I began this blog in the middle of the application process and have yet to fully explain all the ends and outs of joining the Peace Corps from the very beginning. After several months (well really a couple years) of researching and contemplating Peace Corps as a post-graduation choice, I finally decided to apply last year. I had known for a while, but I waited until December to apply because I knew it would be the best opportunity to get my letters of recommendation completed. For the initial application, PC requested three recommendation letters: one from a volunteer supervisor, another from a work supervisor, and a third one from a close friend. As I am a college student and have fewer opportunities for professional references, they allowed me to replace one of these with a professor's recommendation. Waiting until December, I was able to ask my roommate of three years and my advisor who also taught my favorite class of my entire college career. Then I came home for Christmas Break and was able to solicit my boss for a recommendation at the restaurant I had been working at during the summer. Thankfully the people I chose to ask were amazing at completing the recommendations in a timely manner, and I had them all in even before I finished the rest of the application.
The remaining part of the application was quite lengthy. Luckily it was all online, so I was able to work on parts and then save it until I was completely ready to send it in. To give you a general idea of what it was like, besides the general application necessities, other items included: work experience, volunteer experience, financial obligations, previous employment with CIA (a deal breaker), language skills, certifications, educational background, regional and job preferences, practical experiences and hobbies. They also wanted a complete resume and two essays, one about cross-cultural experiences and another concerning the applicant's motivations for joining the organization. All of that probably took about 15 hours to complete. On January 12, I submitted this first part and then immediately was given a link to the second part, the Health Status Review form. Thankfully, this step only took 20 minutes or so. It was basically pages and pages of yes/no health questions. These would later factor into the medical portion of the application.
A week later, I was contacted by my recruiter who deals with the applicants in my area, and we set up an interview at the end of January. I also had to get two fingerprint charts done at my local police station for a background check, as well as a copy of my college transcript. The actual interview took place in a Marriot lobby in Williamsburg on the 31st. All in all, I thought it went really well; I think I usually make a good first impression. I felt a bit overdressed (I wore a suit) but I wanted to come across as taking this interview seriously, so I was glad I wore it (plus I think everyone gains a little self-confidence in a suit). Most of the questions were ones I had expected like volunteer and work experience, cultural adaptability, etc. Some threw me off gaurd like: "When was the last time you were stressed and "How do you usually relieve stress?" and "When have you worked in an unstructured environment?" I think I was able to come up with good responses though. Many were quite personal, regarding religion, romantic relationships, and the such, but I pretty much knew beforehand about these kinds of questions. I may have rehearsed everything too well because the whole interview only took us about half an hour, and she commented on how quickly we were getting through the questions. At the end, I was able to ask her a few things (which I think is essential in any interview to show interest), and I definitely conveyed to her my excitement and enthusiasm about it all.
About two weeks later, I got a call in my car on my cell from my recruiter who told me that she was prepared to offer me a nomination. She gave me two choices to choose from: 1) a health extension program in North Africa/Middle East departing in January '09, or 2) a health extension program in Sub-Saharan Africa leaving in November '08. If you have been reading this blog, you obviously know I chose the latter option. I let out a couple of screams in my car after I got of the phone with her, which probably startled some of the drivers around me. I had the biggest grin on my face the whole day. I immediately call my dad and let him know the good news, and then called my mom once she got home. They were very happy for me, of course.
A week later (Feb. 21st) I received my medical kit in the mail with forms to take to my eye doctor, dentist, and regular doctor. I scheduled appointments with all of them and finally got it all finished about a week ago. That basically brings you up to speed on the application steps so far. Sorry this post was so long, but I figure that if anybody reads this who is interested in applying to PC, I better be as detailed as possible. Hasta Luego.
P.S. I'm sure it's really dorky of me, but I am a little excited that my blog has gone international. So... Thanks, Dankie, شُكْرًا , Dêkuji, Merci, Grazie, Danke, Arigatou, Ευχαριστώ, Toda, Asante, Shukriya, Komapsumnida, Xie xie, Спасибо, Gracias and everything in between.
I was sure it would take at least a month to get clearance, but I guess they are either really on the ball or maybe I'm just really healthy. Either way, I am so excited to hear it. I still have to go to the dentist, but there is no rush because I know you can get an invitation before even completing your dental. Things have been so busy here, I am sure I will have to wait until after graduation before I can take care of those fillings. Well, I have to get cleaned up and head to my last class ever at William and Mary. Bitter sweet.
No more red exclamation point here. The e-mail was sent at exactly 5:00 am, so I assume it was done automatically. Let's hope they now have everything they need, and my medical clearance comes swiftly. Crossing my fingers.
