Different Kinds of Skills in Foreign Service - Admission/Application Essay Example

Essay 1: Substantive Knowledge. The Foreign Service seeks a diverse workforce with broad job skills and a depth of experience to represent the US overseas. Briefly describe why you chose the career track you selected. Considering substantive knowledge, the Foreign Service looks for a diverse labor force with extensive job proficiencies and experience to represent the United States overseas. I chose the management career track because I have a passion for business and have worked in various fields such as, management, human resources, budget, real estate and property, acquisitions, etc. My desire to get into the career led me to became a contractor for the government and master how the government functions. Shortly thereafter, I was tendered the chance to be taken up as a federal government employee. Four years later, I settled on the belief that time has come to read, study, and explore more with reference to my vision within the Foreign Service. I want to get the opportunity to represent the U.S. abroad and ultimately have the chance to govern them. My past and current experience have resulted in streamlined processes and efficiencies needed to make for a much more organized entity, as well as identify gaps in processes, which has resulted in programs obtaining various benefits and recognition. I look forward to expecting the unexpected, the high-level of responsibility, and diversity of skills, cultures, and languages required to work in the State Department. Essay 2: Intellectual Skills. In the Foreign Service you will confront challenging situations that require identifying the problem, collecting relevant information, and formulating or advancing innovative solutions to resolve the problem. Describe a time when you responded innovatively to unanticipated circumstances to solve a problem. (What was the situation? What steps did you take to think through the situation? How did your action address the situation? What were the results?) Within the Foreign Service, intellectual skills are needed to deal with demanding situations, which necessitate managing the dilemma, collecting appropriate information, and advancing groundbreaking resolutions. The time I responded resourcefully to an unexpected circumstance is when I played the intricate role in offering input for the FY 14 -15 Program & Budget Review (PBR). As part of the PBR, Components were required to reduce their budget by 15% in each appropriation. First, I assisted the Budget Officer in preparing a Spend Plan, summary of programming alternatives, and developed short and long-term strategies. Then, I considered risk management tactics to identify ways that FEMA and the Office of the Chief Security Officer could increase its programmatic capabilities in response to critical risks and develop tools and supporting methodologies to understand their true costs. Afterwards, I created a slide identifying our recommendations in cuts by each activity. In the end, we were able to reduce a total of $1.5M in Fund 90 (salaries and expenses appropriations), had minimal get-backs during the meeting with Deputy Administrator, and were noted as one of the few Components within the Agency to have identified creative solutions with minimal disruption to mission essential tasks. Essay 3: Interpersonal Skills. In the Foreign Service, you will be called upon to interact effectively and diplomatically with people in difficult situations. Describe how you have used your interpersonal skills in a specific situation to resolve a problem or achieve a goal. (What was the goal or problem? What specific steps did you take? What was the result?) Interpersonal skills are required so that an individual can be called on to interrelate efficiently and tactfully with inhabitants in intricate situations. I have utilized my interpersonal skills to establish the reason for the unhappiness of a resident in a retirement facility I rendered my services to sometime back. I felt bad that this individual was so despondent, and made it my mission to find out why he was so unenthusiastic and disgruntled. I took a range of steps to work out the issue, including decisively being the person who would help him, serve him, as well as saying hello. I would make sure to ask him questions, for instance, whether his day was good, talk about the food he chose, whatever that could come into mind and guarantee that I put an optimistic spin to it. I would find reasons to speak with him, as well as relate. I would note what subject, idea, food, etc. would give a clue or trivial note of delight psychologically. This resulted in him calling me by name and recognizing me, and essentially converse with me. From hardly speaking and making minimum spoken exchanges, I made him talk, make a joke frequently, and feel significant. Essay 4: Communication Skills. Communication skills are critical to successful diplomacy. Describe a situation in which you used your communication skills (either in English or another language) to further an aim or achieve a goal. (What was the situation? What steps did you take to deal with the situation? What was the result?) Communication abilities are important to successful relations. Therefore, in an attempt to improve employee self-confidence, engagement, and efficiency considerably, I used my communication skills to design a charter, set up a working group, and implementing a quarterly newsletter for the Office of the Chief Security Officer (OCSO). I put the inceptive OCSO Newsletter Working Group (WG) into service. As the Editor-in-Chief, I counseled WG affiliates regarding roles and tasks, publicized different newsletter templates, and suggested topics the group could use while developing each issue. Furthermore, I published Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), to give oversight and recognize roles, tasks, and technical guidance regarding principles and duties for employees who belong to the newsletter team. In addition, I organized and promoted an OCSO baseball social event that effectively brought 47 workers, friends, and family members together, resulting in promoting a work-life balance. My communication abilities has assisted in improving correspondence and situational awareness amongst workers, reinforced the workforce spirit through the acknowledgment of organizational and entity achievements, as well as instituted continuity. Essay 5: Management Skills. Foreign Service Officers are often required to manage projects, demonstrating the ability to plan and organize, set priorities, employ a systematic approach, and allocate time and resources efficiently. Describe a project you managed or helped to manage and how you sought to achieve the project’s goals. (What was the project? What steps did you take to manage the project? What was the result?) In regard to management proficiencies, Foreign Service Officers are regularly needed to administer projects, illustrating the capacity to plan and manage, set priorities, utilize a methodical approach, and allot funds, and time professionally. As part of the Agency’s Workplace Transformation Project, I was selected by the Chief Security Officer to achieve the project’s goals by administering the planning, organizing, and shift of my Program Office, from a leased facility back to Headquarters. I focused on a number of assignments including Program of Requirements of OCSO, Space Planning conferences, and Project Parameters Matrix. The result was major transformation benefits, which integrated condensed real estate and reduced carbon footprint, novel space brands and working ways, an incorporated and joint labor force, integrated FEMA-wide values, and work-life equilibrium for FEMA workers. The OCSO renovation offers an enhanced, more resourceful workplace for teamwork and efficiency. The recently renovated office features open workspaces, which allow utmost flexibility of operations so we can best fulfill our mission to provide comprehensive and values based security services, programs and activities designed to protect FEMA personnel, facilities, information and equipment, and to mitigate the risk of loss to the Government due to fraudulent activities. Essay 6: Leadership Skills. Leadership can be defined as motivating others, encouraging creative solutions, establishing positive team relationships, or significantly influencing the direction of the work. Describe how you have demonstrated leadership, either on one particular occasion or over time. (What was the situation? What steps did you take to show leadership? What was the result?) Within the Foreign Service, leadership skills are necessary so that individuals can be able to encourage other people, promote creative resolutions, institute positive team affiliations, or significantly influence the work path. I have led individuals and small groups and worked closely and efficiently with internal and external stakeholders where my creativity, innovative techniques, and intensity to accomplish the mission of the organization have led to significant success. I have always used a systematic approach for measuring the effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of various programs. The outcome was building up a newcomer’s instruction manual, creating customer satisfaction surveys, and leading different organizational trainings. The result was meant to provide customers with restructured policies and apparent understanding of business practices to improve the superiority of support and service OCSO fosters. Throughout my career, I have learned that a unity of effort with collective thought will conclude to transparency and excellence. As a result, a more collaborative process among entities established a true “team peer” working environment. Read More