(I'm stealing this from another future FSO spouse's blog because she says it so much better than I could. I changed it up to make sense for our situation, though.)
So the "register" is the list of people who have successfully passed all the tests and essays and medical invasions and security scrutiny and are deemed "OK" to be hired by the Dept. of State as a Foreign Service Officer. They aren't "in" yet. They are waiting to be invited. They are people who have invested a good deal of time into this process. And lots of energy. And thought. We are in that boat.
We = they.
My husband is on the Political register, ranked #56. That register now has 156 people on it. The top 18-20 people get invited off the register every couple of months to come to DC for training, and eventually get assigned to their first post. Which makes you think, "Okay, just wait a few months and then his score will be called." Except that people keep getting added to the register. All the time. With good scores and skills in Arabic. So they get bumped to the top. Our morale took a nose dive yesterday when we learned the POL register has replenished very quickly this past month, with most of the scores being higher than Jake's. What's more frustrating is that if Jake had been on the register in January when calls went out for March, he would have been invited. (They dipped into the 5.5s for that class, and Jake has a 5.57.) Jake was added to the register in March, though, and so no such luck. We both thought it possible he could get called for May. Nope. Then we thought June. Nope. Not that one either. So now we have to think about August, September, or October. My guess is October, if it happens at all this year. My reason, the register will again replenish this summer and DNCs will be few (compared to what it was at the beginning of the year.) With three classes in a row, hopefully that last class in October will dip low, like it did in March (that class was also the end of a 3 class-stint.) So, just my guess. Who knows, though. For awhile there we were living like this was going to happen. Now we're living like it's not. We'll just have to wait and see... again, something I'm so NOT good at.
Roots and Fruits
1 year ago
5 comments:
Sorry to hear about your stress fracture. Maybe it was caused by the "stress" of the FS. Haha. Mentally, it is exhausting, isn't it? Especially when an entire family of 5 is involved in the logistics. I hope things move in a positive direction for both our families.
It is maddening! You really are handling it well though. I really think you are awesome. I was about to have a nervous breakdown when we finally got called. It is one year+ of my life that I hope I never have to live again, but that I learned a lot from and am grateful for. Hang in there. The timing will work out when it is right.
Your OCD post totally cracked me up, because that is so me. I would like 10 years advance notice on everything thanks. And here I am living 30 days to 30 days on evac. Think of this as practice for... the rest of the career. I have to say though, having a regular paycheck makes it much easier to handle the craziness.
Hang in there girl! It is worth it! I still think that you will either do FS or something even better will come along. We are thinking of you and I'll keep you in my prayers. Sending you hugs from the border!
-Becky
Living in limbo is so so hard. I'm crossing my fingers for you that you can deal well and that you'll get what you're hoping for.
That sucks!
I hope it all happens a lot sooner than you think!!
I'm right there with you! Except I got added to the register two weeks too late to get a May call. With a bunch of DNC's presumably coming off this month after finishing grad programs, who knows how it will go. If you knew for sure when and if you would be called, it would be so much easier to wait it out.
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