Foreign Service update

So next Tuesday will be three months since I passed the FSOA (Foreign Service Oral Assessment) and I'm still waiting for my security clearance. The "hurry up and wait" phase is the most frustrating aspect of this whole process, compounded by the fact that three people who passed on my OA date have already received "The Call" - the invitation to A-100 orientation class!  Argh. Of course, none of them had as much foreign work or life experience as I do, and none of them had Iraq and Afghanistan stamps in their passports! So here I sit and wait still.

"FSO TODAY"

Here's some interesting Foreign Service-related articles in the news today:

Career diplomats protest Obama appointments
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/10/career-diplomats-save-share-of-postings/

Third State Department snooper sentenced
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/070909-third-state-department-snooper.html

Comments

[Kristen]

I'm definitely interested in how long it takes for your security clearance to go through. Both my husband and I just passed the June written and are now getting ready to hand in our QEP essays and prepping to take Arabic exams. We're both working on our master's degrees and will graduate next June so we're hoping that if we pass this step and the orals that we'll be done by then.

Good luck!!

[adventure adored]

Thanks for the update-- as you may (or may not?) know, I passed the FSOT and just turned in my PNQs... we are all in a waiting process, eh?

Did you happen to see the article about U.S. embassy architecture in WaPo today?http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/16/AR2009071604601.html

- Adventure Adored

[Digger]

Good luck to all of you. As you know (or will soon enough), the answer to all questions regarding the State Department is "it depends." I have seen people with lots of foreign travel take forever and no time at all. Mine took 2.5 months, but most of my foreign travel was tourist related.