About the Statement of Interest (SOI)
The Statement of Interest (DS4017) is used by the BEX examiners in conjunction with the career, education, and biographical information you presented when registering for the exam. It serves as a springboard for the Structured Interview.
The brief prompt given at the top of the SOI page, "Please use the space below to describe why you want to be a FSO," is misleading in its brevity. The SOI is a definitive statement of who you are, what you're about, why you want to serve in the Foreign Service, and why you have the background to do so successfully. Go beyond expectations when you prepare it, just as you'll do once you become an FSO. The SOI gives the BEX a sense of who you are. One thing is certain; The SOI is a chance to make a good impression before the BEX meets you face to face.
Statement of Interest Hints
There are many different opinions on the SOI. Some people have stated that they have agonized over the SOI for months and tried to get every word perfect and some passed and some failed. Others have woken up on the morning of the OA and scribbled their SOI in six or seven sentences by hand and again some passed and some failed. (Those that passed must be fantastic writers and editors.) No one knows for sure what the rhyme or reason to any of this really is but here are some suggestions gleaned from the Yahoo! Group:
- First and Foremost follow the instructions.
- Length: Do not go beyond the space allowed and do not use too little of the space allowed. Remember that is says "use the space below."
- Content? Please use the space below to describe why you want to become a FSO. Keep a laser-focus on the questions. Ensure that every sentence is answering it.
- When composing your SOI, you might want to take into account some of the following as appropriate within the allowed space. It should:
- Answer the question specifically.
- Be concise, well-organized, logical, grammatically correct, effective and persuasive, avoid abbreviations and contractions.
- Include clear, well-defined interests.
- Distinguish your essay from the pack. Be individual, not generic.
- Use stories from your past that speak to your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
- Discuss an idea (if you're tired of the “me-me-me” approach).
- Show them how badly you want this.
- Show them you care deeply about your country, your countrymen, the Foreign Service…
- Demonstrate that you understand and know what you're getting yourself into.
- Explore your motivation.
Some Questions to Get You Thinking
- Why do you want to be a FSO?
- Why it is the career for you?
- Why at this time in your life?
- What is unique about you, which would make me a good fit for an FSO position?
- How does my background/experience prepare me to be an FSO?
- What are you bringing to the FS?
- In discussing background and motivation, be sure to link these to your chosen cone, as well as to the FS in general.
- Talk about your life goals and how the FS intricately fits in with them.
- Answer the question we assume to be on the BEX’s mind —- "Would I want to work with you."
- In general present yourself as someone the BEX members would like to work with.
What to Avoid
- Avoid getting off Topic
- Avoid telling them how well-rounded you are – If this is what you want do so through examples.
- Avoid merely saying what skills and positive attributes you bring to the FS—-focus on why you want to be an FSO like the question asks
- Avoid communicating your desires to travel and learning foreign languages as well as fortune and fame.
- Avoid acting like you're interested merely in what's in it for you – Concentrate on communicating what you want to give, rather than what you hope to receive.
- Avoid getting too cute with the SOI. Do not write it in haiku form or anything. You have no idea who will be reading the SOI so you need to play it safe.
- Avoid handwriting your SOI. That's just unprofessional. Compose the SOI in Word and paste it into the [[www.state.gov/documents/organization/80116.pdf | PDF]] to print.
Buzz words, phrases and ideas to inspire you on to better things
- To shape a freer, more secure and prosperous world as we formulate, represent, and implement U.S. Foreign policy.
- Sense of Community
- Benefits of the foreign service
- Stability
- Strong ties to a U.S. community over time
- Family support
- Close-up interaction with fascinating people in power abroad
- Opportunity to be a represent the U.S. from an internationalist perspective, not just the isolationist image the U.S. tends to have.
- Chance to share your culture
- Your hopes of contribution to the FSO
- Service Aspect
- Pride in your country
- Sense of duty
Analysis by Dimensions
Remember, while none of us are certain, the SOI could reasonably be a basis for BEX to measure at least two of the Thirteen Dimensions: Written Communication and Experience And Motivation. The SOI and the CM exercise are all they have to go on for the Written Communication Dimension; therefore it would be logical to make it an outstanding writing sample. Keep in mind that if the SOI weren't important to the process, it would not be part of the OA.
Tips for Writing
- First write a draft of your SOI. Leave it for a day or two and then analyze it against the 13-D. Be honest, candid and true to yourself. You do not need to be explicit about how things relate to the 13-Ds, just tell your story, but be comprehensive, don’t assume they will know what you mean to say or that they will have follow-up questions.
- Consider treating the SOI like a typical cover letter for any job. Here is a possible format:
- Introduction summarizing what you are going to talk about (Why you want to be an FSO and why you think you could be a great FSO if given the opportunity.)
- Educational experience and how that fostered your interest in the FSO and what you learned that may strengthen your effectiveness as an FSO.
- Work/life experience and how that fostered your interest in the FSO and what you learned that may strengthen your effectiveness as an FSO.
- Conclusion: Summarizing why you want to be an FSO and why you think you would be a good FSO.
- As an introduction, you might want to consider altering the typical "I want to join the Foreign Service because…” approach which is fine but basic and a bit self-focused. As an alternative:
- I would like to join the FS because my values are x, the purpose of the Service is y, and they are compatible because of z.
- Start with a story from your background that shows (rather than tells) who you are and what you're about. If you dedicate the first paragraph to an important issue or revealing story, you've already told the readers a lot about yourself without "telling" them. Plus, after reading 1001 SOI’s starting with "I want to be a Foreign Service Officer because…” yours will stand out and make an impact.
- Start with discussion of an issue of great import to US Foreign Relations, something that is relevant to / can be connected to your own background or experience in the next paragraph. This has the benefit of demonstrating your knowledge, and starting off with a discussion of what's important to the US rather than what's important to you.
- Try developing a nice transition from the story/issue above to the next two sections: one explicitly on your motivation, and one that briefly mentions some of your background. The order does not matter.
- Use the attached Outline (SOI-Prep-Outline.doc) to get started!
