Comments on: Baghdad bound http://thedipnotes.com/2010/06/12/baghdad-bound/ A career abroad serving America in the U.S. Foreign Service Sun, 22 Jan 2012 07:01:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Peter Kennett http://thedipnotes.com/2010/06/12/baghdad-bound/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Peter Kennett Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:08:11 +0000 http://thedipnotes.com/2010/06/12/baghdad-bound/#comment-30 Ok, today I got three emails, from Washington and Baghdad. In one email it stated "stay tuned, this fight isn't over". It's nice to be wanted, though I also do not want to make people upset. But I have to look out after my own interests, and the job in INL was mine until ripped away due to some administrative mess-up. If they had written to say that I didn't get the job because someone else was better qualified, or that I was not senior, or some other legitimate reason then I would feel better. But to loose a job offer simply because of a clerical or administrative error is very frustrating, for me and the office who wanted me. The situation is awkward in that if I win the argument, someone that I will eventually work with will know me as the guy who took THEIR job offer away. That person has been offered the INL position, and now I am fighting to grab it back. If I loose, then the new office I work at (Pol/MIL) will know me as the guy who really doesn't want to be there. In the end, I'll work anywhere and do a good job. But if it's not in INL then yes, I will always have a sour taste in my mouth every-time I hear the name of that office mentioned. I should find out my fate soon. Ok, today I got three emails, from Washington and Baghdad. In one email it stated “stay tuned, this fight isn’t over”. It’s nice to be wanted, though I also do not want to make people upset. But I have to look out after my own interests, and the job in INL was mine until ripped away due to some administrative mess-up. If they had written to say that I didn’t get the job because someone else was better qualified, or that I was not senior, or some other legitimate reason then I would feel better. But to loose a job offer simply because of a clerical or administrative error is very frustrating, for me and the office who wanted me.

The situation is awkward in that if I win the argument, someone that I will eventually work with will know me as the guy who took THEIR job offer away. That person has been offered the INL position, and now I am fighting to grab it back. If I loose, then the new office I work at (Pol/MIL) will know me as the guy who really doesn’t want to be there. In the end, I’ll work anywhere and do a good job. But if it’s not in INL then yes, I will always have a sour taste in my mouth every-time I hear the name of that office mentioned. I should find out my fate soon.

]]> By: Peter Kennett http://thedipnotes.com/2010/06/12/baghdad-bound/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Peter Kennett Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:56:01 +0000 http://thedipnotes.com/2010/06/12/baghdad-bound/#comment-29 Well, I didn't get the INL (Narcotics) position I was hoping for due to a stupid clerical error! ARGGH!!! However, Baghdad offered me a position with the Political/Military (POL/MIL) office within the Embassy and I accepted. They also offered Megan a job with the Embassy's Economics (ECON) office and she accepted. I arrive there in May 2011 and Megan in September 2011. We're now negotiating our vacation package. We're asking for 3 full (worldwide) vacations (R&R), instead of the usual 2 R&R's plus 3 local rest-breaks. I'd rather head off on a long vacation than take 3 short rest-breaks in Dubai. We're also going to ask for an extra 6 month tour (18 months total) in exchange for another full R&R. However, I sent an email off to Washington to express my disappointment that a simple clerical error (on their part, as far as I can tell) caused them to give the INL job to someone else. They had claimed they never received my SORTED bid list, and thus had no knowledge that I wanted INL as my #1 choice. I proved that was false when I showed them 5 emails I had sent over the past 2 weeks where I expressly claimed that INL was my #1 bid. I don't know if they will be able to do anything, but I would like to see their reply. Well, I didn’t get the INL (Narcotics) position I was hoping for due to a stupid clerical error! ARGGH!!! However, Baghdad offered me a position with the Political/Military (POL/MIL) office within the Embassy and I accepted. They also offered Megan a job with the Embassy’s Economics (ECON) office and she accepted. I arrive there in May 2011 and Megan in September 2011.

We’re now negotiating our vacation package. We’re asking for 3 full (worldwide) vacations (R&R), instead of the usual 2 R&R’s plus 3 local rest-breaks. I’d rather head off on a long vacation than take 3 short rest-breaks in Dubai. We’re also going to ask for an extra 6 month tour (18 months total) in exchange for another full R&R.

However, I sent an email off to Washington to express my disappointment that a simple clerical error (on their part, as far as I can tell) caused them to give the INL job to someone else. They had claimed they never received my SORTED bid list, and thus had no knowledge that I wanted INL as my #1 choice. I proved that was false when I showed them 5 emails I had sent over the past 2 weeks where I expressly claimed that INL was my #1 bid. I don’t know if they will be able to do anything, but I would like to see their reply.

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