Japanese Post Doc

Tonight after work, I met for dinner with my Conversation Partner. A university volunteer program partners faculty/staff with a non-native English speaker, to help the student practice English in normal--or sometimes, not so normal--conversations. We meet once a week.

This semester's partner is a Post Doc, researching mitochondrial function. I asked him what the Japanese word for mitochondria was, and he said, "Mitochondria."

Tonight, we talked about chopstick faux pas, or, as he put it, "bad stuff you shouldn't do with chopsticks." Don't cross them. Don't stand them upright. Don't point them at someone. Don't pass food to another person's chopsticks.  I couldn't think of any similar American rules.

The waitress brought me a leftovers box, as the portion was huge (tofu with vegetables). K. said, "Before I came to America, I thought all Americans eat huge portions. But you do not." I said he thought correctly, most Americans DO eat huge portions.

A nice meal. Next week, we are going to the Natural History Museum.

Preparing for the FSOT

Last year I prepared for the FSOT using a variety of methods:

1. Read through the FSOT Yahoo group postings and archives. Many of the steps below were recommended there.
2. Bought the official study guide. Took the practice test.
3. Made two sets of flashcards: constitutional amendments and landmark Supreme Court decisions.
4. Had fun playing a variety of the Seterra geography games.
5. Subscribed to The Economist.
6. Divided a spiral bound notebook into tabbed sections based on the test topics (economics, management, math, world history, US history, US government, computers). As I read something useful, I took notes.
7. Skimmed a couple US history books, mainly paying attention to topics that I knew nothing about. Same thing with economics.
8. Skimmed Strunk & White's The Elements of Style.
9. Practiced writing about 20 timed essays (prompts available on the Yahoo group).
10. Reviewed my CV, to better recall conferences, papers, training, and committee service.

I passed with a 169.34 and an essay of 6. I did not pass the subsequent PNQs.

This year, preparation consisted of:

1. Reviewing last year's flashcards and notebook.
2. Practicing timed essays.
3. Taking the State Department's online practice FSOT.
4. Having fun with constitutional quizzes. Did more Seterra games, just because they are awesome.

Did it seem easier this year? Yes and no.

Yes, because I knew what to expect and had an efficient system to whiz through the easy questions and save the hard ones for last. No, because the job knowledge questions seemed harder.

Did any of these things help? Yes, a tiny bit. I think I correctly answered a couple questions as a result of studying.

FSOT second try

I took the Foreign Service Officers Test (FSOT) for the second time today.

How to become an FSO (or, from the State Dept)

1. Take the FSOT, which includes four sections: job knowledge (think Trivial Pursuit), English expression (correcting grammar), biographic (tell us why you are so great), and an essay section. If you pass the first three sections, then your essay is graded. You need a score of 6 (out of 12) to pass the essay. It takes about three weeks to find out if you have passed.
2. If you pass the FSOT, then you are invited to submit short answers to six essay questions, called the Personal Narrative Questions (PNQ). No one except those that work for the State Department understand how this is graded. You get a letter about two months afterward that says either: "boo-hoo, try again next year" or "you pass." In the latter case, you are invited to the Oral Assessment (OA).
3. While the FSOT is usually administered somewhere in your home state (and in some foreign countries), you might have to travel to a metropolis to take the OA. The OA consists of three parts, one of which is a role playing exercise with several other job candidates. In another, you read a massive amount of material on a problem and write a summary, and the third is a formal interview (you answer questions from a panel of interviewers). You find out that day if you have passed.
4. Medical clearance. Your health must be good enough to live anywhere in the world.
5. Security clearance. Your past must be "clean" enough to pass a top-secret clearance check.
6. A final review panel looks over everything above. If they think you are a good fit, you will receive a score and be placed on the Register of FS candidates.
7. If your score is high enough, you will be offered a spot in the FS. You can increase your score by having foreign language skills or military service. THE OFFER means that you have a spot in the next A-100  class, which is a six-week-long training marathon in Washington D.C. for new foreign service officers. After A-100 is completed you are a diplomat!

The above process usually takes from seven months to two years.

In June 2013, I passed the FSOT, submitted my PNQ, and did not get invited to the OA. I waited the requisite year, and today took the FSOT again. No idea if I passed or not. Last year, I squeaked by with the lowest possible passing essay score, so I am particularly concerned that will be my downfall.