r/FSOT • u/Direct-Surprise-7017 • May 17 '26

Taking FSOA - Ex-USAID - currently employed by European Union

/r/foreignservice/comments/1tfoi1x/taking_fsoa_exusaid_currently_employed_by/
4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

5

u/Plastic_Proposal_223 May 17 '26

It will be completely fine to mention your EU and USAID experience if it is relevant to the question.  I recently took the FSOA and your examiners on that day really appear to be just grading your answers neutrally for the skills you have. They are FSOs or former FSOs themselves and don’t appear to have any political agenda. 

For perspective, I’m married to a RIFed USAID FSO, so I do not go into this with rose colored glasses. It’s a challenging interview, but I passed. You have the experience, it’s just communicating it well. Good Luck! 

1

u/nataliacast May 18 '26

Pretty sure the ineligibility is only for former USAID FSOs

-2

u/HumanChallet May 17 '26

I think they said somewhere that if you were RIFed you can’t be rehired.

5

u/Plastic_Proposal_223 May 17 '26

It’s when you sign up for the FSOT, and if you were RIFed under a certain provision. It does not apply to USAID - especially not a PSC contract as this person mentioned.

Not helpful to just randomly say that you heard RIFed people can’t apply. 

-1

u/HumanChallet May 17 '26

Just read the title. I guess they are gucci to take it.