Foreign Service Officer Career Question

[brien2000]

So, I realize that schools like HKS and SIPA are power schools for breeding diplomats. However, the more I dig into the process of joining the Foreign Service, the more I think that I need a solid back up plan. Am I completely wrong? I'd appreciate if somebody who's familiar with the career path chimes in to enlighten me a bit further. Here's what I have so far step by step:

1. Pass the foreign service exam (very competitive)

2. Pass the oral exam (even more competitive)

3. Pass the background check (could take almost a year)

4. Get put on a list of qualified candidates. Wait for a spot to open and get called for employment. 

5. If you don't get called by a specific time period (I think 1 to 1.5 years it was), then start from step 1 again. 

Going by this process, I'm putting in anywhere between 1-3 years to get picked up as a diplomat, with no guarantee of employment at the end. I definitely can't rely solely on becoming a diplomat for sure, and it sounds like I need to work on my plan B at the same time. Is this right? What did all other diplomats do?

[JAubrey]

Just my two cents, the actual exam is not difficult at all, especially if you have a poli sci / IR / history background. I think the myth around it comes from the sheer amounts of people taking it.

As for the background check, the time of it has come down a bit, it depends on a lot of factors such as travel, foreign living, citizenship of family, past criminal charges, debt, etc. It can really range from three months, to 8 or 9 months depending on these factors.

#2 oddly trips a lot of people up and #4 is the killer.

[MYRNIST]

#4 is the killer.

I know at least two people who were accepted, but never actually "placed" within that time limit and hence had to start the whole process over again (they all elected not to, and moved on).

[Azrou]

So the last time I looked into FSO stuff (several years ago, so it's very possible things may have changed) this is how it worked, as far as #4 goes. Anyone please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong because this is all going off memory. There are five different career tracks (Political, Consular, Economic, etc) that you can choose from. I believe you have to pick before you do the oral assessment. The political career track produces the highest percentage of consuls and ambassadors and it's the most popular/competitive. Consular is usually the least competitive.

There is a minimum threshold on the OA that is considered a passing score and gets you put on the list of candidates. Say it's like a 5.2/7. After every crop of OA's the new candidates get added to the list which is rank-ordered based on score, and when the State Department does another round of hiring they go down the list starting with the highest score and offer enough people until they meet their intake requirement. This is when your selected track will have a huge impact, because a 5.4 score on the consular track is almost guaranteed to get an offer but a 5.4 political would have fairly low chances. Seniority/time spent on the list plays no part, unless, I'm assuming, something happens like they have 3 positions left and 5 people with identical scores.

The "lowest offered score" each year isn't public knowledge or published anywhere, but you can usually get a good idea from the FSO Yahoo groups. You can increase your final score through things like veteran status, foreign language ability, etc. However those are only added on after you make the list so your OA score still has to beat the minimum threshold. It can be a huge boost though, you can get something like a 0.3 increase by knowing a critical language such as Chinese or Arabic, which would make the borderline 5.4 political score a 5.7 near-lock to be picked. Other languages like Spanish, French etc don't add as much though.

Good luck if you decide this is what you want to do. I can't tell you what your plan B should be but I can say that you will have a good idea of whether it's going to be short-term thing or "retake it next time and hope for the best" when you get your OA score.

Edited February 14, 2012 by Azrou

[CalSeeker]

I know at least two people who were accepted, but never actually "placed" within that time limit and hence had to start the whole process over again (they all elected not to, and moved on).

One of my coworkers is also in this position. She has been on the list for a while (for public diplomacy, I think), but has not gotten an offer. As suggested by Azrou, she is trying to pass the Arabic exam to get a score boost and get selected. I think you need to be prepared to spend some time in limbo.

As to the choice of track, I believe the State Dept. website indicates which tracks are more impacted.

[domnulsl]

I agree with all the comments above. I took the FSOT last Thursday; it wasn't hard. I need to score better than 60% of all test-takers. After the writing test, there will be 6 essays and then if we passed that then we are invited for the all-day interview, then more waiting. So it is a long process and I'm not gonna make the cut....(

[senatorsmith85]

I'd recommend applying for the Foreign Service then pretending you didn't. That is continue to apply to graduate school/look for other jobs/your life as if you hadn't applied since being on the waitlist can be such a limbo.

If you get the call, it's a lifetime gig so there's no problem screwing some people a little but by breaking a job commitment or deciding not to go to graduate school even if you've sent in a deposit if you're comfortable with that.

[charlotte_asia]

My fiance is an FSO. A few quick comments-

1. As some have alluded, there is a step between 1 and 2 which requires submitting several essay questions.

2. I would agree that Steps 2 and 4 are the biggest holdups for most people. As Azrou said, you are ranked on the "list" based on a number of factors, including your score on the oral and your foreign language skills. Languages are divided into several categories based on Department need, the most important being Critical and Super Critical (I may have the names of those wrong, but you get the gist). Correct that knowing Spanish/French is not going to get you as far as knowing Arabic, Farsi, Russian, or Urdu, but scoring a 3/3 in Spanish/French is going to help too. Seriously boosting your language skills before you take any language placement tests; it could be worth spending time in a foreign country or doing a rigorous language immersion class to bump up your language placement.

3. The tracks are Pol, Public Affairs, Consular, Management, and Econ. Consular is the least competitive. Though keep in mind if you select this track you will have to serve the majority, if not all, of your posts in consular positions, mainly because of the continued Department need for consular officers. A decade as a consular officer is a very, very different career from a decade as a Pol or PA officer.

I had a coworker who went through the process 4 times over 6 years and never made if off the list. Two years ago he finally made it into the Foreign Service and is now enjoying his dream career. Keep at it, if that's what you really want to do

[KJ90]

If you have family abroad and especially the hotspots (Middle east or China) security clearance will take a while. My friend is still waiting to get hers and it has been almost a year.

[avocado9]

I took the oral exams when I was 21, and was surprised at the age and level of experience of most the other applicants ... mostly folks in their mid/late 30s who were already very accomplished and established, and considering the Foreign Service as a career-change. Not sure if this was a representative sample, but it made me realize that I needed to get more work experience and go to grad school before considering the FS again. My takeaway from the FSO applicant process is that they are looking for people who are willing to prioritize American interests and American citizens above anything else while abroad, so make sure this is the type of international relations work you want to do.

[florating2012]

Several of my American friends are working in US Department of State (I am a Chinese). They were rostered and got the jobs within ONE year. Foreign languages (in particular critical languages) count a lot! Rosters will be asked to rate your preference of duty stations. Then, they match you to one destination, maybe not your first choice, but still in your choice pool. Finally, GO^.^ GOOD LUCK!

[Public Policy PhD]

I agree with most of the comments above. In my opinion, the most challenging part of the process is the oral exam. Here, they are mostly testing your abilities in problem solving and leadership. For folks in this forum, I would assume that the written exam would not be as difficult. The background check and wait can feel like an eternity but is well worth it if you are placed.

I would also mention that the foreign service is an abslutely rewarding career. However, my sense is that more and more folks are not looking at it as a career and are sticking with it as long is it makes sense for one's purposes/family etc. Of course, in this economy, it does make perfect sense to stay in any job - much less the foreign service.

Last diddy - when applying, I would make sure to study up on the cone that you apply to as it is difficult to switch cones. That said, if you are an ECON officer, you can serve a tour or two as a POL or Management Officer. However, to get promoted, it really does behoove you to serve tours in your cone. Everyone serves a Consular tour in their first couple of tours.

Best of luck to all!

[Claudia_99]

I passed the FSOT recently, but I still have to take the oral assessment. The test is not hard if you have enough information. It took me almost 6 months to prepare for it. The problem with this test is that there aren't many study guides available online or offline. The only one I used to pass the test was a guide (on eBay) created by someone who already passed the test. The guide was full of information. I'm not sure if URL's are allowed here, but here's the link:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111007222287?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 

Good Luck

[thunderchunky]

What's involved in the security clearance process?

[MannyR]

I'm 38 years old, Married with two small children and I'm just now registering for the FSOT.  Would my age and marital status hinder my chances at all in being put on the list of viable FSO candidates? Thanks.

[greghubert]

MannyR,

 

I took the oral assessment (2nd stage) for the FSO process before. There were around a dozen of us taking it that day and most were in our late 20s. Out of the entire group, the only one who passed and went onto the third stage (where you're on the list) was the one who was 49. So don't worry about your age. It might actually help you out. Good luck.