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I got my masters and then joined the Peace corps. In my case the MA was in English literature so it didn't have much to do with my experience, other than that I had a few years of experience teaching college classes. I joined PC because I became disenchanted with the PHD track I was on and wanted to change directions. PC was definitely helpful for that. So, um, do what feels right?
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Feb 16, 2015 17:31
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Thanks for the responses! Fortunately (or unfortunately) I have squandered my master's not taking any data/quantitative analysis beyond the core requirements. I'm at Columbia, which has a ton of course options and flexibility that has allowed me to take a lot of theory courses in the poli/sci dept, but which really has no business being called an MPA program. Any insights on Nepal by any chance? Atican fucked around with this message at 01:58 on Feb 17, 2015 |
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Feb 17, 2015 00:45
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Received an email that I'm under consideration for Albania (March 2016). Pretty stoked about it even though it wasn't in my top 3. I guess now it's a waiting game..
mrgoodtrips fucked around with this message at 05:44 on Mar 27, 2015 |
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Feb 20, 2015 16:36
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Any of you poor bastards in Vanuatu? If so, I'm guess you're online right now because it sounds like all of the volunteers were evacuated to Sydney, Australia. Also, Jordan's program was closed. A small one,but I think that just leaves Morocco for Arab countries.
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Mar 18, 2015 14:33
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Guys, I'm leaving in 3 weeks. I'm going to do a test pack, and I'll be in DC a week early so I can see if I'm missing something. But any tips? I'll be honest and say I haven't really studied my language. I've learnt the alphabet, but that's about it... Any packing lists I can compare to mine and see what I'm missing? E: I forgot to mention, I'm going to Georgia as a CED volunteer.
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Mar 27, 2015 06:33
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Stolennosferatu posted:Guys, I'm leaving in 3 weeks. I'm going to do a test pack, and I'll be in DC a week early so I can see if I'm missing something. But any tips? I'd say Google blogs of other volunteers in your country, check out the welcome book and/or your country's webpage(new thing so it might not be up for your country), ask in your group's Facebook page (if you're not in it just search around, it's there. However you classify your groups, search for that. In Panama it's g#, so I just searched Facebook for Panama g22), and finally, if you're still unsure the country Facebook page (but only for serious questions, and probably just don't do that. If you ask a stupid question you're going to be ridiculed about it for a long time. Example: do they have soap in country or should I bring a two year supply?) Or, just throw everything out and show up with only the clothes on your back and go full local. Outside of a few electronics, which was a personal preference, I was probably just better off buying all my clothes and toiletries and such in country and just bringing a few day supply to get started.
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Mar 28, 2015 09:25
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I finally have gotten all my medical stuff done except for the polio vaccine. I don't know if it is like this elsewhere but all of the travel immunization places in New York seem scummy as hell (at least their websites do). But just this last step and I should *hopefully* be done. After that I just need to wait the 5 months until I start in August! Starting to get pretty excited!
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Mar 28, 2015 17:30
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If you don't like the look of your travel medicine places, try and check out your local VA hospital(s). There should be plenty around NYC. They should either reduce prices or give it free as well, as its for a federal 'position'. University health clinics see a bunch of Peace Corps people as well; they might be willing to let in an outsider just for a shot if you call them up, too.
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Mar 28, 2015 20:57
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I dunno how up-to-date the OP is, but is anybody in Zambia doing RAP? My good buddy and roommate just went down in February and it'd be great to troll him/get updates via goons.
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Apr 5, 2015 04:52
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So, RPCVs, how did you market yourself for positions once you got back from the Peace Corps. I'm finishing up the graduate school portion of my Masters International program and am thus job hunting heavily. But I keep getting back letters saying that my Peace Corps service qualified me for the position as 'specialized experience' but that I am not getting the job because veterans get preference over us. I don't blame veterans getting jobs over me, they deserve a cushy federal position more than us IMO, but I need employment as well! Did any particular job search strategies or marketing help you guys find a job once you returned? Note: Its a Master of Public Affairs, so I'm mostly qualified for consulting and government work.
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Apr 16, 2015 07:06
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Are you looking at jobs that request non-competitive eligibility? Check the Peace Corps job board. That's how I got my federal gig. A lot of those jobs you can just directly email your resume etc without having to use USAJobs. I didn't have much luck with the job board, but I got a quick response from the job that I applied to directly with my NCE.
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Apr 16, 2015 15:31
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I haven't been because most of the job I see show up on there are well below my pay grade. With a Masters, I should be getting a GS-7 or -9 at entry, but most of those are GS-5 or private non-profit positions which pay under 40,000 a year. I have student loans to pay. 
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Apr 16, 2015 15:36
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Slaan posted:I haven't been because most of the job I see show up on there are well below my pay grade. With a Masters, I should be getting a GS-7 or -9 at entry, but most of those are GS-5 or private non-profit positions which pay under 40,000 a year. I have student loans to pay. Yup. I have a master's and I started at a GS-5, which is pretty weak. Promotion potential to 11, however.
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Apr 16, 2015 17:41
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Slaan posted:I haven't been because most of the job I see show up on there are well below my pay grade. With a Masters, I should be getting a GS-7 or -9 at entry, but most of those are GS-5 or private non-profit positions which pay under 40,000 a year. I have student loans to pay. Your chances of getting a job through USAJOBS is very small due to the veterans preference. Apply to the PC NCE opening through avuecentral. I cos'd one month ago and was hired as a GS9 by the first job I applied to off the PC job board. There are a ton of awesome jobs posted on there but you need to check it every single day.
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Apr 16, 2015 22:29
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I didn't know about Avue Central before. Thanks for the information!
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Apr 16, 2015 23:02
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For anyone interested, the process of transferring from being a Peace Corps Volunteer into Peace Corps Response is relatively painless. Although you still need to go through clearances, in-country staff sort most of it out. I did learn, however, that you still need to do a separate DOS for both your original service and for PCR. I don't even know how to tell you how excited I am to fix standardized tests. It's a lot. Also you should all come visit Micronesia.
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May 14, 2015 08:28
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I've been thinking about doing the Peace Corps for way too long, and I'm closer to pulling the trigger than ever before. I do have some questions about the process, especially the new process, if anyone here is familiar with it. I would be applying to become a teacher, and the spots on the website that appeal to me are Thailand, Ecuador, and China. Is it possible to do part or even all of the application process from abroad, particularly a developed country with an embassy or consulate nearby? And in general, what would you guys say the overall cost of applying was? I'm assuming you have to pay for your own medical examinations? Thanks for your help.
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May 14, 2015 19:15
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Shnicker posted:I've been thinking about doing the Peace Corps for way too long, and I'm closer to pulling the trigger than ever before. I do have some questions about the process, especially the new process, if anyone here is familiar with it.
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May 14, 2015 21:59
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So I was scheduled to go to Jordan in October as long as (paraphrasing) "a more competitive applicant doesn't come along". Got an email back in March saying they withdrew all operations from Jordan, please reply with a yes or no whether you would like to be assigned elsewhere. I replied with a yes, got another email about a month later basically saying "sorry there are currently no positions available for you". Is this basically a "tough luck you're not cut out for this" situation or would it be worth reapplying? I have since started work as a grief counselor for my local District Attorney's office working specifically with families of murder victims, so I'm not sure whether this would make me more qualified than when I first applied. This is something I've really been wanting to do for years, but if it's not going to happen now I'd rather not waste any more time and start making preparations for grad school and reapply after.
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May 25, 2015 17:51
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speshl guy posted:So I was scheduled to go to Jordan in October as long as (paraphrasing) "a more competitive applicant doesn't come along". Got an email back in March saying they withdrew all operations from Jordan, please reply with a yes or no whether you would like to be assigned elsewhere. I replied with a yes, got another email about a month later basically saying "sorry there are currently no positions available for you".
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May 25, 2015 18:15
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huhu posted:I'd continue to inquire with your recruiter, don't submit another application. I apologize, my explanation was misleading. I was never actually in personal contact with a recruiter, I merely received an email saying I was under consideration for deployment to Jordan in October. After they suspended operations in Jordan, I received an email from the placement specialist for Jordan that stated: quote:For you, there are two options moving forward. First, we will work to identify another program match considering your previously stated preferences, availability and timing of programs for which your skills and experience qualify. Once we identify an alternative Peace Corps country that we would like to consider you for, you will receive an email notifying you of the new country. After which I affirmed I would like to be put under consideration for another placement, then I received this email: quote:Thank you for your application to the Peace Corps. We regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you an assignment at this time. Each year, the Peace Corps receives many more applications from qualified individuals than available assignments. So I was never under the impression that I had a personalized recruiter working directly with me. This appears to me to be a flat rejection. speshl guy fucked around with this message at 18:40 on May 25, 2015 |
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May 25, 2015 18:38
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speshl guy posted:I apologize, my explanation was misleading. I was never actually in personal contact with a recruiter, I merely received an email saying I was under consideration for deployment to Jordan in October. After they suspended operations in Jordan, I received an email from the placement specialist for Jordan that stated: Who did you interview with?
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May 25, 2015 21:41
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I never interviewed with anybody, I filled out my application in January, completed the medical history form, and then received an email about consideration for deployment to Jordan in October. The email said I will probably be contacted in the coming weeks about an interview, then they withdrew operations from Jordan and I received the two above emails.
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May 25, 2015 21:48
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drat, things have changed since I applied. If there are names attached to those emails, I'd try contacting them and see how you could make yourself more competitive and then try again in a year or two.
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May 25, 2015 22:59
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Yeah apparently they revamped and streamlined the whole application process a few months before I applied in an effort to get more volunteers to apply. Looks like I missed the boat, but this is something I will do someday, unfortunately it looks like you need a graduate degree just to get your foot in the door now.
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May 25, 2015 23:52
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speshl guy posted:Yeah apparently they revamped and streamlined the whole application process a few months before I applied in an effort to get more volunteers to apply. Looks like I missed the boat, but this is something I will do someday, unfortunately it looks like you need a graduate degree just to get your foot in the door now. Nah, though it certainly helps. Only a third of my cohort had graduate degrees. About half of the health and business guys had them, but I was the only agriculture volunteer with one, and English only had one as well.
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May 26, 2015 00:11
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speshl guy posted:Yeah apparently they revamped and streamlined the whole application process a few months before I applied in an effort to get more volunteers to apply. Looks like I missed the boat, but this is something I will do someday, unfortunately it looks like you need a graduate degree just to get your foot in the door now. I am in my first month in Georgia doing CED work and there is a wide range of experiences. People straight out of college to middle aged to 65 year old retired people. It's not a requirement by any means. I would say a significant number, like half, of the CED volunteers have graduated within the last 5 years. The education group tends to be even younger as a whole than CED group. Just ask whoever emailed you before, if you can get a name.
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Jun 1, 2015 22:07
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A couple of us had master's degrees, but I think that was more of a random fact than something that got us into our program. I taught during my MA, which is probably why I ended up in education. But I have no idea how the process works now. My understanding is that now you go whereever you want and do whatever you want  The confusion regarding the "recruiter contact" thing above is that it used to be that by the time you actually knew where you were going, you had basically reached the end of the whole process (over a year for me and my wife!) and had been in touch with actual PC HQ humans.
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Jun 2, 2015 03:46
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I got some real good news from a doctor who agreed to sign off all of my medical documents if/when that happens. So, for the third time in about a year, my spouse and I are applying to Peace Corps again. So, wish us luck.
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Jun 4, 2015 00:06
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Under consideration for Costa Rica. Probably teaching English because I was an editor for state government. Would be a cool location though!
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Jul 9, 2015 02:39
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If anyone's serving in Jamaica, could you PM me or post?
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Jul 11, 2015 14:25
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N. Senada posted:I got some real good news from a doctor who agreed to sign off all of my medical documents if/when that happens. So, for the third time in about a year, my spouse and I are applying to Peace Corps again. So, wish us luck. How does serving with a spouse work? I should probably Google this.
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Jul 15, 2015 15:21
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Massasoit posted:How does serving with a spouse work? In other news, a week and a day and I'm done!  I did just get an email asking for six month response volunteers in Micronesia... tempting.
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Jul 15, 2015 16:43
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huhu posted:You both work/live in the same community. Generally in the same sector but we had a couple who worked in two different sectors. I feel like that's about all you need to know?. Married RPCV confirming this statement. You'll be treated more seriously by locals but probably get less free food and invites because you don't seem as helpless. Also, everyone will continuously ask you how many children you have, when you're having children, and why you don't have children yet? If you're a man and your wife leaves your site for a few days for a conference or something, people will come bring you food because they assume you will literally starve to death without a woman to cook for you. Any explanation that you actually know how to and do cook will be ignored. Until the end, if someone saw me put rice in a pot or something they'd be amazed and comment on my hilarious skills. On a related note, I was hosting a trainee at my site for a few days and I discovered that she, a college educated 23 year old, literally had never cooked an egg in a frying pan before and didn't know how to do it, so maybe the locals are onto something... Thesaurus fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Jul 16, 2015 |
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Jul 16, 2015 16:22
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huhu posted:You both work/live in the same community. Generally in the same sector but we had a couple who worked in two different sectors. I feel like that's about all you need to know? PM me if you want info about Micronesia, I've been here a few years now (first as a regular Volunteer and now as a Response)
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Jul 20, 2015 02:36
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I am under consideration for a position departing Feb 2016, but the notification date is September 1st. Is this a good sign? Shouldn't I have been contacted for an interview by now? It just seems like there's little information coming out from them (I applied early July).
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Aug 9, 2015 07:10
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im gay posted:I am under consideration for a position departing Feb 2016, but the notification date is September 1st. Is this a good sign? Shouldn't I have been contacted for an interview by now? It just seems like there's little information coming out from them (I applied early July). It's fine, don't sweat it. In fact, get used to it.
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Aug 9, 2015 09:00
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This is not really related to the Peace Corps, but does anyone have any experience working for/with the UN? But sure I've ever seen a UN thread and this may be the closest.
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Aug 13, 2015 15:56
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Try these places: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3166411 http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3324421
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Aug 18, 2015 03:39
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I've seen this question asked once or twice in the thread, but never really answered. (Then again, I admit I haven't exhaustively searched everything.) I'll ask it again anyhow: Is it possible to compete the PCV application if I'm currently living abroad?
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Aug 30, 2015 05:49
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