The adventure begins!

A quick recap...  I have decided to make a mid career change.  A drastic change.  After 13 years of working as a lawyer, living in the US on the east coast, I wasn't thrilled with my career and was looking to make a change. 

I was told about the Foreign Service exam in May of 2009.  After doing the Maureen Type A thorough research on the exam, the hiring process and the career path, I signed up for the test.  And passed.  And for that, I got to take another test.  This time I had to write five short essays.  And I passed.  And for that, I got to take another test.  A full day of writing, presenting and interviewing.  And I PASSED!  And for that I got . . . not another test.  Well, it felt like a test.  I got to fill out a 65 page form detailing all of the details of the past ten years of my life to be reviewed by Diplomatic Security for a top secret clearance.  And a medical exam.  And a suitability review.  After all of that I got . . . my name on a list to be considered for a job.  And two weeks later I got a JOB OFFER!!! 

The job, you ask?  The official title is Foreign Service Officer, Management Track.  Where am I going?  What will I be doing?  That remains to be seen.  I won't get my post assignment until after I start training.  Sometime during my first week of training, I will be given a bid list, or list of potential postings.  So at that point I will have it narrowed down to 40 or 50 potential postings.  Four or five weeks into training, so sometime in mid to late March, I will know where I am heading and how long I will be in Arlington, Virgina for training.  For now, the possibilities are wide open . . . or limited to anywhere in the world where the US has a consulate or embassy.  Fun to think about!!

I start February 14.  I arrive in Arlington on February 12.  That's all I really know for now!