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Anybody here in Mali? It seems that the president has just been ousted in a military coup. My wife and I have our interview tomorrow. Any last minute interview tips?
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Mar 22, 2012 17:05
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Thesaurus posted:Anybody here in Mali? It seems that the president has just been ousted in a military coup. tomorrow 100,000 protestors (both pro and anti government) are marching on the capital here in Ecuador, this could be interesting... As has been mentioned ad nauseum, find a way to say "patience and flexibility." Try to connect with your interviewer who is probably a former volunteer, ask about their country and give examples of how you have handled problems and frustrations they probably faced. Illustrate several living and working environments you have lived through as a couple, and elaborate on how you adapted to your situation and maintained marital bliss. Also, draw attention to the possible benefits of being married in the Peace Corps (not so home sick, someone to talk to, a stable relationship, commonality with neighbors who are likely to be married). Good Luck!
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Mar 23, 2012 01:18
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Peace Corps Goons, I need your advice! My wife and I were just nominated. Provided I pass the CLEP Spanish exam tomorrow (which I believe I will), our recruiter told us that we have our choice of being nominated for some unknown Spanish speaking country or for North Africa/Middle East. In the latter case, there is a strong possibility that it will be Tunisia. They are reopening the program, and apparently recruiters have received a request for 50 or so married couples for some undisclosed country. Our recruiter believes this unprecedented surge is likely for the new program, which probably also wants married couples due to the Arab/Islamic culture. Any advice or insight on this exciting dilemma? Anyone have any experience with Jordan/Morocco? Do you think we'd learn Arabic in Tunisia? Would my wife need to be veiled? Originally we really wanted a Spanish speaking assignment, but now we are being enticed by the possibility of going to this exotic new country, being on the Mediterannean, and possibly learning Arabic. Any clues on what Spanish speaking country they'd send two experienced English teachers to? I know that English teaching isn't necessarily a common peace corps occupation in Latin America compared to other regions. A possible clue is that she said that this post only requires two semesters of Spanish instead of four... could it be because we'd be learning some native language, like Guarani or something? Edit: we need to decide by Monday! Thesaurus fucked around with this message at 01:10 on Mar 24, 2012 |
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Mar 24, 2012 01:03
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Thesaurus posted:Any clues on what Spanish speaking country they'd send two experienced English teachers to? I know that English teaching isn't necessarily a common peace corps occupation in Latin America compared to other regions. A possible clue is that she said that this post only requires two semesters of Spanish instead of four... could it be because we'd be learning some native language, like Guarani or something?
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Mar 24, 2012 05:51
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Thesaurus posted:Any advice or insight on this exciting dilemma? Anyone have any experience with Jordan/Morocco? Do you think we'd learn Arabic in Tunisia? Would my wife need to be veiled? Our country director here in Mongolia was asked by Peace Corps to be the new CD in Tunisia when they reopen it. If you get to serve there, you're going to be in some great hands. She is an amazing person and leader, and we're all pretty depressed to see her go. 
Private Label fucked around with this message at 08:14 on Mar 24, 2012 |
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Mar 24, 2012 08:12
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Thesaurus posted:Originally we really wanted a Spanish speaking assignment, but now we are being enticed by the possibility of going to this exotic new country, being on the Mediterannean, and possibly learning Arabic. My wife and I studied at the American University in Cairo. The answer to your first quoted question here is easy: The enticement of an "exotic new country, being on the Mediterannean, and possibly learning Arabic," will not be enough to keep you there for two years. It was not enough to keep my wife and I there for more than 6 months though we had planned on 10. Learning Arabic or any language is about immersion and for that you are not just immersed in the language, but the culture as well. When planning to go to a North African muslim country, expect the most conservative islamic culture you can imagine. Even if it isn't, at times it will feel so, especially for your wife. Furthermore, going to Tunisia so recently after a government overthrow seems risky to me and I wonder if the Peace Corps is doing it under some sort of pressure. It's quite possible that if you're sent there you will be pulled out before the end of two years if the new regime isn't all it's cracked up to be. About Latin America, TEFL programs here in Ecuador are usually assisting English teaching faculty rather than doing actual teaching. English is a mandatory subject in schools now but the country is scrambling to find teachers with experience. Peace Corps TEFL volunteers help those teachers at high school and university level improve there skills.
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Mar 24, 2012 17:21
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Thanks for the responses. You've confirmed some of our expectations about Tunisia, and the fact is that we've been leaning heavily towards Latin America. We were hoping to go there originally, and I think it aligns well with our career goals (public interest law, development, etc). If Latin America falls through, we'd still be ready to go to Tunisia (or wherever), but I agree that it would probably be a hard slog, especially for the wife. Having lived in Bolivia for a couple months last summer, we have a better understanding of what we'd be getting into. I just aced the CLEP Spanish exam this morning, too, so we're all set to go ahead with that assignment provided that we don't have any revelations between now and Monday. I feel like our Peace Corps application process just went from zero to sixty, so we're pretty excited.
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Mar 24, 2012 19:43
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Nominated for TEFL in Eastern Europe, leaving March 2013! I'm guessing my chances of ending up in Ukraine are pretty good? Now I just have to find a job/something to do from graduation in August until March!
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Mar 25, 2012 02:07
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Just got my official invitation sent out, I will be heading to Asia in June! I'm pretty excited, I feel like I've been applying forever.
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Mar 25, 2012 05:00
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So I know that federal debt is not a problem to defer while in PC, is something like a private student loan and/or credit card debt an automatic disqualifier? I've got a few years of experience in forestry and protected lands work, and that is something I would like to do. Is it a good idea to emphasize that in an application or does that seem too narrow-minded? Not saying I wouldn't do something else but it'd be nice to apply the skills I have rather than start from scratch.
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Mar 25, 2012 22:48
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Wife and I nominated to teach English somewhere in Latin America for January, 2013! Edit: Any advice for how to expedite the medical clearance? Has anyone had problems with blood pressure? Mine is often borderline high and I'm hoping to get it down before going to the doctor. Would a high reading at the doctor's office flag me and delay us, or do they look to see whether you've had a history of it (which I don't)? Also, due to being a guy who lifts weights a lot, my BMI is borderline obese, but I have a health body fat %. Does a 30+ BMI immediately flag you for more tests? Generally, does the PC go off of the doctor's recommendation, or do they just crunch the numbers? Thesaurus fucked around with this message at 18:18 on Mar 26, 2012 |
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Mar 26, 2012 17:39
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Thesaurus posted:Also, due to being a guy who lifts weights a lot, my BMI is borderline obese, but I have a health body fat %. Does a 30+ BMI immediately flag you for more tests? Generally, does the PC go off of the doctor's recommendation, or do they just crunch the numbers? No, mine was the same, but they didn't make me do any more testing (that I remember...). They did have me do a series of BPs though, but that was because for some reason I was stressed the day I was getting my medical done, and I got flagged because it was a little high. The series of BPs were normal, but it was more paperwork.
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Mar 28, 2012 15:10
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I've shed 45 pounds scince i've been in the peace corps, all that giardia and organic from-the-earth food and kava every night is an effective diet. I imagine most volunteers she a good deal of weight depending on the country.
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Mar 28, 2012 22:29
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Just got around to my application that I started last December, oops... If I get it done in the next month or two, does that mean my placement date will be back in 2013/14? I'm really on the fence about this since I applied to like 10 jobs and a few graduate schools, but if my application has a chance I'll probably go. Here's my basic info if anyone is interested: Asian guy, good health, normal BMI, pretty nearsighted and I have seasonal allergies. Some foods (Kiwi, crab/lobster) I don't eat due to allergies and I carry an epipen even though I've never had life threatening reaction. I am bilingual in mandarin and I speak passable German, but since the government thinks I might have a conflict of interest in the old country I can't go to China. Above 3.5 GPA in college, political science and sociology. Served on an environmental nonprofit exec board (stressful). Worked with high school youth one year during the summer in social justice camp. 2 years experience on facilitating social justice issues on campus for multicultural center. Took a class on sustainable ag once and worked in a hoop house. I have repaired computers as a hobby since age 8. Currently interning in political/opposition research at the state capital. Am I a strong candidate or should I spend my time on other things? I've visited my family in western China near Xinjiang (aka land of no indoor plumbing) every few years so I've done my share of pooping funny for weeks at a time, if that helps.
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Mar 29, 2012 05:52
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Peven Stan posted:Just got around to my application that I started last December, oops... Heh, I speak Mandarin and German too. From the stuff you listed, you do have a strong application for Peace Corps. As long as you didn't have run-ins with the law and psychologically stable, you look like a shoe-in for the Peace Corps. Being assigned can take from 6 to 12 months after fulfilling the application.
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Mar 29, 2012 06:59
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Ronald Spiers posted:Heh, I speak Mandarin and German too. That's fantastic to hear. I will redouble my efforts immediately!
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Mar 29, 2012 08:11
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Thesaurus posted:Wife and I nominated to teach English somewhere in Latin America for January, 2013! I don't want to count your chickens before they hatch; (you still have a long way to go with medical) but you seem to heading along the same time frame my wife and I. We had our interviews in May and staged on February 2nd. Also, I know for a fact that the TEFL program here in Ecuador starts PST in late January, but like I said, it's a long way off and a lot could happen with medical. Peven Stan posted:Qualifications... You look qualified for Ag, Natural Resources, IT, and some form of Teaching. You'd have no problem getting nominated.
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Mar 29, 2012 22:03
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velcro shoes posted:So I know that federal debt is not a problem to defer while in PC, is something like a private student loan and/or credit card debt an automatic disqualifier? Debts are fine. You just need proof it's taken care of, they don't care how, long as it is. A notarized letter saying person X will do it is enough. As for the experience, do it. Always put anything remotely relevant you can to make you stand out. Don't worry about being boxed in, you can discuss that with your recruiter. Winna posted:I've shed 45 pounds scince i've been in the peace corps, all that giardia and organic from-the-earth food and kava every night is an effective diet. I imagine most volunteers she a good deal of weight depending on the country. Haha yes completely. I was morbidly obese when I left. 250 pounds, had additional paperwork where the doctor just checked off a list (Can you bend over can you walk uphill things like that. I don't see how anyone could not do these things assuming they're not completely stationary to begin with.) After 6 months at site I dropped to 190, so I'm not quite in healthy range but a HUGE difference from what I was rocking before. Not sick or anything, just a natural change in diet. Peace Corps really is the best weight loss program. RagnarokAngel fucked around with this message at 10:28 on Mar 31, 2012 |
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Mar 31, 2012 10:07
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RagnarokAngel posted:After 6 months at site I dropped to 190, so I'm not quite in healthy range but a HUGE difference from what I was rocking before. Not sick or anything, just a natural change in diet. Peace Corps really is the best weight loss program. I know in PC Ukraine, for some reason the guys all lose weight, and the girls all gain weight. No complaints here!
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Apr 1, 2012 10:35
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Pocket DeSade posted:I know in PC Ukraine, for some reason the guys all lose weight, and the girls all gain weight. No complaints here! Haha, I know a female PC who gained weight in Rwanda.
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Apr 1, 2012 20:25
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True here too. Can't think of a biological reason for it V V
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Apr 3, 2012 16:11
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Pocket DeSade posted:I know in PC Ukraine, for some reason the guys all lose weight, and the girls all gain weight. No complaints here! I think that's the general rule in PC, because we were told that too. I think it's because we all end up exercising less (generally), and the boys don't eat/cook for themselves. On another topic, have any of you done the PCPP program? I've been sending out my project to as many people as I can, but people seem a little slow on the donating. Any tips? My project is here, if anyone's interested: https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=309-045
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Apr 6, 2012 02:04
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Starting my application now, and I have a question. I'm going to be a RA the next academic year. Is it kosher to put a job that I haven't started on it as long I point that fact out? I don't have much experience otherwise (going to volunteer at my alma mater this summer though)  And if I'm only going to be home for the summer, then at school for the rest of the year, would it be better to put down the DC office as the one closest to me or my home office and change it when I get to school? I'd try to get my medical done at home since that's where all of my records are. I'm hoping that they open up new programs next year for deaf education placements. I talked to a recruiter at my school, and she told me that Kenya was the only country that they sent signing Deaf volunteers to at the moment but they were working on programs in Botswana and Ghana (not sure on this one) to open them up to us. 
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Apr 6, 2012 20:04
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I started with my home address and then changed my address. Its no big deal and they basically ask you every new step to confirm your address. So go ahead and put your current address on there now and change it when you move.
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Apr 7, 2012 01:03
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Probably a dumb question, but do you need to schedule any kind of special medical exam to meet the Peace Corps' standards, or will a general exam/physical suffice? Also, do you usually have to wait a while to get your lab tests so that you can attach those forms, or can you take care of everything before you leave the doctor's office? Finally, if a nurse practitioner is doing the exam, do you just need a doctor's co-signature to make it legit?
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Apr 12, 2012 18:58
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You should probably just call the medical office with these questions to be sure but from my experience a few months ago; 1. Tell them its a Peace Corps exam. Its basically a general exam plus a lot of blood work/tests. They will want to know it will take a while and get everything ready. 2. Yeah, you need to have your test results to send in with the rest of your stuff. My Doctor's office just kept all the forms with them and called me back in a few days later to pick it all back up. Make sure you go over it yourself, AT THE OFFICE, to check. Doing it again would be a pain in the rear end. 3. I believe so.
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Apr 12, 2012 21:08
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Slaan posted:You should probably just call the medical office with these questions to be sure but from my experience a few months ago; Echoing all this. Also, for anyone still in college -- check with your university health center/service to see if they'll do your physical for you. There's a chance you'll have to pay for any lab work they can't run right there, but it should still save you some cash money if you don't have health insurance. Just had my physical today -- for anyone wondering, they did all the tests 
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Apr 12, 2012 21:20
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Haha, sorry dude. I remember all the guys in our training group asking each other the question, whether they had the finger exam. I think it was only like me and maybe a few other guys out of 18. Luck of the draw.
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Apr 12, 2012 23:41
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Would it be kosher to crosspost my application resume here from the resume thread? I'd like to get some PCV input.
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Apr 25, 2012 02:56
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Thesaurus posted:Spanish CLEP Exam I've got a question about this. Is this a requirement to be placed in a Spanish speaking country? I'm currently in the application process and studying Spanish as well, I studied it a bit in college (about 5 years ago) and have just started taking some classes again. I took an online practice test and did fairly abysmally, though all it was conjugation in tenses which I haven't really studied much. I don't see that as something super difficult to study for. What was the test like? What is your level of study and fluency before taking it etc?
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Apr 25, 2012 03:42
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ShaggiusPrime posted:I've got a question about this. Is this a requirement to be placed in a Spanish speaking country? I'm currently in the application process and studying Spanish as well, I studied it a bit in college (about 5 years ago) and have just started taking some classes again. I took an online practice test and did fairly abysmally, though all it was conjugation in tenses which I haven't really studied much. I don't see that as something super difficult to study for. I interviewed while still in college and never had to take any test. All I said was that I've studied Spanish. Language requirements for Spanish speaking countries are not as strict as they used to be. There is a lot more language training here in Ecuador and even if you don't get up to intermediate medium they give you a tutor at site rather than kick you out. In other news, I'm at midservice conference right now, being around all these people who are my friends is nevertheless overwhelming. I will be 24 soon. Why am I writing this?
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Apr 25, 2012 06:09
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Borscht posted:Would it be kosher to crosspost my application resume here from the resume thread? I'd like to get some PCV input. I got a peek at your resume at the resume thread. Personally I think you look good. I think PC would be more concerned about your health and as long as you have a clean criminal record. PC might recommend more volunteer work.
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Apr 25, 2012 08:14
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For the health screening, do they also require past medical records or do you just go over your medical history with the doctor doing the screening for you? I haven't even had insurance or a primary care physician until a few months ago so I don't even have past records.
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Apr 25, 2012 12:48
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the shill posted:In other news, I'm at midservice conference right now, being around all these people who are my friends is nevertheless overwhelming. I will be 24 soon. Why am I writing this? Because we're awesome. I just finished COS conference. Except now I'm staying a 3rd year and doing PCVL (it's official!). I'm part of the largest group ever of PCVs to do a 3rd year in Mongolia! There's 12 or so staying, with a bunch of others staying privately in the capital. Now I have to finish all my site projects and start thinking about new work plans and moving and...
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Apr 25, 2012 23:48
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Ronald Spiers posted:I got a peek at your resume at the resume thread. Personally I think you look good. I think PC would be more concerned about your health and as long as you have a clean criminal record. PC might recommend more volunteer work. I was actually wondering If anyone could give specific recommendations vis a vis format, content etc. I'm not going to waste everyone's time asking if you think I will get in.
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Apr 26, 2012 03:36
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Borscht posted:I was actually wondering If anyone could give specific recommendations vis a vis format, content etc. Don't get too hanged-up over the resume, just make it look professional. PC will ask you to reformat specifically later once you get a placement.
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Apr 26, 2012 03:52
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ShaggiusPrime posted:I've got a question about this. Is this a requirement to be placed in a Spanish speaking country? I'm currently in the application process and studying Spanish as well, I studied it a bit in college (about 5 years ago) and have just started taking some classes again. I took an online practice test and did fairly abysmally, though all it was conjugation in tenses which I haven't really studied much. I don't see that as something super difficult to study for. The test is four sections. The first is listening to short read sentences/partial dialogues, and you have to choose the correct response. The answers themselves are audio and not written on screen, so you need to be fairly fast on your feet to understand all of the audio. Second section is sentences with multiple choice fill in the blank answers for grammar. I'm pretty solid on grammar, so I didn't have any trouble here, but if you're rusty on conjugations etc. you'll want to review that a lot before the questions. Some of the questions are pretty basic vocabulary stuff, like "every night I sleep in my ____" with the choices being 1)bed, 2)tree, 3)school, 4)running. Others, however, involve more complex knowledge of the subjunctive and thta kind of thing. It's likely you'll need to decide between different forms of the same verb to find the one that's correctly conjugated. Third section is listening to extended passages for comprehension, with answers testing your understanding. Some of these can be more tricky than others, such as someone giving a list of directions on how to get to a location, and the a question about what the person was told to do when they got to a specific spot. Fourth section is reading passages, advertisements, news stories, etc. to test reading comprehension. Fairly straight forward. Some questions ask you to select the part of the text that discusses a certain thing, which I didn't see coming. I've never taken Spanish classes, but I've studied it on my own off and on for a few years. I have a strong background in grammar, which helped with the reading stuff. I was fairly week on listening comprehension, but I spent last summer travelling in Bolivia/Peru and also had a private tutor for a month, which helped a lot. I also listened to about an hour of Spanish news radio a day for several months before the test, which dramatically improved my listening comprehension. Since I was used to hearing Spanish at a regular/fast conversational speed, I found that the test's audio was easy to understand (clearly pronounced, not fast). However, if you don't have much experience listening to Spanish, I'd definitely get as much listening practice in as possible. "Best Test Preparation for CLEP Spanish" is a decent prep book (actually, the only one, I think). The grammatical overview is pretty lame and formal, and you'd be better off reviewing with other textbooks or guides. The practice tests are fairly accurate, but the author tends to make the questions way trickier or more subtle than they actually are on the test. I found that the CLEP doesn't try to trick you, and if I understood the language, the answer was obvious. For the record, I scored 78 out of 80. My wife recently took it and scored 73. A score of 50 equates to 2 semesters of college Spanish, and a score of 63 gives you 4 semesters (there is no inbetween). Our recruiter told us that we need the equivalent of 4 semesters of Spanish for most countries, but we got nominated for an assignment that only requires 2. I'm told that this is because requirements are lighter for married couples, because they're harder to get or something. My wife was already qualified at 3 semesters from course work, but since I scored at 4 semesters, our recruiter wanted her to take the CLEP and do the same so that we could be more competitive.
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Apr 26, 2012 17:26
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Thanks for the comprehensive advice. I'll wait and see, maybe I'll luck out like the other guy and just say I've studied Spanish and not need to take the test. If not, guess I'll need to buckle down on that listening practice, sounds like it's the most difficult part.
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Apr 27, 2012 01:34
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the shill posted:In other news, I'm at midservice conference right now, being around all these people who are my friends is nevertheless overwhelming. I will be 24 soon. Why am I writing this? Because Peace Corps conferences are great at demonstrating just how much you and everyone else has forgotten about normal social interaction while at site.
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Apr 27, 2012 01:45
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Private Label posted:Because we're awesome. Hey congrats, I'm staying on for a third year in Cambodia myself. Also, I happen to know your incoming Country Director! She was in the year just before mine, and she is one cool lady. She's got a great sense of humor, great work ethic, and a great presentation style (she was a professor and associate dean of social sciences). You guys are lucky to have her, and I hope she serves you well.
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Apr 28, 2012 11:09
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