Marching Into the Peace Corps, Pt 35: the Peace Corps Web Ex Meeting

Last Friday I was poking around the Peace Corps website trying to glean something new from their slim pickings and cryptic non-answers when I discovered I could talk to a recruiter through a Web Ex online meeting. I signed up and decided it was a good place to start to get more in-depth answers their site conveniently doesn’t supply. What I learned was a bit sad and strange, but I should’ve expected it since it’s the government.

I signed in to the meeting and chatted with a nameless recruiter only to be known as “from Peace Corps to All Participants”, which instantly gave me a sense of great warmth and intimacy with the moderator. I soon realized after a moment or two I was the only one in this meeting, which was a bit unsettling at first, but I decided to make the most of the opportunity presented to me and started asking questions knowing I wouldn’t embarrass myself in front of others.

The Deployment

One thing I looked everywhere on the Peace Corps website was about the deployment process, but it’s not there. It’s kind of important to know how long you have between the invitation and the actual deployment – you need to shut down your American lifestyle quickly. There are things like your bank account, your apartment lease, your car, and your household items that need to be quickly liquidated and settled.

So, how long do you have? Well, according to the recruiter, it’s about an eight week period, BUT there’s a catch: the invitation you accepted could be changed or filled by another PC volunteer in the meantime. This means you could have accepted and packed for Bolivia, and by the time you hit the plane, you could be sent to the Artic circle, which could stink if you’ve got shorts and need North Face gear. There’s no guarantees you’ll be sent to the country you accepted an invitation to by the end of the 8 week period, and keep in mind it might be sooner than 8 weeks. Nothing’s written in stone with the government.

The Invitation

You cannot request the country you want to serve in, but you can request the region. It doesn’t mean you will be stationed in that country, either. In order to get into the country of your choice, you need to develop the necessary skill sets before you apply. That still doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to be in the country of your choice – it just increases your odds of a positive outcome when it comes to placements. Ok, so how do you figure out what skill sets you need for a specific country or region? Start here and read between the lines and then paste your future together the best you can.