After successfully passing the FSOT, the next step is submitting your Personal Narratives within 3 weeks of receiving the congratulatory e-mail.
The PNs are short essays (~200 words) asking you to describe specific examples from your life regarding certain criteria that make a successful FSO. Examples of your leadership ability, good judgment, communication skills and creativity are all tested to some degree. It is up to you to write concisely and persuasively to pass this part of the test.
There is no time limit outside of the 3 week deadline. The PNs are submitted electronically, thus you are able to write them at your own pace, at your own time and simply copy and paste them in to the selected fields before the deadline. I highly suggest finishing a day or two in advance just in case there are any issues with the website or your own personal internet. You really wouldn't want to fail out because your internet crashed right before they were due...
I highly suggest having others edit them before you submit them. Friends, family members are all free to edit it, employees of the State Department, as I understand it from a DIR, are forbidden from editing your narratives.
There is no set score that you have to reach, the QEP takes a "Total Candidate approach" (State Dept. Website) to review your file. This makes things very frustrating for people that fail. Unlike other aspects of the test, you can't see where you went wrong at this stage of the process. You simply receive a congratulatory e-mail, inviting you to the Orals, or you get a... not so positive e-mail, simply stating you failed to reach the mark and try again next time.
To be blunt, you either have it or you don't at this point. The QEP either likes what they see from you or don't, there's really no other way of saying it. I've read countless threads and posts of people quitting at this point in the process because they feel so qualified and haven't made it. While I don't care to dispute or discredit people's hard earned degrees, that's not what the Service is necessarily looking for. If they were then I wouldn't be able to explain how I made it through to the Orals myself. I believe that what the QEP wants and needs to see from successful test takers is meaningful experiences given your life opportunities up to this point.
Being fluent in 5 different languages, higher educational degrees from prestigious universities are not enough if you have no substantial overseas experience. The Service will teach you a language if you need it, having a pre-existing fluency is simply bonus points at the end of the whole process. Higher educational degrees are irrelevant, you technically don't need any degree to become an Officer. What is invaluable, and really demonstrates a positive potential is real, long-term overseas experience. This doesn't count studying abroad in Europe for a semester or two in college. I'm talking about having lived over "there" for a prolonged period of time, interacting with local people on a daily basis, and then returning to the U.S. a better person because of it. I hate to sound like I'm preaching but having read so many of the same negative comments about the process from people that feel they deserved to have passed frustrates me.
At the same time it gives people a little insight in to the, arguably, the hardest portion of the test. Knowing a little something about why they failed makes it easier the next time to present what the QEP is after. This is not a career choice for everyone.
While I have absolutely no proof of how the QEP passes and denies certain individuals, I can only deduce these observations based on my PNs and my subsequent approval to continue to the OA. I have been fortunate enough to have had a truly international life. I was born in the Philippines, lived in Japan, Germany and the UK before coming to the U.S.. Compared to someone with a Ph.D., I probably look like a much more world-ready candidate to the QEP because I'm already familiar with the rigors of traveling constantly and continuously interacting with other nationalities yet firmly remaining an American at heart. Being an American diplomat is all about understanding and coexisting with other nationalities, yet remaining rooted in American values and beliefs. No number of degrees will be able to convey that to the QEP or impress them.
I'm sorry if that came off rather preachy. Again, I certainly don't want to under-value the importance of higher education, I certainly plan on getting a Masters degree or a Ph.D., but at the same time that isn't what the QEP want to see in a candidate. Certainly they are a positive factor, but not the ultimate factor that will change your file from a "maybe" to a "definitely". Ways to improve your lack of international experience is simple. Go out and get some. The Peace Corps or a stint in the military are great ways to boost that. If you work in the private sector, request a posting overseas. Anything involving another culture will suffice, I'm sure.
Your cone is also of huge importance. If you select the Economic cone, then showcasing your ability to analyze budgets through specific examples or something of that nature is going to be critical. Likewise if you are a Management cone candidate. Troll through your life experiences to find a concrete example of how you managed a big case or project and concisely describe it.
Following basic good essay writing is key to success. It's not just what you write about but how you write it too. Be organized, make it easy for the QEP to find the information they're after. State the situation, give the background information. State what you did, clearly, and show the effects of your action. What were the results?
Good luck. Stay motivated.
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