What’s next with the Foreign Service
Whenever I tell people that I’m going through the candidate process for the Foreign Service, I have a one in three chance of getting this question: when do you go abroad?
Having passed the Oral Assessment and reviewed my conditional offer paperwork, I can safely say that I still don’t know. I haven’t cleared all of the hurdles yet, so all I can do is make some more educated guesses.
Medical Clearance
Thankfully, we live within 50 miles of DC, so we can have our medical examinations done by the State Departments Office of Medical Services. Yes, that’s right, I said we. In order to be an “Eligible Family Member,” Chad has his own clearances to complete. This means he’ll finally go to the doctor for the first time in…oh I don’t even want to think about it.
There are two things that might delay my clearance from being issued. One is my consistent positive reaction to a TB scratch test. I’ll let them know going in that this is an issue and I’ll get an x-ray which will hopefully clear everything up. The second is my ninja. I do not think that hyperparathyroidism will keep me from fulfilling my obligations for worldwide assignment. Especially since I’m functioning quite well and only exhibiting symptoms when my blood serum is tested for calcium levels and parathyroid hormone (bone density fine, etc). I plan to continue my annual sestamibi scans until they find the adenoma. Once they find that little bugger, I’ll have the surgery to take it out and all will be well again. Exploratory chest surgery is not an option for me. Hopefully, the Office of Medical Services will agree with me.
Security Clearance
This is the one that will take a while. I’ve heard 6-12 months for a security clearance to be granted, that includes the investigation, adjudication and final suitability determination. I have my own copy of the SF-86 that I’ll be annotating so I can give it to Diplomatic Security when they perform my interview. I should probably send an email out to the people I’ve listed as contacts to let them know that the possibility that they’ll be contacted has gone way up. Since they’ll want to talk to everyone I’ve listed, this means they’ll have to interview at least 15 people, plus family and anyone those 15 people may have indicated as a good person for information on me. Depending on people schedules and how easy they are to contact, this could take quite some time.
Candidate Register
Once I’ve passed both clearances, my name will be placed on a list with other Consular candidates. The list is dynamic, and sorted first by score on the Oral Assessment, then by date. Since my score is on the low side, I’ll be towards the bottom of that list. We are on the list only for 18 months, then our candidacy expires. Since I’ll be towards the bottom of the list, this is a very real possibility for me. There are two things I can do about this.
1. Language Bonus Points – I have a big decision to make in the next few weeks. I can either brush up on Hebrew and go for an extra .17 points towards my score and boost it to a 5.47, or I can go back to my Arabic notes and try to remember what I learned over 5 years ago in my Arabic classes. I’ll fully explore the pros and cons of this in a different post, but the biggest pro would be the .5 points for passing the Arabic test for a score of 5.8.
2. Take the test again – No matter what I decide on the language front, I think I will definitely go this route as well. Candidates can be listed on the register more than once. If I pass the written and QEP again this summer, then I can schedule another FSOA for next year. If I pass then, my security and medical clearances will already have gone through and I would probably be placed on the register list shortly after passing. If I can improve my score, I would greatly increase my chances of receiving an offer for training.
Training
From what I’ve seen online and what I’ve read in my packet, State prefers to extend offers three months before training starts, in order to give people time to settle their affairs and uproot their lives. Initial training (A-100) lasts for approximately 10 weeks. Then there is training for our first post. For me, post specific job training will probably last a month (for consular work). If I will be sent to a post where I don’t speak the language, I will most likely go through language training that can take several months.
Going Abroad
Finally! Initial posts for Junior Foreign Service Officers usually last for two years. Exceptions to this are unaccompanied posts (Baghdad, Kabul, Peshawar, etc). I hope that my first post (once I finally get there) is all sorts of fun.
Possible Timelines
| Stages | Fastest Scenario | Early Scenario | Later Scenario | Longest Scenario |
| Medical Clearance | May 2009 | May 2009 | June 2009 | July 2009 |
| Security Clearance | August 2009 | October 2009 | December 2009 | March 2010 |
| FSOT | June 2009 | June 2009 | June 2009 | June 2009 |
| FSOA | January 2010 | January 2010 | January 2010 | |
| Register | September 2009 | November 2009 | January 2010 | April 2010 |
| Offer | October 2009 | March 2010 | October 2010 | September 2011 |
| A-100 Class | January 2010 | June 2010 | January 2011 | January 2012 |
| Post Training | March 2010 | July 2010 | February 2011 | February 2012 |
| Leave for Post | April 2010 | September 2010 | July 2011 | December 2012 |
As you can see, this could take a really long time. I’m very happy and grateful to have come this far, but I’m definitely not going to put our lives on hold waiting for this (dream) job. While this is usually in the back of our minds and plays a part in our decisions, it’s not the only consideration!
Melissa:
Congratulations honey!! I really did not have any doubt that you would pass though. Thank you for the time line – it will save you having to answer our questions over & over. We’re really proud of you.
And yes, it has been a long time since Chad has been to the Dr. He was always the one that didn’t need to go & we were making more trips for Christine. But it will do him good to get a full physical. (He won’t want to hear me say that but it’s true. :) )
Love, Beth & Carl
Congratz!!!!
If your security check is anything like the Intel ones, they will keep circling the waters (your 15 references are springboards) until they stop finding new people to talk to. E.g. they will ask your 15 who else have they met through you, then those new people who they have met through you, etc. etc. until no new names show up on the list. I hear its pretty cool.
Take care!
Barbara
Thanks for posting this detailed “what next” post. I’ve been studying like crazy and a member of several Skype study groups, and a London in-person study group. My OA is scheduled for 4/14. Egads! Your comments on the SF86 is scaring me, because if they interview everyone on my list, my background check will take at least a year to come through…my printed eqip is 82 pages long!! Argh!
I am excited to follow your FS comments. My wife is going to the FSOA in about a month and we are excited also. I was reading about a man who passed the FSOA in January 2008, began A-100 in March, 2008, and left for his posting (India) in July, 2008. I realize that this in not typical, but some people do move quickly from passing FSOA to being sent overseas. Have you heard of anyone that took the FSOA around the same time as you that have already received an invitation to an A-100 class?
Thanks,
Chet
Hi,
I am a CS (Civil Servant) with the DOS and plan on taking the test in Nov09. I was reading and saw that there are some study groups on skype. can anyone help me find a study group? I think the skype thing is great. I am here in the DC area.
CORRECTION.. Taking the exam in October of this year. sorry