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Comment by blackbagboys | Hacker News Reader

I'm a little curious as to how he managed to kind of waft into the Foreign Service so easily. I have much stronger academic credentials, foreign language skills, and relevant work experience, and I spent years and years trying to get in to no avail, despite aceing the required tests each time.

I suppose its just down to fate, and I'm glad he found something he loved doing, but man, it's disheartening to read about someone casually walking into your dream job and just as casually walking away.

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I didn't see this post pre-edit, so I'll assume that it wasn't too bad. If you were suggesting some kind of affirmative action (as someone hinted), then that really wasn't the case.

The reason I applied to the Foreign Service is because it is a meritocracy. It all came down to how you did on the test, and later the interviews/case studies.

It's unfortunate that it's your dream job and you didn't get it, and I sympathize, but the Foreign Service admission process is one of the most transparent ones I've seen. The first step is passing a test, and anyone above a certain threshold moves to the next step. There are more tests, and anyone above those thresholds gets on the list to be accepted.

This is actually not the case; you take the first-round test, and then if if you pass you submit a resume into a black box (the 'Qualifications Evaluations Panel') which evaluates your qualifications 'holistically' and then you are invited to the interview round. It's quite possible to achieve the highest possible marks on the test and never be invited to the final round, as I can attest.

Perhaps the system was different when you applied in 2008.

When I applied, you took the test. If you passed the test, you then had to go online and submit ~10 short essays. If you passed that, you went on to the oral assessments. There may have been a resume component involved when you submitted the short essays.

this makes me laugh - don't worry. nobody in the US gives free handouts to asian/indian males. trust me on this one.

I'm sure. It was an extremely uncharitable comment brought on by a moment of frustration.

Gee, I wonder why...and you seem so worldly too.

I don't understand. Are you taking a dig at your parent? Why? It's perfectly fair to be befuddled when someone who appears to be much less qualified than you gets the job you want.

His parent edited his comment. Previously it ended with the parent hinting at a "politically incorrect" theory as to why he was not admitted to the Foreign Service while Mr. Paruchuri was.

Edit: That said, I'd be disheartened too and I don't really think your parent's "dig" was justified.

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