Even if you're recommended for promotion, you still might not get it. Since there are only so many spots available for promotion, you might miss the cut-off. So, you might end up on the Meritorious Step-Increase list. Also known as the Bridesmaid list, you get the recognition that you might have been promoted, but didn't do quite enough to do it. So they give you a raise to make up for the loss. You also get to bid on jobs one grade higher. It's a nice sentiment, and the extra money never hurts, but you kind of want to get promoted instead.
The hard part is the wait. After you hand in your evaluation, It goes to a committee. The panel then looks at least the last three years of your evaluations and judge you on that. Then you have to wait some more. If you're in the midst of bidding on a new position, and you are up for promotion, this can cause numerous problems. Do you try and get a job at the lower level, or do you assume you're going to be promoted and bid on higher jobs? It's all very stressful. Plus the lists for promotion, which are supposed to come out in August or September, always come later than expected and you are sitting there waiting. It is very stressful.
Well, I finally got promoted to FS-01. That's the highest I can get unless I make it into the Senior Foreign Service. It's the equivalent, in the Military, of being a Full-Bird Colonel. (In fact, we have assimilated rank if we ever have to serve with troops. Here's a tip: never use it unless it is really necessary. The military REALLY hates it when someone that looks like I do starts ordering people around and then says, "Well I have assimilated rank of Colonel, so I outrank you." Quick way to being left on a dusty road by yourself somewhere. Plus, I think it's just stupid to do that. My opinion, but YMMV.)
When the list comes out, especially in DC, people gather around and start looking for names that they know. There's always a lot of, "Oh, good for him. He was almost out of tries," or, "Great job! S/He's going to be an awesome Ambassador one day" and a few, "Really!?!? They got promoted?" Since we are such a small organization, pretty much everyone knows everybody else. You've either met them, or known someone that worked with them.
I wish I could tell you, dear reader, what it is exactly that you have to do to get promoted. But I can't. I was promoted on my first try to FS-03 and FS-02. But it took me three tries to get to FS-01. And actually that's quite quick according to the statistics from last year, as the average is 5 tries. Frankly I thought I would have gotten promoted with the work I did in Washington on Afghanistan issues, but apparently it wasn't enough. In fact, I'm sure that somewhere in the world someone saw my name on the promotion list and said, "Really?!?! What were they thinking?" That's ok, as I'm sure I've said it about a few people myself.
In the end, the best part is that I've worked very hard in my career, and it's nice to be recognized. I've gotten a lot of well wishes over the past few weeks, and it's been nice hearing from people I haven't heard from in a while. Even people that worked under me have emailed, which is a good feeling. So I'm pretty happy with that. It's not always been easy, this weird life I've chosen for myself and my family, but it's been good.
And yes, I did want to email the promotion list to that former DCM that kept saying, "John Jay Parker, are you still in the Foreign Service?" just to see the completely fake congratulations she sent back to me. But I didn't. I am, after all, a Diplomat.
The hard part is the wait. After you hand in your evaluation, It goes to a committee. The panel then looks at least the last three years of your evaluations and judge you on that. Then you have to wait some more. If you're in the midst of bidding on a new position, and you are up for promotion, this can cause numerous problems. Do you try and get a job at the lower level, or do you assume you're going to be promoted and bid on higher jobs? It's all very stressful. Plus the lists for promotion, which are supposed to come out in August or September, always come later than expected and you are sitting there waiting. It is very stressful.
Well, I finally got promoted to FS-01. That's the highest I can get unless I make it into the Senior Foreign Service. It's the equivalent, in the Military, of being a Full-Bird Colonel. (In fact, we have assimilated rank if we ever have to serve with troops. Here's a tip: never use it unless it is really necessary. The military REALLY hates it when someone that looks like I do starts ordering people around and then says, "Well I have assimilated rank of Colonel, so I outrank you." Quick way to being left on a dusty road by yourself somewhere. Plus, I think it's just stupid to do that. My opinion, but YMMV.)
When the list comes out, especially in DC, people gather around and start looking for names that they know. There's always a lot of, "Oh, good for him. He was almost out of tries," or, "Great job! S/He's going to be an awesome Ambassador one day" and a few, "Really!?!? They got promoted?" Since we are such a small organization, pretty much everyone knows everybody else. You've either met them, or known someone that worked with them.
I wish I could tell you, dear reader, what it is exactly that you have to do to get promoted. But I can't. I was promoted on my first try to FS-03 and FS-02. But it took me three tries to get to FS-01. And actually that's quite quick according to the statistics from last year, as the average is 5 tries. Frankly I thought I would have gotten promoted with the work I did in Washington on Afghanistan issues, but apparently it wasn't enough. In fact, I'm sure that somewhere in the world someone saw my name on the promotion list and said, "Really?!?! What were they thinking?" That's ok, as I'm sure I've said it about a few people myself.
In the end, the best part is that I've worked very hard in my career, and it's nice to be recognized. I've gotten a lot of well wishes over the past few weeks, and it's been nice hearing from people I haven't heard from in a while. Even people that worked under me have emailed, which is a good feeling. So I'm pretty happy with that. It's not always been easy, this weird life I've chosen for myself and my family, but it's been good.
And yes, I did want to email the promotion list to that former DCM that kept saying, "John Jay Parker, are you still in the Foreign Service?" just to see the completely fake congratulations she sent back to me. But I didn't. I am, after all, a Diplomat.
Congrat!
ReplyDeletecould you show this year's list of promotions to FS-01. Normally it's available on the AFSA website, but this year they are only showing the specialist promotions
ReplyDelete