Tryptophan Haze

It was a beautiful day for Thanksgiving. The air was cool, and the sun was shining. A perfect fall day. The turkey came out well--I have never made turkey before, so it was an adventure--especially since I couldn't find an actual bird to roast. I ended up throwing two turkey breast tenderloins in a crockpot (with some white wine, sliced granny smith apple, leeks, rosemary, thyme, and lemon juice), and to my relief, it was tasty. The stuffing was fine (though I have a ridiculous amount of it left--good thing it's my favorite dish at T-giving!), as were my brussels sprouts. Thank goodness. The last thing I wanted was a terrible dinner. Especially since I only have my illustrious companion kitty, to help me eat it.

I wish I had been able to spend the day with my parents--but they live far away. I don't have any other family, and after a disastrous T-giving last year, I've made it a policy to not accept invitations.

So, a lonely Turkey Day... but a peaceful one, which I can fully support.

FSOT Score Breakdown

Last Friday, I submitted my FSOT Score Breakdown Request. Today, the much-anticipated breakdown came in the mail. Here are the results:

Job Knowledge: 64.29
Biographic Info: 55.29
English Expression: 59.35

Total: 178.93

Essay: 10

I'm happy with these results. The essay is where I hoped it would be (at a minimum, admittedly), and my Bio score is much more solid than I had anticipated. My JK and EE should be reversed in my opinion, but hey--I didn't score the test! No one really knows precisely how the T-scores are determined, or what the test is potentially "out of." It's a mystery for the ages. All I know is this: a minimum T-score of 154 is required for the essay to be scored, and a minimum essay score of 6 is required to pass.

The essay is out of a possible 12 points, however.

Anyway, I just wanted to document this step in my journey. On Tuesday, the PNQs are due for QEP review. I hope you like all of these TLAs, because if this FSO dream comes true, they will become more frequent. But that event, however, is TBD.

How and Why the FS?

I'll admit, I haven't always known about the Foreign Service. I mean, I knew what a diplomat was--I've lived overseas, and I knew about embassies and all that jazz. However, I didn't know about the Foreign Service as an institution.

My academic background is solidly within the humanities, and my career field has little to do with travel and government shenanigans. I guess you could say that aside from my overseas experience and what I've seen in the news, it simply hasn't come up. The one thing I've always maintained in life is that I'd like to do something meaningful and useful, and I'd like to travel.

And so. I finished my MA in May, and I was without employment. But one day, while I was loafing on the couch (I won't pretend I was more active than that at that particular moment), my phone rang. It was my Dad, and he was calling me in the middle of his workday. He was excited. Very excited. He'd seen something in the newspaper, and it just couldn't wait.

"There's an ad in the paper! They're having some kind of informational session up at the UW about the Foreign Service. The blurb says they're recruiting."

My reaction was... well, not one of total excitement. I was interested, but I didn't even know what the Foreign Service was, and based on my education, I wasn't convinced I was eligible for government work. I told Dad that it seemed great, but that I was probably unqualified.

My Dad, ever the optimist, always my biggest fan: "You're qualified for everything you want to do. You should look this up. There's a website--go to it. Besides, the ad says they're having a hiring surge. This could be your shot."

If Dad had had his way that day, I would have registered right then for the June FSOT. But fortunately, I humored him, and I went to the State Department website like a dutiful daughter. I read the job description. More significantly, I read the requirements. US Citizen--check. At least 20 years of age--check. And, that was pretty much it. I was astonished. I had not thought a girl with an English degree could have job like that.

But apparently, I could. I read the State Department website backward and forward. I read about all the FS jobs. I read about all of the Cones (career tracks) in the FS. I took the quiz to see where I matched up. Consular. A clear choice for me. I started reading FS blogs and Googling and Googling everything I could. I bought the official test book.

Unfortunately, I couldn't register for the test right away. I was in transition, and I wasn't sure where I'd be living by the end of the summer--or by the end of the month. So I just kept reading the materials. I bought some books to review for the FSOT, and I pondered this potential path.

A long path. A rigorous one. The odds weren't good. But. As my Dad would say, there's no way to get what I want in life if I never try.

I guess the question remains: Why? Why was I so thunderstruck?

Sure, the travel is always a factor. I'm a rebel, and living in Bishkek sounds pretty sweet to me. It's really much more than that, however. The FS would allow me to do something meaningful with my life. If I were in Consular services, I'd adjudicate visas--people would either be happy or upset by my decisions. The right people would enter our country, and hopefully, the wrong people would be kept out. Critical! If I worked with AmCits, I'd help people who got in over their heads while overseas.

In fact, it was in reading the Consular Cone stuff on the State Department website that I realized AmCit services played a critical role in my life at one point. When I was a little girl, my mother and I were evacuated from Riyadh (twice) during the Persian Gulf War. It became clear that it would have been the US Embassy that made this happen. It was kind of a DUH moment for me, but it also made me feel like I could do something to reciprocate this. I had been helped--why not help others? Hell, based on was the website said, I was qualified anyway.

So you see, it wasn't just a spur of the moment thing. I thought about it. Between the time I was informed of the FS' existence by my Dad and when I finally registered for the exam, it had been a few months. It never left my mind. It was simply one of those moments where I thought: "This is what I want."

I hope it happens. I'm trying!

Let me tell you, it felt damn good to pass the FSOT. I know it's the lowest of the hurdles, and that I could be shot down like a SCUD missile by the QEP, but at least I know I can make it this far. I just keep thinking to myself: I can do this. I am qualified.

And my Dad and my Mom are rooting for me. Good enough.

A Long Road Ahead

So on October 10, 2009, I took the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT).

For those of you who don't know, the FSOT is one of many steps in becoming an FSO. The process is long and rigorous (That's What She Said). For example, here is what must happen before a person gets to be an FSO:

1. Register for the FSOT (lengthy application)
2. Schedule a date/location for the FSOT
3. Take the FSOT

If you pass:

1. Write the Personal Narratives
2. Qualitative Evaluation Panel

If you pass:

1. Schedule Oral Assessment date/location
2. Take the Oral Assessment

If you pass:

1. Medical Clearance
2. Security Clearance
3. Final Suitability Review

If you pass:

1. Register
2. THE CALL to A-100

As you can see, there are a lot of steps. Thousands of people take the FSOT every year (something like 30,000), and only a few hundred ever become FSOs. This process takes anywhere from 9 to 18 months, and it only has a general success rate of 2 or 3%. It's not easy! The scary thing is, some people make it to the Register, but if their name isn't called within a certain number of months, they have to start over from the very beginning. I soooo do not want to be one of those people if I get that far. That would be a nightmarish scenario.

Anyway, that's a brief overview of the process. I'll write a lot more about it as time goes on, since the FS is the big ambition in my life right now.

And for the record, I found out a week ago that I passed the FSOT! I am now writing my personal narratives to submit to the QEP (due November 17, 2009).

Getting Started

I used to blog... so I'm giving it another whirl. I've started a new chapter in my life, and out of some over-inflated sense of self-importance, I've decided to document it. Likely, I'll be an itinerant blogger, but I will try to be better than that.

Here is where I stand in life:

• I earned an MA in May.
• I live in a small town.
• I work for a tech firm.
• I am currently on my first pass at becoming a Foreign Service Officer.
• I have a cat.

That's about it!