Is AmeriCorps a good lead-in for Peace Corps?
Notes on the Peace Corps application… 1) Do you have recent volunteering experience? If not, get it now. You will need a recommendation from a volunteer supervisor, and it will be the most important one in their mind. 2) I’m unsure as to what type of program you are hoping for in the Peace Corps, but your placement officer that you are assigned to will classify you into job categories based on the skill sets you tell them about. You may have enough experience for the agriculture program as is. “Team service project experience” is a little vague, so I can’t comment on specifics, but you may also be eligible for some kind of youth-development program that many countries have. If not those two things, you will most likely be placed as an English Language instructor. You should way the options of whether or not that is appealing to you. If after reading this you feel like Peace Corps may not be a good fit, or a good fit right now, apply for NCCC, and maybe an after that you can put in an
As someone serving in the NCCC: We do plenty of thinking and analyzing before getting down and dirty. Even in the field, we encounter logistical questions, physics/ chemistry questions, schedule questions. And before we even think about getting in those sexy 15-passenger vans, we figure out how to project sponsor fits in the community, why our service is important, more schedule stuff, food allotment, team roles, physical training, etc, and try to predict and mitigate as many issues as possible. If you like problem-solving AND direct service, NCCC is probably a good choice. My understanding is that the application process is more selective than you might think, although applicants help out by being self-selecting. That said, the program isn’t about prestige; it’s about service and teamwork. If you’re already feeling like you’re over-qualified to serve, NCCC is a very, very bad choice. As for the Peace Corps, the office staff is great about getting application information and helping pe
