The Foreign Service Journal, May 2016

56 may 2016 | the foreign Service journal the Foreign Service to continue to develop outside interests and contacts both overseas and stateside. One never knows when that seven-year window might creep up, or one of those “Areas for Improvement” required on every employee evaluation report will haunt you in the next promotion review or assignment cycle. My political officer background is always a topic of interest in job interviews, and has served me well in my new obsession with Toastmasters International, the worldwide public speaking and leadership organization. Serving as resident of a Toastmasters Club in McLean, Virginia, teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages and remaining active in networking associations in the international field are all part of a logical progression from my Foreign Service background. There is life after the Foreign Service, and it goes far beyond that part-time gig as While Actually Employed (WAE) that so many retired FSOs rely on. Step away from the department, and you will discover excellent opportunities to utilize those diplo- matic and networking skills you displayed in the Foreign Service! Mary Ann Singlaub served as a political officer in the State Depart- ment Foreign Service from 1981 to 1999. She served in Naples, Kings- ton, Bridgetown and Bern, as well as in many positions at Main State. You Need a Vocational Focus By Ann Gay l i a O ’ Barr W hat do I wish I had known earlier about retirement? How few Americans are interested in foreign affairs or what goes on in other countries or the fact that the United States is not the center of the universe to everyone on the planet. What advice would I give my younger self about planning for life after the Foreign Service? Take a few months to decompress, read, think and enjoy activities you haven’t had time for before. But avoid getting stuck in this mode. Plan to enter another career, not necessarily full time or involving a lot of stress, but you need a vocational purpose after leaving FS life. What do I wish I’d known before joining the Foreign Service? How important language is to the job of an FSO. I wish I’d learned more languages and taken more courses in college before I was under the stress of language training and examinations. As for my post-Foreign Service life, writing remains my first love. I wanted to be a foreign affairs correspondent, combining my desire to experience foreign cultures with writing. I’ve done what I wanted in two steps: first living in foreign cultures and now writing articles and novels, marrying the experiences with literary undertakings. Ann Gaylia O’Barr was a Foreign Service officer from 1990 until 2004. She served in Saudi Arabia (twice), Tunisia, Algeria, Canada and Washington, D.C. She has also been a computer programmer, historic preservation planner and full-time writer. Her novels and blogs reflect and are influenced by her years spent overseas. She has written eight books and runs the blog “Writing for the Spiritually Attuned News Junkie.” A Full Second Career: International Corporate Executive By Joe l B i l l er W hen I retired in 1979, there still were relatively few oppor- tunities in the private sector to work internationally. I was lucky enough to find one. After a first tour as a consular officer, I spent my entire career in the economic cone. At one time or another I worked on interna- tional finance, trade, economic development, transportation and labor. I spent nine years working on European affairs, mostly hav- Take a few months to decompress, read, think and enjoy activities you haven’t had time for before. But avoid getting stuck in this mode.