I spoke with an aspiring FSO earlier this week. She was smart (PhD, former college professor) and funny and very personable. But there was something that didn’t click in our conversation. Admittedly, it was just a 20-minute telephone call, but still it was almost immediately evident that she was missing what is perhap. s the most important thing for people who want to pass the Foreign Service Exam, especially the Oral Assessment.
She didn’t have any passion. Not for the work, not for the career track, and not for the FS as a career.
Don’t misunderstand me. There are some FSOs who don’t have passion for their work. That’s too bad because I’m convinced they joined the Foreign Service with a great deal of zeal. But over the years have lost that mysterious ingredient locked into a job because of the health, education and other benefit s.
Be honest with yourself. If you’re not excited about the Foreign Service, living overseas and working for the U.S. Government, don’t waste your time. The prep for the exams and the wait to get in are ridiculously long.
But what if you do have the zest and the passion to join the Foreign Service and live and work overseas, but you can’t pass the test. Say you take it four or five times, but you still don’t pass. What are the alternatives? I’ll discuss that in a future post.
Cheers
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