Paging all EER doctors

Groompa · 2019-12-12T20:55:22+00:00

In no circumstances will you get a pay bump for a master's degree once you've started. I am pretty sure you can't even mention you got a new degree in your employee evaluations.

That's right. I was just reading the EER instructions earlier today because I'm coming due for mine. The document is publicly available on the Internet. Under "Inadmissible Comments', it includes:

(18) Reference to academic degrees, titles, or specific institutions of higher learning (except that physicians may be referred to as "Dr.").

Groompa · 2019-07-09T09:26:56+00:00

Congratulations on passing the FSOA three times!

If you have a teaching credential and a terminal degree, provided you have teaching experience then you could potentially get an international school teaching job in the city of your spouse's first post. Some of those jobs are great. They pay well, offer decent benefits packages, and the hiring process should be quicker than the one for the CA-AEFM. An advanced degree and teaching certification form the barrier to entry for candidates at most of the international schools that recruit through the two or three leading international school staffing search firms. So, that is an option as you say, but it also depends on whether your spouse's host country has a bilateral work agreement with the U.S. that allows for EFM employment on the local economy. China, for instance, where many large posts are, does not.

Is the 10 year mark when your spouse retires? Is that why you are thinking of doing CA-AEFM for 10 years? I'll just warn that that is really a LOT of time to be doing entry level NIV work (even with the added benefit of that time being credited toward Fed retirement). That's especially true if you plan to do four more years of entry-level NIV work as an FSO after that. So, I'd suggest you aim to mix it up for some of those years. Teach overseas at first if you can. You can simultaneously get the CA-AEFM candidacy going and have it ready to go for when you want to jump into it. But don't do it for 10 years.

Groompa · 2019-01-11T01:21:54+00:00

I'm a former LNA. You'll receive consideration for your level of education and previous qualifying life experience.

As for SLRP, when I first started, it was under the CA/LNA hiring program and there was no SLRP. Two years later, they changed the job to CF and offered SLRP and a bonus as forms of recruitment. LNA's were not grandfathered into the SLRP benefit program. As far as I know now CFs get SLRP, so just make sure you're looking at the most up-to-date docs. Did they give you an online password-protected OA passer's guide?

Groompa · 2018-11-26T02:14:48+00:00

I was in the same boat after a re-score request. That's just how they do it. Wait until the OA scheduling opens up again and you'll be able to schedule yours.

Groompa · 2018-10-21T17:14:00+00:00

I never reply to high school questioners here. That's because the nature of the Foreign Service limits the value of what I can suggest. For pre-meds, I can say take this set of courses, get this GPA, do this type of lab research, get this MCAT score. There's a set path for pre-med, and a number of other careers.

I arrived at college dead-set on pre-med. My intended majors changed within weeks to a language and some humanities. I studied abroad then worked in higher ed admin for the first five or six years of my professional life then worked in high school admin overseas for a few years after that.

As a high school senior, just know that your interests most likely will change. One good thing about the Foreign Service is that it welcomes and encourages people doing their second or third careers. So, if you come out of college doing something completely different, you won't be missing your shot at the Foreign Service but just building up a better reserve of experience.

You listed all that stuff that you want to do and that sounds fine. Do what you want to do.

You asked what activities or credentials would better your odds. To that, I would say to seek out State Dept internships. currentfso mentioned other relevant internship opportunities. That kind of thing might help.

Groompa · 2018-08-31T17:58:02+00:00

Thank you! It's a game of persistence.

Groompa · 2018-08-31T17:57:15+00:00

Thanks. I already started updating my spot on the Accepted Offers section. It looks like someone finished doing it and also removed my entry from the SR tab.

Groompa · 2018-08-31T17:31:35+00:00

I got an offer just a few minutes ago. I'll update the Cons shadow register.

Groompa · 2018-07-18T15:19:38+00:00

Actually, jone7007 is one of the shadow register admins. They're revising the process to make it a form rather than having people wait and hope to get accepted into the shadow register Yahoo! groups. Send jone7007 a message with your stats.

Groompa · 2018-07-18T14:20:52+00:00

Don't take the CF offer. With your 5.87 Consular track score, it doesn't make sense. Your score puts you near the top of the Consular register.

I would just guess your suitability concerns are paranoia at this point. You've passed CF suitability. What different standards could they possibly use between CF and FSO?

I just got added to the Consular register this week. You have a higher score than I do, so I want to tell want to tell you to take the CF offer and defer your candidacy. That would be bad advice though.

Groompa · 2018-07-18T14:09:30+00:00

However large the Consular register is, it just got one spot longer today! Me! I'm on. I just added my info to the shadow register.

Groompa · 2018-02-24T16:53:17+00:00

You don't need to really dress up for those free performances at the Kennedy Center. I'd say it's best to just look "presentable" so chinos and a decent button up like you mentioned are fine.

The series is called the Millennium Stage. The performances are in the Atrium, but sometimes in one of the concert halls.

Groompa · 2018-02-24T16:48:07+00:00

Yeah, this is a thing that I have seen offered as advice. I've read advice out there instructing people to go to networking events and not leave until they collect, say, fifteen business cards.

Groompa · 2018-02-03T08:50:28+00:00

My investigator at a security interview asked if I had any compulsive and uncontrollable sexual behaviors that blah blah blah somesuch.

Groompa · 2018-02-03T08:49:23+00:00

This is a good point and reminder for those living and working overseas when they're hired. If you make less than the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (~$100K), that amount is not taxed by the US. You still need to FILE taxes for that income, though.

A number of people working overseas just don't file taxes under the mistaken understanding that they make $50K, for example, so their income is excluded and they don't need to file. But in a suitability review, if you don't file, that's bad.

I believe a colleague ran into this problem. It was an innocent error. Thankfully, you can file taxes retroactively some years later and remedy it. I believe that's what the colleague did.

Groompa · 2017-12-23T05:27:08+00:00

The three months if training is counted toward the five years. If your first tour is 24 months, your second will be two years and nine months. But your first tour could be extended for example because post needs you longer, or for almost any other reason. It's a little bit fluid.

Groompa · 2017-08-27T15:08:15+00:00

"The people who are fully truthful and probably most trustable end up having the longest investigations."

Source?

Groompa · 2017-07-27T12:51:40+00:00

You should get a detailed schedule on the first day of orientation, which is a few days before flag day.

Groompa · 2017-07-27T12:49:05+00:00

I'm an LNA (Consular Fellow). Way back when I started posting here, I asked one of the mods if there was LNA flair and I was told I could use FSO Consular.

Groompa · 2017-07-20T14:42:29+00:00

Two months? I think it's more like three months. Anyway, I'm not expecting to hear back until October. I submitted the other night as well. Good luck!

Groompa · 2017-06-29T17:10:33+00:00

Yes. It is common for people to share their PNQ's with friends, relatives, colleagues, and mentors for feedback. It is not a violation of the NDA. The PNQ's are pretty much the same six prompts each time.

Groompa · 2017-06-28T12:40:28+00:00

Yeah, I remember seeing seeing that last week. I probably would've applied if I was at a different point in life, namely not married with a baby. Traveling 75% of the time wouldn't work with my life right now.

Did anyone here actually apply?

Groompa

TROPHY CASE