First Blog - Becoming a Foreign Service Officer and the Government Shutdown

I have started this blog to document my attempts to become Foreign Service Officer (FSO) with the State Department.  I have passed the first test before, but was not invited for the oral interview.  I am taking the test again next week.  I am ready and excited.  I wanted to start my blog off with resources for the test.  However, the shutdown is more relevant today.  Specially, because the of the government shutdown, parts of process for becoming an FSO are currently on hold.

Becoming an FSO is a long journey.  The first step is registering for the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT).  It is an important step.  What you document on the registration will follow (or haunt) you for the rest of the application process. 

Next, take the test (I will post my resources for this at another time).  Most people fail.  It is very wide, but not very deep.  It includes questions regarding US Government and Culture, World History, Mathematics, Communications, English Expression, Management, ect.  In other words, a significant amount of time studying is probably a good idea (although some disagree).

If you pass the test, next are the personal narratives.  These come about a month or so after the test.  These are six essay questions regarding your experiences.   After about another month you get the results – pass or fail.  No explanation as to why.  This part of the process is not very transparent, but it is fairly accepted that they review your registration materials, your test scores, and your responses to the personal narrative questions.  If it is decided you might make a good FSO, you are invited to the oral interview a couple of months later.

So from the time taking the FSOT to the oral interview is roughly six months.  For the lucky few that pass the oral interview, they are given a conditional offer of employment.  This is where the Top Secret security background check begins.  That part alone can last from a couple of months to a year.  If the background check comes back clean, the applicant is then placed on the register.  If you are high on the register you are invited to the next training class.  If you are low on the register, you may sit on the register until your application expires.  So it is possible to pass the oral interview and still not get the job because of the background check or because of a low score on the register.  As a side note, one way to increase your score immensely is to learn a super-critical foreign language. 

So the entire process is at least eight months and usually much longer.  That does not include the months of studying.  Additionally, if you fail any part of the process you have to wait a year to start again.  Some people spend several years before they actually become an FSO.  It is a long and stressful process, but according to many that have made it, it is extremely rewarding. 

So what does this have to do with the government shutdown?  First, according to this:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/slate_labs/2013/10/federal_government_shutdown_agencies_with_the_most_furloughs.html

the State Department has no employees furloughed.  This does not appear to be the case from what I have read.  While the FSOT will be carried out as scheduled this month because it is conducted by ACT and not the government, this is not the case for the oral interviews.  For example, the interviews that were to be conducted in San Francisco next week have been cancelled.  So the people that have spent an immense amount of time to get to the oral interviews are now cancelling their plane tickets.  Who knows if or when they will be invited for the interview.  

Additionally, one great resource for joining the State Department is their official forums:

http://careers.state.gov/engage/forums/careers-state-gov

If you have a question this is the place to go for an official answer.  One question that was recently asked was whether or not the interviews would be conducted as scheduled.  Two or three days ago it was stated they were still scheduled.  It was also stated to check back on that post for updates.  Unfortunately, yesterday the forums closed abruptly due to the shutdown. 

So what does this all mean?  From what I have written here it would seem that some people are having their dreams postponed.  While that is sad, it is probably not be as bad as current employees that are not working, or mothers that can’t obtain WIC, or the intelligence analyst that is at home instead of investigating potential threats.

However, this shutdown, and the budget issues in general, has the potential to be especially damaging for the State Department.  First, the State Department is already short-staffed.  In the past they would hire several hundred new FSOs each year.  Because of the budget issues/sequester, the number hired for this year may be around 160.  I cannot get the exact numbers, because again the official forums are closed, but I believe it was stated previously that there are roughly 8000 FSOs.  Each year 4% of that number leaves the State Department for various reasons.  Because of the budget issues, they are only hiring half the number needed to replace that 4%.  That would be 160 new FSOs for this year causing an already short-staffed department to be even more so.  And that number is probably high.  Considering the recent turn of events that number may drop.  As of today how many FSOs will be hired before the year ends?  0.  There are no new hires during the shutdown. 

To some, the reduction in the number of FSOs may be a good thing.  That want a smaller government, and they don’t want to be involved in international affairs.  In my opinion, that is wrong.  FSOs wear many hats.  Among their duties is to be our first line of defense in international affairs.  Personally, I would rather have a few extra FSOs in a country working on diplomacy instead of the tens of thousands of troops that are required when diplomacy fails.  More diplomats means, at least in theory, less wars.  From an economic standpoint, that is what everyone, regardless of political party, should desire.

Well my first blog entry was much longer than expected.  I promise to keep them shorter and more positive in the future!

Today’s Resources:

Official guide to the Foreign Service officer selection process - http://careers.state.gov/uploads/d3/1a/d31ad5b2ae137a61573bc7c8a630b7bf/3-0_FSO_RegGuide_Apr292013.pdf

Book on life as a FSO - http://americasotherarmy.com/

Great blog on FSO material - http://www.foreignservicetest.com/

Official iPhone app cover FSOT material including test questions - http://apps.usa.gov/doscareers.shtml