It is a big week for the Alma Mater. For the first time in a very long time Army is eligible for a bowl game after defeating mighty Kent State this past weekend and this coming Saturday will play Notre Dame in Yankee Stadium. It is going to be the first football game ever played in the new stadium and probably the best chance in a very long time to break the curse. Both Navy and Air Force have done it and hopefully this Saturday we'll do the same.
I received an invitation from West Point to attend the game and festivities in NYC so we are heading up to NY on Friday.
BEAT NOTRE DAME AND BEAT NAVY!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Veteran's Day
Want to say thanks to all of those have served and all of my good friends who are still in harm's way. Hooah!
Friday, November 5, 2010
General Services Officer
Something sort of strange happened two days ago. I received one of those automated emails from USA.jobs telling me that I had been referred for a General Services Officer position. I routinely check the careers section on the State web site to check out other opportunities, especially opportunities in either Iraq or Afghanistan. There have been quite a few opportunities with the Iraq Transition Team and in Afghanistan that seemed like perfect opportunities. I speak Arabic, ex-military with a stint in a Special Forces unit as the Civil Affairs Officer, civilian finance/start-up experience, but every time no referral to the selecting official.
So I see the GSO position and since I had applied to the FSO in the management cone it seemed like something worth examining. Having done all of the wonderful case management exercises and with Mitch and Sharon still somewhere in the back of mind I started to click the bubbles and fill in the information for the position. State asked for a lot of information and probably more writing than for the entire FSO process. I completed about 2/3 of it when I got side tracked with another project and when I got the automated email saying that the position was now closed just figured that I had screwed up and since I hadn't provided all of the information was just out of luck on this one.
I can't imagine that I have a chance of being invited to the OA, but then again I had never been referred when I had all of the requisite skills and experiences either so who knows.
So I see the GSO position and since I had applied to the FSO in the management cone it seemed like something worth examining. Having done all of the wonderful case management exercises and with Mitch and Sharon still somewhere in the back of mind I started to click the bubbles and fill in the information for the position. State asked for a lot of information and probably more writing than for the entire FSO process. I completed about 2/3 of it when I got side tracked with another project and when I got the automated email saying that the position was now closed just figured that I had screwed up and since I hadn't provided all of the information was just out of luck on this one.
I can't imagine that I have a chance of being invited to the OA, but then again I had never been referred when I had all of the requisite skills and experiences either so who knows.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Written Test Prep
I would never profess to know how best to prepare for the journey of becoming a foreign service officer since I am 0 for 1, but as I am beginning to gear up for round two here are my thoughts. My scores when I took the test were about 59 and 59 on the JK and BIO section and a whopping 48 on the EE and an 8 on the essay.
My impression is that most people spend a disproportionate time studying for the JK section at the expense of EE and BIO prep. The JK is the sexiest part of the test and if you have taken it once you know that it really isn't. I know that during my first prep cycle I probably spent too much time on that part as well.
I think you will find that while you can study for the JK section you could study for a year and not see one question from your prep session. I think you need to take more of a long term view in terms of how you obtain the type of knowledge to do well on the JK section. I absolutely had a few questions on my test that I ran across from several of the books that I read so studying can have its benefits, but this part of the test doesn't lend itself to cramming.
The one section that you absolutely can prepare for is the EE section. Going into the test the first time I knew this was a weakness and while I did put in some time it wasn't enough. It is the standard take an awkward sentence and make it less awkward. I can't recommend a particular book, but if you look at the sample questions that ACT provides you are in the ball park and any study materials with similar sorts of exercises would be helpful.
The BIO section is the wildcard with the biggest delta and is a mystery to just about everyone who has taken the test. The one thing I think I can say with absolute certainty is that how one typically views "experience" does not translate into a high BIO score. If I had holes in my volunteer portfolio, community service, multi-cultural experiences, etc, I would really think about what could I do to fill out my personal portfolio? The other thing that I think is important to remember is that you didn't have to cure cancer or save your platoon in Afghanistan for the experience to qualify as being noteworthy. Don't forget this is a generalist, entry-level position. We are not applying to be the next ambassador to Russia! So don't be over confident if you have a lot of experience and don't sell yourself short if you are still wet behind the ears.
While I would never discount the fill in the blank portion of the BIO section, if I were a betting man I would bet that is much more important which bubble you check rather than what you write. So before the test and the months leading up to it write down the broad categories and the free practice questions give you a decent list, and tick off examples. If you think you may be deficient in an area do something about it.
I know someone that just failed the most recent test(did not pass the essay) and he passed the OA before, but at the time decided not to go forward with State. I have seen his writing and he helped me edit my successful personal narratives during the QEP phase so I know that he can write well. Even if you are a strong EE person do not take the essay portion of the exam lightly. I did wait to cram for this portion. During the two weeks leading up the test I wrote 1-2 timed essays every day to get my brain and fingers prepared for test day. I used many of the prompts from the ACT/State material, the Yahoo board, and picked topics from the NY Times and Washington Post. I also thought about several controversial topics and believe it or not that is what I got on test day. It wasn't exactly what I had thought about, but close enough for government work.
My impression is that most people spend a disproportionate time studying for the JK section at the expense of EE and BIO prep. The JK is the sexiest part of the test and if you have taken it once you know that it really isn't. I know that during my first prep cycle I probably spent too much time on that part as well.
I think you will find that while you can study for the JK section you could study for a year and not see one question from your prep session. I think you need to take more of a long term view in terms of how you obtain the type of knowledge to do well on the JK section. I absolutely had a few questions on my test that I ran across from several of the books that I read so studying can have its benefits, but this part of the test doesn't lend itself to cramming.
The one section that you absolutely can prepare for is the EE section. Going into the test the first time I knew this was a weakness and while I did put in some time it wasn't enough. It is the standard take an awkward sentence and make it less awkward. I can't recommend a particular book, but if you look at the sample questions that ACT provides you are in the ball park and any study materials with similar sorts of exercises would be helpful.
The BIO section is the wildcard with the biggest delta and is a mystery to just about everyone who has taken the test. The one thing I think I can say with absolute certainty is that how one typically views "experience" does not translate into a high BIO score. If I had holes in my volunteer portfolio, community service, multi-cultural experiences, etc, I would really think about what could I do to fill out my personal portfolio? The other thing that I think is important to remember is that you didn't have to cure cancer or save your platoon in Afghanistan for the experience to qualify as being noteworthy. Don't forget this is a generalist, entry-level position. We are not applying to be the next ambassador to Russia! So don't be over confident if you have a lot of experience and don't sell yourself short if you are still wet behind the ears.
While I would never discount the fill in the blank portion of the BIO section, if I were a betting man I would bet that is much more important which bubble you check rather than what you write. So before the test and the months leading up to it write down the broad categories and the free practice questions give you a decent list, and tick off examples. If you think you may be deficient in an area do something about it.
I know someone that just failed the most recent test(did not pass the essay) and he passed the OA before, but at the time decided not to go forward with State. I have seen his writing and he helped me edit my successful personal narratives during the QEP phase so I know that he can write well. Even if you are a strong EE person do not take the essay portion of the exam lightly. I did wait to cram for this portion. During the two weeks leading up the test I wrote 1-2 timed essays every day to get my brain and fingers prepared for test day. I used many of the prompts from the ACT/State material, the Yahoo board, and picked topics from the NY Times and Washington Post. I also thought about several controversial topics and believe it or not that is what I got on test day. It wasn't exactly what I had thought about, but close enough for government work.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Jordan Bound??
There hasn't been much to say as I continue to play the government waiting game with other agencies. It is always interesting to read the questions and comments after another round of test takers either moves on to the next stage or begins the long period of self-reflection.
In the meantime I have just been plugging away at maintaining and improving my Arabic proficiency and am moving ever so closely to becoming fluent. One of things that is a glaring hole in my personal resume is some sort of international volunteer work. With two almost teenage kids we can't pack up as a family and go on a Peace Corps tour so it looks like I am going to do some volunteer work for an NGO in Jordan in January.
I will be living with a Jordanian family and working in the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The program includes some survival Arabic instruction, but since I am beyond that I am going to try to squeeze in some lessons at the school I went to in Amman last year. If anyone ever needs a good recommendation for an Arabic School in Amman let me know.
Definitely ready for dinner at Hashim's!
In the meantime I have just been plugging away at maintaining and improving my Arabic proficiency and am moving ever so closely to becoming fluent. One of things that is a glaring hole in my personal resume is some sort of international volunteer work. With two almost teenage kids we can't pack up as a family and go on a Peace Corps tour so it looks like I am going to do some volunteer work for an NGO in Jordan in January.
I will be living with a Jordanian family and working in the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The program includes some survival Arabic instruction, but since I am beyond that I am going to try to squeeze in some lessons at the school I went to in Amman last year. If anyone ever needs a good recommendation for an Arabic School in Amman let me know.
Definitely ready for dinner at Hashim's!
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