Well, the Chinese are supposed to have said "May you live in interesting times," and so it begins for us. All the waiting, and working, and patience, and waiting has come to this: An offer of a position in the US State Department as a Foreign Service Officer, to begin the 163rd A-100 Orientation class on Monday, September 12, 2011. In a surprising little twist, the Chinese gave me a little clue in advance, as the night before my offer arrived, we had Chinese carry-out from our local pot sticker purveyor. My fortune cookie that night? "Good news of long-awaited event will arrive soon." No kidding. #1 daughter's fortune cookie that night? "In dreams and in life, nothing is impossible." Again, no kidding. And #1 son's fortune cookie that same night? "Getting together with old friends brings new adventures." Really, what are the odds?
The planets have aligned themselves such that (and perhaps with the assistance of a stray comet or two), one door has now closed and another opened in this chapter of my life. I'll soon be off to Washington, DC after 20 years in Minnesota, to start a new career after 17 years of teaching high school social studies, with the ultimate result that the family and I will find ourselves living in some far off foreign land. Interesting indeed.
About three years ago, some friends and I decided to puchase a season ticket package for the Minnesota Twins, during their last season in the baseball non-friendly confines of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis. The goal was that we'd have an 'in' on seats as current season ticket holders when the new stadium (Target Field) opened a year or so later. That plan worked out wonderfully, and we saw some great baseball that inaugural season at Target Field.
I have been a baseball player and fan my entire life, and like baseball players the world over, I am not a believer in tempting fate. Rituals and superstition abound in the game, and ballplayers simply do not spit in the face of the baseball gods. In this vein, and after a great 2010 season, I re-upped my commitment to the group, and put down some cold hard cash for 2011 tickets, actually adding my name to another group and getting tickets in their section, too. The logic here goes like this: By putting down several hundred dollars on tickets for a season lasting most of a year, I would go so far as to guarantee myself a job that would take me away from the Minnesota Twins and the tickets I just purchased. It's kind of like getting your car washed to guarantee rain.
And so the 2011 season began, and before I knew it the Twins were 20 games under .500 by June 1st, off to their worst start in years. With that in mind, I decided at the end of the school year to make a last ditch effort at controlling my fate as a candidate for the Foreign Service, and took off for a month in Daugavpils, Latvia to try and pick up enough Russian language skills to pass a telephone language test, which would earn me bonus points for my candidacy and allow me to move up on the Register. It just so happens that as I arrived in Latvia, the Twins decided to start a little run of excellence, just as I was unable to make use the tickets I had for three or four games.
As it turns out, my decision to attend classes in Latvia worked out swimmingly. I returned to Minnesota on a Wednesday in July, and took the phone test that same week, at 800 am on Friday morning. By the Wednesday July 20, I learned that I had indeed passed the language test (again with the passing of stray comets), and my position had improved considerably on the Register, vaulting me to #4 of 100 or so, up from #42 just a day earlier. Not only had I avoided a non-existant pennant race, I managed to learn enough Russian to boost my odds of a job with the Department of State just as my candidacy was about to expire. (My first candidacy had just expired in June 2011, and my second would have expired in January 2012, but when would I again have the time to learn the language well enough to get that boost while working full time?)
I fully believed my odds of an offer for September were about as good as the Twins winning the AL Central again this year (offers for the September class were extended starting in late June while I was struggling away in Latvia), but really thought I had a shot at the January class.
Shortly after my return from Latvia, the family had a nice little chance to reconnect as we had a family reunion over a long weekend in Wisconsin, and then the four of us proceeded to spend a week hiking, sight seeing, and generally being hangers-on at a wilderness medical conference in Big Sky, Montana with my sister-in-law and her husband, the coordinator of the conference. We returned to Minnesota on Sunday, July 31 to an empty refrigerator and bare cupboards, so we visited our local Jimmy John's, after which Kate ran off to buy some groceries for the upcoming week. While shopping, some cretins stole her wallet. Credit cards, cash, the wallet itself, and the love notes from the kids when they were little. Welcome home.
That day and the next we spent considerable time filing police reports, calling credit card companies, and generally fuming at the bad luck that put Kate in the wrong place at the wrong time for the criminal to spot her purse in the grocery cart. Blast.
While out with #1 son doing some shopping at Costco the next day (August 1st), Kate sent me a text. "Are you busy on September 12?" she asked. I wracked my brain (I was used to that by now): Was it an anniversary? We did start dating in September, after all. No, that was the 15th. Hmm. What was she asking me? Then it dawned on me: That was the first day of the A-100 Orientation class! I had left my email account open, and she saw the offer show up in my inbox! Suffice it to say, the people shopping and working at Costco must have thought #1 son and I were totally bananas as we basically danced our way through the aisles high-fiving each other over and over.
It's been a whirlwind month since that fateful day in early August (and a rather crazy summer overall), with lots of emails and reams of forms, and lots of clothes shopping and other preparations. And now the time is nearly here, with my departure from Minnesota only days away. We struggled emotionally moving #1 son into his college dorm for his freshman year a few days ago, and #1 daughter is about the start her senior year of high school without me around to nag her about homework, college applications and preparing for the ACT. Other than a fabulous going-away party held here at Xylon Road, there has been little time for frivolity since notification of the offer. That includes the Twins, whose games I normally track in the daily paper and watch on TV four or five times a week (when I'm not at the ball park). But not to worry: by the time of my return from Latvia the Twins had gone back to their early season mediocrity, and in the end, I only made it to two or three games all season. My last tickets are for September 28th - the last game of this dismal season - but when I check my schedule for fall, I see that I'm a bit busy that day.
Anyone want to buy two tickets to the Twins game September 28th?
Showing posts with label A-100. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A-100. Show all posts
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Me & Dr. Suess
It's been many moons since my faithful readers (all one of them) have heard an update from me, so here goes:
There is not much of an update. Sorry for the anti-climactic line, but it's all I got.
I took my second OA back in July, and fortunately passed again, this time with a 5.5, and once again in PD. Now I have two candidacies in PD, and while my second score was higher (score number one was a measly 5.3), it doesn't appear to be high enough to give me confidence that I'll actually get an offer. Budgetary inertia in Congress doesn't help, for A-100 class sizes seem to have shrunk for the near future, reducing my odds further.
With no real news to report, and many friends here in the Twin Cities continuing to pass the OA and get offers to A-100, I'll plan to finish out the school year (unless a miracle happens and there are 40 or so DNCs ahead of me on the PD register), and then in June take a month or so to do some intensive Russian language study so I can take the phone test and get the extra points and essentially an automatic offer next summer or early fall.
So there you have it. Recently read an email from a friend who quoted Dr. Suess:
"You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind off for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...for people just waiting."
Yup. That about sums it up.
There is not much of an update. Sorry for the anti-climactic line, but it's all I got.
I took my second OA back in July, and fortunately passed again, this time with a 5.5, and once again in PD. Now I have two candidacies in PD, and while my second score was higher (score number one was a measly 5.3), it doesn't appear to be high enough to give me confidence that I'll actually get an offer. Budgetary inertia in Congress doesn't help, for A-100 class sizes seem to have shrunk for the near future, reducing my odds further.
With no real news to report, and many friends here in the Twin Cities continuing to pass the OA and get offers to A-100, I'll plan to finish out the school year (unless a miracle happens and there are 40 or so DNCs ahead of me on the PD register), and then in June take a month or so to do some intensive Russian language study so I can take the phone test and get the extra points and essentially an automatic offer next summer or early fall.
So there you have it. Recently read an email from a friend who quoted Dr. Suess:
"You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind off for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...for people just waiting."
Yup. That about sums it up.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tea Leaves, Groundhogs & Other Prognostications
Well, here I sit.
I made it nine-tenths of the way through this arduous process, and now that I can see the finish line - taste it really - I decided to start the whole damn thing all over again.
When I was added to the register on January 5th, I was 83 out of 83 in line for a call to A-100. Since then, I've dropped down to 95, then bounced back up to 85, and now settled - like leftover coffee grounds in your morning cup o' joe - at 88. And just like those errant coffee grounds, it's not very pleasant.
When I last communicated with the Department of State early in the month, I not only inquired as to my current status on the Register, but also requested of the young lady on the other end of my Ethernet cord what she supposed were my chances of getting a call with my measly little 5.3.
Upon my initial placement on the Register in January, the thinking was that I'd get a call for the June class, maybe even May if I was incredibly lucky. Then, with my placement and my hopes yo-yoing, I thought possibly August or maybe September. The nice young lady in Washington suggested to me that no, the Register wasn't likely to clear this summer, and that if calls did make it all the way down into the sub-basement where my score currently resides (well, that's what I thought she said, anyway), then I might get a call for September, or maybe even the first class of the new fiscal year (October). Again, damn.
So while this particular stage of the process involves almost nothing a guy can do to improve his odds short of quickly learning a new language to earn a portion of a point, or joining the military in order to secure veterans points (not highly recommended), I resigned myself to taking the only action I felt I could: Starting a second candidacy.
As I interpreted the Tarot cards early this week, I gathered that registering to start a second candidacy is about the only sure way to guarantee my initial score will get me a call.
But we all know how accurate groundhogs can be.
I made it nine-tenths of the way through this arduous process, and now that I can see the finish line - taste it really - I decided to start the whole damn thing all over again.
When I was added to the register on January 5th, I was 83 out of 83 in line for a call to A-100. Since then, I've dropped down to 95, then bounced back up to 85, and now settled - like leftover coffee grounds in your morning cup o' joe - at 88. And just like those errant coffee grounds, it's not very pleasant.
When I last communicated with the Department of State early in the month, I not only inquired as to my current status on the Register, but also requested of the young lady on the other end of my Ethernet cord what she supposed were my chances of getting a call with my measly little 5.3.
Upon my initial placement on the Register in January, the thinking was that I'd get a call for the June class, maybe even May if I was incredibly lucky. Then, with my placement and my hopes yo-yoing, I thought possibly August or maybe September. The nice young lady in Washington suggested to me that no, the Register wasn't likely to clear this summer, and that if calls did make it all the way down into the sub-basement where my score currently resides (well, that's what I thought she said, anyway), then I might get a call for September, or maybe even the first class of the new fiscal year (October). Again, damn.
So while this particular stage of the process involves almost nothing a guy can do to improve his odds short of quickly learning a new language to earn a portion of a point, or joining the military in order to secure veterans points (not highly recommended), I resigned myself to taking the only action I felt I could: Starting a second candidacy.
As I interpreted the Tarot cards early this week, I gathered that registering to start a second candidacy is about the only sure way to guarantee my initial score will get me a call.
But we all know how accurate groundhogs can be.
Friday, January 15, 2010
A 12-Step Program for Becoming a Foreign Service Officer
Disclaimer: The following information is based on my experience and what I understand to be true. Some information has been distilled from many months of reading tips and hints and suggestions from Yahoo! groups (more about these below), and to those whose advice appears here, thank you. Some information here may no longer be accurate, so specific questions about any portion of this process should be directed to the Department of State. After more than one year in the process (at this time), it seems that, while the skeletal process is basically the same for everyone, the specific parts often differ in practice for each individual, based on the circumstances of each person's life. In addition, the order of the outline below and the particular testing methods change from time to time. The process as described was accurate based on the time frame 2009 to early 2010.
A brief introduction
One's life may follow an infinite number of paths, and there seems to be no particular path that might be more pertinent to becoming a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) than another. Some applicants come to it straight out of college; some are lawyers, some are ex-military, some come from industry or business. Some are former Peace Corps Volunteers. For fifteen years, I was a high school social studies teacher. Previous career notwithstanding, the choice to serve the United States in this manner should not be taken lightly, for just as in politics or baseball, the process is a marathon, not a sprint. No matter your past vocation, there is one thing you absolutely must possess: patience.
You will be tested and tested and tested, but the one area that will be tested more than any other will be your patience. Having something constructive to keep your mind off the unknown of the long and winding road ahead of you will make this process much easier on your blood pressure and your psyche. Learn a language, take up a craft, write the Great American Novel, train for a marathon or delve deeper into work (or process this journey by creating a blog and writing about it), one way or another you will need something to do with your time other than obsess about where you are in the process or whether or not you've passed your security clearance. Along with patience, this is a must.
Also, before launching into this adventure, know that at any point in the following process you may be jettisoned from the path to becoming an FSO. Failure in any step means, if you have your little heart set on becoming an FSO, you'll have to start all over, back at Step #1.
Finally, if you are serious about joining the foreign service, you must agree to the following three conditions as set out by the Department of State:
Make Yourself Into A Foreign Service Officer In Just 12 Easy Steps!!
Step 1: Deciding to be a Foreign Service Officer
Essentially there are four different types of careers at United States Embassies, Consulates and other Missions around the world: Ambassador, Foreign Service Officers, Foreign Service Specialists, and Foreign Service Nationals. (Of course there are other career options, but these seem the most relevant to this blog post.)
Ambassadors are appointed by the president, and generally come after a long and (hopefully) distinguished career. Surprising to me was that 70% of Ambassadors are career FSOs, and only 30% are political appointments. Of course it's generally the case that those political appointments are sent to our strongest allies or to those nations perceived as most crucial to US foreign policy, but still.
Foreign Service Specialists are professionals who supply technical, support or administrative services at our missions overseas, and Foreign Service Nationals are the backbone of embassy operations - people from the nation in question hired by the US mission who serve as the institutional memory and provide continuity as US-based staff come and go over time. (See the Department of State's website for more information.)
Foreign Service Officers are known as generalists, and fall into one of five career tracks (fka 'cones'). Significantly, if you choose to pursue a career in the foreign service, you must choose a track at the very beginning of the process, and there is no option for altering this choice later on (although it is true that most FSOs will serve part of their time outside their area of specialty, based on the needs of the Department of State).
FSOs are the diplomatic corps representing the US around the world in something like 260 missions (embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions around the world). The five career tracks are:
More information about FSOs can be found at the Department of State's (DoS) website. In addition, DoS has a 50-item questionnaire that can help prospective candidates decide which track is right for them. Once you begin the process, a Board of Examiners (BEX) is ultimately responsible for assessing whether or not a candidate will be moved along in the process, eventually to become a Foreign Service Officer.
FSOs begin their careers as Entry Level Officers (ELOs, fka Junior Officers). After several tours (about 5 years or so in total), advancement to mid-level officer is possible, and after several more tours (another 5 - 10 years or so), FSOs rise to the level of senior officer for the last stage of their career in the foreign service.
The foreign service is an "Up-or-Out" system, which means officers must continue to advance within the ranks of FSOs or risk removal from the foreign service. Initially, to move from an ELO to a mid-level officer, FSOs must acquire tenure, achieved almost exclusively by becoming fluent in another language (more on this later).
Estimated time at this stage: as little as several hours researching the job responsibilities and benefits of being an FSO to several days or more of soul searching about making such a life-changing decision.
Step 2: Foreign Service Written Exam
After deciding this career is right for you and choosing a career track, the next step is to register for and take the Foreign Service Written Exam (alternately known as the Foreign Service Officer Test).
This test is administered around the country (and at some sites around the world), and is a standardized test much like an SAT or ACT. It will take about three hours, and is administered online at local community colleges and other sites.
It covers three broad areas: Job knowledge (basic structure and workings of US government; US and world history; culture; economics & finance; and world affairs, among other topics), English language expression (grammar, mechanics and so forth), and a biographic section which measures your work style, your communication style, and your approach to working with other cultures. In the job knowledge section, there is also an opportunity to write at least one in-depth essay on a randomly assigned topic.
The test is currently given three times a year, and when completed your score will indicate whether you advance to the next step or if you must start over. Your score on the multiple choice section must be over a specified level (a score of 154 or higher when I took it in February 2009) in order for your essay to be scored, and the essay must score at a level higher than 6 on a 12-point scale. Both the multiple choice and the essay must be passed to move on to Step 3.
Estimated time at this stage: Once you register, there will be up to several months of time until your test date. This will vary based on your choice of dates and locations, and registrants should consider how much time they might like to spend brushing up on the topics tested in the FSOT. Many resources are available to assist registrants, not least of which is a study guide offered through DoS and produced by ACT, Inc. Others include social networking websites such as Facebook and Yahoo! groups, which can be very helpful for the sharing of information about preparation and expectations (however, discussing the specifics of the test is strictly forbidden by DoS, and doing so will be grounds for dismissal from the process). Reading a wide variety of sources that discuss history and current affairs is also recommended.
Step 3: Personal Narratives / Qualifications Evaluation Panel
Once you've passed the FSOT, you will be sent an email directing you to submit Personal Narratives. Candidates are given no more than three weeks to write and submit five essays that explain not only "what you've done, but how you did it and what you learned" (DoS website).
Essays are read and analyzed by a Qualifications Evaluation Panel, a team of current FSOs who judge PNs based on the following six precepts: Leadership, interpersonal skills, communication skills, management skills, intellectual skills and substantive knowledge. The QEP will use your FSOT scores, your application materials and your PNs to judge whether a candidate should continue in the process or not.
If your PNs are judged satisfactorily, you will receive another email indicating whether or not you will advance to Step 4, an invitation to the Oral Assessment.
Estimated time at this stage: Three weeks to complete PNs from time they are sent to candidates, and then another eight weeks or so before notification arrives.
Step 4: Oral Assessment
Once you've passed the Personal Narratives, you will receive an email inviting you to the Oral Assessment (OA). The email will provide all the details about how and when to register for the OA, which is held in Washington, DC at several locations (called Annex 1 and Annex 44), as well as in select cities in the United States (such as San Francisco or Chicago). The OA is not conducted overseas. You will have a corresponding window of time to participate in the OA based on the date you took the FSOT, which will be explained in your email. Your email letter from the Board of Examiners (BEX) will also explain, in more detail, what to expect from your OA.
The BEX makes clear that candidates for the foreign service are not competing against one another in the OA, but rather are given the opportunity to demonstrate what are known as "The 13 Dimensions": Composure, cultural adaptability, experience and motivation, information integration and analysis, initiative and leadership, judgment, objectivity and integrity, oral communication, planning and organization, quantitative analysis, resourcefulness, working with others, and written communication. Nothing else matters, and in the end all candidates may pass the OA, just as all candidates may fail the OA.
The OA is a day-long series of exercises that, broadly, has three parts: The Group Exercise, the Case Management and the Structured Interview. Typically each OA has 12 or fewer participants, and each candidate will be placed in several groups for each activity throughout the day. Expect to arrive by 700 am and to complete all aspects of the OA some time around 400 pm or 500 pm.
The Group Exercise (GE) itself has three parts: Preparation, Presentation & Discussion. Candidates will have about 30 minutes to read materials about a fictional country and prepare a presentation of no more than six minutes for the other candidates in the group, which will consist of about half of the larger group of 12.
Once the 30 minutes has passed, each candidate objectively presents the project to the group, which will take approximately another 30 minutes (six candidates present for about 5-6 minutes each). At the start of the presentation phase, a small group of assessors will enter the room to silently observe and carefully record what takes place, looking for evidence of the 13 Dimensions.
After all presentations, the discussion phase begins, which will take another 20-25 minutes. Candidates now advocate for their project, but ultimately must come to consensus based on instructions given by one of the assessors.
After the GE is complete, a short break of 20-30 minutes will be given, and then candidates will participate in one of the other two parts of the OA, either the Case Management (CM) or the Structured Interview (SI).
The Case Management is a 90 minute exercise where candidates are tasked to write a memo to a superior after analyzing a large amount of material evidence about some type of conflict. Writing takes place on a computer with Microsoft Word, and the evidence is presented in a large three-ring binder. This exercise is done individually in a small computer lab, but about half of the larger group will be working on the same activity at the same time.
After the next stage is complete (either the CM or the SI), there will be another break, and likely lunch. Assessment centers differ as to the rules and regulations regarding movement inside and outside of the building (for example, if you have your OA in Annex 1, you are restricted quite a bit, and are only allowed to use the restroom down the hall without an escort, and you are not allowed to leave the building at all during the day).
The final activity is the Structured Interview, which also has three separate parts, each about 20 minutes in length: Experience and Motivation Interview, Hypothetical Scenarios and the Past Behavior Interview. The SI is conducted by two assessors in a face-to-face interview setting.
The Experience and Motivation interview is much like a job interview anyone might have had in the past. The Hypothetical Scenarios test a candidates ability to use good judgment and think on his or her feet, and the Past Behavior Interview candidates are presented with five scenarios and asked to explain how they've dealt with such scenarios in their past.
At the end of the day, the assessors will give everyone immediate feedback, unlike in other parts of the process. You will be given a score based on your performance during the day (which becomes important later if you pass), and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. When all is said and done, you will know immediately if you have passed the OA and will advance to Step 5, or if you are all done. It's a pretty stressful day, and can really be emotional for many people, but when it's over, it's either over or it's just beginning.
If you don't pass, you may leave immediately and drown your sorrows or whatever, and if you do pass, you'll submit your security form, get finger printed, fill out a few more forms and then go out and celebrate your Conditional Offer of Employment - hopefully with your new compadres who have passed the OA with you.
To prepare for the OA, use the letter from the BEX which provides specific instruction, structure and examples for all parts of the day, join a Facebook group or a Yahoo! group, and/or start a study group in your town of others who are also taking the OA.
Estimated time at this stage: It may be several months from the time you register for the OA until the actual date, but once the OA day is over, you know your score and whether or not you've passed.
Step 5: Security
After passing the OA, a two-track clearance process begins - both security and medical.
FSOs are required to have Top Secret Security Clearance, and the process involved is unique to each individual based on a whole host of criteria. The Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security and / or other agencies will conduct a personal interview with FSO candidates, employers and colleagues, and perhaps even with family and friends from many years earlier.
Some factors which seem to cause the security clearance process to take longer for some include: significant time living, working or going to school in foreign countries; having a foreign-born significant other or spouse; dual citizenship; criminal background; tax problems; drug or alcohol abuse, or some other addiction like gambling; and more. The DoS has several links explaining many aspects of the security clearance process. Access them starting with this site. Security clearance must be renewed every five years or so.
Estimated time for this stage: The security clearance process can take anywhere from six weeks to a year, depending on the complexity of a person's background. For boring old people like me (married for 20 years, no ugly divorce(s), same job for 15 years, lived in the same house for 15 years, no gambling/tax/alcohol problems, etc.), I passed the OA on September 28, 2009 and was awarded TS clearance on November 13, 2009, a period of just under seven weeks.
Step 6: Adjudication?
This step is used for further investigation purposes, based on the red flags raised by earlier investigators.
Some believe that the simple act of having a candidates file land on the desk of an adjudicator, even if it's only given a cursory glance, means your file has gone through adjudications. Others suggest that this doesn't constitute an actual additional investigation, and therefore doesn't really qualify as a proper adjudication.
Either way, something like 80% of candidate files wind up spending more than a few minutes in this stage, for some sort of specific reasons and / or flags. The remainder seem to just pass through with a breeze (I believe my file fits into the latter category).
Those on a Yahoo! group who have spent significant amounts of time in Adjudications (we're talking months) have even gone so far as to create a fictional place where it seems their file has gone called "Adjudicationville". Based on the length of their stay in Adjudicationville, some have claimed the title Mayor of said little town; others have different titles they give themselves. Still more claim to be members of Adjudicationville's most famous club, the "Limbo & Purgatory Club" (L & P Club), indicating their frustrations with the unknown reasons or amount of time spent and remaining in Adjudicationville. All is done with a sense of esprit des corps and camaraderie, and no small amount of good humor while waiting for what must seem like an interminable amount of time.
Estimated time at this stage: Could be one day, could be six months or more...
Step 7: Medical Clearance
Like the Security Clearance, the Medical Clearance will be different for everyone. All family members who will accompany the FSO must also have a medical clearance. The FSO must qualify medically for what is called "Worldwide Availability", also called "Class 1" or "Unrestricted Clearance." Simply put, this clearance means the FSO must be able to live and work in some difficult (if not outright dangerous) conditions and not have their health or safety compromised if medicine or treatment isn't available. Consequently, having certain medical conditions might disqualify a candidate for service. Family members or others accompanying the FSO need Class 2 medical clearance, or a "Limited Clearance."
Each situation will need to be examined on its own merits, and blanket statements about what will or will not meet the standards of worldwide availability are too difficult and complex to make in a forum such as this.
Estimated time for this stage: Single individuals will, of course, not take as long as will a family of four or five. Each persons health history may also have a significant impact on the medical clearance process. Therefore, any estimate will have to take into account the particular characteristics and the makeup of each individual or family. In my case, my wife and kids all recieved worldwide availability in mid- to late-November, and my worldwide clearance was granted on December 24 after a minor surgery earlier in the month. All four family members were granted worldwide availability after about 12 weeks.
Step 8: Final Suitability
Once a candidate has been granted both TS security and medical clearances, the entire candidate file is forwarded to a team of three examiners (presumably all FSOs). They are responsible for poring over the file, looking for items that might have been given a red flag by a previous investigator indicating a need for possible further investigation. (The medical clearance doesn't actually need to be completed before your file heads off to Final Suitability, and isn't considered in a Final Suitability Review, but in a generalized timeline it fits better to list Final Suitability after both medical and security clearances.)
There is some debate about whether a Final Suitability Review might be used as a method to disqualify a candidate before a security clearance denial (if denial is likely either way), the logic being that a candidate would find it easier to pursue other employment with a denial of Final Suitability rather than denial of TS security, and therefore a negative Final Suitability Review would be more palatable to the candidate's future. Mostly this is speculation, but may have merit given past experiences of some candidates.
DoS states: "The most common grounds for a finding of unsuitability are a recent history of drug or alcohol abuse and delinquency in repaying debt or other evidence of financial irresponsibility."
Either way, a positive outcome in the Final Suitability Review will allow the candidate to move forward one more step.
Estimated time at this stage: There doesn't seem to be a standard time frame for this stage because so much is dependant on the medical and security clearances before it. In my case, I was granted security clearance in 11/13 and medical clearance on 12/24, and found myself having passed through Final Suitability and onto the Register by 1/5 with no mention of having been in Final Suitability, but presumably that's where my file was from 12/24 until 1/5, or about two weeks.
N.B.: If, after passing the FSOT, a candidate wishes to increase their OA score so as to assist in increasing their chances of actually receiving an unconditional offer of employment as an FSO, there are two options. The first is a Veteran's Preference bonus of 0.175 for those with qualifying military experience, the second is a Foreign Language bonus, which varies depending upon the language in question. For example, if a passing score in a world language such as French or Spanish is acheived through a telephone test, a bonus of 0.17 is awarded and added to a candidates' OA score. If a passing score is acheived for a Critical Needs Language such as Russian, Korean or Uzbek, or for a Super Critical Needs Language such as Mandarin, Hindu or Pashtu, a bonus is awarded of 0.4 (0.5 for Egyptian or Iraqi Arabic). These telephone tests (which can be taken any time after the FSOT) can help a candidate increase their score, which helps once a candidate reaches Step 9: The Register. Once a candidate reaches training (Step 11: A-100), they will be re-tested to verify the veracity (Stephen Colbert might use "truthiness") of the telephone test from earlier.
Step 9: Register
The Register is your last real step in the process before getting an unconditional offer. The trick is that you could - theoretically, anyway - sit on the register for as long as 18 months, and if this happens, you will then be removed from the register and have to start back at the beginning, if you so choose.
The register is a rank-ordered list of candidates, in each of the five career tracks, who are placed there according to two factors: Their OA score (and any bonus points) and the date upon which they were placed on the register.
For example, I scored a 5.3 on my OA, had no veterans preference bonus points and had no language bonus points. At the time I was placed on the register (January 2010), I was #83 out of a total list of 83 candidates in the Public Diplomacy (PD) track. Other PD candidates who passed the OA (and made it through all other steps) after me but with a higher score are placed ahead of me based on that score. Other PD candidates who passed the OA (and made it through all other steps) with the same or a lower score will be placed on the register behind me. This process is repeated for all five career tracks.
Your name moves up and down the register when new candidates are placed there, and when candidates currently on the register are called to the A-100 training class and have their names removed from the register.
Estimated time at this stage: As long as 18 months from the date on your letter notifying you that you are, in fact, on the register.
Step 10: "The Call"
"The Call" is when you know you have a job with the foreign service. If you accept (generally it seems you have about four days to notify the Registrar of your decision), you will have about 30-60 days before you will have to report to training in Washington, DC. It's possible to get the call with less than a month before training starts, but that seems to be the exception, not the rule. At present (January 2010) it seems that the typical call comes about five weeks before the start of the next A-100 training course.
There is an option for what is known as "Do Not Contact" for those who do, indeed, get the call. For example, the call comes with one semester remaining in a Master's program and you need to finish out the program before going on to A-100, or you or a spouse is pregnant and the due date comes at a time that isn't so convenient for the start of A-100. There are dozens of reasons why a candidate might "go DNC," but it seems that candidates have one chance to do so before being dropped off the register and having to start over if they want this career.
Estimated time at this stage: really only about four days, unless the candidate were to go DNC.
Step 11: A-100
A-100 is the name for the initial period of training for newly minted FSOs. It takes its name from the room number in the original training building from back in the 1920s or thereabouts. This is the time when candidates will need to relocate (if necessary) to the Washington, DC area, and of course this decision includes much research about location, amenities and convenience to the training site, all of which is going to be unique to the individual FSO and his or her family.
This training period is a five-week training in Washington (seven weeks in years past) and is located at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) in Arlington, VA. It is notable for several important days that occur: On day one all candidates are officially sworn in as Entry Level Foreign Service Officers (while official, this swearing in lacks ceremony and is done for the sole purpose of getting new FSOs on the payroll); in the first few days the all-important "bid list" is handed out to these new officers (the bid list is an itemized list of all known posts that will be open for bidding on by these new officers near the end of the A-100); and the coup de grace known as "Flag Day," which is the day that new officers find out where they will actually be going for their first post after continued training. Flag Day is filled with pomp and circumstance, typically includes speeches by some higher level DoS officials, and most significantly includes the reveal of the first post by producing table-top sized flags from around the world and then calling out the name of a new FSO, which is how the new officer discovers which post they will have. Of course there are "classes" held daily about State Department procedure, writing cables, practice in public speaking, and much, much more.
Each A-100 class has approximately 100 members, or about 20 from each of the five career tracks. New FSOs are in classes daily, learning the initial stages of their new career.
There is a lot more information to learn about this step, but as I'm still on the register, I don't know much more.
Estimated time at this stage: Five weeks
Step 12: ConGen and Language Training
Depending on how much time State has to train FSOs before they head off to the post received on Flag Day and your own personal skills and abilities (for example language ability), more training (one type is called ConGen) might be required. Most FSOs spend time at the FSI for about six weeks of ConGen, and may be in Washington for as long as another 44 weeks or so, depending, for example, on the language DoS wants the FSO to learn. I hear a key is to have training of all kinds completed before 365 days are up so that per diem pay remains untaxed.
Also lots more info about this stage that I do not yet know.
Estimated time at this stage: 4 weeks to 44 weeks, depending.
And Then: To Post (Finally!)
Estimated time: 1-4 years, depending.
This process may seem at times to be a bit capricious in nature, but like a teacher grading a students' work, there is a bit of subjectivity called professional judgment that can't really be quantified and objectified, and really exists only in the mind of the individual assessor. Your patience will be tested, and it helps if you have others to talk to that are in the same process as you. Find others in your area and meet regularly; join a Facebook group or one of the Yahoo! groups; do plenty of research at the library and online (several good resources include Inside a US Embassy, Career Diplomacy, and Realities of Foreign Service Life volumes I and II).
If you choose to attempt a run at being a Foreign Service Officer, you will also need to become intimately familiar with one particular, maddeningly overused phrase: "It Depends."
So that's all there is to it. See how easy it is?
A brief introduction
One's life may follow an infinite number of paths, and there seems to be no particular path that might be more pertinent to becoming a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) than another. Some applicants come to it straight out of college; some are lawyers, some are ex-military, some come from industry or business. Some are former Peace Corps Volunteers. For fifteen years, I was a high school social studies teacher. Previous career notwithstanding, the choice to serve the United States in this manner should not be taken lightly, for just as in politics or baseball, the process is a marathon, not a sprint. No matter your past vocation, there is one thing you absolutely must possess: patience.
You will be tested and tested and tested, but the one area that will be tested more than any other will be your patience. Having something constructive to keep your mind off the unknown of the long and winding road ahead of you will make this process much easier on your blood pressure and your psyche. Learn a language, take up a craft, write the Great American Novel, train for a marathon or delve deeper into work (or process this journey by creating a blog and writing about it), one way or another you will need something to do with your time other than obsess about where you are in the process or whether or not you've passed your security clearance. Along with patience, this is a must.
Also, before launching into this adventure, know that at any point in the following process you may be jettisoned from the path to becoming an FSO. Failure in any step means, if you have your little heart set on becoming an FSO, you'll have to start all over, back at Step #1.
Finally, if you are serious about joining the foreign service, you must agree to the following three conditions as set out by the Department of State:
- Flexibility. Candidates must be willing to work outside their chosen field, if required by the needs of the Department.
- Public support of US government policies, regardless of personal views.
- Worldwide availability. Candidates will have input as to where they would like to serve once approved as a Foreign Service Officer, and the Department will attempt to work with Officers' needs and desires, but the needs of the Department may trump any personal desire to serve in a particular location.
Make Yourself Into A Foreign Service Officer In Just 12 Easy Steps!!
Step 1: Deciding to be a Foreign Service Officer
Essentially there are four different types of careers at United States Embassies, Consulates and other Missions around the world: Ambassador, Foreign Service Officers, Foreign Service Specialists, and Foreign Service Nationals. (Of course there are other career options, but these seem the most relevant to this blog post.)
Ambassadors are appointed by the president, and generally come after a long and (hopefully) distinguished career. Surprising to me was that 70% of Ambassadors are career FSOs, and only 30% are political appointments. Of course it's generally the case that those political appointments are sent to our strongest allies or to those nations perceived as most crucial to US foreign policy, but still.
Foreign Service Specialists are professionals who supply technical, support or administrative services at our missions overseas, and Foreign Service Nationals are the backbone of embassy operations - people from the nation in question hired by the US mission who serve as the institutional memory and provide continuity as US-based staff come and go over time. (See the Department of State's website for more information.)
Foreign Service Officers are known as generalists, and fall into one of five career tracks (fka 'cones'). Significantly, if you choose to pursue a career in the foreign service, you must choose a track at the very beginning of the process, and there is no option for altering this choice later on (although it is true that most FSOs will serve part of their time outside their area of specialty, based on the needs of the Department of State).
FSOs are the diplomatic corps representing the US around the world in something like 260 missions (embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions around the world). The five career tracks are:
Consular - Consular Officers protect Americans abroad and strengthen border security. They are charged with processing visa applicants abroad and helping Americans who need assistance in foreign countries, in both emergency and non-emergency situations (such as lost passports or natural disaster situations).
Economic - Economic Officers promote economic partnerships, development and fair trade. They analyze and explain economic conditions in the host country, and work to establish economic ties between the host country and the US. They also work to promote US business and economic interests.
Management - Management Officers run the embassies in practical areas like housing for FSOs and FSSs, running the motor pool and providing and coordinating the "nuts and bolts" that make an embassy work. They are responsible for managing property, financial and human resources of the embassy system.
Political - Political Officers analyze the political situation of the host country. They persuade government officials to support key US positions, promote US interests and advise US policymakers on significant developments abroad.
Public Diplomacy - Public Diplomacy Officers explain American values and policies, and also coordinate educational and cultural exchanges between the US and the host country. They tell America's story and strive to create mutual understanding.
More information about FSOs can be found at the Department of State's (DoS) website. In addition, DoS has a 50-item questionnaire that can help prospective candidates decide which track is right for them. Once you begin the process, a Board of Examiners (BEX) is ultimately responsible for assessing whether or not a candidate will be moved along in the process, eventually to become a Foreign Service Officer.
FSOs begin their careers as Entry Level Officers (ELOs, fka Junior Officers). After several tours (about 5 years or so in total), advancement to mid-level officer is possible, and after several more tours (another 5 - 10 years or so), FSOs rise to the level of senior officer for the last stage of their career in the foreign service.
The foreign service is an "Up-or-Out" system, which means officers must continue to advance within the ranks of FSOs or risk removal from the foreign service. Initially, to move from an ELO to a mid-level officer, FSOs must acquire tenure, achieved almost exclusively by becoming fluent in another language (more on this later).
Estimated time at this stage: as little as several hours researching the job responsibilities and benefits of being an FSO to several days or more of soul searching about making such a life-changing decision.
Step 2: Foreign Service Written Exam
After deciding this career is right for you and choosing a career track, the next step is to register for and take the Foreign Service Written Exam (alternately known as the Foreign Service Officer Test).
This test is administered around the country (and at some sites around the world), and is a standardized test much like an SAT or ACT. It will take about three hours, and is administered online at local community colleges and other sites.
It covers three broad areas: Job knowledge (basic structure and workings of US government; US and world history; culture; economics & finance; and world affairs, among other topics), English language expression (grammar, mechanics and so forth), and a biographic section which measures your work style, your communication style, and your approach to working with other cultures. In the job knowledge section, there is also an opportunity to write at least one in-depth essay on a randomly assigned topic.
The test is currently given three times a year, and when completed your score will indicate whether you advance to the next step or if you must start over. Your score on the multiple choice section must be over a specified level (a score of 154 or higher when I took it in February 2009) in order for your essay to be scored, and the essay must score at a level higher than 6 on a 12-point scale. Both the multiple choice and the essay must be passed to move on to Step 3.
Estimated time at this stage: Once you register, there will be up to several months of time until your test date. This will vary based on your choice of dates and locations, and registrants should consider how much time they might like to spend brushing up on the topics tested in the FSOT. Many resources are available to assist registrants, not least of which is a study guide offered through DoS and produced by ACT, Inc. Others include social networking websites such as Facebook and Yahoo! groups, which can be very helpful for the sharing of information about preparation and expectations (however, discussing the specifics of the test is strictly forbidden by DoS, and doing so will be grounds for dismissal from the process). Reading a wide variety of sources that discuss history and current affairs is also recommended.
Step 3: Personal Narratives / Qualifications Evaluation Panel
Once you've passed the FSOT, you will be sent an email directing you to submit Personal Narratives. Candidates are given no more than three weeks to write and submit five essays that explain not only "what you've done, but how you did it and what you learned" (DoS website).
Essays are read and analyzed by a Qualifications Evaluation Panel, a team of current FSOs who judge PNs based on the following six precepts: Leadership, interpersonal skills, communication skills, management skills, intellectual skills and substantive knowledge. The QEP will use your FSOT scores, your application materials and your PNs to judge whether a candidate should continue in the process or not.
If your PNs are judged satisfactorily, you will receive another email indicating whether or not you will advance to Step 4, an invitation to the Oral Assessment.
Estimated time at this stage: Three weeks to complete PNs from time they are sent to candidates, and then another eight weeks or so before notification arrives.
Step 4: Oral Assessment
Once you've passed the Personal Narratives, you will receive an email inviting you to the Oral Assessment (OA). The email will provide all the details about how and when to register for the OA, which is held in Washington, DC at several locations (called Annex 1 and Annex 44), as well as in select cities in the United States (such as San Francisco or Chicago). The OA is not conducted overseas. You will have a corresponding window of time to participate in the OA based on the date you took the FSOT, which will be explained in your email. Your email letter from the Board of Examiners (BEX) will also explain, in more detail, what to expect from your OA.
The BEX makes clear that candidates for the foreign service are not competing against one another in the OA, but rather are given the opportunity to demonstrate what are known as "The 13 Dimensions": Composure, cultural adaptability, experience and motivation, information integration and analysis, initiative and leadership, judgment, objectivity and integrity, oral communication, planning and organization, quantitative analysis, resourcefulness, working with others, and written communication. Nothing else matters, and in the end all candidates may pass the OA, just as all candidates may fail the OA.
The OA is a day-long series of exercises that, broadly, has three parts: The Group Exercise, the Case Management and the Structured Interview. Typically each OA has 12 or fewer participants, and each candidate will be placed in several groups for each activity throughout the day. Expect to arrive by 700 am and to complete all aspects of the OA some time around 400 pm or 500 pm.
The Group Exercise (GE) itself has three parts: Preparation, Presentation & Discussion. Candidates will have about 30 minutes to read materials about a fictional country and prepare a presentation of no more than six minutes for the other candidates in the group, which will consist of about half of the larger group of 12.
Once the 30 minutes has passed, each candidate objectively presents the project to the group, which will take approximately another 30 minutes (six candidates present for about 5-6 minutes each). At the start of the presentation phase, a small group of assessors will enter the room to silently observe and carefully record what takes place, looking for evidence of the 13 Dimensions.
After all presentations, the discussion phase begins, which will take another 20-25 minutes. Candidates now advocate for their project, but ultimately must come to consensus based on instructions given by one of the assessors.
After the GE is complete, a short break of 20-30 minutes will be given, and then candidates will participate in one of the other two parts of the OA, either the Case Management (CM) or the Structured Interview (SI).
The Case Management is a 90 minute exercise where candidates are tasked to write a memo to a superior after analyzing a large amount of material evidence about some type of conflict. Writing takes place on a computer with Microsoft Word, and the evidence is presented in a large three-ring binder. This exercise is done individually in a small computer lab, but about half of the larger group will be working on the same activity at the same time.
After the next stage is complete (either the CM or the SI), there will be another break, and likely lunch. Assessment centers differ as to the rules and regulations regarding movement inside and outside of the building (for example, if you have your OA in Annex 1, you are restricted quite a bit, and are only allowed to use the restroom down the hall without an escort, and you are not allowed to leave the building at all during the day).
The final activity is the Structured Interview, which also has three separate parts, each about 20 minutes in length: Experience and Motivation Interview, Hypothetical Scenarios and the Past Behavior Interview. The SI is conducted by two assessors in a face-to-face interview setting.
The Experience and Motivation interview is much like a job interview anyone might have had in the past. The Hypothetical Scenarios test a candidates ability to use good judgment and think on his or her feet, and the Past Behavior Interview candidates are presented with five scenarios and asked to explain how they've dealt with such scenarios in their past.
At the end of the day, the assessors will give everyone immediate feedback, unlike in other parts of the process. You will be given a score based on your performance during the day (which becomes important later if you pass), and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. When all is said and done, you will know immediately if you have passed the OA and will advance to Step 5, or if you are all done. It's a pretty stressful day, and can really be emotional for many people, but when it's over, it's either over or it's just beginning.
If you don't pass, you may leave immediately and drown your sorrows or whatever, and if you do pass, you'll submit your security form, get finger printed, fill out a few more forms and then go out and celebrate your Conditional Offer of Employment - hopefully with your new compadres who have passed the OA with you.
To prepare for the OA, use the letter from the BEX which provides specific instruction, structure and examples for all parts of the day, join a Facebook group or a Yahoo! group, and/or start a study group in your town of others who are also taking the OA.
Estimated time at this stage: It may be several months from the time you register for the OA until the actual date, but once the OA day is over, you know your score and whether or not you've passed.
Step 5: Security
After passing the OA, a two-track clearance process begins - both security and medical.
FSOs are required to have Top Secret Security Clearance, and the process involved is unique to each individual based on a whole host of criteria. The Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security and / or other agencies will conduct a personal interview with FSO candidates, employers and colleagues, and perhaps even with family and friends from many years earlier.
Some factors which seem to cause the security clearance process to take longer for some include: significant time living, working or going to school in foreign countries; having a foreign-born significant other or spouse; dual citizenship; criminal background; tax problems; drug or alcohol abuse, or some other addiction like gambling; and more. The DoS has several links explaining many aspects of the security clearance process. Access them starting with this site. Security clearance must be renewed every five years or so.
Estimated time for this stage: The security clearance process can take anywhere from six weeks to a year, depending on the complexity of a person's background. For boring old people like me (married for 20 years, no ugly divorce(s), same job for 15 years, lived in the same house for 15 years, no gambling/tax/alcohol problems, etc.), I passed the OA on September 28, 2009 and was awarded TS clearance on November 13, 2009, a period of just under seven weeks.
Step 6: Adjudication?
This step is used for further investigation purposes, based on the red flags raised by earlier investigators.
Some believe that the simple act of having a candidates file land on the desk of an adjudicator, even if it's only given a cursory glance, means your file has gone through adjudications. Others suggest that this doesn't constitute an actual additional investigation, and therefore doesn't really qualify as a proper adjudication.
Either way, something like 80% of candidate files wind up spending more than a few minutes in this stage, for some sort of specific reasons and / or flags. The remainder seem to just pass through with a breeze (I believe my file fits into the latter category).
Those on a Yahoo! group who have spent significant amounts of time in Adjudications (we're talking months) have even gone so far as to create a fictional place where it seems their file has gone called "Adjudicationville". Based on the length of their stay in Adjudicationville, some have claimed the title Mayor of said little town; others have different titles they give themselves. Still more claim to be members of Adjudicationville's most famous club, the "Limbo & Purgatory Club" (L & P Club), indicating their frustrations with the unknown reasons or amount of time spent and remaining in Adjudicationville. All is done with a sense of esprit des corps and camaraderie, and no small amount of good humor while waiting for what must seem like an interminable amount of time.
Estimated time at this stage: Could be one day, could be six months or more...
Step 7: Medical Clearance
Like the Security Clearance, the Medical Clearance will be different for everyone. All family members who will accompany the FSO must also have a medical clearance. The FSO must qualify medically for what is called "Worldwide Availability", also called "Class 1" or "Unrestricted Clearance." Simply put, this clearance means the FSO must be able to live and work in some difficult (if not outright dangerous) conditions and not have their health or safety compromised if medicine or treatment isn't available. Consequently, having certain medical conditions might disqualify a candidate for service. Family members or others accompanying the FSO need Class 2 medical clearance, or a "Limited Clearance."
Each situation will need to be examined on its own merits, and blanket statements about what will or will not meet the standards of worldwide availability are too difficult and complex to make in a forum such as this.
Estimated time for this stage: Single individuals will, of course, not take as long as will a family of four or five. Each persons health history may also have a significant impact on the medical clearance process. Therefore, any estimate will have to take into account the particular characteristics and the makeup of each individual or family. In my case, my wife and kids all recieved worldwide availability in mid- to late-November, and my worldwide clearance was granted on December 24 after a minor surgery earlier in the month. All four family members were granted worldwide availability after about 12 weeks.
Step 8: Final Suitability
Once a candidate has been granted both TS security and medical clearances, the entire candidate file is forwarded to a team of three examiners (presumably all FSOs). They are responsible for poring over the file, looking for items that might have been given a red flag by a previous investigator indicating a need for possible further investigation. (The medical clearance doesn't actually need to be completed before your file heads off to Final Suitability, and isn't considered in a Final Suitability Review, but in a generalized timeline it fits better to list Final Suitability after both medical and security clearances.)
There is some debate about whether a Final Suitability Review might be used as a method to disqualify a candidate before a security clearance denial (if denial is likely either way), the logic being that a candidate would find it easier to pursue other employment with a denial of Final Suitability rather than denial of TS security, and therefore a negative Final Suitability Review would be more palatable to the candidate's future. Mostly this is speculation, but may have merit given past experiences of some candidates.
DoS states: "The most common grounds for a finding of unsuitability are a recent history of drug or alcohol abuse and delinquency in repaying debt or other evidence of financial irresponsibility."
Either way, a positive outcome in the Final Suitability Review will allow the candidate to move forward one more step.
Estimated time at this stage: There doesn't seem to be a standard time frame for this stage because so much is dependant on the medical and security clearances before it. In my case, I was granted security clearance in 11/13 and medical clearance on 12/24, and found myself having passed through Final Suitability and onto the Register by 1/5 with no mention of having been in Final Suitability, but presumably that's where my file was from 12/24 until 1/5, or about two weeks.
N.B.: If, after passing the FSOT, a candidate wishes to increase their OA score so as to assist in increasing their chances of actually receiving an unconditional offer of employment as an FSO, there are two options. The first is a Veteran's Preference bonus of 0.175 for those with qualifying military experience, the second is a Foreign Language bonus, which varies depending upon the language in question. For example, if a passing score in a world language such as French or Spanish is acheived through a telephone test, a bonus of 0.17 is awarded and added to a candidates' OA score. If a passing score is acheived for a Critical Needs Language such as Russian, Korean or Uzbek, or for a Super Critical Needs Language such as Mandarin, Hindu or Pashtu, a bonus is awarded of 0.4 (0.5 for Egyptian or Iraqi Arabic). These telephone tests (which can be taken any time after the FSOT) can help a candidate increase their score, which helps once a candidate reaches Step 9: The Register. Once a candidate reaches training (Step 11: A-100), they will be re-tested to verify the veracity (Stephen Colbert might use "truthiness") of the telephone test from earlier.
Step 9: Register
The Register is your last real step in the process before getting an unconditional offer. The trick is that you could - theoretically, anyway - sit on the register for as long as 18 months, and if this happens, you will then be removed from the register and have to start back at the beginning, if you so choose.
The register is a rank-ordered list of candidates, in each of the five career tracks, who are placed there according to two factors: Their OA score (and any bonus points) and the date upon which they were placed on the register.
For example, I scored a 5.3 on my OA, had no veterans preference bonus points and had no language bonus points. At the time I was placed on the register (January 2010), I was #83 out of a total list of 83 candidates in the Public Diplomacy (PD) track. Other PD candidates who passed the OA (and made it through all other steps) after me but with a higher score are placed ahead of me based on that score. Other PD candidates who passed the OA (and made it through all other steps) with the same or a lower score will be placed on the register behind me. This process is repeated for all five career tracks.
Your name moves up and down the register when new candidates are placed there, and when candidates currently on the register are called to the A-100 training class and have their names removed from the register.
Estimated time at this stage: As long as 18 months from the date on your letter notifying you that you are, in fact, on the register.
Step 10: "The Call"
"The Call" is when you know you have a job with the foreign service. If you accept (generally it seems you have about four days to notify the Registrar of your decision), you will have about 30-60 days before you will have to report to training in Washington, DC. It's possible to get the call with less than a month before training starts, but that seems to be the exception, not the rule. At present (January 2010) it seems that the typical call comes about five weeks before the start of the next A-100 training course.
There is an option for what is known as "Do Not Contact" for those who do, indeed, get the call. For example, the call comes with one semester remaining in a Master's program and you need to finish out the program before going on to A-100, or you or a spouse is pregnant and the due date comes at a time that isn't so convenient for the start of A-100. There are dozens of reasons why a candidate might "go DNC," but it seems that candidates have one chance to do so before being dropped off the register and having to start over if they want this career.
Estimated time at this stage: really only about four days, unless the candidate were to go DNC.
Step 11: A-100
A-100 is the name for the initial period of training for newly minted FSOs. It takes its name from the room number in the original training building from back in the 1920s or thereabouts. This is the time when candidates will need to relocate (if necessary) to the Washington, DC area, and of course this decision includes much research about location, amenities and convenience to the training site, all of which is going to be unique to the individual FSO and his or her family.
This training period is a five-week training in Washington (seven weeks in years past) and is located at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) in Arlington, VA. It is notable for several important days that occur: On day one all candidates are officially sworn in as Entry Level Foreign Service Officers (while official, this swearing in lacks ceremony and is done for the sole purpose of getting new FSOs on the payroll); in the first few days the all-important "bid list" is handed out to these new officers (the bid list is an itemized list of all known posts that will be open for bidding on by these new officers near the end of the A-100); and the coup de grace known as "Flag Day," which is the day that new officers find out where they will actually be going for their first post after continued training. Flag Day is filled with pomp and circumstance, typically includes speeches by some higher level DoS officials, and most significantly includes the reveal of the first post by producing table-top sized flags from around the world and then calling out the name of a new FSO, which is how the new officer discovers which post they will have. Of course there are "classes" held daily about State Department procedure, writing cables, practice in public speaking, and much, much more.
Each A-100 class has approximately 100 members, or about 20 from each of the five career tracks. New FSOs are in classes daily, learning the initial stages of their new career.
There is a lot more information to learn about this step, but as I'm still on the register, I don't know much more.
Estimated time at this stage: Five weeks
Step 12: ConGen and Language Training
Depending on how much time State has to train FSOs before they head off to the post received on Flag Day and your own personal skills and abilities (for example language ability), more training (one type is called ConGen) might be required. Most FSOs spend time at the FSI for about six weeks of ConGen, and may be in Washington for as long as another 44 weeks or so, depending, for example, on the language DoS wants the FSO to learn. I hear a key is to have training of all kinds completed before 365 days are up so that per diem pay remains untaxed.
Also lots more info about this stage that I do not yet know.
Estimated time at this stage: 4 weeks to 44 weeks, depending.
And Then: To Post (Finally!)
Estimated time: 1-4 years, depending.
This process may seem at times to be a bit capricious in nature, but like a teacher grading a students' work, there is a bit of subjectivity called professional judgment that can't really be quantified and objectified, and really exists only in the mind of the individual assessor. Your patience will be tested, and it helps if you have others to talk to that are in the same process as you. Find others in your area and meet regularly; join a Facebook group or one of the Yahoo! groups; do plenty of research at the library and online (several good resources include Inside a US Embassy, Career Diplomacy, and Realities of Foreign Service Life volumes I and II).
If you choose to attempt a run at being a Foreign Service Officer, you will also need to become intimately familiar with one particular, maddeningly overused phrase: "It Depends."
So that's all there is to it. See how easy it is?
Saturday, October 3, 2009
The Big Day (and a bigger post!)
So the Big Day has come and gone. It was fun. Really. I had a good time. Of course it helps that I passed the Oral Assessment, but I'm convinced that I would say it was fun even had I not advanced past the OA.
I spent a few days in Washington, DC before my OA, scheduled for Monday September 28, 2009. I flew from the Twin Cities on Friday evening, and had a fine time in our nations capital. I've been to DC a few times before, and as this time I was traveling alone I was hoping to visit a few things my family wouldn't be as interested in and that I hadn't seen before.
I stayed near the campus of George Washington University, about ten minutes' walk to the State Department Annex 1 where I would attend the OA on Monday. The George Washington University Inn was very nice, comfortable, clean and quiet, and not unreasonable at about $100 per night, given its proximity to the Metro, to a variety of sites, and to where I needed to be.
By and large the weather cooperated, and I really enjoyed nice fall days walking to the White House (or rather, around it), and seeing the Holocaust Museum, the Newseum, the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the National Archives. I also enjoyed seeing the Lincoln Memorial again, and when I ran down the steps toward the reflecting pool yelling "Jeennnnyyy!" I really had the attention of all the tourists. OK no, I didn't really do that, but I was hoping someone would. If I had done that, they would have certainly locked me up and then I would have missed my Oral Assessment, and that would just not do.
I spent a few days in Washington, DC before my OA, scheduled for Monday September 28, 2009. I flew from the Twin Cities on Friday evening, and had a fine time in our nations capital. I've been to DC a few times before, and as this time I was traveling alone I was hoping to visit a few things my family wouldn't be as interested in and that I hadn't seen before.
I stayed near the campus of George Washington University, about ten minutes' walk to the State Department Annex 1 where I would attend the OA on Monday. The George Washington University Inn was very nice, comfortable, clean and quiet, and not unreasonable at about $100 per night, given its proximity to the Metro, to a variety of sites, and to where I needed to be.
By and large the weather cooperated, and I really enjoyed nice fall days walking to the White House (or rather, around it), and seeing the Holocaust Museum, the Newseum, the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the National Archives. I also enjoyed seeing the Lincoln Memorial again, and when I ran down the steps toward the reflecting pool yelling "Jeennnnyyy!" I really had the attention of all the tourists. OK no, I didn't really do that, but I was hoping someone would. If I had done that, they would have certainly locked me up and then I would have missed my Oral Assessment, and that would just not do.
My favorite shot of old Abe
I spent my evenings enjoying the pleasant weather and having a nice meal, and then would spend time doing some additional walking in the city, preparing for Monday's OA, polishing my Statement of Interest, and reviewing my files. I also cased the joint to make sure I knew exactly where I was to be on Monday morning. (I highly recommend both visiting the city in advance to relax a little, and scoping out the testing location to ensure avoiding getting lost.) I don't tend to be obsessive-compulsive about anything, but my latent OCD came out of hiding to help me on Sunday night as I walked and re-walked my route, looking for a coffee shop and making certain there were no bumps in the road for Monday morning.
The Oral Assessment
I had set the alarm for 515 am (not significantly different from my normal work day) in order to make sure I had plenty of time to get ready for the day. In reality, I woke some time around 330 or 400, and gave up on trying to fall back to sleep some time around 430. I got ready for my day and walked to a Starbucks located inside George Washington University Hospital. Had a cup 'o joe and a breakfast thing, then walked back to my hotel. I had way more time than I had planned for, so then I packed up my backpack and got myself ready to head out. If I had gone straight there, I would have been about 40 minutes early, so I walked around a bit, watched the sun rise and stopped in the middle of the intersection of 24th and E to look fondly at the Lincoln Memorial down the block. I finally arrived at Annex 1 at about 645 (OAers are required to be there by 700).
Annex 1 is not in any way clearly part of the State Department, but oddly all the surrounding apartment or office buildings have names like "Ambassador," "Consular" or "Diplomat." Maybe someone was trying to be clever. Upon entry into Annex 1 candidates are signed in and given a temporary ID badge, then bags are X-rayed. We weren't allowed to leave the building during the day, and everywhere we went (other than the bathroom and for about 25 minutes at lunch) we were escorted.
After waiting in the lobby for about 20 minutes, we were taken upstairs to the Assessment Office (or some such thing). There were eleven of us all told (there was one no show; maybe s/he got lost looking for the building. We were told by the young assistant that this isn't uncommon). I don't recall everyone or each of their stories, but there were two guys from Texas (a PhD high school special ed teacher and a transportation coordinator), an older fella from Colorado (retired airline executive), a newly minted college grad from the Philadelphia area, another special ed teacher from Boston, several young women and a younger guy from the DC area, a young woman from Hong Kong, and me (high school social studies teacher in Minnesota). Of the eleven, five passed, and all five were from my Group Exercise.
We filled out some paperwork for the first thirty minutes or so, and then waited in an anteroom (remarkably like a small waiting room at the doctor's office) until the start of the Group Exercise, which consists of three parts: The preparation phase, the presentation phase and the discussion phase. At this point, our large group was broken into two, one of six and mine of five. Each group was taken to a small room, where we were given instructions and a seat at a smallish round table, big enough for six. Each of us had one three-ring binder, a notepad and a pen and dry-erase marker for marking on the plastic cover sheets if we wished.
In each binder was information about a fictional country. Background notes on the economy, basic history, principal players in the government, political structure and basic demographics were included. Also included was a proposal for some economic development project to be funded by the US Embassy, supporting documents in favor of and / or opposed to the project, and US country goals as well as the principal players from the US Embassy. The goal was to spend about 25 minutes preparing a six minute presentation for the others in the group, laying out the project, the advantages and disadvantages, supporters and any opposition, and then costs, both in terms of the actual cost and intangible costs like public relations or image of the US.
Once the 25 minutes was up, four (or more) stone-faced assessors enter, clipboards in hand, and took their places around the perimeter, ready to note everything said or done. Short instructions are given, and then the presentations are allowed to begin. Each group member takes his or her turn presenting their respective projects, all the while trying to display for the assessors all the qualities (called the 13 Dimensions) needed to be an FSO. It can really be quite intimidating, but I made up my mind I was going to pretend the assessors weren't there at all.
After all presentations were completed, some additional short instructions were given, such as how much the US Embassy had allotted for projects, and specifically that our team was to fully fund one project and partially fund at least one other project. Then a blank memo was dropped on the table, and we were to draft said memo explaining what our team had done.
The discussion phase for my group went very well. We all worked well together, and no one was domineering or abrasive. We were cordial and cooperative, and, using our time wisely and dividing up the responsibilities fairly, we concluded by fully funding one project and partially funding two, using up all the US taxpayer money available. We were told to leave all documents, including our notes, on the table, and return to the waiting room while the next stage of our day was prepared.
I was riding high at this point. I felt all morning long that I was going to do really well, that I would leave it all out on the table and be given a conditional offer at the end of the day. After the positive experience in the Group Exercise, I was still really stoked about how well it seemed to be going. Then came the first crash.
There are two other parts to this OA process: The Case Management and the Structured Interview, both done individually. After a break of about 30 or 45 minutes, some of my group of 11 were taken to a computer lab to do the 90 minute Case Management, and the rest would do the SI. I was in the CM group, and I came away from the experience depressed, dejected, and utterly defeated feeling I bombed the exercise and that I should just cut my losses and go home now, saving everyone time and frustration. OK, I exaggerate a little, but I knew this hadn't gone well.
In the CM, you are given a computer with Microsoft Word, a notepad and pen, and a larger three-ring binder than before, with quite a bit of information about a fictional country (in my case it was the same fictional country from earlier). In 90 minutes, I was to read through instructions from the Ambassador, along with many supporting documents such as emails, memorandum, work orders, budget spreadsheets and more, then create a two-page memo back to the Ambassador summarizing the basics about a conflict that existed between two or more subordinates that had developed shortly after I had arrived at the post. I was also to include recommendations and alternatives for solving this conflict. If I had another 30 minutes or so, I would have completed the CM and it might have been fine, maybe even good. However, I took too long researching and composing my summary, and was probably too wordy (shocker!). I had some basic bullet-pointed recommendations noted at the end which were going to be my finish with a flourish, but I ran out of time to make them into coherent sentences, and as a result they remained as grammatically stilted bullets that were going to puncture my dream.
I left the computer room pretty unhappy, and really not ready to socialize or eat lunch, which was up next. The only place to eat is a Subway shop in the basement, and we were escorted there to fill our bellies and wash down our sorrows with a cold soda and a chocolate chip cookie. My only solace was that, in all my research, it seemed the CM was the Achilles heal for just about everyone, and that it was possible to pass the day while still failing one of the three exercises. Now I knew I had to rock the SI if I had any chance of passing the overall day after my miserable performance in the CM.
We finished lunch and then I really hit the dumps as I had almost 90 minutes to sit in the waiting room with one other candidate until our turn at the SI came. I felt I could use the time to review my files and notes (which can be taken to the site, but must stay in a closet until the breaks) in order to prepare for the SI, but I couldn't stop thinking about the Case Management. Now I could see I was getting into my own head, and I needed to keep from psyching myself out. In the end, I simply decided to carefully reread the instructions for the SI given to us in our letter from the Board of Examiners, and then I would peruse a magazine, looking at the words and pictures but not actually reading anything at all. This strategy seemed to work out OK, as I calmed down and felt at least semi-prepared for the SI when my time came.
The Structured Interview has three parts, each 20 minutes in length. There are two assessors who directly interview candidates, give no verbal feedback, and provide virtually no non-verbal feedback, all the while taking copious notes.
In part one they ask about Experience and Motivation. Direct questions about your understanding of the job as an FSO, why you want the job, why you're qualified, et cetera. Not too hard if you've ever had a job interview of any kind in the past.
Part two was tricky, and I couldn't wait for it to be over. It is called "Hypotheticals", and you are given a fairly complex scenario to read, after which they propose to you a twist in the story, and ask "How would you respond?" Each answer is followed by another follow-up, and another "How would you respond?" Fortunately, knowledge of the inner workings of an Embassy or the State Department are not necessary, for in fact you are being measured against the Holy Grail for FSOs, the 13 Dimensions. Really the assessors are looking for sound judgment, composure and ability to think on your feet, so if mistakes are made in the hierarchy of things, that doesn't appear to matter much. Still and all, the pictures they paint are tricky, and the ability to respond quickly and at least somewhat pragmatically is a bonus. I felt I kept repeating the same things over and over in my responses, but that didn't appear to drag me down.
In part three the focus is on Past Behavior. Five scenarios are stated, each focusing on one of the 13 Ds. Each scenario has two options, A or B. Candidates are given a few minutes to read over all the choices, and make selections of either A or B for each. Then the assessors ask for an explanation as to why each option was chosen, based on a past experience. I felt this went really well, and that I was calm, composed, thoughtful and clear. In addition, I felt my stories really hit the mark they were asking of us, and as a bonus they hit more than just the dimension being assessed. At the end of this last 20 minute section, candidates are asked if they have anything they'd like to add, and as I was prepared for this, I added what I felt was a strong statement reiterating my desire to join the FS and why.
My mood had recovered somewhat as a result of the SI, and while I wasn't back to my euphoric state of early in the morning (it was probably just lack of sleep, lots of coffee and adrenaline then), I felt better. No doubt some of this feeling was due to the fact that I was finished, and honestly, there was nothing more to do than wait until the assessors made their decisions.
All eleven of us returned to the waiting room for small talk and the chance to experience one more swing of the moods as we all had the recognition that there was nothing left for us to do, that it was out of our hands. Then the mood swing began again when we were all called back to the computer room collectively, and told what to expect in the next few minutes. An assessor would come in and call out a name, and that person was to follow the assessor into one of the small interview rooms for the final decision.
OK, this was it then. The decision was at hand, and I think we were all on pins and needles as we waited with nervous chit chat for the assessor to arrive. Finally, they began calling us out. We all waved goodbye, and said good luck as one person after another was led out. The joke going around among earlier candidates was that, if the answer was negative, a little trap door opened up in the floor and the candidate disappeared. My understanding was that, if your name was called early, this was a bad sign, and that only those remaining at the end would be those who passed. The caveat to this is that it's possible for all candidates to pass, just as it's possible all will fail. When my name was called, I was certain I had been called too early, and that as I left the room there were too many people remaining for me to have passed.
However, as I entered the little room, I immediately noticed that there were four assessors and another candidate present. I was completely confused, as I was convinced I had not passed and then was a little miffed that they would tell me this in front of another candidate. My consternation only increased when another candidate entered the room, and as I reached to close the door for the delivery of the bad news, I was told to leave the door open, there were more coming. Now I was really confused. Ultimately, they had decided to deliver the news to us together as a group, for we had - all five of us - passed. The assessor told us it was very unusual for an entire group to pass together (he may have said it never happens, but I can't be sure as I kinda stopped hearing what he was saying).
All five from the same group. I guess our cooperative behavior of earlier that morning paid off in ways none of us could have imagined. After a short debriefing, fingerprinting and submission of electronic security background forms, all five of us headed to Fifty-First State, a local watering hole for a few beers and collective pats on the back. As we parted ways (three lived in the area, and another had plans with friends in the area), I headed off to my hotel to drop off my gear and find a place for a good steak. I fairly glided to the Prime Rib on K Street for a nice filet and a couple glasses of Cabernet, finished off the evening with a really cheap cigar and coffee on the patio while I made the requisite phone calls home to family. I found that I could not stop smiling in wonderment that I had passed. This was what elation felt like, only experienced in the past on my wedding day and on the days my kids were born.
As I talked to my family one last time that pleasant fall evening, I looked through the wrought iron gates of the White House, bathed in the yellow glow of artificial lighting, and reflected on the past nine months of work and waiting.
Now the waiting would really begin, because I could do little as the medical and security clearance process can take a year or more, and then the final suitability review occurs before any actual work starts in this new adventure of mine. Hopefully it ends with an invitation to the A-100, the official start of training as a Foreign Service Officer.
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