Experience and Motivation
At a normal job, this would be the interview. You’ll need to know something about the Foreign Service and your cone, and you’ll explain how you’re right for the job. Talk about opportunities, challenges, normal interview stuff. If you want tips, the internet has plenty.
Hypothetical Scenarios
The assessors will give you a brief scenario. These are typically emergency management type stuff. They’ll ask you a question, you answer it as best you can, and then things get progressively worse, and you have to keep answering it. One of the keys to this is to respect the chain of command. When you’re coming up with answers, make sure you mention that you would keep your supervisors informed (you should still make decisions, I’d advise avoiding saying, “I’d ask my supervisor what to do,” but that’s just me). Just like the case management exercise, you don’t have to know official policies; you just need to show good judgment.
Past Behavior Interview
How is the past behavior section different than the experience and motivation section? In the past behavior portion, you’re asked to show specific evidence of the following dimensions:
- Composure
- Cultural Adaptability
- Initiative and Leadership
- Objectivity and Integrity
- Oral Communication
- Planning and Organizing
- Working with Others
Since you know you’re being tested on these dimensions, I strongly recommend you think of examples where you’ve demonstrated these dimensions in the past ahead of time. When I took the exam, I actually prepared examples for each of the dimensions, just to be prepared. You know what they’re grading you on, so study for the test. You don’t want to overdo it, but err on the side of the dimensions. At least, that’s what I think. BEX may have gotten sick and tired of hearing the same stupid dimensions over and over again year after year.
Well, that’s my take on the oral exam. Study hard, have fun, and do your best. It really is a fascinating experience, even if you fail or never get off the list. Think positively though, imagine yourself in the beautiful golden ballroom on the seventh floor of the State Department getting sworn in.
This post is part of my unofficial Guide to the Foreign Service Exam.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
i’m in love with you, mr. hegemonist
I’m a concrete examples kind of girl. Can you give a few examples of the specific emergency situations you were asked about, and what you answered?
Unfortunately you have to sign a non-disclosure agreement when you take the test; also, I honestly don’t remember my specific questions. It seems to me though, that they went something like this, “A plane just crashed in your consular district, what do you do?” “It turns out there were amcits on the plane, now what?” “One of the amcits is your boss who’s been out of the countries, what now?” “You get a call from the mom of a missing amcit who may have been on the plane, what do you say?” etc.