Careers Representing America
When to defer?
User:
ER
Date: 3/3/2012 5:07 pm
Date: 3/3/2012 5:07 pm
Views: 17693
Rating: 0 Rate [ | ]
Rating: 0 Rate [ | ]
If I get my employment offer for the OMS position, and invited to DC for training, BUT my husband still has one year left at our current post...shall I accept and go to A-100 ? or shall I defer and accept once we get closer to post departure?? My goal obviously is to join him as a TANDEM couple and be assigned to the same country? He is Consular. Is it best to defer after A-100 and Flag Day? Thanks for any advice you might have.
Reply •
Re: When to defer?
User:
PAB_SME
Date: 3/3/2012 6:29 pm
Date: 3/3/2012 6:29 pm
Views: 1510
Rating: 1 Rate [ | ]
Rating: 1 Rate [ | ]
Should you be appointed to an OMS position, you would join a Foreign Service Specialist Orientation class (A-100 is the orientation for Foreign Service Officers).
As to your question, there are a lot of factors--some of them unknown. For example, are you currently on the Register? If so, I would recommend that you contact your Registrar to get an idea of your current ranking. Your ranking on the Register will depend on your Oral Assessment score, and any added points for foreign language proficiency and/or Veteran's Preference.
If you are not yet on the Register, you will want to consider all the steps still involved (such as medical/security clearance and Final Review for Suitability). Together, they can take some months to complete.
Then, should you be appointed, the length of your training in Washington will depend on your assignment. First, you have the three week orientation. Added training could include area studies and/or foreign language training, depending on your first post of assignment. So, at this stage, you really wouldn't know how long you would be in Washington.
Often, a seamless transition to a tandem assignment is not possible. There are many options, however, that may be available to you. If, indeed, you and your husband will be assigned to the same location, and if your husband is already tenured, it may be possible for him to extend by a period of time get your assignments in sync. Your husband's CDO, and your CDO, will work together, and with you both, to identify a tandem assignment, if possible, and coordinate timing, if possible.
Due to the Needs of the Service and training, it may very well be that you and your husband may arrive/depart at different times. This can happen throughout your careers. It is also important to note that, while the Department of State tries very hard to keep the tandem couple together, there may be times when you will have separate assignments.
Also, once you are on the Register you may request that your candidacy be put "on hold" for a brief period of time. That way, you will not be offered an appointment to the Foreign Service during that period. Or, you could turn down one appointment offer. If you do, you may, or may not, be given another, final offer.
I know it is a lot to think about, but I hope the above information is useful to you.
As to your question, there are a lot of factors--some of them unknown. For example, are you currently on the Register? If so, I would recommend that you contact your Registrar to get an idea of your current ranking. Your ranking on the Register will depend on your Oral Assessment score, and any added points for foreign language proficiency and/or Veteran's Preference.
If you are not yet on the Register, you will want to consider all the steps still involved (such as medical/security clearance and Final Review for Suitability). Together, they can take some months to complete.
Then, should you be appointed, the length of your training in Washington will depend on your assignment. First, you have the three week orientation. Added training could include area studies and/or foreign language training, depending on your first post of assignment. So, at this stage, you really wouldn't know how long you would be in Washington.
Often, a seamless transition to a tandem assignment is not possible. There are many options, however, that may be available to you. If, indeed, you and your husband will be assigned to the same location, and if your husband is already tenured, it may be possible for him to extend by a period of time get your assignments in sync. Your husband's CDO, and your CDO, will work together, and with you both, to identify a tandem assignment, if possible, and coordinate timing, if possible.
Due to the Needs of the Service and training, it may very well be that you and your husband may arrive/depart at different times. This can happen throughout your careers. It is also important to note that, while the Department of State tries very hard to keep the tandem couple together, there may be times when you will have separate assignments.
Also, once you are on the Register you may request that your candidacy be put "on hold" for a brief period of time. That way, you will not be offered an appointment to the Foreign Service during that period. Or, you could turn down one appointment offer. If you do, you may, or may not, be given another, final offer.
I know it is a lot to think about, but I hope the above information is useful to you.
Reply •
Re: When to defer?
User:
Visitor
Date: 3/3/2012 7:36 pm
Date: 3/3/2012 7:36 pm
Views: 943
Rating: -1 Rate [ | ]
Rating: -1 Rate [ | ]
It is indeed hard for tandems to figure out how and when the second member of the couple should join. There are a lot of things to think about.
First, if you're on the register, you should be in contact with the Registrar to get a sense of where you are in relation to other candidates. The Registrar should also be able to explain your options about deferring, going on the do not call list, and accepting an offer. People on the FSO track registers can defer for up to two years if they or their spouse are overseas on official government orders. That stops the clock on your time on the register for up to two years. I'm not sure if that option is also available to specialist candidates but your Registrar can explain that.
Second, your husband should contact his CDO. The CDO likely cannot do anything until you actually have accepted an offer to start an orientation class, but your husband's CDO can explain how things will work and some of the different scenarios to get you two linked up. If your husband will be bidding soon, his CDO can also help advise him on how to bid to maximize the chance that the two of you might be able to be posted together, such as bidding on jobs at large posts, bidding on jobs with multiple posts in the same city (Brussels, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, etc), bidding on DC jobs, etc.
Good luck!
First, if you're on the register, you should be in contact with the Registrar to get a sense of where you are in relation to other candidates. The Registrar should also be able to explain your options about deferring, going on the do not call list, and accepting an offer. People on the FSO track registers can defer for up to two years if they or their spouse are overseas on official government orders. That stops the clock on your time on the register for up to two years. I'm not sure if that option is also available to specialist candidates but your Registrar can explain that.
Second, your husband should contact his CDO. The CDO likely cannot do anything until you actually have accepted an offer to start an orientation class, but your husband's CDO can explain how things will work and some of the different scenarios to get you two linked up. If your husband will be bidding soon, his CDO can also help advise him on how to bid to maximize the chance that the two of you might be able to be posted together, such as bidding on jobs at large posts, bidding on jobs with multiple posts in the same city (Brussels, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, etc), bidding on DC jobs, etc.
Good luck!
Reply •
Re: When to defer?
User:
KL
Date: 3/6/2012 8:32 pm
Date: 3/6/2012 8:32 pm
Views: 927
Rating: 1 Rate [ | ]
Rating: 1 Rate [ | ]
Is the "up to two year" deferment for EFMs offered to candidates on the Specialist registers?
Reply •
Re: When to defer?
User:
PAB_SME
Date: 3/7/2012 7:07 am
Date: 3/7/2012 7:07 am
Views: 920
Rating: 1 Rate [ | ]
Rating: 1 Rate [ | ]
Yes.
Reply •
Re: When to defer?
User:
Visitor
Date: 3/8/2012 9:58 pm
Date: 3/8/2012 9:58 pm
Views: 929
Rating: 1 Rate [ | ]
Rating: 1 Rate [ | ]
My husband's first tour will be ending very soon. And, shortly thereafter, we will be heading to our second tour post. He is Consular-coned and not yet tenured. I am an EFM and will hopefully soon be on one of the Specialist registers.
If I'm called up between now and our ETA at our next post, is there any way to be assigned to his post? If so, what needs to be done to encourage this to happen?
Given our scenario, could you provide insight/recommendations on how to make our possible tandem work?
Thanks for any information and advice you could provide.
If I'm called up between now and our ETA at our next post, is there any way to be assigned to his post? If so, what needs to be done to encourage this to happen?
Given our scenario, could you provide insight/recommendations on how to make our possible tandem work?
Thanks for any information and advice you could provide.
Reply •
Re: When to defer?
User:
P51
Date: 3/8/2012 11:04 pm
Date: 3/8/2012 11:04 pm
Views: 878
Rating: 1 Rate [ | ]
Rating: 1 Rate [ | ]
If his post appears on the bid list that will be a strong argument for assigning you there.
Reply •
Re: When to defer?
User:
Visitor
Date: 3/8/2012 11:21 pm
Date: 3/8/2012 11:21 pm
Views: 905
Rating: 1 Rate [ | ]
Rating: 1 Rate [ | ]
Since your husband already has his onward assignment, once you get on your register, you should be in touch with your Registrar to get a sense of where you are on the register.
Your husband should probably also start talking to his CDO to get information from the CDO. The CDO likely cannot do anything until you accept an offer for a training class, but may be able to talk through some of the scenarios with your husband and let him know who he needs to talk to when to help you both be posted together. If there's an OMS vacancy in your husband's post, you may be able to link up that way, though the arrival dates may not exactly coincide. If there's not an OMS vacancy at your husband's onward assignment, you may have to accept an assignment at another post, but they may be able to place you at a post that's geographically close. If you get an offer before he actually gets to post, they may also be able to break your husband's onward assignment and find a way to match you together at a post. However, it all depends on needs of the service.
Your husband should probably also start talking to his CDO to get information from the CDO. The CDO likely cannot do anything until you accept an offer for a training class, but may be able to talk through some of the scenarios with your husband and let him know who he needs to talk to when to help you both be posted together. If there's an OMS vacancy in your husband's post, you may be able to link up that way, though the arrival dates may not exactly coincide. If there's not an OMS vacancy at your husband's onward assignment, you may have to accept an assignment at another post, but they may be able to place you at a post that's geographically close. If you get an offer before he actually gets to post, they may also be able to break your husband's onward assignment and find a way to match you together at a post. However, it all depends on needs of the service.
Reply •
