Foreign Service Specialist opportunities with the Department of State attract experienced professionals from a variety of technical, service and administrative backgrounds. Applicants are typically men and women interested in international work combined with public service at this stage in their career. Pursuing one of the nineteen FS Specialist career tracks can be intimidating, however, as the application and interview process is complicated, time-consuming and often frustrating for people unfamiliar with government hiring explanations and evaluation methods.

To help candidates produce effective materials quickly for FS Specialist openings when they are announced, our Personal Application Coaching service tailors your life and career assets to the specifications of the job you want. We walk you through the complex Vacancy Announcement for the position, explain how to craft the written documents required, and enable you to work either independently or with us step-by-step until your application is completed for the online screening process by the deadline. We can also train you later to prepare for your FS Specialist oral assessment.

Personal Application Coaching

In interactive coaching with you, we break down, explain and simplify the FS Specialist application procedure. This entails:

• An informed analysis of the position description and application requirements
• An explanation of the skills and qualities—or “dimensions”—you need to demonstrate to advance in the competition
• An assessment of your entire career and life background to determine all your assets that contribute to your suitability
• Instruction on completing critical sections of the DS-1950 Application for Federal Employment, which is usually required
• Key insights and sample drafts showing how to respond convincingly to Supplementary Questionnaire topics and Narrative Autobiography requirements
• Techniques and sample material to develop a concise resume targeted specifically for the FS Specialist job you want
• If needed, assistance to file your electronic application online, and on time, through the Gateway to State website

For each step in applying to any FS Specialist opening we can teach you how to do all the work yourself, coach you and then edit the material you draft, or prepare everything on your behalf including the final submission.

Oral Assessment Counselling

The next plateau in the FS Specialist entry competition is the Oral Assessment. It has two principal components: a Written Exercise and then a Structured Interview which actually comprises three elements—motivation/experience questions, hypothetical workplace questions, and technical questions related to your chosen FS Specialist field.

The Oral Assessment again tests government-specific “dimensions” but in different ways than before. To help individuals prepare for the 45-minute Written Exercise and the 1-hour, multi-part Structured Interview we provide:

• Guidance on how to brainstorm ideas quickly to frame, write and edit a top-notch essay from the topics list you are given
• A method to pre-plan, practise and refine your answers detailing your motivation and experience to serve in an FS Specialist role
• Proven advice and practice to handle hypothetical questions in a way that produces high marks

Who Can Benefit from our Application and Oral Assessment Help?

Our time-tested, effective strategies and advice will enable you to perform confidently in applying to, and being interviewed for, the FS Specialist position you are seeking.

Clients include men and women with professional backgrounds as business executives, lawyers pursuing new challenges, and individuals with international experience in journalism, teaching, informatics, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and the military.

Click here to download the Table of Contents of the Oral Assessment Counselling session/materials.

Fees

One-on-one Application Counselling by telephone: From the U.S. or Abroad $150.00/hour US (no taxes) One-on-one Oral Assessment Counselling by telephone: From the U.S. or Abroad $695.00 US (materials included, no taxes) Long-distance consultations are carried out only on calls placed by clients. Times can be arranged to take advantage of discount rates, international time zones, and client availability.

Further Information

Please Contact Us at 613.567.9229 to outline your FS Specialist interests, and to discuss how we can help you.