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Didn't pass the QEP.  RIP, Vilerat and Amb. Stevens -- your sacrifices inspire me to persist in pursuing my dreams to serve the country in the quiet way that Foreign Service personnel do every day.
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Sep 17, 2012 18:35
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Skandiaavity posted:Hannah, I don't know if you went. But I felt like I owe you guys to show you even the smallest details. If you want me to remove any of this out of respect, I'll be glad to do so. This was the booklet they offered. God, thank you so much for sharing. The only thing that got me through this weekend was knowing that there's going to be a smaller ceremony later on for those of us at the Embassy, since none of us could be there. As much of a raging Democrat as I normally am, gotta hand it to McCain for getting this one exactly right. I was his control officer for his visit to Tripoli on 7 July (election day), and even though he was an irascible bastard, you could tell how much he respected Chris and how well the two of them worked together.
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Sep 17, 2012 19:25
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Didn't pass the QEP either. Next year is the best year. 
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Sep 17, 2012 21:07
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I'm starting to wonder if my application for DS got lost, is incomplete somehow or they're still backlogged to hell and back. Half expecting to get a letter in the mail two months from now saying they couldn't read my scanned copy of my transcripts or something and better luck in 2013.
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Sep 17, 2012 21:24
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Vicky told me a few weeks ago that they would be interviewing continuously for the next 6 months or so from the March hiring announcement, so it could just be that they are insanely backlogged.
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Sep 17, 2012 21:30
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Okay, so I'm back after three days in rural Arkansas at a wedding. (Best part, other than seeing two friends getting hitched, was not having functioning cell phone or internet service, so I was forced to disconnect myself from the endless stream of depressing news.) We don't know if or even when we'll go back to Tripoli. We've left a skeleton crew on the ground, so who knows. I'm expecting that I will be in DC for at least a few weeks before we figure out what's being done with us, so if anyone wants to get a beer if/when I'm there, let's do it. My husband was about ten days away from joining me in Tripoli as our CLO, but obviously that's now off the table completely. We're trying to game out the possible options for where we'll end up in immediate-/near-/long-term future, and it's looking like DC is a likely candidate for us. A lot of lurkers have mentioned in this thread (hi guys!) that they work in various bureaus at State and at a variety of internship/scholarship/fellowship programs in DC. My husband would most prefer a job at State or in a similar foreign affairs capacity - do any of you know organizations that are looking to hire entry-level people? We're good people, I promise... just very discombobulated and in the middle of an evacuation! I'm looking at bidding now for 2013 positions (since my extension is almost certainly hosed now), and possibly a bridge assignment in the next six months. Any of you want to hire a midlevel poloff with good Arabic and a winning smile? the_chavi fucked around with this message at 00:43 on Sep 18, 2012 |
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Sep 17, 2012 21:39
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Man, washed out on QEP. It wouldn't be so depressing if there was some feedback to go with it.
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Sep 17, 2012 22:28
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the_chavi posted:Okay, so I'm back after three days in rural Arkansas at a wedding. (Best part, other than seeing two friends getting hitched, was not having functioning cell phone or internet service, so I was forced to disconnect myself from the endless stream of depressing news.)
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Sep 17, 2012 22:59
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Teleku posted:drat, I forgot about this thread and stopped following it once I started my orientation and training back in July. Vilerat was an awesome guy, and the information he gave here was incredibly useful. I flew in goonswarm for awhile as well, and he was always awesome in game. Huge tragedy, RIP. 126th or 127th?
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Sep 18, 2012 00:06
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I am wanting to take the FSOE, however I'm waiting on a Medical Discharge from the Army now and haven't gotten to the point where I'd of received any rating for disability. Would it be best to wait for that information before filing the exam application?
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Sep 18, 2012 00:07
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Strudelmeyer posted:Vilerats contributions to this thread will be missed. I had been going through post from earlier this year and found one where he was letting people know about job openings at the FS. It was an IMTS-T vacancy that I applied for and was notified about this past week. Bittersweet to say the least. RIP Vilerat. Don't be.. he would want you to proceed. He was dual coded as an IMTS (not sure if it was D or T.) IMTS guys really support our comms systems. Tons of respect for you people & the amount of knowledge you have. Miscreant Fromage posted:I just got the results of my QEP, and although I passed I've decided to not go further on that candidacy since I signed up as PD and have decided that I would really prefer to go consular. My security clearances for OMS are still pending and I haven't heard anything for the IRO position. Who knows, if I go in as OMS I might decided that having actually seen FS work in action I wouldn't want to go consular either. If I Mustang it, I don't have to do the QEP bit again right? I'm gonna save my answers anyway just in case. Now watch if I reuse the exact same answers I probably won't pass QEP next time. FYI, Consular is a tough life. If you really want in, I would wait for it and try to maximize my chances. Clearances will take awhile, try e-mailing the officer. and yeah, DS is backlogged. But they'll notify you one way or another. CherryCola posted:Alright! It's on. I just got notification that I've been approved for the FSOT, so I'm taking it on October 6th. Time to cram! d1rtbag posted:I'm taking it October 2nd in Fort Worth -- good luck! I wish you both the best of luck. I think we spoke a few times before CherryCola and you'd make a nice co-worker!
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Sep 18, 2012 00:15
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Sorry for the third post - but - CronoGamer: below is a recent Civil Service offer. Note that these are by no means a leg in to the FS (or CS, I think?), but they will likely give you a wealth of experiences which will aid you tremendously in the examinations or interviews. Hello: Announcing the U.S. Department of State Student Experience Program (formerly known as the U.S. Department of State Internship Program). This program offers U.S. citizen undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to participate in 10-week, unpaid internships that provide intensive educational and professional experience within the environment of America’s principle foreign affairs agency. The unpaid internships are available at many of the over 265 U.S. embassies, consulates and missions to international organizations around the world, as well as at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. and other locations throughout the U.S. Participants gain first-hand, hands-on experience, and learn the realities of working in – and with – Foreign and Civil Service professionals who are at the forefront of America’s diplomatic efforts. As a Student Experience intern, you may have the opportunity to: * Participate in meetings with senior level U.S. government or foreign government officials; * Draft, edit, or contribute to cables, reports, communications, talking points, or other materials used by policy makers in furthering U.S. foreign policy objectives; * Help organize and support events, including international and/or multi-lateral meetings and conferences on critical global issues; * Contribute to the management and administration of the Department of State and America’s foreign policy; and * Engage directly with U.S. or foreign audiences to promote U.S. foreign policy and improve understanding of U.S. culture and society. So consider spending your summer 2013 with the U.S. Department of State, witnessing and participating in the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy, working closely with the U.S. diplomats and civil servants who carry out America’s foreign policy initiatives. You’ll not only have an experience of a lifetime, you may even earn educational credit.* * Applicants who are selected for a U.S. Department of State Student Experience can contact the selecting bureau, or the central Student Programs office, if they require further details about the program to support their request for academic credit. Please visit http://careers.state.gov/students/programs for more information about the Student Experience Program, and to start the online application process via USAJobs. Please note that the deadline to submit completed applications is November 2, 2012. We appreciate your interest in a career with the U.S. Department of State. Visit our forums if you have any questions, or to search for topics of interest. The forums can be found under Engage on the careers.state.gov website. You can also search our FAQs for more information. U.S. citizenship is required. An equal opportunity employer.
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Sep 18, 2012 00:18
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Skandiaavity posted:Don't be.. he would want you to proceed. He was dual coded as an IMTS (not sure if it was D or T.) IMTS guys really support our comms systems. Tons of respect for you people & the amount of knowledge you have. Aww thanks! You should tell the State Department that  BTW, is the new review guide worth buying? I bought the one like two years ago when I took the test before. Has the test changed any since then?edit: By the way, am I the only one who is REALLY pumped about the consular track? double edit: Does having a security clearance help and/or hurt? CherryCola fucked around with this message at 00:46 on Sep 18, 2012 |
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Sep 18, 2012 00:41
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CherryCola posted:edit: By the way, am I the only one who is REALLY pumped about the consular track? Not at all, I'm on the Register for Consular. Out of the Generalist roles it was the only one that really appealed to me.
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Sep 18, 2012 00:49
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Tyro posted:Not at all, I'm on the Register for Consular. Out of the Generalist roles it was the only one that really appealed to me. I'm stoked for it also. I've worked as a prosecutor and as a defense attorney, and Consular just seems like a perfect match -- who wouldn't like screening a visa applicant's circumstances or helping Americans after they've made foolish decisions?
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Sep 18, 2012 00:59
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e: redacted
hitension fucked around with this message at 12:35 on Sep 18, 2012 |
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Sep 18, 2012 01:01
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d1rtbag posted:I'm stoked for it also. I've worked as a prosecutor and as a defense attorney, and Consular just seems like a perfect match -- who wouldn't like screening a visa applicant's circumstances or helping Americans after they've made foolish decisions? I'm an ex-cop, similar motivation I suppose.
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Sep 18, 2012 01:05
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"Skandiaavity" Don't be.. he would want you to proceed. He was dual coded as an IMTS (not sure if it was D or T.) IMTS guys really support our comms systems. Tons of respect for you people & the amount of knowledge you have. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thanks for the support, of course I'm still waiting for an OA date and plan on moving forward. I don't know if it's going to take another 5 months for that. Is the OA the same for specialist and generalist?
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Sep 18, 2012 01:27
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Strudelmeyer posted:"Skandiaavity" Vile was IMTSR. The OA is different for specialists and generalists.
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Sep 18, 2012 01:45
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CherryCola posted:edit: By the way, am I the only one who is REALLY pumped about the consular track? Plenty of people are pumped for it. I was just relaying what consular officers told me, it could just be their experience. Sorry... Same statement's true for any cone, really. Clearances will help, but they have to be State clearances. DOD Clearances can maybe push your application a bit faster, it depends. DS does their homework.
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Sep 18, 2012 02:26
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Skandiaavity posted:Plenty of people are pumped for it. I was just relaying what consular officers told me, it could just be their experience. Sorry... Same statement's true for any cone, really. Can you elaborate on what they said? I applied consular last time and I've been basically back and forth between consular and pol for when I apply soon.
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Sep 18, 2012 06:24
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Echoing others, VR was instrumental in me applying and going through the whole process and seeing it through to get onto the IMS Register. He always had time for questions off-board/etc, which given how busy he was is awesomely amazing. "Will be missed" is an understatement of epic proportion.
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Sep 18, 2012 06:35
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First off, I'd like to give a short remembrance of Vile Rat. I've been lurking in this thread for several years, and his optimism and mountains of good advice have been helpful to me in continuing to stick with my plans to work in State, even though I wasn't successful the first time. I'm also an Eve player, and through the game have gotten to know him as an awesome guy. I wish I would have had the opportunity to work beside him in the Foreign Service. You'll be missed. So, I took the FSOT once before and failed the essay miserably. I think I got a 3/12 or something atrocious like that. I had just come out of graduate school, and wasted something like 15 minutes planning my essay, and only managed to get out about two short paragraphs of garbage before time ran out. I live in China now, and I'm taking the test again in a couple of weeks. I'm determined not to fail again, so I've started practicing writing essays with a few of the prompts on the State Department website. I feel better about these, but I would really appreciate it if you guys could give me a bit of feedback. I've put the prompts and the essays here: Essay One: http://pastebin.com/PasnNs8s Essay Two: http://pastebin.com/FLi3Wu8q Man, I wish Vilerat were here to give me some advice. E: fixed link Spiderjelly fucked around with this message at 07:16 on Sep 18, 2012 |
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Sep 18, 2012 07:05
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Aww was just about to post the student experience thing. Hey, since we've had a bunch of new FSOs announce themselves in the past couple of days, can anyone collate the list together so I can update the OP?
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Sep 18, 2012 07:31
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Miscreant Fromage posted:I just got the results of my QEP, and although I passed I've decided to not go further on that candidacy since I signed up as PD and have decided that I would really prefer to go consular. My security clearances for OMS are still pending and I haven't heard anything for the IRO position. Who knows, if I go in as OMS I might decided that having actually seen FS work in action I wouldn't want to go consular either. If I Mustang it, I don't have to do the QEP bit again right? I'm gonna save my answers anyway just in case. Now watch if I reuse the exact same answers I probably won't pass QEP next time. If you haven't yet turned off that candidacy, I would advise against it. In the foreseeable future there should be opportunities to switch from PD to CONS, and a switch in that direction is generally pretty easy. Getting in is the main obstacle here; I know a number of officers who switched to CONS from other cones.
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Sep 18, 2012 09:28
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Take the OA. Hopefully you pass and get on the register, keeping the option open. If you passed the QEP, there's really no reason you shouldn't take the OA.
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Sep 18, 2012 13:00
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Thanks to this thread my girlfriend and I are both really interested in pursuing an FSO career. We're both in our early 30s. This would be a career change for me and the start of her career as she just recently graduated from college. I know there are concessions made for married couples in the FS organization but what about dating couples? Is there anything similar or should we look to tie the knot before starting the applications process?
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Sep 18, 2012 13:31
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The only concessions State makes for non-married couples are same sex ones, but you wouldn't have to get married before starting the application process. I imagine you would have to around the time you make it into your A-100 class (but someone else will have to comment on how they work around assigning married FSOs for the first two tours).
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Sep 18, 2012 13:43
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Skandiaavity posted:Announcing the U.S. Department of State Student Experience Program (formerly known as the U.S. Department of State Internship Program). Thank you for the heads up! I'll be looking into it for 2014, since I won't be starting my 2nd BA until then (before you ask, I'm a Swedish resident now and am going for a EU law degree in 2014 to get my Swedish to C2 and improve my marketability here. A US polisci degree only goes so far here when undergrad law is available.)
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Sep 18, 2012 13:54
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TouchyMcFeely posted:Thanks to this thread my girlfriend and I are both really interested in pursuing an FSO career. We're both in our early 30s. This would be a career change for me and the start of her career as she just recently graduated from college. It won't make a difference until you're invited to an A-100 class and are filling out your paperwork. Then, you'll want to be married, both for simplifying your benefits (rather than doing them as two singles and figuring it out later) and for getting Tandem status. Tandems don't bid the same way that other A-100 students go. We had a tandem (just the wife, husband already was in language) in our class who was super stressed about flag day for everyone else, even though she already knew where she was going because of her husband. Though, keep in mind, you may be assigned separately if the stars align that way, it happens. -e- that being said, it's different if only one of you gets in. If you're married at that point, they can come with you as an EFM (eligible family member). If you're not, they can come as an MOH (member of household), which has fewer benefits, and then get married later. Just make sure you're married before the second person starts A-100 (if you go at separate times, or both of you if you go together). Leif. fucked around with this message at 14:36 on Sep 18, 2012 |
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Sep 18, 2012 14:34
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Business of Ferrets posted:If you haven't yet turned off that candidacy, I would advise against it. In the foreseeable future there should be opportunities to switch from PD to CONS, and a switch in that direction is generally pretty easy. Getting in is the main obstacle here; I know a number of officers who switched to CONS from other cones. I haven't cancelled yet. I didn't know you could switch, I always thought you were pretty much stuck once you picked your cone so that's good to know. I'm still hopeful that I pass the QEP for IRO though, they are hoping to send out announcements by the end of the month. That's where I really want to be. If I pass QEP for IRO, I'll have to do that OA and ditch the PD, I'll only have enough leave to take off one day unless I can put one off until like March or something. And if I pass OA for IRO I'll be ditching the OMS candidacy (and FSO). I didn't expect to make it through QEP on both the first go. OMS was kind of a backup plan. But better than nothing, sick of always worrying about layoffs in the civilian world. Miscreant Fromage fucked around with this message at 15:12 on Sep 18, 2012 |
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Sep 18, 2012 15:08
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Pine Cone Jones posted:I am wanting to take the FSOE, however I'm waiting on a Medical Discharge from the Army now and haven't gotten to the point where I'd of received any rating for disability. Would it be best to wait for that information before filing the exam application? Your vet points don't count until after you pass the OA and it takes quite a while to get there, so by the time you got there your medical discharge stuff might be completed. I'd go for it.
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Sep 18, 2012 15:10
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Can anyone give me a quick summary of how veteran benefits mesh with DoS benefits and retirement plans? I plan to leave the military at 20 so I will have the full package. I apologize for only doing a cursory search but I figure someone here probably knows all the main points. Thanks for the information.
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Sep 18, 2012 15:16
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the_chavi posted:My husband would most prefer a job at State or in a similar foreign affairs capacity - do any of you know organizations that are looking to hire entry-level people? We're good people, I promise... just very discombobulated and in the middle of an evacuation! quote:Any of you want to hire a midlevel poloff with good Arabic and a winning smile?
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Sep 18, 2012 20:28
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I flew with Vile Rat in GS and his passing hit me harder than I would have expected, as I didn't have much opportunity to speak with him one-on-one. In the following days, however, I've become certain that I would love to work for the State Department. My boyfriend questioned me when I told him, of course: "Someone you know just died doing this, and that makes you want to do what he was doing?" Of course, it's far more complicated than that, and he is trying to understand. Some background: Prior to learning anything about the State Department and becoming a FSO, my goal had been to go back to college and major in Athletic Training. I want to help teen athletes reach their goals of playing sports in college and/or professionally by educating them about the benefits of strength training, since my own career was cut short by the lack of knowledge I and my coaches apparently had. Before the Athletic Training decision, I was set on Nursing. In short, I want to help people. When I was in college just out of high school, I was attempting to complete a degree in Computer Engineering. I was good at programming, but didn't really enjoy it very much. Hence the break. Is it possible for me to segue a medical-related career into working for the State Department? Alternatively, should I just go back to school, finish my engineering degree, and then apply to become a specialist? I feel strongly about wanting to help people in whatever way I can. My original thought was to join the military after high school, but I was medically disqualified due to having had back surgery at age 14. Since then I've been looking for a way to do my part, and becoming a FSO seems perfect. But what's the best way to get there? Help me, SD Goons. You're my only hope!
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Sep 18, 2012 21:01
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pamchenko posted:Most USAID contractors are hiring or have some kind of entry level program. Let me know if you're interested; I don't have any strings to pull, but I could give you some background. Thanks! Drop me a line at hannahdraper@gmail.com, would you? I've never served in a place with a regular USAID component - it's only a temp office out in Tripoli (and god knows what it looks like now). I was actually hoping that doing Tripoli would keep me off the Baghdad list for a while - but we'll see! Know a guy named Brent in the PD shop out there? He and I have a ton of mutual friends.
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Sep 18, 2012 22:11
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What kind of jobs are there in the Department of State for MDs? I know there's a primary care-esque job where they are primarily looking for Physician Assistants / Nurse Practitioners, but that's not necessarily for an MD.
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Sep 18, 2012 23:02
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Wickerman posted:What kind of jobs are there in the Department of State for MDs? I know there's a primary care-esque job where they are primarily looking for Physician Assistants / Nurse Practitioners, but that's not necessarily for an MD. http://www.careers.state.gov/specialist/vacancy-announcements/rmo We had one of these guys in my class and I know there is at least one in the current class but I'm not sure how often that opens up, there aren't a ton of them world wide. I believe they do provide primary care but they have a pretty wide range of other responsibilities. I'm sure they have more opportunities in the civil service as well.
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Sep 18, 2012 23:36
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Lyra posted:I flew with Vile Rat in GS and his passing hit me harder than I would have expected, as I didn't have much opportunity to speak with him one-on-one. In the following days, however, I've become certain that I would love to work for the State Department. My boyfriend questioned me when I told him, of course: "Someone you know just died doing this, and that makes you want to do what he was doing?" Of course, it's far more complicated than that, and he is trying to understand. I don't know how often they hire for it, but there are nurses and other medical practitioner positions for which you could apply. http://careers.state.gov/specialist/career-tracks#med I think you'd have to have completed your nursing degree, at a minimum - but check the link for more details. (Medical stuff = huge wall of words to me. I'm totally fine with complex theological and political arguments, but if you put even basic medical info in front of me, my eyes cross and I lose all track of the conversation.) Medical professionals are definitely crucial to our work overseas; it's not just primary care for embassy staff, it's also safety and security in diplomatic facilities, residences, and international schools, as well as first-responder planning and preparation in case of crises. Good luck - sounds like you have the will to serve!
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Sep 19, 2012 00:13
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I would really like to do the summer student internship program but my current GPA is below 2.5. I had a really really bad last semester due to some unfortunate life events. But this is my current GPA at law school. Does anybody know if the 2.5 requirement would apply to my undergraduate transcripts as opposed to my law transcripts? (I hope so). Thanks!
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Sep 19, 2012 00:51
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