I applied online. The process took 11 months. I interviewed at U.S. Department of State in Jun 2010
Interview
Step one is the FSOT, step 2 is the QEP which is a series of essays about oneself, third is the oral exam. If you pass the oral exam you then have a background investigation done and have to get a medical clearance. Doing all this is no guarantee of job offer though as candidates are then rank ordered by their oral assessment score and called as needs arise.
Overall a very long and intensive process. Approximately 3% of those who apply to take the FSOT will eventually matriculate as FSOs.
Interview is an all-day, three part process. The first part assesses how you work in a group. The second part assesses how well you can reason and write a memo, and the third part is a straight up interview designed to assess cultural fit.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How would you address an emergency that popped up in X country
I applied through a staffing agency. The process took 12 months. I interviewed at U.S. Department of State (Washington, DC) in Jul 2021
Interview
The interview comes after the applicant has passed the written exam. It is quite structured and features one-on-one and group settings. It really depends on who you get as interviewers and how well you gel with the people who are interviewing the same day you are. It isn't easy but I had fun during it.
I went through 5 steps to get an actual interview. They are very extensive with your resume process. You have to be very humble because the response time for each phase is very slow
