Foreign Service Hiring Process

USAID uses the Foreign Service classification system. The USAID Foreign Service Officers are not required to take the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT), but after that the process is somewhat similar to the State Department. For me it all began on the usajobs.gov website, which is filled with all sorts of information about the Foreign Service, the different positions and the current open position. You can apply for an open position, it requires you write multiple answers to questions on experience related to several skills. If you are selected, somebody will contact you and invite you for an interview in Washington DC (I did this on September 11, 2012 - almost 1 year ago). There are three components of the interview when you get there - a Case Study (this requires you writing a memo in response to a case situation relevant to the position), a Group Exercise (this one can be a little awkward, as you are required to develop a solution to the case study with the candidates you are competing against) and a Structured Interview with a panel made up of a Human Resource person, a Foreign Service Officer, and a Technical expert. After the Oral Assessment Interview I went home and waited for almost a month to receive a response on whether I was accepted. They followed up with references provided and the package of your scoring from the interview, your experience, and your reference responses will be forwarded to a final panel for determination. Security/Medical Clearance Process The successful candidates will begin a pre-employment process. You need to obtain a Top Secret Security Clearance and Medical Clearance. Expect the process to take several months. Final Suitability Review/Position Availability Once these hurdles are cleared, you will be on the register or list of eligible candidates. Cleared candidates are grouped by their backstop and then often rank-ordered. A panel then reviews the eligible candidates and makes a selection on those to appoint. Here is a link to a forum where people discuss the USAID Foreign Service: http://federalsoup.federaldaily.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4834&PN=1&title=usaid-junior-officer The State Department hiring process is fairly similar. The main exception is the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) as the first step to the process. After passing the OA, the process is the same as USAID.

The process is explained on their Website: http://careers.state.gov/officer/selection-process

State Department's positions are more general. State has 5 main career ladders or "cones". Every cone though will have to do a tour or two doing Consular work which means issuing visas for foreigners or assisting Americans abroad.

FSOT & Language Test While filling in your basic information in the application, you will also have the opportunity to indicate whether you have any language capabilities. After completing the application, you have to select a test date to take the FSOT.

After taking the test, if you indicated you had a language skill, you may be requested to do an over the phone language test as you will receive bonus points to your score in the end if you pass the OA.

Qualifications Evaluation Panel (QEP) If you pass the FSOT, you will be invited to the QEP stage. There will be questions on experience and you will have to provide a short answer response on that. After providing your response to these questions, your file will be sent to the Board of Examiners and they will categorize you based off your selected cone and review candidate profiles based off their QEP responses, their FSOT score, language proficiency, etc. This will take another month or two.

Oral Assessment (OA) There are three components: the Group Exercise, Case Study, and Structured Interview. After the day of testing is complete, State provides immediate feedback of whether you will move on or not. Candidates will be placed in a room and called out. If you are not successful, you will be greeted by two of the examiners and be given a file with your results for the day and be given the chance to ask any questions.

If you are successful, then you will begin the clearance process and eventually be placed on a register for eligible hires.