About 3.5 months ago I passed the final Foreign Service exam - at the time providing a thorough run-down of what the next steps would look like here. I had what I thought were pretty realistic expectations about the time and uncertainty involved in getting to the final stage of being a real, live diplomat. I expected the clearance process to take 2-3 months and then many more months of waiting until my number came up, if at all. I even very wisely assumed that I may not get called up at all, so was pursuing Russian studies both for fun and for potential bonus points.
Well, as should be expected, so far things have not gone according to my very prudent plans. My clearances took a mere 30 days, landing me on the Economic register in mid-December. I was nervous that starting my 18 month clock on the register so soon wouldn't allow me enough time either to work my way up the list as others got called up or expired, or to learn Russian well enough to earn bonus points. If I had guessed at that time, I would have said I had pretty much a zero chance of getting an invitation before September 2012, perhaps July as a stretch.
So I was shocked beyond belief when I received an email from the FS Registrar inviting me to the May 21st class of Foreign Service Officers, informally known as A-100. I had just got off a red-eye flight from a lovely weekend in Seattle, so it took a couple of days just to absorb the fact that I had been invited, and a couple more to confirm that, yes, I did want to accept. But, I did send off my acceptance. So it's official, I will be starting my career with the Foreign Service in about 2.5 months.
I will have to go into the details of A-100 another time, but the short story is that on May 21st I start the A-100 class, which is about 6-weeks long. Around week 4 you find out where your first country posting will be, which determines what additional training you will need. Most new FSOs then spend another 4-6 months in D.C. in various skill and language training before shipping off to their new homes and their first tours. So my official timeline, updated on the left, ends up leaving my about 1 week shy of year between taking the written test and starting A-100, warp-speed in State Department terms.
Stay tuned.
Well, as should be expected, so far things have not gone according to my very prudent plans. My clearances took a mere 30 days, landing me on the Economic register in mid-December. I was nervous that starting my 18 month clock on the register so soon wouldn't allow me enough time either to work my way up the list as others got called up or expired, or to learn Russian well enough to earn bonus points. If I had guessed at that time, I would have said I had pretty much a zero chance of getting an invitation before September 2012, perhaps July as a stretch.
So I was shocked beyond belief when I received an email from the FS Registrar inviting me to the May 21st class of Foreign Service Officers, informally known as A-100. I had just got off a red-eye flight from a lovely weekend in Seattle, so it took a couple of days just to absorb the fact that I had been invited, and a couple more to confirm that, yes, I did want to accept. But, I did send off my acceptance. So it's official, I will be starting my career with the Foreign Service in about 2.5 months.
I will have to go into the details of A-100 another time, but the short story is that on May 21st I start the A-100 class, which is about 6-weeks long. Around week 4 you find out where your first country posting will be, which determines what additional training you will need. Most new FSOs then spend another 4-6 months in D.C. in various skill and language training before shipping off to their new homes and their first tours. So my official timeline, updated on the left, ends up leaving my about 1 week shy of year between taking the written test and starting A-100, warp-speed in State Department terms.
Stay tuned.
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| Lake Wenatchee in Washington State- days before learning that I would soon be a new FSO. |
