87 BOA: Strategy
After listening to me describe the OAs, a friend said the structure reminded her of the bar exam.
"And what did you do to prepare for that?" I asked.
"Practiced the timed writing sections over and over," she said. "Just keep practicing, until it's second-nature, and time yourself. You'll get it. Don't worry."
So that's Part I of my strategy: practice the Case Management exercises until they no longer bother me. For that I don't need a group. I just need sample CMs.
Part II: Read books written by former State Department people. That'll lend a sense of how they think, speak, and write. It's important to know the culture of the group you want to join. See if it's a good fit, for you as well as for them.
Part III: Revisit my answers to the Personal Narrative Questions. These are anecdotes that demonstrate the 13 Dimensions. Learn those answers. Think of other appropriate ones.
Part IV: Memorize the OA Summary written by the State Department. Why? It tells you exactly what to do at every step of the way. I keep hearing this over and over again. They want to see if you can follow instructions. So many people have trouble because they simply fail to follow instructions.
Part V: Study the speeches and responses of President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton. They clearly enunciate U.S. foreign policy goals in ways that are elegant, accurate. Excellent fodder for any questions thrown at me about why I want to join the Foreign Service.
On my To-Do List: Fill out the various forms one is required to bring with to an OA, including the Statement of Interest, which is an essay explaining why one wants to join the Foreign Service.
Hmmm ... I'd better get cracking. Only 87 days 11 hours 3 minutes and 42 seconds to go! (I'm just kidding. Sort of.)
"And what did you do to prepare for that?" I asked.
"Practiced the timed writing sections over and over," she said. "Just keep practicing, until it's second-nature, and time yourself. You'll get it. Don't worry."
So that's Part I of my strategy: practice the Case Management exercises until they no longer bother me. For that I don't need a group. I just need sample CMs.
Part II: Read books written by former State Department people. That'll lend a sense of how they think, speak, and write. It's important to know the culture of the group you want to join. See if it's a good fit, for you as well as for them.
Part III: Revisit my answers to the Personal Narrative Questions. These are anecdotes that demonstrate the 13 Dimensions. Learn those answers. Think of other appropriate ones.
Part IV: Memorize the OA Summary written by the State Department. Why? It tells you exactly what to do at every step of the way. I keep hearing this over and over again. They want to see if you can follow instructions. So many people have trouble because they simply fail to follow instructions.
Part V: Study the speeches and responses of President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton. They clearly enunciate U.S. foreign policy goals in ways that are elegant, accurate. Excellent fodder for any questions thrown at me about why I want to join the Foreign Service.
On my To-Do List: Fill out the various forms one is required to bring with to an OA, including the Statement of Interest, which is an essay explaining why one wants to join the Foreign Service.
Hmmm ... I'd better get cracking. Only 87 days 11 hours 3 minutes and 42 seconds to go! (I'm just kidding. Sort of.)
Posts
1 comments:
Good luck on the oral assessment. For the case managment exercize, make certain you engage the math. They already know you can write. But can you deal with budget numbers? That is one of the key things they are looking for.
For the group exercize, don't forget to talk. They want to see how you negotiate, how you lead, how you help the group reach concensus. They DON'T care whether your project gets funded. Mine didn't, and I was the only one who passed the day I took it.
And if you are interested, check out my blogroll at http://lifeafterjerusalem.blogspot.com. I have a list of some 100+ blogs by members of the Foreign Service and their families. They'll give you a good idea about how people from all walks of life find life in the service.
Good luck!
Post a Comment