What Ever Happened to FSOWannabe?

For those of you who might still see my blog from time to time and wonder if I'm still alive...I am.

So what the heck? It's been about ten months since my last real post - quite slacker like. Well...there's good news and bad news. the good news is that EVERY single person in my FSOA study group received an offer to join the FS.

The bad news is that I'm the only one that said no.

As some who used to read this blog may know, or at the very least not be surprised by, the Mrs. FSOWannabe had some deep reservations about the career change. And when the chance to join the Foreign Service became real...things got pretty bad. And the career was (and isn't) worth my family, so dream denied.

And if that were the end of it, this blog would still be languishing.

Since last August, I started a new career as a law professor. It's...okay. I really, truly enjoy teaching, and I enjoy working with law students. That being said, I generally feel a lot of guilt being a law professor teaching law students that have a very small chance of being employed right out the gate. FULL DISCLOSURE: I have no idea what the graduate career statistics are for my school and I have no interaction whatsoever with our career services office. That being said, I know where my school is ranked (low) and I know how the economy for lawyers is (terrible). It's also difficult because my law career was completely different from my law students - I was big law working for Fortune 50 companies. Most of our law students hang their own shingle or become public defenders/DA's. Very different worlds.

And don't get me started on faculty politics. Rarely have I seen so much pride for so little accomplishment.

And I think the Mrs. has also noted my mixed feelings about being a law professor. In the interim, she also made a career change and went in-house for one of the last of the big banks. Going in-house was one accomplishment she needed. Although I think she would be the first to admit she'd be happy to stay there, I think she also realizes that no matter how far she might advance, there are other things to live for. Earlier this year, she had a chance to travel to SE Asia to spend time with a friend who works for the CDC. While out there, she had some experiences that opened her back up to the idea of the FS life.

And now we're back.

I have one more offer available and only a couple months left on the register. Not sure I have much of a chance with my current OA score (5.5), but I'm taking a language test in a couple of weeks for the .17 bump (wish me luck). So it's pretty much resting on a July offer for the September A-100. And I'm registering for the June FSOT for just in case the July offer doesn't come my way.

Observing Memorial Day

Musical Interludes

Postings to Resume?

Musical Interlude

Crack Open the Wine!

So the last two people from my OA study session found out they have FINALLY made it on to the register! It only took 6+ months. They are both Public Diplomacy cone, so they are joining an already too long register. Luckily, one has a good chance of getting the call for October. The other needs to brush up his Arabic for the extra points. I am so happy for our group. Everyone passed, and now everyone is on the register. Congratulations, guys!

Sorry, ITMTGP, I know the last thing you want to hear is more PD people getting on the register. I hate this process, too.

UPDATE: Gah! My fellow study-buddy who I thought for sure would get an offer for October missed out by a hair on getting an offer. He's 20 or so out of 174 on the PD register. Who knows were he'll be by the next class. I hate this process.

Register Update

Sorry I've not been updating very frequently. My work has gotten busy again, and staring at the register is not something that lends itself to interesting blog posts (sad, stressed, obsessive posts, but not really interesting ones). The econ register is finally starting to grow like all the other registers. I think, to some degree, that's a result of how backed up the Pol and PD registers are - I'm guessing people are now picking Econ because they see a better chance of getting hired off the register.

I'm currently 40 out of 109 (I think) according to Ms. Walton at State. Hopefully I'll cruise back down into the low thirties after the offers for October go out. I was planning on taking the Japanese test to boost my score, but I've sadly had to discontinue my Japanese lessons due to financial issues for the foreseeable future. I need to find some natives willing to do some free language exchange.

Anyhow, once I get my sealegs over the next couple of weeks I hope to post some more. For any readers, feel free to post any comments, questions, whatever, and I'll do my best to get back to you.