TravelingEv
Armenia,
Female, 27
I live and work in Armenia as a computer teacher at a college in one of the regions (not the modern capital city). Peace Corps service is a 27 month commitment in a 3rd world or developing country. I teach computer teachers and students about basic computer maintenance; I also teach software programs like Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint, Photoshop, and CorelDraw. Everything I do--from teaching, buying food, visiting friends--is done in Armenian, which I learned since I arrived in country.
The more you have the better, but I don't think it's absolutely required. I went out and found a couple volunteer opportunities after I applied, so that I would be able to talk about them in my interview. I did not have much volunteer work experience, but I had a lot of professional experience, and that helped.
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Yes, it's possible to get accepted into Peace Corps, no matter what your career choice. Social work and Nonprofit work are both two very excellent interests that will appeal to a Peace Corps recruiter, not make them think you're not a good fit.
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Hi, Peace Corps volunteers must either have a college degree or 10 years of relevant experience, so you can't join right out of high school.
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Smoking shouldn't be a problem with medical clearance unless it has already caused other major health issues. Some countries' customs would make it difficult to be a smoker if you are a female. I'd recommend quitting before Peace Corps.
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Call Center Employee (Retail)
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Did you experience the notorious 100-hour work weeks?
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I'm not sure I can tell you what is wrong with the world. I'm also not sure what experience you've had or who you've talked to that causes you to ask about people who don't do anything in the world and do nothing to help. I think that a lot of Peace Corps volunteers genuinely want to help improve people's lives in some capacity. I also think that the reality of living as a PCV can be very difficult and cause some to feel paralyzed and unable to help, resulting in something that looks like them "doing nothing to help." However, the mere presence of an outsider and the experience of interacting with them can cause change to happen, so I would caution people not to judge the experience too quickly.
What does the Peace Corps mean to everyone out there? I think it means different things to different people. I think a lot of people see it as a grass roots way to effect change in third-world and developing countries. I think a lot of other people see it as a way to get a "free vacation" and travel the world. I think the latter opinion is mis-informed.
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I would recommend starting the application process about a year before you hope to leave for Peace Corps. On your application, you put when you are available to leave. I have heard of the process taking 6 months for some people; for me it took 1.5 years.
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Yes, I think it will. Also, Peace Corps has changed its application procedure, so now you can specify what you want to do and where you want to go, and you have a much higher likelihood of doing what you want, where you want, as a Peace Corps volunteer.
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