Frequently Asked Questions about joing the Peace Corps for those who are considering applying
**Disclaimer** All of this information is compiled from mine and the experiences of other volunteers in my area. My advice is by no means sanctioned by PC headquarters or the U.S. Government. All of the official information can be found at the Official Peace Corps Website.
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How long is service in the Peace Corps?
27 months. Three months of training. Two years of work.
What kinds of jobs are there in the Peace Corps?
In general, it depends on the country. Here in Central America, there are 6 programs: Business, Water and Sanitation, Protected Areas Management, Youth Development, Municipal Development and (the best one) Health Promotion. But to be honest, many programs overlap as far as actual work goes. My training was in health projects but I sometimes work in the business office in town. And almost every volunteer will do some kind of Youth Development during their service because education is a constant need. Also every volunteer worldwide is trained in HIV/AIDS prevention because that is now a global mission of the Peace Corps.
In other parts of the world, there are other programs dealing with agriculture and food securities. Also in other countries, volunteers are actually given a full-time position at schools and government organization where they have an actual 9-5 job. It all depends on the community and what they need.
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What’s the application process like? 
In two words: really complicated. This process will test your patience and ability to fill out tedious paperwork. The initial online application is a few essays and several letters of recommendation. Then if a recruiting officer sees fit, they will contact the applicant and send them a packet full of doctor’s forms and background checks to send in.
General requirements for acceptance:
- a bachelor’s degree
- some foreign language background
- a good amount of community service or charity work
- some kind of international travel experience
Do you get to pick where you go?
Applicants can request a certain region on the initial online application. They are as follows: Central America, South America, Eastern Europe, the Pacific Islands, Africa, Middle East and the Caribbean. But there’s no guarantee that someone will get placed in the area of their preference.
[I have heard numerous stories from those in my training group who were told they were going to one country and then it got changed at the last minute. For example, someone was set to go to Thailand and then one month before departure he was told the Thailand program was cancelled so he was sent to Honduras instead. And there were several people in my group who requested to go to Africa but were denied because of minor health problems - like allergies. Stories like these are all too common so it’s a good idea not to get your hopes up about a certain country until you have a plane ticket in hand.]
If an applicant has special skills (registered nurse, TEFL certified, experienced engineer etc.) then there is a greater chance they will get placed where they request.
Do you get paid?
Yes. Depending on the city and country where you live, you will earn the median salary for a single person in that region (unless of course, you are a married couple). It’s all very formulaic actually. In general I get about $350 per month and that includes my rent and other necessities. Depending on the month it seems to be just barely enough to get by. Luxuries such as internet modem, traveling for pleasure or the occasional night out on the town come out of my own pocket.
However we do get reimbursed for work-related travel expenses and certain Peace Corps sanctioned purchases through our in-country bank account.
Plus, volunteers earn a certain amount each month that gets paid in lump sum when we’re finished with our service and return to the states. That amount just increased slightly (thanks Obama!), but I’ve read it will be about $7,425 before taxes.
Do you get to come back to the States?
Of course. We earn vacation time just like with any other job. We accumulate two days per month, 24 days per year. They only gets used if we are leaving the country, like to go vacation in Belize or go home for Christmas. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but many volunteers here find they have lots of vacation-days leftover at the end of each year.
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Do you feel safe where you are?
I’ll say this: I don’t feel UNsafe, at least not in my hometown. Just like in small towns all over the world, everyone knows everyone else. My neighbors, friends, work partners are always looking out for me (and somehow always knowing my whereabouts).
The really big cities, however, are a different story because that is where the majority of petty crime takes place. Here in Honduras, no volunteers are placed in or around the two largest cities in the country because they are full of gangs and have high crime rates.
Peace Corps Corporate is very big on safety and security. We were pretty much beat over the head with it during training. In addition, the In-Country Staff hand-picks the cities and towns where we are placed. They take into account the gender of the volunteer, size of the town, history, gang activity (perhaps that just applies to us here in Honduras) and many other factors that we don’t even know about. But it is a thorough and tedious process.
Personal note: Despite some bad press that has circulated this past year, I feel confident that the in-country staff here is truly looking out for my best interests and would do anything and everything to keep us safe. That was demonstrated quite plainly when I was taken out of my former town and made to relocate because there was too much gang-related crime taking place.
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What are the long-term benefits?
Um, hello? You can put it on every job application for the rest of your life. Which is reward in and of itself given the job market right now. Not to mention every volunteer will inevitably learn a new language, be it Spanish or Mandarin or Azerbaijani. There are also graduate school scholarships available through the Peace Corps Fellows program. There are about 50 universities across the country that offer special programs for returned volunteers which include scholarship, stipends, reduced tuition and internships.
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Final advice for someone considering the Peace Corps?
In my opinion the most important thing an applicant should know is that this experience is whatever you make of it. All volunteers all over the world have totally different experiences. Some volunteers love it, some hate it. Some people work a lot, some never accomplish anything successfully. Some get to travel a lot, and some never. It’s up to the individual volunteer to have a really open mind and make it a good experience. Having a positive and optimistic attitude is important and being able to laugh at yourself will help you maintain your sanity. Bad things are going to happen, but so are amazing and eye-opening and incredible things. Bottom line: Have patients and strength and bring a good book.
Other resources for applicants:
Peace Corps Journals.com -blogs from Volunteers all over the world
Peace Corps Wiki – a collection of stuff
How Do I Become A Volunteer? – from the official PC website
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