Just Can't Keep Still
For those of you who care about geographical locations, I'm not in Berlin. I'm not even in Europe anymore. I've been living without an address since Feb. 24th, and as of last night, I'm living in Washington, D.C. I'll start working for the U.S. Foreign Service as part of the State Dept. on Monday.
So, at this point, some of you are a little confused, because I'd been living out my dream of living in Berlin, and I just spent all that time and money for schooling as a way to realize that dream. Or you might not have ever heard me say anything about this Foreign Service application. Almost two years ago I started the long, drawn-out application process for the Foreign Service. It's complex, competitive, and pretty improbable, so I kept pursuing translating and interpreting in Berlin, and was ready to do so for several years.
But I got an offer that I couldn't refuse, and in less than three weeks, I turned my life on its side and shook it a little bit. I'm switching from being a lone ranger of translations and interpretations to working for one of the largest employers anywhere, the U.S. Government. My worldly possessions are now no longer in a skyline apartment in a happening district in Berlin, but are instead boxed up and sitting in places like a warehouse in Belgium and a garage in Nebraska. And I'll be starting a job that I think is perfect for me, but that I've never gotten a specific degree in.
My time in Berlin was much shorter than expected--about 9 months--and some things (like new clients in interpreting and technology and engineering translations, and recruiting for MIIS T&I) got cut short. But I am very satisfied with what I have accomplished in Berlin: working for myself and supporting myself, figuring out how to do that in a foreign country, succeeding at freelancing, getting into interpreting as well as translating, and doing it all in a city that I really enjoy.
So what happens now? Well, starting March 6, I'll be completing 7 weeks of orientation classes at the Foreign Service Institute in the DC area. Then there is a period of 3-8 weeks for specific training for the first post. Depending on that first post, there may be another 3-9 months of language training after that. And then they send us off to our first post. So I'll be in Washington for the next 4-12 months. Stay tuned here for more.
And what do Foreign Service Officers do exactly? I think I'll let them answer that: Go here.
Click "Foreign Service Officer." On the left side click "What does a Foreign Service Officer do?"
A general description opens. A list of the career tracks appears on the left. I picked Political Officer. Most FSOs' first position, however, is in a consulate, working on helping American citizens abroad, and working on visa applications of people coming to the U.S. Each assignment, or post, is about 2 years long.
The first post gets decided during the first 7 weeks. So, I might land in a German-speaking country (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), or I might end up just about anywhere else. We get a list of open posts and rank them. They then take everyone's rankings and match up people to posts based in a complicated and nerve-racking process, and I myself don't understand it all completely.
These are the basics as I know them now. There's more information at careers.state.gov, and if you read all that, you'll know more than me.
So, at this point, some of you are a little confused, because I'd been living out my dream of living in Berlin, and I just spent all that time and money for schooling as a way to realize that dream. Or you might not have ever heard me say anything about this Foreign Service application. Almost two years ago I started the long, drawn-out application process for the Foreign Service. It's complex, competitive, and pretty improbable, so I kept pursuing translating and interpreting in Berlin, and was ready to do so for several years.
But I got an offer that I couldn't refuse, and in less than three weeks, I turned my life on its side and shook it a little bit. I'm switching from being a lone ranger of translations and interpretations to working for one of the largest employers anywhere, the U.S. Government. My worldly possessions are now no longer in a skyline apartment in a happening district in Berlin, but are instead boxed up and sitting in places like a warehouse in Belgium and a garage in Nebraska. And I'll be starting a job that I think is perfect for me, but that I've never gotten a specific degree in.
My time in Berlin was much shorter than expected--about 9 months--and some things (like new clients in interpreting and technology and engineering translations, and recruiting for MIIS T&I) got cut short. But I am very satisfied with what I have accomplished in Berlin: working for myself and supporting myself, figuring out how to do that in a foreign country, succeeding at freelancing, getting into interpreting as well as translating, and doing it all in a city that I really enjoy.
So what happens now? Well, starting March 6, I'll be completing 7 weeks of orientation classes at the Foreign Service Institute in the DC area. Then there is a period of 3-8 weeks for specific training for the first post. Depending on that first post, there may be another 3-9 months of language training after that. And then they send us off to our first post. So I'll be in Washington for the next 4-12 months. Stay tuned here for more.
And what do Foreign Service Officers do exactly? I think I'll let them answer that: Go here.
Click "Foreign Service Officer." On the left side click "What does a Foreign Service Officer do?"
A general description opens. A list of the career tracks appears on the left. I picked Political Officer. Most FSOs' first position, however, is in a consulate, working on helping American citizens abroad, and working on visa applications of people coming to the U.S. Each assignment, or post, is about 2 years long.
The first post gets decided during the first 7 weeks. So, I might land in a German-speaking country (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), or I might end up just about anywhere else. We get a list of open posts and rank them. They then take everyone's rankings and match up people to posts based in a complicated and nerve-racking process, and I myself don't understand it all completely.
These are the basics as I know them now. There's more information at careers.state.gov, and if you read all that, you'll know more than me.
posted by John at 16:35
3 Comments:
Congratulations John on you new gig! I'm so happy you'll be bringing a your midwestern sensibility and schoolboy charm to the rest of the world. (Yea! I just got the first ever comment on John's blog!)
"Comment moderation"? What is this crap? Are you afraid your friends will sell you out in your blog comments? Very wise of you. ;)
I am SO excited for you John; wish we had made it over to see you in Germany before you jumped ship, but no doubt this is going to be very rewarding. Congrats!
Post a Comment
<< Home