How does this test process work? and good luck on your gres!! i hear it can be one of the most satisfying tests you'll ever hand in.
Thank you. Well, first one has to take the Foreign Service Officer Test, which consists of a whole bunch of questions in diverse areas of knowledge. Before one takes the test, one has to choose a "track" meaning, an area in which one would like to be hired. The tracks are, Consular, Economic, Political, Management and Public Diplomacy. One cannot change tracks once the process has begun. The only way to really "study" for it, is to keep abreast of current events around the world and how that might influence foreign policy. Learning stuff about those countries, as well as economics in general can be helpful. Next, is the Personal Narrative Questions, in which a series of open-ended questions are asked about certain times where one reacted to a given situation. Third, is the Oral Assessment, which I believe is in two parts, individual and group. Then, there is the background check. I'm not sure if the optional language proficiency test is before or after the background check, or even concurrent. Essentially, if one speaks another language to a particular standard or beyond, points will be added, especially if the language in question is considered to be needed. For example, I think Korean is in high demand at the moment. No matter what, if one makes it through the hiring process, Foreign Service Officers receive intensive language training for their assignments, which last around 3 years per posting. If I pass all that (again if) only then will I be ranked and admitted into the hiring pool. If I am not hired within a year and a half of admittance, I will then have to start the process over again. I'm optimistic, but I am still relatively young and the process is very byzantine and cryptic (as in, no one is really sure what the evaluators are looking for other than 13 qualities, which they refer to as "dimensions") and many do not pass the first time. So far, I've spoken to two very high level diplomats who both said that they didn't pass their first time around. That's encouraging, especially as one of the diplomats I spoke to was very involved in a few African countries where things got really, really hairy. Apparently he was one of two FSOs left in Zanzibar during the coup. Anyway, it's a long shot job that I plan to apply for again if it doesn't work out this time.
Woah. That's exciting. But enjoy the excitement now! You're all caught up in the expectancy of not passing the first time, what will happen if you don't get hired, how everyone else didn't make it and where they are now.. You're in a crazy intense process and as tough as it might be, you should enjoy it! Know what to do when you dont make it, but anticipate passing! Maybe i'm being naive, but it can't hurt to let yourself have some fun with it, especially since it'll be a career that will more or less be the predominant dynamic in your life.