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DC Shopper


Dooney & Bourke

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big life changing news!
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Some of you might remember me posting about trying to get into the State Department Foreign Service waaay back in the fashionhag days.  Well I passed all the tests long ago and have been on a waiting list for a position for almost 18 months.  I was about to be dropped from the list and had written the whole thing off when - surprise! - I got an email at 10 pm yesterday saying I had an appointment offer that I had to respond to by Monday!  I couldn't believe it but I decided to give it a try and put grad school on hold.  I start training May 2 and my honeymoon in Hawaii may be in jeopardy but I'm sooo excited!  My fiance is psyched about it too.  So our lives will be changing in dramatic ways - we'll most likely be living overseas within a year, unless they tell me I have to go to the Middle East in which case I will probably turn the offer down.  Just had to share my excitement - I can be a stylethread foreign correspondent!

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honey


Gucci

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that's so awesome. congratulations!

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esquiress


Marc Jacobs

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that's amazing dc_shopper!! congratulations and good for you!!

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Karina


Chanel

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that is excellent!!! congratulations!!! i wish you the best of luck

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Maddie


Coach

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That's so cool! What an amazing opportunity!

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cc


Marc Jacobs

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Amazing, amazing, amazing!

Will this affect your grad schooling at all or will you be sent overseas when you complete your program?

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ILoveChoo


Hermes

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that it amazing! I am so jealous.

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DC Shopper


Dooney & Bourke

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thanks, you guys!  It is still sinking in.


cc, I am postponing grad school indefinitely, but will finish out the semester, so I'll have a year of grad school under my belt.  The thing with State is that you either take it when they offer it to you or you pass it up completely.  This offer was to start training on May 2, so I had to take it.  It's a big leap of faith and I'm sad to leave school but I'm more excited about State (unless I get assigned to Iraq or somewhere my husband won't be able to go, in which case I'll prob. go back to school, but hopefully that won't happen...)



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lsubatgirl


Gucci

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So what will your job duties be? I forgot I'm happy for you and hopefully you'll get a really cool country.

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halleybird


Hermes

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That is SO unbelievably cool. Congrats!

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Farrah


Marc Jacobs

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That is wonderful news!!  I hope that you get to go somewhere fabulous.  Keep us posted!!

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Joina


Kenneth Cole

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That is soooo awesome!  I've often considered taking the exams.  My friend who took it 2 years ago said they were really hard.


Congratulations.



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Escrime


Kate Spade

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Awesome!  and congrats!! I am envious, but in a good way.    I have also thought about taking the test.

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Andrea Julia


Coach

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Congratulations, DC Shopper!  That is awesome news!


I have considered taking that test so many times.  I would have seriously gone anywhere they stationed me and been excited about it.  I wanted to do that so bad, but I was always scared of the extensive background check.  I haven't lived the most innocent of lives.



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rlutz


Chanel

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COngratulations...I am so happy for you...

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alb


Marc Jacobs

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That's awesome, DCS!!  Congrats!  Are you going to be a foreign service officer, then?  I can't wait to find out where you are sent.  Please keep us posted!

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LoMish


Kate Spade

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that's so funny b.c. i was just at a women's peace conference last weekend and someone from the state department was there talking about the exam and the job opportunities with the state department-so what exactly will your duties be? and you have to let us know where you are going! how exciting! i am so happy for you!!! that's definitely great news!!!!!!

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DC Shopper


Dooney & Bourke

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Hey everybody, to address some questions/comments:


I will be a Foreign Service Officer - a Public Diplomacy officer to be exact, which is sort of like PR for the US.  Yeah, should be interesting and quite the challenge in these times.  But before I get to that point, I have to spend at least 18 months or so as a Consular Officer - all Junior Foreign Service Officers have to do this at the outset of their careers - so I will basically be processing visas, getting Americans out of jail, etc. for a while I guess.


I won't know where I'm going until May or June but I will definitely let you guys know! Training starts on May 2!


I would encourage anyone to take the exam if they are interested.  It is free and you can take it as many times as you want.  They currently offer it once a year, in April - i think you can still sign up.  My advice would be to study up on US History, World Geography, the Constitution, etc.  They send you a study booklet for a fee, which is very helpful.  It's definitely not the kind of exam you can take totally unprepared and off the cuff.  But it's not that bad.  Once you pass the written, you go on the Oral Exam, which is hard but kind of fun and is like a combination interview and exam.  It's nerve wracking but if you go in confident and calm you have a good chance.


Oh and AJ, I wouldn't worry about the Security Clearance - they only do it after you pass all the exams and unless you have a criminal background or have recently taken drugs, you should be alright! 



-- Edited by DC Shopper at 11:51, 2005-04-13

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