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.
Because you want to commit 27 months of your life to challenging yourself in a unique cultural environment and building relationships that will help you see the world in a different way.
Everyone joins for different reasons, some personal, some professional, some selfish, some altruistic.
Peace Corps is not for everyone, and I don't want to try to convince someone to join if they're not really interested. If you think you might be interested, but are just looking for a little nudge, I would suggest reading Peace Corps blogs and attending Peace Corps events to talk to people in person about the realities (both good and bad) of Peace Corps service.
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We technically accrue 2 vacation days for every month as a volunteer, which means 48 total vacation days. (The first 3 months you are a "trainee," not a volunteer.) You cannot take vacation your first 3 or last 3 months of service, so in order to use all your vacation days, you have to "borrow" against the future. This is accepted practice and happens all the time. Before you can take vacation, you have to clear it at least a week in advance with your work supervisor and a designated person on the Peace Corps staff, which for Armenia means our regional manager. Some people spread out their vacations over the two years and other people take all their vacation days at once. In-country vacation does not count weekends or holidays. Out-of-country vacation counts all days, no matter what. It's a way to encourage volunteers to explore more of the country in which they serve.
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I'm sorry, I don't know anything about working for Peace Corps in an administrative role. All I know about is the application process and life of a volunteer.
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You can apply now in anticipation. The process takes from 6-12 months, so it doesn't matter that you haven't graduated yet.
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MBA Student
How many years of work experience do you REALLY need before applying?
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Yes. You accrue money for every month you are in Peace Corps. The amount is between $200-$300. I'm not sure of the exact amount, and part of it is taken away for taxes before you even get it. So for however many months you are in Peace Corps, you will get the equivalent amount of money when you go home. The money is either direct-deposited into your account, or mailed to you, depending on which option you choose.
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There are many different ways to be successful in Peace Corps. Most of them involve general qualities like being flexible, patient, and understanding. To become accepted into Peace Corps, you should have a college degree, and interest in travel (it helps if you have actually been abroad), and a demonstrated willingness to serve others. (So go volunteer somewhere for awhile before you apply.) Once you are in Peace Corps, make an effort to go out and make friends, to learn the language, and to learn how the locals do things. Then create strategies to integrate your ways of helping into their culture.
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There is nothing "standard" about being a Peace Corps volunteer. Usually you are expected to report to your primary assignment job 15-20 hours per week, and then do secondary projects on the side. During my Peace Corps service, I worked an average of 3.5 hours at the college every day, 5 days per week. When I wasn't at the college, I was visiting with my Armenian neighbors, helping them practice their English, or working on other small projects. But I have a volunteer friend who worked over 40 hours per week at her primary assignment. It just depends on the type of work you are assigned to do.
But every moment as a Peace Corps volunteer you are "on the job" because you are representing America. People notice everything you do, no matter if you're "on the clock" or not. So we're told to act professionally, as though we're always working, 24/7.
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