Bidding

On the first day of training, we were given a list of the places and positions people in our class would be sent to fill. We were given a week and a half to do our research on the posts and put together a draft bidlist, indicating whether each post was a "High," "Medium," or "Low" preference. We each sat down with our career development officer (CDO) at the end of last week to discuss our priorities and reasoning in ranking our bids. Our final bidlist was turned in last Monday at the start of the day.

We headed off to West Virginia on Wednesday for three days of leadership and team-building exercises. The best part of the experience? Jeans and sneakers! And three days of outdoor activities. You can imagine how nice it was to be out of the suits and the lecture hall and doing something hands on. I also had the chance to work with classmates I've only seen from a distance in the classroom. Overall, it was mostly a positive experience. I can't say I'm overeager to be back in a suit tomorrow, but it's just for four more weeks.

At any rate, while the ninety of us were divided up to bond in smaller groups during the trip, our CDOs were sitting around a table deciding where to send us, based on our final bidlists and the information gathered from us during our individual meetings. I can't say I was terribly helpful in the process. I signed up for worldwide availability and I mean it. I want to go everywhere! One place at a time, of course. So I don't really have my heart set on a particular geographic region, position type, language, or other priority. I just want to go somewhere new, and I figure no matter where that is and what I'm doing, I'm bound to learn something. Add to that the fact that I keep hearing over and over again that the best tour people have served was the one they were sent to kicking and screaming, and I don't think I can pass judgment on an particular post.

Generally, people seem to be more focused in their bidding. For example, they give high priority to posts with good schools, since they'll be brining children along; or to posts where their spouse will be able to find independent employment; or to quarantines and whether they'll be able to bring the family pet. None of these are concerns for me at this point. Other people really want a French African post, or to learn Spanish, or to go to East Asia. Their bidlists and discussions reflect these preferences. I don't have any of these sorts of preferences myself. I'm still not sure how big a fool this proves me to be.

Through various activities and discussions about the bidding and placement process, I have determined that where you are sent has a certain element of uncertainty in it until you're actually there. So there doesn't seem to be much point in getting your heart set too firmly on any criterion.

Someone asked a couple weeks ago, while trying to help me figure out what my priorities should be, whether I had anything like dice or a dartboard that I could use to help me out. I replied that I had a CDO. There is certainly an element of randomness there. Your placement depends on the abilities and preferences of your classmates, the advocacy of your CDO (and you through your bidlist and accompanying narrative), and the final group decision of all the CDOs, which can change right up until Flag Day.

By dinner on Thursday, the CDOs had cast the die for the ninety people in my class--though the results are only in pencil right now. They know, tentatively, where I'm going for my first tour. And they won't tell me a thing for another three weeks--on October 24th, or Flag Day. I really could be going anywhere, so there's not much hope of figuring it out ahead of time. I'm just not going to think about it. October 24th is bound to be here before I know it, anyways.