tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-103966072011-10-25T01:44:35.013-07:00A collection of thoughts, experiences, insights, and epiphanies gathered along the way, as I make my slow ascent toward the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service.Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-83573763527487954352011-08-17T14:10:00.000-07:002011-08-17T14:10:10.254-07:00

I received the offer just minutes before noon on a Friday. Offers had been going out for some time, and had slowed to a trickle.  Having a score that was on the cusp (5.6), receiving an email from HR was an tremendous shock to say the least.  I did not shout or scream or dance around the office.  I'm certain that if someone had watched me open the email, they may have assumed that I was being

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-52899684790984159492011-05-27T17:54:00.000-07:002011-05-27T17:54:01.187-07:00

Being on the Register itself is possibly more excruciating than going through the clearances.  Being stuck at a certain rank, movement is uncertain and nerve wracking.  One week I'm at X out of 200+, and two weeks later I'm further down the list at X+6.  It's at this point that I need to leave it in the hands of fate.  Obsessively checking my email or refreshing the group when calls begin to go

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-19613178473042454532011-04-21T05:33:00.000-07:002011-04-21T05:33:00.618-07:00

Going through Security Clearances was the most enigmatic part of the whole process so far.  It's not so much for lack of transparency on the part of DSS, as they provide a lot of information in the FAQs and the Adjudicative Guidelines.  I say enigmatic because there is so much uncertainty about the interview and investigation itself. Many of us in this process are probably borderline OCD and this

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-6354067267167086872011-04-19T06:53:00.000-07:002011-04-21T05:19:46.863-07:00

I made appointments with our physicians almost immediately following the OA, and filled out the requisite DS-1843 and DS-1622 forms.  It had been emphasized to me that the physician should make certain that all the tests were ordered and that everything was filled out correctly. Since my physician used to work at a government hospital, I did not think this would be much of an issue.  During my

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-70525663170608324632011-04-13T06:38:00.000-07:002011-04-13T07:56:33.395-07:00

The final piece of my preparations involved getting mentally tuned into the OA.  My 'new' job had helped me develop my people, negotiation, and case management skills, but I needed to channel these skills and experiences into a format that was practical for the OA. In the Yahoo! FSOA Group, there is a collection of practice exercises for each section of the OA.  I live in a somewhat remote

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-24622255812559651532011-03-18T21:07:00.000-07:002011-03-18T21:07:46.549-07:00

I found four books to be extremely useful as I was preparing for the Foreign Service Oral Assessment: the first is touted in the Yahoo Boards as being essential to preparing for the GE portion, the second and third books build on the first, and the fourth and final book was without a doubt the most useful of all to me.  Let's take a quick look at them: 1) Getting to Yes by Fisher is THE book to

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-52375593323231250152011-03-18T06:22:00.000-07:002011-03-18T08:58:08.999-07:00

After failing my previous OA in 2006, I spent a significant of time contemplating where I was in relation to where I was going and where I wanted to be.  In this regard, my experience failing the FSOA was critical, as it gave me a much better perspective on what was expected of a Foreign Service Officer, and what was required to pass the Oral Assessment.  Without that baseline, I would had

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-33399864548126533182011-01-24T18:41:00.000-08:002011-01-24T18:41:13.518-08:00

How was I able to bring my FSOA score up one full point from an unimpressive 4.6 in 2006 to a much more acceptable (and competitive) 5.6 in 2010? I'll tell you, but not in the way you may be thinking (this blog is NDA-safe).  During the intervening years, I methodically prepared for the FSOA and for my career with the State Department.  I'm not quite there yet, but I am making measurable,

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-38812396901712337052010-12-09T05:25:00.000-08:002010-12-10T05:12:22.584-08:00

I arrived at the testing site about 30 minutes early; there were already about ten or so black suits milling about the lobby. As more continued to arrive, I estimated there to be about 30 or so altogether. Perhaps three-quarters of them were male. Very nice diversity among the tracks, professional backgrounds and experience. Everyone I spoke with knew at least one other language. Very few

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-47574542161358233832010-12-06T19:50:00.000-08:002010-12-06T19:56:50.608-08:00

Last year was my first attempt at the PNQs, and I did not pass.  This section sort of mystified me at first until I really sat down and read (and re-read) Step 4.  A quick review of the discussion in the Yahoo FSOA Group might lead one to erroneously believe that this step (QEP) is based solely upon the submitted Personal Narrative Questions themselves.  Do not fall into this trap! The QEP

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-90852332697945412312010-12-06T07:00:00.000-08:002010-12-10T05:10:53.002-08:00

Summer 2010. Back again for the FSOT as planned. Other than reading each issue of 'The Week', I did no real studying other than the routine basics and reviewing the essay scoring matrix from ACT.  My experience was very similar to last year:  JK section quickly completed and reviewed with about 15-20 minutes to spare.  The BIO again was close to the wire, but I completed it with about 3-5

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-74347047542978417002010-11-27T16:39:00.000-08:002010-12-01T18:51:29.735-08:00

The FSOA and FSOT Yahoo Groups are back online. :D The FSOA and FSOT Yahoo Groups appear to have been deleted, and the moderators are working with Yahoo to get them restored as quickly as possible. Please check back here or at the temporary "FSOT-FSOA" Group for information updates.

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-61514190032829110312009-09-01T18:23:00.000-07:002010-12-01T18:39:26.789-08:00

After passing the FSOT, I began work on my Personal Narrative Questions. It's challenging to fit the narratives into such a limited space, but I worked at it until I was satisfied with my answers and submitted them. Each one requires that you include the contact information of someone who can verify your story, if necessary.After submitting, I received an email encouraging me to schedule a

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-37148620761648907242009-07-15T07:24:00.000-07:002010-11-26T05:15:30.586-08:00

FSOT 2009 was my first time to take it on the computer, and I felt it was a great improvement in many ways over the old paper version. There were only a handful of us testing, instead of the several score or several hundred that had tested previously. The ability to go at my own pace, and jump to the next section at my leisure instead of waiting on the proctor helped me to 'stay in the groove'.

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-30810540455840733532009-04-30T06:59:00.000-07:002010-11-26T04:24:39.107-08:00

After failing the Oral Assessment in December, 2006, I had asked the Assessors what they recommended I do to prepare for 'next time'. Obviously, they were unable to give me any direct feedback, but what they did tell me was very helpful: "think about your performance today, and how you might be able to improve" [paraphrased].Since I had not passed any of the three sections, I began by

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-57040628759106032232007-07-24T21:49:00.000-07:002007-07-24T19:40:48.977-07:00

The registration for the new and improved Foreign Service Officer's Test (formerly the FSWE) is now open! The basic changes are as outlined in my previous post, but once you register, available slots are offered on a first come first serve basis, with a total of 5000 slots being offered during each 'window'. Registration is on a continual basis, but the available testing windows will only be

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-52091989474082414432007-04-06T07:21:00.000-07:002007-04-06T08:06:59.076-07:00

As many of you know, the FSWE (and the process as a whole) has been largely reworked.The FSWE is now going to be computer-based, instead of the traditional pencil and paper format that we have come to know and love. It's rumored that it will be somewhat shorter than before, and will still include the beloved essay; the only omission will be the cone-specific sections that State had experimented

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-91153813599558682262007-03-23T07:46:00.000-07:002007-03-23T08:54:38.645-07:00

It's been an unexpected hiatus. Since my OA, I intended to lay low for a few weeks and commiserate, but my daughter (18 months at the time) injured her hip and ankle about Christmastime, and the doctors still are unable to make a diagnosis as of this posting.I've updated my blog (retroactively) to include my OA recap, which is posted below, and plan to comment on the upcoming changes to the FSWE

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-41558015639848532642006-12-15T22:30:00.000-08:002007-03-23T09:02:46.368-07:00

I was scheduled to test on Friday, December 1st, 2006, in Austin.We left Wednesday afternoon after picking up the kids from school, and ran into a snowstorm in Oklahoma City. Traffic slowed down to 30mph at times, with a steady stream of cars in both ditches and the median, but we made it as far as Gainesville, TX before calling it a night. Thursday morning, we drove the remaining four hours to

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1159827610854736962006-09-23T21:25:00.000-07:002006-10-02T15:31:13.323-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to get together with a few (err, all) of our local Group Members to have a sort of stop-and-go OA prep session. This year's cycle marks the first time any of us will have been able to progress on to the OA, and, since we are about 600 miles from the nearest DIR, attending an official Prep Session would have been difficult, if not downright impossible.We used one

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1156036849027279652006-08-19T17:47:00.000-07:002006-08-19T18:20:49.090-07:00

The required forms can be daunting, and will consume a significant amount of time, even if you do already have all of the necessary information readily available. Last year, I began organizing the relevant information, and entered it into downloadable, saveable SF forms from the GSA site (which is given as an alternate link from the SD page above) . There are two filetypes to choose from, .xpw

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1154229365244591132006-07-29T20:10:00.000-07:002006-07-29T20:16:44.123-07:00

I've updated the FS related blogs links. If you wish to have yours added, or even de-listed, please drop me a line or comment below. Thank You!

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1154027735814313022006-07-27T16:07:00.000-07:002006-07-27T14:33:53.810-07:00

In comparison to my results the first time around, I fared much better--an improvement of over twenty points. JK: 56.86 BIO: 60.67 EE: 56.95=============Total Score: 174.48Essay: 8.0The cutoff score was rather anticlimactic, however. The minimum cutoff this year for CON was 153; last year I scored 153.82. :/If you are curious how these scores

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1153366270474941622006-07-19T20:25:00.000-07:002006-07-21T10:11:36.816-07:00

After a quiet and relaxing three months, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I had passed this year's FSWE. I've requested my Score Breakdown, and will be interested to see in which areas I was able to improve over last year's.The interesting thing is that I didn't feel 'ecstatic' to have passed; I simply felt satisfied and relieved. It's really boosted my confidence in the first step of

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1151503099328844002006-06-27T18:44:00.000-07:002006-06-28T06:58:19.346-07:00

One thing to keep in mind throughout the process is the strict requirement of all FSOs to publically support the policies of the current administration. Since the average FS career spans 20-30 years, I have found it helpful to think back across past Presidencies. Could I have publically supported every President since Gerald Ford? If one cannot answer affirmatively, perhaps the FS might not be

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1145049258764784202006-04-14T19:34:00.000-07:002006-04-14T14:27:13.666-07:00

Last year I felt the waiting for results was almost unbearable. However, after discovering I did not pass, the intervening time between receiving the results and signing up for the 2006 FS Candidacy cycle became ten times worse.Following the exam, there is nervousness, some anxiety, and lots of conjecture. And you are not along; everyone is anxiously waiting together. Following those results,

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1144692077296997152006-04-10T04:54:00.000-07:002010-11-26T05:53:56.424-08:00

The second time sitting the FSWE was, for me, markedly different. The initial apprehension and uncertainty was gone, as I knew what to expect this time around. Procedurally, there were very few changes this year, most notably the admonition not to have water bottles present during the exam. We had the same proctor last year as this year, so I can't attribute it to site differences. The other

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1144291542033117372006-04-05T18:42:00.000-07:002006-04-05T19:52:29.346-07:00

According to the Registration Guide, "In addition to the general knowledge areas, which are equally important throughout the Foreign Service, the job analysis identified other broad knowledge areas that are more specific to each of the five career tracks. They vary in importance among the career tracks, corresponding to differences in the types of job knowledge required in each of the five

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1142486269493044752006-03-15T19:51:00.000-08:002006-03-15T21:30:27.610-08:00

It was bound to happen, and it happened swiftly and silently. "Mail Order Brides" have been long raised eyebrows and been the subject of many jokes, until the internet became mainstream enough that dating sites, both domestic and international, could flourish and even become profitable. Unfortunately, according to Senator Maria Cantwell, this leads to deception, violence, and other abuses:

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1141192508148250632006-02-28T20:59:00.000-08:002006-03-01T19:12:09.886-08:00

Last year, I wrote extensively about the mechanics of the essay, the purpose, pacing, and the scoring of the essay portion of the exam, which are still useful, but don't necessarily require restating.This year, however, on the eve of the 2006 virtual essay prep session, I wanted to highlight a few thoughts and concepts that I found to be useful last year. In 2005, the SAT was altered to include

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1139891229430504332006-02-13T20:42:00.000-08:002006-02-13T21:47:20.666-08:00

The Biographical (BIO) section is perhaps the most enigmatic section of the Foreign Service Written Exam (FSWE). None of the available FSWE Study Guides address it adequately, and the non-disclosure agreement disallows any systematic attempt to reconstruct it. Perhaps the best source for sample practice questions at present is the FSWE Study Guide.The BIO portion of the actual exam, however, is

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1139333031296992252006-02-08T05:10:00.000-08:002006-02-08T14:26:54.136-08:00

The publishing of several Political cartoons last week allegedly depicting the Islamic Prophet Mohammed was greeted by violent demonstrations throughout the Middle East. Denmark (where the cartoons were originally published) has faced the brunt of the violence, with two embassied being burned, one in Syria and the other in Lebanon.Despite President Bush and Tony Blair's condemnation of the

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1138503588362969632006-01-28T18:13:00.000-08:002006-02-11T17:14:47.223-08:00

The State Department's information about the FSWE clearly states what this section of the exam will entail:This section of the examination measures knowledge of correct grammar, organization, spelling and punctuation, which would be required for writing reports and for editing the written work of others. In addition, it tests the ability to express ideas clearly and accurately, to correct

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1137684746815578822006-01-18T19:13:00.000-08:002006-01-19T07:32:26.833-08:00

The Registration for the 2006 Foreign Service Written Exam (FSWE) is now open. It will remain open until March 8th, 2006 (for domestic testing); however, if you plan on taking it abroad at one of our many missions, please note that you will not be able to register after March 1st, 2006.Some of the testing centers tend to fill up rather quickly, so it's in your best interest to register as early

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1136992733744552432006-01-11T05:36:00.000-08:002006-01-11T07:18:53.783-08:00

The site recently started sprouting popup ads, and I finally traced the source to my nedstat counter. I apologize for that. Apparently the new owners of that tracking site decided that 'free' wasn't good enough for a smalltime blog like mine. ;)Anyhow, I've disabled that counter, so everything should work normally now. Please do let me know if anyone has any further issues or problems with

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1136331375069605802006-01-02T17:32:00.000-08:002006-01-03T15:36:15.116-08:00

Registration for the 2006 FSWE will begin within a few short weeks, and for those of you who are new to the process (or still undecided), you will have to choose a cone (or track) when you register.The five available cones are: Management (MGMT), Consular (CON), Economic (ECON), Political (POL) and Public Diplomacy (PD).Each cone has it's upsides and downsides, and although Foreign Service

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1135182874971420572005-12-20T18:53:00.000-08:002005-12-21T12:41:32.353-08:00

The assertion that the SD has begun debating the possibility of changing the voluntary assignment system to a mandatory one has generated a great deal of confusion and consternation, if not outright panic in some circles.Part of the problem is semantic. Many people have issues with the word 'mandatory', equating that with taxes and military conscription. Not everyone would be required to go,

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1132261711677418682005-11-16T19:40:00.000-08:002010-11-26T05:29:47.312-08:00

After one passes the FSWE, he or she is able to progress to the second stage of their candidacy, the Foreign Service Oral Assessment, generally shortened to FSOA or just 'OA'. The State Department careers website provides an extensive overview of what one can expect to encounter at the OA. Alternatively, the Yahoo FSOA Group assists with preparation for the OA, as well as providing a valuable

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1131460213112741062005-11-08T05:23:00.000-08:002005-11-08T06:30:13.136-08:00

According to the State Department's careers website, the 2006 Foreign Service Written Exam (FSWE) is scheduled to be held on Saturday, April 8th, 2006. Registration info should be available at the same site in the middle of January. If you haven't yet done so, now is a good time to join the Yahoo FSWE Prep Group; although discussion is slow now, it will start gaining momentum as the

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1127368434058415972005-09-21T21:33:00.000-07:002005-12-31T20:43:26.550-08:00

It's common knowledge that the MBTI is a given during the A-100. Apparently, it's used [at least initially] to determine group structure, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of different personalities, helping you as an individual to understand your leadership style and to learn how groups can best work together.There are several online personality tests available, which although may not be as

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1124765773304897172005-08-16T19:55:00.000-07:002005-08-22T20:08:39.676-07:00

I received my score breakdown yesterday, which contained the following information:Dear Editfish,This is in response to your request for a score breakdown of the April 23, 2005 Foreign Service Written Examination (FSWE) test results. To be invited to the Oral Assessment, candidates whose career track is Consular must have received a score of 162 or above on the multiple-choice section who

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1123713418167172662005-08-10T15:59:00.000-07:002006-02-08T08:25:52.900-08:00

"For diplomacy to succeed, the people working at our posts abroad, attheir professional best, should be students of our own and othercultures who see the shadings in a pluralistic world. Instinctivelythey should be courteous, honoring the dignity and self-respect ofothers, shunning arrogance precisely because they represent theeconomically and militarily most powerful nation on earth…"Our

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1122434975294993512005-07-26T20:29:00.000-07:002005-07-26T20:29:35.320-07:00

When I saw that the ACT results site was back up and running today, I quickly logged in and downloaded my results letter (which had so nimbly evaded me several days prior).After saving it to my harddrive, I opened it and read:Dear MR. EDITFISH,We want to thank you for taking the Foreign Service Written Examination (FSWE) on April 23, 2005. The written examination is the first step in the Foreign

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1121991383964054762005-07-21T17:16:00.000-07:002005-07-22T09:01:39.760-07:00

If you've tried pinging the FSWE Results website, you've noticed that an error occurs whenever you try to login, stating that your results letter could not be retrieved. Late this afternoon, just out of curiousity (and a bit of boredom), I tried pinging the site, and it allowed me to log in. I was quite surprised that it had allowed me to progress farther than it had before, especially as the

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1121829369282734562005-07-19T20:10:00.000-07:002005-07-20T08:41:21.123-07:00

My primary intention for constructing this blog was to provide a single point of reference for anyone interested in joining the Foreign Service, and secondarily to provide them with the proper frame of mind and ample links to enable them to prepare adequately for the FSWE and the subsequent FSOA. There is a wealth of information online, but the vast majority of it is redundant, and lacks cohesion

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1121570387947017982005-07-16T20:20:00.000-07:002005-07-16T20:54:35.426-07:00

As the month is winding down, we are expecting our results from ACT any day now. Various members of the FSWE Group have shared a wide range of expected release dates, each of which ostensibly came from the CSRs at ACT. We're supposed to receive them last week; no, they told me the 1st of August, etc., etc.If you can't tell, many of us seem to be on pins and needles. But our nervousness and/or

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1121571101971455362005-07-15T18:20:00.000-07:002005-07-16T20:36:54.463-07:00

[note] This post was originally posted on the FSWE Board in answer to a statement made by a newcomer that was feeling 'way out of my league' after reading some of the profiles of other individuals who are pursuing our common goal. I felt that posting a copy to my Blog would make it more easily accessible to someone else, who may not have the advantage of being a member of our Group at this time.

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1121271740722681962005-07-13T05:52:00.000-07:002005-07-13T09:22:20.726-07:00

Recently on the FSWE Board there has been some confusion over the scoring of our exams. Apparently some folks had been instructed by their DIRs that the essays were graded only if the multiple choice sections were passed. I had understood my Mentor to say that the State Department was waiting on ACT to finish scoring the essays so that all the data could be sent over, so that the appropriate

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1120061241950597412005-06-29T05:53:00.000-07:002006-02-08T08:31:05.143-08:00

As you may or may not be aware, the 1994 Rwandan Genocide is a topic about which many of us in the FSWE Group are quite passionate. Today, two more individuals have been found guilty of war crimes. There still is a long way to go, but progress is being made, and that is encouraging."Rwandans convicted for war crimes"If you don't know much about this tragedy, educating yourself will put you on

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1118900380796467882005-06-15T22:37:00.000-07:002005-06-15T22:39:40.806-07:00

The state.gov website has a email contact link for FSO Mentors, which puts you in contact with some of the recruitment team for DoS. They usually are the first point of contact for individuals who have heard of the State Department, or who are interested in getting more information about the structure and processes involved.I contacted them out of curiousity a few weeks ago, and quickly received

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1118930574469696672005-04-23T12:45:00.000-07:002005-06-16T07:04:39.156-07:00

Took the test this am and met a few Yahoo FSWE group members, Zach (aka York) and his wife (I don't know her online ID, so I'll refrain from naming names (Go Wildcats!). It was such a pleasure to meet other likeminded people in person and gossip about other people in the group! ;)Everyone seemed mostly relaxed, with a few overconfident; we only numbered in the mid-teens, but were supposed to have

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1121924590161199642005-04-20T21:08:00.000-07:002006-03-01T19:15:46.006-08:00

This section of the FSWE is possibly the most perplexing and stressful, but there is an abundance of good information available that will enable one to prepare sufficiently. Many of the local DIRs have scheduled Essay Writing Workshops. These are geared primarily for those with near-passing essays last year, who missed by just one point, but anyone is welcome to attend. Be prepared to take notes,

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1111120761701761892005-03-17T20:16:00.000-08:002005-03-27T19:35:10.106-08:00

I began with the JK section of the study guide. The actual fswe exam will have 90 questions to be answered in 60 minutes; roughly half of which will be JK and the remaining half cone-specific. The cone-specific questions will be in their own sections: PD, Pol, Econ, Cons, or Mgmt; the end of the GK section will instruct you to turn to page X and answer questions Y through Z depending on your

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1110951119843111432005-03-15T21:26:00.000-08:002005-03-15T21:31:59.846-08:00

I stumbled across this show a few years ago before I became a news junkie and was amazed at how much these people knew about current events. Now I know almost every question. Unfortunately I don't have a local station that carries this program, but it doesn't matter; the shows are archived and available 24/7. This is a fun way to gauge your knowledge of current national and international

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1110085548449619972005-03-05T21:05:00.000-08:002006-02-08T08:39:22.090-08:00

The title alone is almost enough to make one tremble. We've been told that we can [generally] narrow it down to history since WWII. That still encompasses a lot of information. Preparation should be general; don't get bogged down in too many books, or discouraged by seemingly endless bibliographies or suggested reading lists.1) Keeping Updated - You are already a step ahead if you are relatively

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1110004009427179322005-03-04T22:22:00.000-08:002005-03-05T20:20:49.313-08:00

March is here, only seven weeks until the fswe! I'm going to have to lay off blogging the current events for a while and focus solely on the exam itself...so please bear with me.The JK (Job Knowledge) section of the exam will try to assess your geographical aptitude. Most people find that their strengths and weaknesses are easily demarcated along continental lines, making it relatively easy to

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1109566842613334082005-02-27T21:00:00.000-08:002005-02-27T21:10:38.850-08:00

President Bush galloped into his second term waving the flag of freedom, his Second Inaugural Address and his State of the Union Address brimming with idealistic references to America's mission to bring the light of democracy and freedom to the four corners of the globe:As long as the Middle East remains a place of tyranny and despair and anger, it will continue to produce men and movements that

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1108706801833638292005-02-17T21:45:00.000-08:002005-02-18T06:22:57.890-08:00

After over a decade of overlooking the "required fees" charged to Japanese Companies by the Philippine Embassy in Japan to permit new recruits to come work in Japan, Tokyo is upset by the economic and political repercussions. Entertainment companies were forced to pay an twenty-thousand dollar (not yen) "deposit" per recruit plus paperwork fees before Manila would issue the new recruit a "

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1108622249295562982005-02-16T22:38:00.000-08:002005-02-16T22:37:29.306-08:00

The question of Taiwan regularly makes international headlines, and has been a major obstacle in the development of US-Sino relations. Beijing blames Washington for continually interfering in a domestic issue; Taipei complains that the U.S. ought to help more, and Washington states that this issue should be resolved peacefully.As briefly mentioned in an earlier article, U.S. involvement in the

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1108608347597650282005-02-16T18:59:00.000-08:002005-02-16T18:45:47.610-08:00

I contacted my regional Diplomat-in-Residence earlier this year, and had the opportunity to meet with him/her at an introductory seminar given at a nearby university. Out of a group of twenty to thirty, I was the only one not attending that University. Although the information given was geared primarily toward individuals & students who had not yet decided to take the fswe, there were a few

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1108444502927953712005-02-14T21:15:00.000-08:002005-02-14T21:30:14.020-08:00

Pyongyang's assertion that they possess nuclear weaponry should not have come as a shock; analysts have been saying for years that the DPRK have the uranium, the technology, and the intent to weaponize. So what's the big deal?Have they actually constructed a reliable delivery system? Do they believe that disclosure in this manner would pressure the U.S. into bilateral talks? Is this their way of

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1108095273772511952005-02-10T21:14:00.000-08:002005-02-10T21:07:31.736-08:00

In another remarkable step toward democracy this year, Saudi Arabia has allowed limited elections of municipal councils, the first open elections in Riyadh in over 1500 years of history. Some critics of the election say it's merely a concession by the ruling Saudis to pacify democratic reformists, and that the handful of council members elected will have no real clout (half are elected, the other

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1108011896353041672005-02-09T21:23:00.000-08:002005-02-10T21:09:59.046-08:00

The formal ceasefire between Israel and Palestine is the culmination of about three weeks of an unofficial ceasefire. Despite the claims of Hamas and another militant group to be not bound by the agreement, everybody is undoubtedly tiring of the violence, and to spark off a new round of bloodshed would be unpopular. Both sides have pledged to end hostilities and have made significant concessions,

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1107829084860183642005-02-07T21:37:00.000-08:002005-02-07T21:31:18.796-08:00

I've added the free HaloScan trackback system to streamline my references to other sites as well as tracking outside links to my own posts. This allows bloggers (and others) to know when someone has referenced or commented on their article in another blog, as well as giving the readers a link to similar articles. The only annoyance is that I've lost the original comments that people have already

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1107755555300022622005-02-06T23:52:00.000-08:002005-02-06T21:54:59.050-08:00

Two coups in one week in two different countries on two different continents. This seems highly unusual, and I might never have noticed the significance had I not been more attuned to International Relations in my fswe preparations. The first to occur (last Tusday) was an unusual "royal coup", in Kathmandu, Nepal, in which King Gyanendra dissolved the government, seized power, and threatened

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1107750207213135832005-02-06T22:23:00.000-08:002005-02-06T20:30:07.416-08:00

If you are a person who finds near impossible odds to be daunting, then perhaps you ought to stop reading now! According to an old post (scroll down to July 17th) on PrinceRoy's blog, the statistics for Foreign Service applicants can be quite overwhelming, to say the least. For a few years (even before 9-11), the State Department's Diplomatic Readiness Initiative (DRI) strove to plough lots of

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1107747163202166552005-02-06T21:31:00.000-08:002005-02-06T19:32:43.203-08:00

For additional fswe review, Renato recommended a number of the "Cliff's Quick Reviews" by CliffNotes. Government, History, Economics, English usage, Composition, etc., there's something in almost every category covered by the Job Knowledge section of the fswe. You have no excuse not to do well! :) In my previous post, FSWE Basics, I neglected to mention a very important aspect of the

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1107565155125468612005-02-04T18:58:00.000-08:002006-02-08T08:42:51.726-08:00

I've downloaded the 2005 fswe study guide, and gave it a quick once-over. I'll probably do the actual practice test in late February or early March. That will give me some time to do some preliminary studying, as well as time to fine-tune my studying based on my scores before facing the actual exam in April.There are four sections: Job Knowledge, English Expression, Biographical Inventory, as

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1107483571564283292005-02-03T17:19:00.000-08:002005-02-03T20:27:40.886-08:00

I've already begun to receive feedback about the blog, and it has been positive, with a twist of constructive criticism - I'm very pleased. It appears that other than a few obscure references to "taking the fswe" or "got my fswe results" buried deep within various personal blogs; there are no decent [read "well-documented"] step-by-step blogs doggedly following one's progress from the very

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1107401776784965802005-02-02T18:57:00.000-08:002006-02-08T08:47:39.626-08:00

As I've started preparing for the FSWE, I've stumbled across a few books that every potential Foreign Service Officer (FSO) ought to read.The first is the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy by Trefil, Kett, & Hirsch (eds.) The chapters on Politics, History, and Geography are great places to start studying for the Job Knowledge (JK) portion of the exam.Secondly, one should read Inside a U.S. Embassy

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1107398510369378452005-02-02T18:23:00.000-08:002005-11-18T10:24:27.543-08:00

I've been mulling over joining the Foreign Service since 1997. At that time, I was teaching English in Taiwan, and was getting my documents organized to ease the process of getting married. The Consular Officer at the embassy was quite amiable, and during the twenty minute interview, we found that we had a lot in common, background and experience-wise, and he encouraged me to think about applying

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1156045293004241362005-02-01T20:48:00.000-08:002010-11-26T06:02:17.180-08:00

Books, Publications & Periodicals that I found to be helpful:FSWE/FSOA Prep:The [Official] FSWE Study Guide.The Economist, published weekly by The Economist Newspaper Group, Inc. ASIN: B00005NIP1.TIME, published weekly by The Time Inc. Magazine Company. ASIN: B00007BK3L.The Week (my personal favorite), published weekly by Dennis Publishing. ASIN: B000066622.Fisher, R., Ury, W., and Patton, B.

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10396607.post-1121826619266842932005-02-01T18:48:00.000-08:002010-11-26T05:58:08.169-08:00

This page is no longer updated. Please visit the front page!Comprehensive Index of all PostsArranged Chronologically by Subject Matter:Overview • FSOT • FSOA • Int'l Issues • Misc • Blog Maintenance • Most CurrentThe Foreign Service (DOS/FS):Thinking About the FS - 20050202 Statistics & Probability - 20050207 For Diplomacy to Succeed... - 20050810iNTj? It must be Briggs-Meyer -

Editfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00040515052003570748noreply@blogger.com0