Foreign Service Officers snooty?
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Anonymous
As a lawyer in another agency who sometimes deals with State lawyers, I hope you realize that most of them went to top law schools and did very well. I'd wager it's far, far harder to get a legal job at State than become an FSO. |
Anonymous
| I lived abroad for about a decade, working as a teacher. The U.S. Embassy personnel were the worst in every country - most intellectually uncurious, out-of-touch, harmful attitudes imaginable. Incredibly counterproductive to any sort of stronger foreign relations or 'advancing U.S. policy.' A lot of the men also had reputations as womanizers and frequenters of prostitutes, not to mention being loud, arrogant, gluttonous, and fulfilling every awful stereotype imaginable. The comment about constantly being paranoid and suspecting everyone, including fellow Americans, of being a spy definitely rings true. Just an awful, awful bunch of people, compounded by the absolutely toxic organizational culture that is State Department. |
Anonymous
| An acquaintance is an FSO. She has told me so many times how high her foreign language score was, which was over 20 years ago. She has never asked me if I speak a foreign language, but if she did, I imagine she’d be shocked to know that English wasn’t my first language. I’m so embarrassed for her. |
Anonymous
This is unquestionably true. FSOs are a dime a dozen. Being a lawyer with State is far more impressive. |
Anonymous
Did you teach at a school attended by the kids of FSOs? |
Anonymous
This is classic. Holds true for my experiences with the FSO. |
Anonymous
| Has anyone ever seen how terribly ugly their government furniture is? Maybe that is why they are so defensive. |
Anonymous
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Depends, because there is a notable difference between FSOs at the U.S. Department of State. The "specialists" handle IT, procurement, property and facility management, accounting and budget, and HR. They don't normally take the FS exam, but they do have to pass language exams. The generalists are usually the ones with the snooty attitudes because they are the one who have passed the exam and then placed into one of the cones. Every few years, FSOs have to rotate back to the US and they end up in whatever office will take them. Oddly enough, FSOs on a short rotation in any DC program office will usually wield a TON of power and influence.
The absolute worst ones are the FSOs who came from bumpkin country and now they think they are hot stuff because they are in the FS. In all my years at State, I have only met a handful of solid FSOs who can handle the Domestic assignments well. |
Anonymous
| I don’t know why they’re so proud of passing the exam. I did (decided not to interview bc thought through what parroting our governments foreign policy overseas would do to my soul) and it’s nothing a reasonably well-read person wouldn’t know. I didn’t have to study and how could you? Wide ranging but shallow. |
Anonymous
| As the wife of an FSO, this thread has been so amusing to me! Especially the part about the furniture, LOL |
Anonymous
| I always wondered if in training they advised prospectice FSOs that they were not allowed to leave a room until everyone in the room knew they were an FSO and what each requirement of being an FSO entailed. I think the 22 year old versions of many of them would be aghast at what they 27 year old versions of themselves actually sounded like. |
Anonymous
Ah, the Drexel Heritage. It's sturdy, but hideous. |
Anonymous
Yes, and those lawyers are totally insufferable, in my experience! |
Anonymous
I think both of these statements are true. FSOs are insufferable. So are L lawyers. They deserve each other. The taxpayers deserve better. |
Anonymous
| Any civilian workplace where everyone's called an officer is asking for trouble. |