be up at UNGA for all/part of the time? I'm likely up for the day on 26 Sept.
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Sep 6, 2014 19:33
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Oh man, I might have to make a trip down to NYC to see you guys around UNGA.
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Sep 7, 2014 10:08
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So I've got a job interview with the State Department tomorrow. The position requires a Top Secret clearance and a move to DC. That TS clearance could help expedite the Foreign Service application/clearance process should I make it back to the OA and pass this time around. I am intrigued.
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Sep 7, 2014 17:20
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zzonkmiles posted:So I've got a job interview with the State Department tomorrow. The position requires a Top Secret clearance and a move to DC. Good luck! I'm still at FSI and always happy to talk about the process
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Sep 7, 2014 19:13
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zzonkmiles posted:So I've got a job interview with the State Department tomorrow. The position requires a Top Secret clearance and a move to DC. Make sure to study extra hard then, as you might be a contender to set a record for fastest FSOT-to-A100 cycle.
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Sep 8, 2014 03:31
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how's the biz these days, Leif? got my next assignment/orders, finally. 
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Sep 8, 2014 04:22
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Skandiaavity posted:how's the biz these days, Leif? Going pretty well. I definitely miss the regularity of FSO pay though.
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Sep 8, 2014 05:00
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the_chavi posted:How many people are going to be up at UNGA for all/part of the time? I'm likely up for the day on 26 Sept. I'll do anything I can from here on out to never go back during that hell storm. probably will be back in the next few years
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Sep 8, 2014 05:52
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Just had my interview with State. I honestly don't know how well it went. It reminded me of the structured interview part of the OA where the assessors did not let on how well you were performing. The interviewers seemed particularly desperate/hopeful to bring someone on board quickly, but because of the required TS clearance, it would likely take longer than they would have liked to bring someone on board. I had been precleared for a TS clearance when I completed an SSBI investigation for a position with the Department of Homeland Security last year, but I never actually received the clearance because I had to retract my acceptance of the job offer. But because the initial interviews and documentation had already been completed, perhaps a TS clearance would be easier to get? Hopefully that would be a feather in my cap. Seems like they are bringing on two new workers. The position itself is not in my comfort area, but it's close enough and good practice regardless. Of course, getting this job would be the first step on an alternate master plan of making it into the May or June 2015 A-100. But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Heh.
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Sep 8, 2014 21:52
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For anyone who's at Main State, tomorrow around 1230 I and a few other Libya folk will be putting flowers at the memorial wall in the C street lobby.
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Sep 11, 2014 01:29
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I still miss our daily communicator chats Sean.
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Sep 12, 2014 00:14
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TCD posted:I still miss our daily communicator chats Sean. Me too. Smaller crowd than last year, just five of us - but lots of flowers, and lots more good stories about the fallen. Someone brought her first child, who's named after Amb. Stevens.
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Sep 12, 2014 00:48
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Same.
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Sep 12, 2014 03:20
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I just found out that a friend of mine that I met on my first trip to Japan for study abroad in 1996 had Sean as a social sponsor on his second tour. Small world.
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Sep 12, 2014 12:59
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zzonkmiles posted:Zzonkmiles attempts to enter the Foreign Service, Take 4! Best of luck! I'll be taking the FSOT Oct 7 as well. I have a little less of a track record 'tho! 2011: Pass FSOT. Fail QEP 2014: ???
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Sep 16, 2014 17:42
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Leroy, no! If you go off and instill peace in the Middle east, who will make us candy!? 
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Sep 17, 2014 03:29
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Hey Captain Bravo, good to see you post here again. Keep checking in, keep studying, and keep getting practice writing those essays! One year goes by faster than you think.  EDIT: And good luck to you too, Leroy! We'll be testing on the same day! See you at FSI someday, dammit! zzonkmiles fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Sep 17, 2014 |
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Sep 17, 2014 12:21
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Amendments and self promotion. Can't go wrong.
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Sep 17, 2014 15:15
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zzonkmiles posted:Hey Captain Bravo, good to see you post here again. Hey, thanks! I actually changed jobs, moved from radio news to writing for a newspaper. Hopefully the extra experience with the written word will give me a leg up on next year's essay!
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Sep 17, 2014 15:28
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Just a heads-up to anyone lurking this thread who may be considering the DoS Student Internship program to try and work in an Embassy over Summer 2015-- the application deadline was moved up by two weeks this year. Usually it's end of October/early November, as I understand it, but this year the deadline is October 17th so you've only got a month to hop on USAJobs and get things figured out.
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Sep 18, 2014 22:22
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Just heard on the news that the Senate passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through December 11. Does that mean a bunch of candidates on the Register are about to get some good news about a November A-100? I sure hope so!
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Sep 19, 2014 01:37
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zzonkmiles posted:Just heard on the news that the Senate passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through December 11. Does that mean a bunch of candidates on the Register are about to get some good news about a November A-100? I sure hope so! Thanks--I'm definitely hoping for a November class. I made it on the register just a week or two too late to make it into the August class, I want to be done waiting! Even with the CR, it is still not a sure thing, though. Here is what was posted on the official forums a few weeks ago about it: quote:As poster "Matt" correctly notes above, a CR or appropriations bill from Congress is only one factor in whether a given class is scheduled. DOS has its own internal budgeting process that it cannot complete until it knows how much it has to work with. And, it does take awhile for hiring authority/funds to trickle down to HR/REE.
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Sep 19, 2014 05:17
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Just got the QEP results. Didn't pass this year. Edit: I should mention I got the results directly through an email. Didn't have to sign in and download a letter or anything.
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Sep 19, 2014 17:05
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Sup didn't pass buddy. I am beginning to think I need to cure cancer, become the President, and fly to the moon to get this drat job. e: and come up with more original hyperbolic career watermarks. Danger Doug fucked around with this message at 17:14 on Sep 19, 2014 |
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Sep 19, 2014 17:11
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I took a look at the Yahoo board and it looks like the QEP this year for all cones was an absolute bloodbath. Of course, one can never know for sure because many people who passed might not have posted on the board. But it seems that the rejections outnumber the successes 5 to 1 or something. I think this has something to do with State wanting to trim its registers and reduce the number of candidates who time off of the register without a job offer. I mean, what do you say to a candidate with a 5.5 who can't get an offer? That's tough. Now I just hope State overcorrects or that the bloodletting is finished in four months when the October cohort receives their QEP results! Condolences to those who didn't make it this time. Just try again. If you want the job, that's all you can do.
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Sep 19, 2014 21:13
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zzonkmiles posted:I took a look at the Yahoo board and it looks like the QEP this year for all cones was an absolute bloodbath. I know a guy who passed... of course he has 25+ years in the Navy and multiple Embassy tours. jesus H, this is misery.
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Sep 20, 2014 04:49
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I passed the QEP again this year and have been invited to the OA again. I'm a bit older with a lot of relevant experience and currently work at the Embassy so I guess I fit the profile. I also speak two foreign languages. I'm really sorry that it's been a "bloodbath" this year.
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Sep 20, 2014 08:14
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Bloodbath victim here. Frustrated but plan to keep trying, that is the only thing one can do. No matter how much you tell yourself it's a long shot it still sucks to be regretfully informed. Would like to thank everyone who posts here for all advice and being a continuing source of inspiration. Good luck to all those going to the OAs.
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Sep 20, 2014 10:05
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Didn't make it through the QEP again, but honestly with how much of a gate check it is serving as, I'm not that surprised. I'll probably apply again next year and then start looking out for IMS positions since my recent work experience is more directly relevant to that.
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Sep 20, 2014 14:00
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Jesus Christ. Condolences all around. Of course you can try again, but it sucks rear end and there's no sugar coating it.
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Sep 20, 2014 16:52
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I don't suppose you guys would know, but how does the one-year application thing work? For those of us that didn't make the grade, can we schedule another test as soon as 2015 rolls around? Do we have to wait until around the same time we started the process again? Or does the one-year timer start as soon as they tell us "No thanks"?
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Sep 20, 2014 18:55
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Captain Bravo posted:I don't suppose you guys would know, but how does the one-year application thing work? For those of us that didn't make the grade, can we schedule another test as soon as 2015 rolls around? Do we have to wait until around the same time we started the process again? Or does the one-year timer start as soon as they tell us "No thanks"? If you took the test in June 2014, the earliest you can take the next test is June 2015. It's one year from when you took the test, not once per calendar year. Edit: per the official forums, the timer is technically set to 11 months on the Pearson website, so you have time to register
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Sep 20, 2014 20:17
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Ok, so since I took the test in July, I can reschedule in June, even though I didn't get my final results until August. Got it, thanks!
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Sep 20, 2014 21:52
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So, I got the go ahead from the wife to sign up for the FSOT, and I took the practice test at http://careers.state.gov/fsopracticetest/ I got nearly a perfect score on the history portion, but totally bombed the English Expression portion. My wife took the English expression portion, swore she got the vast majority right, but got a worse score than I did. Is the practice test working properly?
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Sep 21, 2014 05:32
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The Mantis posted:Jesus Christ. Condolences all around. I remember a "green check" on the State page saying that over the past 7 years, anywhere from "5% to 100%" of candidates within all five cones have passed the QEP. My guess is that this cohort's selection rate was closer to the 5% than the 100%. But maybe that's a good thing because of all the unhappy people timing off the register with decent scores (5.5+). Of course, now the October cohort has to hope that State overcorrected and will loosen things up again when QEP results come out again in January. And for Captain Bravo, you can only test once in an 11-month period. So if you took the FSOT in June 2014, you can take it again in June 2015 or October 2015, but not February 2015. Condolences all around indeed. :ralp:
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Sep 21, 2014 06:00
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