Took the Foreign Service test today. We are DOOMED.
 

I was just awestruck at how dumbed down these questions were. One of the first ones was something to the effect of, "The number of close friends I have whose native language is not English is...." D was 4 or more. And if you chose more than one, you had to list the friends' names and languages and it was all limited to 200 characters. I only listed four, including my wife, but I could have easily listed 30-40. Do people who want to become diplomats really have so little interaction with foreigners that this question is necessary?

Several other questions asked how much business I have conducted by phone or how many business calls I make in a day. Again, any more than four and I had to list details. Well, 15 yrs. in sales means you have lived years of your life on the phone. How do I even begin to explain?

I aced the written exam last time, but didn't make it past the essay level. I was totally stumped by one of them that asked me to describe a memorable experience I had had with a foreigner. I didn't know where to begin with that. Even before I married a Chinese woman, much of my life consisted of interaction with foreigners, though much of the time I would have been the foreigner. When you've filled up a few passports, these questions are head scratchers. We're doomed. Fortunately, I couldn't take the pay cut to be an FSO and I wouldn't work for John Kerry for any amount of money.

I did the BEX years ago. I wanted to go crazy with the people I did it with. mostly know-it-all types with 0 real world experience. fresh out of MBA or law school. I didn't want to take a substantial paycut for the same reasons you listed. except, different players.

Can you hold my wallet while I take the test. There is a hundred dollars in there. Or maybe there isn´t. I don´t remember.
Ah!! the pressure! Can I borrow your pen?

Foreign service?
Undercover work?
Quite a step up in base pay!

You will be dropped inside the border of Pakistan..

Hmm.. thats Soul Finger by the Bar-Kays. They must be having trouble getting gigs!

%&¤# You have a tent!!?


And other lines from Spies Like Us. :D

Guys... It's not the test that weeds out the unqualified - it's the pay scale.
See, any real government employment hopeful in those lines of work are able to see past the GS payscale. They know the real money is in what the other governments will pay you to play ball with them. And they know that if they play the game right, there is a book deal follow-on.

Well, I took the test a few times around 20-25 yrs. ago and it was HARD back then. There were very few questions this time about world history and politics. One asked which of the following countries was a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Another asked in which country the Arab Spring began. That was really about it.

Dumb (maybe) question - why bother wasting your time taking an exam for a job you admittedly don't want? I mean, there's probably some pedagogic value but is that really enough to make it worth the trouble or is there something else going on here?

Yes, I like to see how much easier it gets with my age and experience and State's dumbing it down further. Hey, if I get invited to the orals, it's a free trip to DC and I can check on my house in VA.

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why do you want to serve foreigners?

Domed...


KT

I hear the Itallians are very tasty.

So what you are saying is you want to defraud the US Taxpayers out of a free trip to DC?

Huh.

Hey, if they offer me enough for the job, I will really take it.