The introduction and orientation for the Foreign Service typically starts bright and early on a Monday morning, so the weekend before is generally spent traveling to Washington D.C. and getting settled in to the roller coaster ride that will be the next few weeks of Foreign Service life. For local hires this doesn’t amount to much, but the majority that are relocating for the opportunity will generally either drive or fly to D.C. Coming from the opposite side of the continental United States and having an older vehicle that wasn’t going to come with me, flying was the obvious choice.
I spent my weekend in much the manner one might expect; a last hurrah with friends, family, and loved ones, quietly contemplating the life I had embarked upon while en route to my destination, and attending the traditional mixer the night before orientation. That is, the previous group of Specialists are tasked with hosting a meet and greet for the incoming group. I was eager to meet my new colleagues, so as soon as I dropped off my bags at the apartment I was provided, I caught a ride down to the venue where it was being held.
I met and mingled with other members of the incoming class, as well as the veterans of the specialist class before us. From the specialists before us, we heard all about where their first assignments would be and the training they had received. Getting to know some of my own specialist colleagues revealed that regardless of which walks of life we came from or what our background was in, what tied us to this opportunity was the sense of adventure that we all shared. The meet and greet was a good way to put some names to faces and provided a good opportunity to make a few acquaintances before the start of Orientation.
Orientation began bright and early the next morning. I made a quick stop at the Filterhouse – the same coffee shop that I had visited before my Oral Assessment a year prior. I then met with my other colleagues in the lobby of the State Department building, all of us sharply dressed in suits and other professional attire. The first day is all about the necessities of administrative stuff, badging, benefits, and what not. However, it’s the second day which sets the pace for the rest of the orientation and gives an accurate example of what one can expect for the next few weeks.
During this time, one will be expected to arrive on time and appropriately dressed, to conduct themselves properly, be attentive, respectful, and professional. Embody the expectations that one has for a public servant and a representative of the United States abroad, and encourage the same from your colleagues. Be your best self and exhibit the 13 dimensions of Foreign Service personnel.
The orientation period itself is blistering. The schedule is packed with different presentations, information sessions and speakers from 8 to 5. Breaks are provided, but with everything going on this rarely leaves you with the time to catch up on everything. Myself and other incoming specialists struggled to find time for a proper lunch. Thankfully, my appetite had also dropped off considerably, whether this was due to moving across the country and other considerable changes in my life or something else, I do not know.
Alternatively, on the information front we were well-fed, even overfed. The phrase “drinking from a fire hose” has been used to describe this period of the training process, but does little to indicate just how much information one is presented – much of which I now struggle to remember, despite taking ample notes. Death by PowerPoint is real possibility, but one can also expect to take a field trip or two, as well as an overnight off-site if they’re lucky. Weekends become a grateful and much-needed reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the week.
It’s during Orientation that one receives their first directed bid list, and their first assignments are announced. Post research and other mandatory training spilled into my evenings during Orientation, but it also provided the opportunity to make my first real friends and connections among my colleagues. We came to rely on one another for help, learned from each others experiences, and were able to ask questions without the fear of judgement from those that were guzzling from the same fire hose. It’s an opportunity to make lasting impressions and friendships with people you might be serving with in the future, and build relationships that will follow you throughout your life.
It doesn’t seem like it at the time, but those weeks will pass quickly. You’ll get your first assignment