I was hesitant to create another post that says the same thing, but here is the update. As of Monday, Nov. 30, I'm still "pending adjudication". I've been pending adjudication for eight weeks.
That was disappointing to hear. Having noticed that many candidates make it to the register of eligible hires about four months after their OA, I was hoping that this time, I'd hear that I'd been given clearance. I took the OA at the end of July, so I've missed the four month thing.
On a good note, I am winning my fantasy basketball league.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
We've got nothing better to do than watch t.v. and have a couple of brews. - Black Flag
Two days ago, I heard that I'm still "pending in adjudications". I'm getting a bit bored with this. I wish there were something I could do, other than wait.
The January A-100 class is being formed. A-100 is the name of the five week orientation class for entry level officers. A friend from my OA study group made the cut. Nice to know someone who has made it.
In my boredom, I often check the latest messages on the yahoo group for OA passers. The group is currently whipping itself into a frenzy. In the last two months, the registers of eligible hires have grown. People are getting their clearances, but without any corresponding classes formed to make the registers smaller. Now, the Jan. class is being called, but isn't a big as expected. Some are worried that the lists are growing faster than people will be called. For people with lower scores, this means that they may never make it off the register. No frenzy for me yet. If I report here that I've purchased the Rosetta Stone tutorial on Turkish or Russian, you'll know I'm concerned.
The January A-100 class is being formed. A-100 is the name of the five week orientation class for entry level officers. A friend from my OA study group made the cut. Nice to know someone who has made it.
In my boredom, I often check the latest messages on the yahoo group for OA passers. The group is currently whipping itself into a frenzy. In the last two months, the registers of eligible hires have grown. People are getting their clearances, but without any corresponding classes formed to make the registers smaller. Now, the Jan. class is being called, but isn't a big as expected. Some are worried that the lists are growing faster than people will be called. For people with lower scores, this means that they may never make it off the register. No frenzy for me yet. If I report here that I've purchased the Rosetta Stone tutorial on Turkish or Russian, you'll know I'm concerned.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Seems like I should be getting somewhere. Somehow I'm neither here nor there. - Soul Asylum
I sent an email to the security clearance customer service area at State to ask for an update on my situation.
I got the same answer as when I'd asked 13 days earlier. My file is in adjudication. I'll send another status update request in two weeks.
From what I've read, most files spend some time in adjudication. Some spend a week there, and some spend several months. I was hoping to be one of the people cleared in week, but I'm not.
I got the same answer as when I'd asked 13 days earlier. My file is in adjudication. I'll send another status update request in two weeks.
From what I've read, most files spend some time in adjudication. Some spend a week there, and some spend several months. I was hoping to be one of the people cleared in week, but I'm not.
Monday, October 12, 2009
I am a patient boy. I wait, I wait, I wait, I wait. - Fugazi
Waiting on my security clearance.
There's nothing major to report, but a few small things have happened.
1. About three weeks ago, I had a follow up call from one of my security investigators. He wanted to know some more details of my foreign travel. He had submitted my report, and it was bounce back by the case manager for more detail. It took about 10 minutes on the phone. I couldn't take the call immediately and had to ask the investigator to call me back. For that 20 minute interlude, it was difficult to keep my mind from inventing drastic scenarios.
2. On the medical front, last week I called my insurance company to see why I hadn't gotten a bill yet for the chest x-ray. I had received an explanation of benefits showing that I was responsible for the bill, but hadn't received the bill. They explained that I'd get the bill from the provider, GW Hospital. A few days later, I got an email from State's medical area telling me that they had approved payment for the x-ray.
State had given me a document to give GW when I got my x-ray, which told them to bill State for anything denied by my insurance. I just didn't really expect it to work. Everything about my experience with the medical clearance in DC has been positive. I'm happy with my choice to trek down there for the procedures.
3. My resolve to be patient is being tested. The average OA passer gets security clearance about four months after the OA. Some get it sooner, some take much longer. Early December would be four months for me, so I had resolved to turn off the security clearance section of my brain until then. Recently however, I have read multiple posts on a forum for candidates (A-100 Yahoo group), where the candidate has very similar milestone dates to me and has just received security clearance. It's hard not to get excited.
4. Last week, I sent an email to State's security clearance group to ask for an update. I was told that my investigation is complete, and is now pending adjudications for final review. As with other parts of this process, some people make it through adjudication in a week, while others wait in limbo for several months. I put a reminder in my calendar to send another update request next week.
I'm hoping for a good result from that update.
It seems like I'm getting close.
There's nothing major to report, but a few small things have happened.
1. About three weeks ago, I had a follow up call from one of my security investigators. He wanted to know some more details of my foreign travel. He had submitted my report, and it was bounce back by the case manager for more detail. It took about 10 minutes on the phone. I couldn't take the call immediately and had to ask the investigator to call me back. For that 20 minute interlude, it was difficult to keep my mind from inventing drastic scenarios.
2. On the medical front, last week I called my insurance company to see why I hadn't gotten a bill yet for the chest x-ray. I had received an explanation of benefits showing that I was responsible for the bill, but hadn't received the bill. They explained that I'd get the bill from the provider, GW Hospital. A few days later, I got an email from State's medical area telling me that they had approved payment for the x-ray.
State had given me a document to give GW when I got my x-ray, which told them to bill State for anything denied by my insurance. I just didn't really expect it to work. Everything about my experience with the medical clearance in DC has been positive. I'm happy with my choice to trek down there for the procedures.
3. My resolve to be patient is being tested. The average OA passer gets security clearance about four months after the OA. Some get it sooner, some take much longer. Early December would be four months for me, so I had resolved to turn off the security clearance section of my brain until then. Recently however, I have read multiple posts on a forum for candidates (A-100 Yahoo group), where the candidate has very similar milestone dates to me and has just received security clearance. It's hard not to get excited.
4. Last week, I sent an email to State's security clearance group to ask for an update. I was told that my investigation is complete, and is now pending adjudications for final review. As with other parts of this process, some people make it through adjudication in a week, while others wait in limbo for several months. I put a reminder in my calendar to send another update request next week.
I'm hoping for a good result from that update.
It seems like I'm getting close.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Just find a place where no one knows of your redneck past - Ben Folds
Security clearance interview.
My security clearance investigation kicked into gear about three weeks ago. I got an email from a friend at an old job. She said that an investigator had shown up, without any warning, and asked to meet with HR to ask questions about me.
A few days later, I got calls from two different investigators. The first was actually calling for my roommate, who wasn't home. He asked me to take a message, and started to explain that he was a special investigator for the State Department and that he wanted to ask some questions about.....me. At this point, I let him know that he was currently talking with the subject of his investigation. He didn't miss a beat. He asked me to give him some cell and work numbers for a few of my references. Half an hour later, I was getting emails from those references telling me they'd been contacted. The second caller was in charge of interviewing me, and set up an appointment for a few days later. He gave me some homework to do on items where he knew he'd need more information.
I had my security clearance interview about a week ago. It lasted three hours. An investigator came to my house. He began the interview with a warning about lying and how bad that would be. I wasn't planning on lying, so it didn't really change things, but the message was still somehow intimidating. I was very concerned that I'd answer "yes" to question 12 and then "yes" to question 63, and be told that I had been caught in a lie because my answers were inconsistent. I kept asking him to repeat questions to make sure I got the wording right. After a bit of this, he told me to relax, and that he wasn't trying to trap me. I was able to relax a little, but I have a very suspicious nature, and wasn't able to completely let go of the concern until the whole thing was over.
In preparation for this interview, I had to fill out the SF-86, the government's long questionnaire that basically pulls out information on anything that you've done in your life that you are now embarrassed about and wish would go away. The investigator then had a 13 or so page list of new questions to ask me in person in case they'd missed anything on the SF-86. It is counter-intuitive to speak openly about the things that you're ashamed of, but I managed to make it through.
So far my investigators (at least three) have contacted seven friends and a few neighbors too. The investigators have three more names and numbers that I know of. I'm guessing it will take another week or two to schedule and complete those meetings.
I don't know what else they'll do to investigate me. I imagine they have done or will do things like confirm my educational claims, and ask the FBI and local police if I've got a criminal record. I checked my credit report recently and saw an entry for an inquiry run by "On behalf of CP DEPT OF STATE", so they've checked that.
There are some real horror stories out there about the length of the wait. For some it goes quickly (few months), and for others it can take much longer (a year). The average seems to be about four months from the date of the oral assessment, which for me would be the end of November.
Not much to do now but wait.
My security clearance investigation kicked into gear about three weeks ago. I got an email from a friend at an old job. She said that an investigator had shown up, without any warning, and asked to meet with HR to ask questions about me.
A few days later, I got calls from two different investigators. The first was actually calling for my roommate, who wasn't home. He asked me to take a message, and started to explain that he was a special investigator for the State Department and that he wanted to ask some questions about.....me. At this point, I let him know that he was currently talking with the subject of his investigation. He didn't miss a beat. He asked me to give him some cell and work numbers for a few of my references. Half an hour later, I was getting emails from those references telling me they'd been contacted. The second caller was in charge of interviewing me, and set up an appointment for a few days later. He gave me some homework to do on items where he knew he'd need more information.
I had my security clearance interview about a week ago. It lasted three hours. An investigator came to my house. He began the interview with a warning about lying and how bad that would be. I wasn't planning on lying, so it didn't really change things, but the message was still somehow intimidating. I was very concerned that I'd answer "yes" to question 12 and then "yes" to question 63, and be told that I had been caught in a lie because my answers were inconsistent. I kept asking him to repeat questions to make sure I got the wording right. After a bit of this, he told me to relax, and that he wasn't trying to trap me. I was able to relax a little, but I have a very suspicious nature, and wasn't able to completely let go of the concern until the whole thing was over.
In preparation for this interview, I had to fill out the SF-86, the government's long questionnaire that basically pulls out information on anything that you've done in your life that you are now embarrassed about and wish would go away. The investigator then had a 13 or so page list of new questions to ask me in person in case they'd missed anything on the SF-86. It is counter-intuitive to speak openly about the things that you're ashamed of, but I managed to make it through.
So far my investigators (at least three) have contacted seven friends and a few neighbors too. The investigators have three more names and numbers that I know of. I'm guessing it will take another week or two to schedule and complete those meetings.
I don't know what else they'll do to investigate me. I imagine they have done or will do things like confirm my educational claims, and ask the FBI and local police if I've got a criminal record. I checked my credit report recently and saw an entry for an inquiry run by "On behalf of CP DEPT OF STATE", so they've checked that.
There are some real horror stories out there about the length of the wait. For some it goes quickly (few months), and for others it can take much longer (a year). The average seems to be about four months from the date of the oral assessment, which for me would be the end of November.
Not much to do now but wait.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright - Bruce Springsteen
Medical clearance.
In order to qualify for the Foreign Service, I have to pass the medical clearance. I need to receive a rating of "Class 1 - Worldwide available". They want to make sure I'm healthy enough to send me anywhere in the world without chancing a medical emergency. Some embassies are remote and the nearest access to quality medical care may be hours or days away.
When I passed the oral assessment at the end of July, I was told that the medical exams needed to be completed within the next 30 days, which was Aug. 27th. I tried to schedule an appointment with doctor in Boston, and was told that the next appointment was in mid-September. I was a bit concerned about whether or not my local doctor could handle coordination of all the tests smoothly, so I wasn't too disappointed to have to call up the medical office in DC to have them do it.
I talked to a woman named Angela to schedule my appointment. I love her. Going from the unhelpful scheduler at my doctor's office to Angela was really a wonderful change of pace. She didn't imply that I was crazy to hope for an appointment in the next month. In fact, when I told her I'd be coming down from Boston, she immediately began to act as my travel agent. She offered to schedule the two needed appointments on a Friday and a Monday so I could have a nice long weekend to spend time in DC. I called on a Monday, and ended up scheduling for that Wednesday and Thursday.
G. and A. were willing hosts, even though I had just stayed with them two weeks earlier for my oral assessment. Thanks.
The Medical Office wanted me to fast beginning at 8pm the night before the first appointment. I couldn't remember if I was allowed to drink water, so I didn't. When I got to the office, I was very happy to hear that I could drink some water, and I downed little paper cup full after little paper cup full. Not having been hydrated made me a little worried when I was asked to give blood and urine samples. I thought my results may have been changed by dehydration.
The first appointment consisted of a questionnaire on my medical condition and taking my blood pressure, height, weight, blood samples, urine samples, giving a TB test shot, and a voluntary DNA sample. The DNA sample is supposed to go into a vault somewhere and only come out if they need help identifying body parts. Kind of a gruesome concept, but if it comes to that, speedy and definitive identification sounds like a good idea.
The nurses asked me if I would mind moving my second appointment up to that same day, which was fine with me. I went for something to eat, and then went back for my second appointment. Appointment number two was like a basic physical. I met with a very nice nurse practitioner. She went over my medical history and entered anything relevant on the computer. This was one of the great benefits of having gone to DC. She knew what was important information to the process and what wasn't, in a way that my doctor in Boston wouldn't have known. I think going over the lab work is supposed to be part of this appointment, but I had just given the samples a few hours earlier, so there was no lab work to review. We then did the standard physical exam.
With the exams over, I was given a list of three local walk-in clinics that offered chest x-rays. I went to one that was a few blocks away at George Washington University Hospital. This was the only point in the whole process where I had to wait, and I only waited for an hour or so. The procedure took a few minutes. I was done and off to walk around the DC Mall for the rest of the afternoon.
A few days later, I checked the TB test injection site and there was no reaction. If it had become swollen, I was supposed to measure the width of the affected area, but mine never reacted. I faxed a form back to the medical office and I was done with my medical exam.
Fifteen days later, on August 27th, I got an email from the Office of Medical Services saying I have been cleared for worldwide availability. My medical clearance is good for two years or until the end of my first tour, whichever is longer.
Nice to have another stage of the process checked off the list.
Next up, security clearance.
In order to qualify for the Foreign Service, I have to pass the medical clearance. I need to receive a rating of "Class 1 - Worldwide available". They want to make sure I'm healthy enough to send me anywhere in the world without chancing a medical emergency. Some embassies are remote and the nearest access to quality medical care may be hours or days away.
When I passed the oral assessment at the end of July, I was told that the medical exams needed to be completed within the next 30 days, which was Aug. 27th. I tried to schedule an appointment with doctor in Boston, and was told that the next appointment was in mid-September. I was a bit concerned about whether or not my local doctor could handle coordination of all the tests smoothly, so I wasn't too disappointed to have to call up the medical office in DC to have them do it.
I talked to a woman named Angela to schedule my appointment. I love her. Going from the unhelpful scheduler at my doctor's office to Angela was really a wonderful change of pace. She didn't imply that I was crazy to hope for an appointment in the next month. In fact, when I told her I'd be coming down from Boston, she immediately began to act as my travel agent. She offered to schedule the two needed appointments on a Friday and a Monday so I could have a nice long weekend to spend time in DC. I called on a Monday, and ended up scheduling for that Wednesday and Thursday.
G. and A. were willing hosts, even though I had just stayed with them two weeks earlier for my oral assessment. Thanks.
The Medical Office wanted me to fast beginning at 8pm the night before the first appointment. I couldn't remember if I was allowed to drink water, so I didn't. When I got to the office, I was very happy to hear that I could drink some water, and I downed little paper cup full after little paper cup full. Not having been hydrated made me a little worried when I was asked to give blood and urine samples. I thought my results may have been changed by dehydration.
The first appointment consisted of a questionnaire on my medical condition and taking my blood pressure, height, weight, blood samples, urine samples, giving a TB test shot, and a voluntary DNA sample. The DNA sample is supposed to go into a vault somewhere and only come out if they need help identifying body parts. Kind of a gruesome concept, but if it comes to that, speedy and definitive identification sounds like a good idea.
The nurses asked me if I would mind moving my second appointment up to that same day, which was fine with me. I went for something to eat, and then went back for my second appointment. Appointment number two was like a basic physical. I met with a very nice nurse practitioner. She went over my medical history and entered anything relevant on the computer. This was one of the great benefits of having gone to DC. She knew what was important information to the process and what wasn't, in a way that my doctor in Boston wouldn't have known. I think going over the lab work is supposed to be part of this appointment, but I had just given the samples a few hours earlier, so there was no lab work to review. We then did the standard physical exam.
With the exams over, I was given a list of three local walk-in clinics that offered chest x-rays. I went to one that was a few blocks away at George Washington University Hospital. This was the only point in the whole process where I had to wait, and I only waited for an hour or so. The procedure took a few minutes. I was done and off to walk around the DC Mall for the rest of the afternoon.
A few days later, I checked the TB test injection site and there was no reaction. If it had become swollen, I was supposed to measure the width of the affected area, but mine never reacted. I faxed a form back to the medical office and I was done with my medical exam.
Fifteen days later, on August 27th, I got an email from the Office of Medical Services saying I have been cleared for worldwide availability. My medical clearance is good for two years or until the end of my first tour, whichever is longer.
Nice to have another stage of the process checked off the list.
Next up, security clearance.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Plus I make great peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - OutKast
I passed the oral assessment (OA) last week, scoring a 5.3 . That is the minimum passing score, but if I can get past the medical and security clearances, I think my chances are pretty good of getting called off the register. Management is an in-demand track, and I can always spend some time upgrading my Spanish and get some bonus points to bring my score to 5.47.
What a huge relief. I know what it is to come up short at the assessment, and it's no fun leaving the OA knowing that you've got another year to get back to that point again. This year, I left the OA completely exhausted, but as the owner of a conditional offer.
The day started out as expected. Having been through it once before let me settle in and focus on what was important, rather than being distracted. Anyone who's been to Annex #44 to take the OA knows that it can be a shock to get the instructions from the office coordinator. Last year I was very distracted by her style, but this year I was able to just smile and be entertained by it.
The group exercise (GE) was the first event of the day. My presentation went pretty well but I ran overtime, and even though I'd covered most of what I wanted to, my understanding is that running over is a big no-no. The discussion phase was a challenge, as expected. There were several people who wanted to lead the discussion, including me, and there wasn't enough time to have that happen. It was ugly. In a non-testing situation, I would have acted totally differently, but the test was a performance, and I forced things to try to score some positive points with the assessors. In the end, I didn't feel like we did a good job of respecting each other and I felt like our consensus was formed out of time desperation. I wasn't surprised to learn that I'd failed this part of the day.
I had my structured interview (SI) next. I had practiced a lot for this, by coming up with several examples of experiences that showed off the skills they are assessing. From last year, I had a sense of some of the questions they would ask, and made sure I had good answers in case they asked the same questions. I had one uncomfortable moment when I volunteered to them that I'd made an error on my application, but I was glad that they then knew and could judge me based on the truth. Overall, it went smoothly, and I passed this section.
Last up was the case management (CM). I was feeling pretty good about my chances of passing when I sat down to take the CM, but it was really hard, and I had a few thoughts of bombing the exercise and not passing for the day. There was a lot of information. The recommendation is to spend 45 minutes reading, 30 minutes writing, and 15 minutes reviewing. After 55 minutes, I was still reading and had no idea what I was going to recommend. It was a horrible feeling. At around an hour in, I started writing from the notes I'd taken. I figured I wanted to get everything I'd noted as important into the memo, even if I couldn't make sense of it all, or come up with a good recommendation. As I started writing, things seemed less chaotic. The pressure started to lift, and I was able to rattle off my memo and recommendations with a few minutes to spare. I added and edited up until I was told to stop. It was pretty stressful, but in the end, I passed this section.
I had two hours until it was time to hear the verdict. I stayed in the seating area chatting with the other candidates. It was encouraging to see that there were other candidates that I would enjoy working and spending time with. Foreign Service work is by its nature difficult and distant, so it was nice to see that I'd be in those difficult and distant situations with some good people.
When the assessors are ready to give the results, they assemble everyone in one room, and then call people out individually to tell them in a private setting. I have read recaps of other's experiences of hearing the positive news, so when I was called out and shown to a room that already had another candidate waiting there, I was pretty certain that I was about to get good news. Seconds later, a third candidate was shown into the room and we were told that we'd passed the OA. Not only was it nice to hear, but it was nice to see that the assessors were genuinely happy for me too.
From that point on, things were really a blur. I chatted with the assessors to go over some procedural stuff, and met with a security agent to submit my security clearance form (sf86) and to get fingerprinted. It seemed that as soon as I'd been told I'd passed, I lost the ability to complete complex tasks. I had spent the day proving that I'm a capable person with the skills to handle the job, but filling out the simple information on the finger prints card now seemed like a major challenge. I had used up all my energy and focus for the day already. I was ready to get out of there, get out of my suit, get something to eat, and reset my batteries.
It was almost 6pm when I got out of the building and made some "I passed" calls. What a long day!
I met up with G and A to get some dinner. After I got out of my suit, we went to Comet Pizza. It's a ping pong / pizza place. Good meal with good friends to celebrate good news.
What a huge relief. I know what it is to come up short at the assessment, and it's no fun leaving the OA knowing that you've got another year to get back to that point again. This year, I left the OA completely exhausted, but as the owner of a conditional offer.
The day started out as expected. Having been through it once before let me settle in and focus on what was important, rather than being distracted. Anyone who's been to Annex #44 to take the OA knows that it can be a shock to get the instructions from the office coordinator. Last year I was very distracted by her style, but this year I was able to just smile and be entertained by it.
The group exercise (GE) was the first event of the day. My presentation went pretty well but I ran overtime, and even though I'd covered most of what I wanted to, my understanding is that running over is a big no-no. The discussion phase was a challenge, as expected. There were several people who wanted to lead the discussion, including me, and there wasn't enough time to have that happen. It was ugly. In a non-testing situation, I would have acted totally differently, but the test was a performance, and I forced things to try to score some positive points with the assessors. In the end, I didn't feel like we did a good job of respecting each other and I felt like our consensus was formed out of time desperation. I wasn't surprised to learn that I'd failed this part of the day.
I had my structured interview (SI) next. I had practiced a lot for this, by coming up with several examples of experiences that showed off the skills they are assessing. From last year, I had a sense of some of the questions they would ask, and made sure I had good answers in case they asked the same questions. I had one uncomfortable moment when I volunteered to them that I'd made an error on my application, but I was glad that they then knew and could judge me based on the truth. Overall, it went smoothly, and I passed this section.
Last up was the case management (CM). I was feeling pretty good about my chances of passing when I sat down to take the CM, but it was really hard, and I had a few thoughts of bombing the exercise and not passing for the day. There was a lot of information. The recommendation is to spend 45 minutes reading, 30 minutes writing, and 15 minutes reviewing. After 55 minutes, I was still reading and had no idea what I was going to recommend. It was a horrible feeling. At around an hour in, I started writing from the notes I'd taken. I figured I wanted to get everything I'd noted as important into the memo, even if I couldn't make sense of it all, or come up with a good recommendation. As I started writing, things seemed less chaotic. The pressure started to lift, and I was able to rattle off my memo and recommendations with a few minutes to spare. I added and edited up until I was told to stop. It was pretty stressful, but in the end, I passed this section.
I had two hours until it was time to hear the verdict. I stayed in the seating area chatting with the other candidates. It was encouraging to see that there were other candidates that I would enjoy working and spending time with. Foreign Service work is by its nature difficult and distant, so it was nice to see that I'd be in those difficult and distant situations with some good people.
When the assessors are ready to give the results, they assemble everyone in one room, and then call people out individually to tell them in a private setting. I have read recaps of other's experiences of hearing the positive news, so when I was called out and shown to a room that already had another candidate waiting there, I was pretty certain that I was about to get good news. Seconds later, a third candidate was shown into the room and we were told that we'd passed the OA. Not only was it nice to hear, but it was nice to see that the assessors were genuinely happy for me too.
From that point on, things were really a blur. I chatted with the assessors to go over some procedural stuff, and met with a security agent to submit my security clearance form (sf86) and to get fingerprinted. It seemed that as soon as I'd been told I'd passed, I lost the ability to complete complex tasks. I had spent the day proving that I'm a capable person with the skills to handle the job, but filling out the simple information on the finger prints card now seemed like a major challenge. I had used up all my energy and focus for the day already. I was ready to get out of there, get out of my suit, get something to eat, and reset my batteries.
It was almost 6pm when I got out of the building and made some "I passed" calls. What a long day!
I met up with G and A to get some dinner. After I got out of my suit, we went to Comet Pizza. It's a ping pong / pizza place. Good meal with good friends to celebrate good news.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Calling all bed wetters and ambulance chasers - Decemberists
Yesterday was the first day that people from the February test group could sign up for OA appointments. The appointments could be in DC or San Fran. I wanted DC in August, with August 17th as my first choice.
Sign ups began at 10am EST. At 9:55am, I was playing the refresh screen game, hoping to get in as soon as they allowed. I didn't get in until about 10:15. When I got into the system, all of the August dates were gone. According to some chatter on the Yahoo groups, it seems that there just weren't many dates in August to choose from to start. So I had to choose from July (wow, that seems soon), or September (wow, that seems distant). I went with July.
July 28th in Annex 44.
Annex 44 is the center I tested in last year. I know the center, how to get there, its rules, places to get lunch, etc. I wanted to keep things comfortable as much as I could, especially since DC in July is not the best time to walk around in a suit.
Sign ups began at 10am EST. At 9:55am, I was playing the refresh screen game, hoping to get in as soon as they allowed. I didn't get in until about 10:15. When I got into the system, all of the August dates were gone. According to some chatter on the Yahoo groups, it seems that there just weren't many dates in August to choose from to start. So I had to choose from July (wow, that seems soon), or September (wow, that seems distant). I went with July.
July 28th in Annex 44.
Annex 44 is the center I tested in last year. I know the center, how to get there, its rules, places to get lunch, etc. I wanted to keep things comfortable as much as I could, especially since DC in July is not the best time to walk around in a suit.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
What kind of dining set defines me as a person? - Narrator/Durden
About two months ago, I submitted my essays to the Qualifications Evaluation Panel (QEP). The QEP asks for five narrative essays, illustrating skills like communication, leadership, and management. Each essay is only 200 words or so, which at first sounds easy, but it turns out to be very hard to sum up an important experience, and what was learned from it, in so few words. I fussed over each answer.
They sent me an email two days ago to tell me I'd passed. I am invited to schedule an oral assessment in D.C.
Part of me expected to pass, but it was still a relief to see the words.
Time to prepare for the orals again. I've already met with a group of fellow candidates a few times, and it was excellent preparation for the group exercise. Those people were from the Nov. test cycle, so I'll need to find some new study partners. So far, there is one other Feb. test cycle person interested.
Next up is the sign up day for orals, June 22nd. I'll have to log on and choose a day between July 2oth - Oct 30th.
They sent me an email two days ago to tell me I'd passed. I am invited to schedule an oral assessment in D.C.
Part of me expected to pass, but it was still a relief to see the words.
Time to prepare for the orals again. I've already met with a group of fellow candidates a few times, and it was excellent preparation for the group exercise. Those people were from the Nov. test cycle, so I'll need to find some new study partners. So far, there is one other Feb. test cycle person interested.
Next up is the sign up day for orals, June 22nd. I'll have to log on and choose a day between July 2oth - Oct 30th.
Monday, March 30, 2009
You just wiggled your finger. That's wonderful. - Fezzik
On March 3rd, I got an email from ACT informing me that my FSOT results were available for download. In sharp contrast to last year, I clicked on the link right away. I was greeted by the word "congratulations", and then a bunch more words that I didn't read until after the wave of relief washed over me.
This was the second time I have taken the FSOT. I knew from last year, that the results letter only tells me whether or not I've passed, giving no indication to my score. They require an official request, signed and faxed, before they will release your scores. I sent the request in about a week later, and I now have my scores. 154.0 is a passing score for the multiple-choice sections. 6.0 is a passing score on the essay.
2009 scores -
62.35 - Job Knowledge
53.24 - Biographic Info
57.59 - English Expression
173.18 - Multiple-Choice Total
8 - Essay Score
2008 scores -
59.36 - Job Knowledge
36.97 - Biographic Info
58.88 - English Expression
155.21 - Multiple-Choice Total
6 - Essay Score
In comparison to last year, I passed comfortably. It didn't really feel that way on the day of the test. I thought I'd done well, but the essay section is a pass/fail section, and I had a hard time with the second essay. I was worried that the structure I chose to approach the issue would not be seen as valid. It turns out that I didn't need to worry.
The other major difference between the attempts is my improvement in the biographic section. In theory, I'm the same person, and I should get the same score, but I had a big jump this year.
In December, I met with the Diplomat-in-Residence at Tufts to ask her about the biographic section. I consider myself pretty well suited for the Foreign Service, so I was a bit shocked by my low score in 2008. We worked through some of the sample questions in the official test guide. It was a very helpful exercise. I was being very, very literal with the questions and my answers. I'll make up an example. If the question asked how many co-workers would trust me to watch their cat over the weekend, I was answering "zero" because I don't have any co-workers with cats. The question is really asking if I'm trusted by my co-workers, which I am, but because I was answering the exact question that was asked, I was coming across as untrustworthy.
The next step in the process was to submit five essays by March 24th for the State Dept.'s Bureau of Examiners (BEX) to read over while looking at my application (school, work, and volunteer details). I passed this section last year, and decided to use the same essays. I tweaked them slightly, but they are basically the same.
I'm hoping that this year's version of the BEX agrees with last year's group. If they do, I will be invited to the oral assessment in D.C. in the fall.
I'll find out in June.
This was the second time I have taken the FSOT. I knew from last year, that the results letter only tells me whether or not I've passed, giving no indication to my score. They require an official request, signed and faxed, before they will release your scores. I sent the request in about a week later, and I now have my scores. 154.0 is a passing score for the multiple-choice sections. 6.0 is a passing score on the essay.
2009 scores -
62.35 - Job Knowledge
53.24 - Biographic Info
57.59 - English Expression
173.18 - Multiple-Choice Total
8 - Essay Score
2008 scores -
59.36 - Job Knowledge
36.97 - Biographic Info
58.88 - English Expression
155.21 - Multiple-Choice Total
6 - Essay Score
In comparison to last year, I passed comfortably. It didn't really feel that way on the day of the test. I thought I'd done well, but the essay section is a pass/fail section, and I had a hard time with the second essay. I was worried that the structure I chose to approach the issue would not be seen as valid. It turns out that I didn't need to worry.
The other major difference between the attempts is my improvement in the biographic section. In theory, I'm the same person, and I should get the same score, but I had a big jump this year.
In December, I met with the Diplomat-in-Residence at Tufts to ask her about the biographic section. I consider myself pretty well suited for the Foreign Service, so I was a bit shocked by my low score in 2008. We worked through some of the sample questions in the official test guide. It was a very helpful exercise. I was being very, very literal with the questions and my answers. I'll make up an example. If the question asked how many co-workers would trust me to watch their cat over the weekend, I was answering "zero" because I don't have any co-workers with cats. The question is really asking if I'm trusted by my co-workers, which I am, but because I was answering the exact question that was asked, I was coming across as untrustworthy.
The next step in the process was to submit five essays by March 24th for the State Dept.'s Bureau of Examiners (BEX) to read over while looking at my application (school, work, and volunteer details). I passed this section last year, and decided to use the same essays. I tweaked them slightly, but they are basically the same.
I'm hoping that this year's version of the BEX agrees with last year's group. If they do, I will be invited to the oral assessment in D.C. in the fall.
I'll find out in June.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Back to the beginning and wait for Vizinni, then regroup, replan, start again. - Goldman
Last Monday, I found myself back at the beginning, taking the written exam for the Foreign Service for the second time. Last year went pretty well, and I made it to Orals last September, but that was as far as I went. In the FSO application process, when you don't pass a section, you have to go back and start at the beginning.
I made the drive up to New Hampshire to test at the New Horizons test center in Nashua. It was an easy drive, and a well run facility.
My mom has been sick recently. I've had a lot on my mind, and not as much time to study as I would have liked. I had reviewed my notes from last year, read the Constitution a few times, listened to an 12 hour on-line lecture on the history of US diplomacy, and read sections of the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. In comparison to how I studied last year, I didn't do much. Still, having taken the test once gives me a lot more confidence this year about my chances.
My big issue last year was the Biographical section. In this section they ask things about your personality, and ask you to provide examples. Last year, I didn't finish the section. I spent too much time trying to answer the question exactly as asked, rather than as intended, and I spent too much time searching for examples. Having been to the Oral Assessment, where I needed to prepare examples of having met the 13 dimensions they are seeking, was a big help for providing examples on the Bio section this year. I had a terrible score on Bio last year, but I expect to do much better this year.
That leaves the essays as my only concern. On Sunday night, I decided that I needed to practice writing some essays in the 30 minute time limit. The advice I've gathered suggests writing a five paragraph essay with a strong thesis statement and supporting arguments. Since this is not how I normally write, I needed some practice. 30 minutes goes pretty quickly. My practice attempts were not so great, so I tried a few more the morning of the test, and hoped for the best.
This year, there are two 30 minute essays. I felt like I did a good job on the first one. The second one is where I'm focusing my worry at this point. I came up with a fictional way to attack the problem, and then as the essay went on, I had to keep expanding on that fictional item, and it felt less real with each elaboration.
There's a bit of chatter about one of the essays being a test topic that won't count toward the results, and if that's the case, I sure hope it's the second essay that's the test. If not, I could be in for another year of waiting.
Overall, I felt good about things. Now I have to wait, 8-12 weeks, for the results.
I made the drive up to New Hampshire to test at the New Horizons test center in Nashua. It was an easy drive, and a well run facility.
My mom has been sick recently. I've had a lot on my mind, and not as much time to study as I would have liked. I had reviewed my notes from last year, read the Constitution a few times, listened to an 12 hour on-line lecture on the history of US diplomacy, and read sections of the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. In comparison to how I studied last year, I didn't do much. Still, having taken the test once gives me a lot more confidence this year about my chances.
My big issue last year was the Biographical section. In this section they ask things about your personality, and ask you to provide examples. Last year, I didn't finish the section. I spent too much time trying to answer the question exactly as asked, rather than as intended, and I spent too much time searching for examples. Having been to the Oral Assessment, where I needed to prepare examples of having met the 13 dimensions they are seeking, was a big help for providing examples on the Bio section this year. I had a terrible score on Bio last year, but I expect to do much better this year.
That leaves the essays as my only concern. On Sunday night, I decided that I needed to practice writing some essays in the 30 minute time limit. The advice I've gathered suggests writing a five paragraph essay with a strong thesis statement and supporting arguments. Since this is not how I normally write, I needed some practice. 30 minutes goes pretty quickly. My practice attempts were not so great, so I tried a few more the morning of the test, and hoped for the best.
This year, there are two 30 minute essays. I felt like I did a good job on the first one. The second one is where I'm focusing my worry at this point. I came up with a fictional way to attack the problem, and then as the essay went on, I had to keep expanding on that fictional item, and it felt less real with each elaboration.
There's a bit of chatter about one of the essays being a test topic that won't count toward the results, and if that's the case, I sure hope it's the second essay that's the test. If not, I could be in for another year of waiting.
Overall, I felt good about things. Now I have to wait, 8-12 weeks, for the results.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
My first bid at becoming an FSO
At various points of unemployment in my life, I've written down ideas for future careers. One constant on my lists is working at the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer.
Last March, I finally took the entrance exam. I passed and was invited to orals in DC in September.
Orals is a full day assessment that tests a candidate's abilities through three exercises. The group exercise, where they see if you can play with others. The case management exercise, where they see if you can summarize an overstuffed binder of information into a two page memo. Lastly, the interview, where they ask you to recount past experiences and ask you what you would do as an FSO in certain hypothetical situations.
I did not pass the orals. I scored a 5.0 out of 7.0 . Passing is a 5.25 .
I've been part of a Yahoo group for Foreign Service hopefuls. Many people write a recap of their experience at orals for the others at Yahoo. Recaps are vague, because each candidate signs a non-disclosure agreement. It will probably only be interesting to people involved in the process, but I will post my version of the NDA compliant vague recap below.
-------------
I took the orals in September, scoring a 5.0. I failed all three sections.
Four months later, my dominant memory from orals was that everything went very quickly. I needed a bit more time for every aspect. I was rushed at every turn.
There were 12 of us that day, with a good variety of ages and experiences.
I was in DC at Annex 44. If you are taking the Metro, use the Federal Center SW stop - it is closer than L'Enfant. I went the day before to scout it out and would recommend that you do the same. For those who don't want McDonald's during your lunch break, there is a good sandwich shop two doors down from the Metro exit.
We all met in the lobby in the morning. There was some time to chat a bit before our escort came to take us through security and into the building. While we were waiting, I had thoughts about one of the people in the group actually being an interviewer, and that part of the process was to see how we interacted when we didn't think we were being watched, but I later recognized this thought as a byproduct of having watched too many movies.
There was a brief introduction done by the office administrator and some forms to fill in. When we handed in our forms and our SOI, we were given badges to wear, and a personal schedule. There was a file cabinet where we could store bags.
I was pretty happy with my SOI when I wrote it and turned it in, but in retrospect, I think it was busy and that I tried to convey too much information in the small amount of space. If I get another chance, I'll simplify my SOI. The interviewers have so much to do that day that I don't think they have more than a two minute window to review your SOI, application, and essays.
In the group exercise, there is a lot to cover in your presentation, and I had just finished collecting my notes when the time was up. I didn't have a chance to review my notes, so I ended up reading off my notes page for most of my presentation. Two more minutes of time to review, and I would have felt much more comfortable, and would have made a better presentation.
I presented first, as recommended on the Yahoo site (to show initiative), but I think I would have done better to go later and let someone else provide the example, using their time to settle myself and get ready.
The discussion also goes very quickly. It is not easy to organize your own thoughts, let alone trying to coordinate between five other people. Everyone has a different direction they want to go in, and they all have a different agenda. 25 minutes is not enough time to allow for five different agendas.
To study for this section, I did mock presentations for all of the projects in the files section. I also took a short class on public speaking (four sessions, eight hours total). I was not able to get together with others to practice the discussion. I wish I had.
In the case management section, I feel like I got all the trivial stuff they asked me to cover, but didn't have a good solution for the main problem. I was surprised by how complex the issue was, and still don't know (months later) what I could have written to solve the main issue.
To study for this section, I did the practice case from the files section. When practicing, I tried to type notes on the computer as I read, but found that later I spent more time scrolling up and down to find a pre-typed section than I saved by pre-typing it. I decided that, for me, it is better to use a piece of paper for notes, where I can see everything at once.
For the interview, I also felt rushed. There is an hour, and they have a lot of things to get through. Answers must be succinct, but still show the depth of the experience you are telling them about.
As for hypotheticals, my local DIR says that the interviewers are not allowed to ask follow up questions in this section, so it is best to turn off your filter and to just say anything that pops into your head. I will do this next time.
To study for this section, I came up with as many examples as I could to fit the 12 dimensions. I practiced a short speech for each, giving the situation, my action, and the result. I looked at the hypo's in the files section. I also met with another FSO hopeful and we asked each other questions and gave feedback.
I was pretty disappointed at the end of the day when I found out that I hadn't made it, but it was easy for me to think of some areas where I can improve. I stumbled and coughed through my presentation in the group exercise, and my case management report didn't actually solve the problem.
The highlight of the day for me was watching a candidate absentmindedly eating the lip of his Styrofoam cup. It is a pretty stressful day.
I'm registering for the written exam in February. Hopefully, I'll pass, and get a chance to try the QEP and orals again.
Good luck to all.
- NJT
Last March, I finally took the entrance exam. I passed and was invited to orals in DC in September.
Orals is a full day assessment that tests a candidate's abilities through three exercises. The group exercise, where they see if you can play with others. The case management exercise, where they see if you can summarize an overstuffed binder of information into a two page memo. Lastly, the interview, where they ask you to recount past experiences and ask you what you would do as an FSO in certain hypothetical situations.
I did not pass the orals. I scored a 5.0 out of 7.0 . Passing is a 5.25 .
I've been part of a Yahoo group for Foreign Service hopefuls. Many people write a recap of their experience at orals for the others at Yahoo. Recaps are vague, because each candidate signs a non-disclosure agreement. It will probably only be interesting to people involved in the process, but I will post my version of the NDA compliant vague recap below.
-------------
I took the orals in September, scoring a 5.0. I failed all three sections.
Four months later, my dominant memory from orals was that everything went very quickly. I needed a bit more time for every aspect. I was rushed at every turn.
There were 12 of us that day, with a good variety of ages and experiences.
I was in DC at Annex 44. If you are taking the Metro, use the Federal Center SW stop - it is closer than L'Enfant. I went the day before to scout it out and would recommend that you do the same. For those who don't want McDonald's during your lunch break, there is a good sandwich shop two doors down from the Metro exit.
We all met in the lobby in the morning. There was some time to chat a bit before our escort came to take us through security and into the building. While we were waiting, I had thoughts about one of the people in the group actually being an interviewer, and that part of the process was to see how we interacted when we didn't think we were being watched, but I later recognized this thought as a byproduct of having watched too many movies.
There was a brief introduction done by the office administrator and some forms to fill in. When we handed in our forms and our SOI, we were given badges to wear, and a personal schedule. There was a file cabinet where we could store bags.
I was pretty happy with my SOI when I wrote it and turned it in, but in retrospect, I think it was busy and that I tried to convey too much information in the small amount of space. If I get another chance, I'll simplify my SOI. The interviewers have so much to do that day that I don't think they have more than a two minute window to review your SOI, application, and essays.
In the group exercise, there is a lot to cover in your presentation, and I had just finished collecting my notes when the time was up. I didn't have a chance to review my notes, so I ended up reading off my notes page for most of my presentation. Two more minutes of time to review, and I would have felt much more comfortable, and would have made a better presentation.
I presented first, as recommended on the Yahoo site (to show initiative), but I think I would have done better to go later and let someone else provide the example, using their time to settle myself and get ready.
The discussion also goes very quickly. It is not easy to organize your own thoughts, let alone trying to coordinate between five other people. Everyone has a different direction they want to go in, and they all have a different agenda. 25 minutes is not enough time to allow for five different agendas.
To study for this section, I did mock presentations for all of the projects in the files section. I also took a short class on public speaking (four sessions, eight hours total). I was not able to get together with others to practice the discussion. I wish I had.
In the case management section, I feel like I got all the trivial stuff they asked me to cover, but didn't have a good solution for the main problem. I was surprised by how complex the issue was, and still don't know (months later) what I could have written to solve the main issue.
To study for this section, I did the practice case from the files section. When practicing, I tried to type notes on the computer as I read, but found that later I spent more time scrolling up and down to find a pre-typed section than I saved by pre-typing it. I decided that, for me, it is better to use a piece of paper for notes, where I can see everything at once.
For the interview, I also felt rushed. There is an hour, and they have a lot of things to get through. Answers must be succinct, but still show the depth of the experience you are telling them about.
As for hypotheticals, my local DIR says that the interviewers are not allowed to ask follow up questions in this section, so it is best to turn off your filter and to just say anything that pops into your head. I will do this next time.
To study for this section, I came up with as many examples as I could to fit the 12 dimensions. I practiced a short speech for each, giving the situation, my action, and the result. I looked at the hypo's in the files section. I also met with another FSO hopeful and we asked each other questions and gave feedback.
I was pretty disappointed at the end of the day when I found out that I hadn't made it, but it was easy for me to think of some areas where I can improve. I stumbled and coughed through my presentation in the group exercise, and my case management report didn't actually solve the problem.
The highlight of the day for me was watching a candidate absentmindedly eating the lip of his Styrofoam cup. It is a pretty stressful day.
I'm registering for the written exam in February. Hopefully, I'll pass, and get a chance to try the QEP and orals again.
Good luck to all.
- NJT
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