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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I work at State (in L — thanks lawyer hater!). I actually think it’s hard to be an FSO in Washington, because in many gigs you’re surrounded by civil service folks who have been in their position for 10 years, so both know way more than you but are often also resentful you’re there/uninterested in helping you learn. Most FSOs hate their Washington tours until they move up the chain enough to be like a DAS level and so they’re really just trying to impress the “right” people for their next gig so they can move on through. That can definitely make them unpleasant to deal with if you’re not one of those people. On the flip side, FSOs are typically more flexible/open to input than civil service folks and is a bit smarter on average. [/quote]

I actually find the FSOs to be extremely risk averse and not open to input. They treat every person as if they’re going to be their COM down the road and will never speak truth to power. They’re agreeable and willing to work as much as it will help their EERs, but will never initiate the real change for the Department. They don’t like being in Washington because it’s a big pay cut. They actually have to pay for housing.

Sadly, I have to interact with the worst of the FSOs as part of my job, and the bad ones are bad in a shocking way. Not sure that it’s different than any other large organization, but that undoubtedly colors my view. [/quote]

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