Peace Corps Reviews

Pros

It is different for everyone, for me it helped me meet some goals and allowed me to help others.

Cons

The things you think will be hard are easy, it is the things you dont think about that hit you in the face.

Pros

Learning to work in ambiguous environments, working effectively with few resources, learning to stay motivated when you are working very independently, learn a new language and culture. Also a great opportunity before applying to grad school.

Cons

Volunteer = very low pay, not a strong reward system for high performance, thankless job (working almost completely by yourself), not surrounded by many friends or family, must start building personal and professional community network from scratch.

Advice to Senior Management

Better reward and feedback systems, spend more time doing due diligence in the site selection process.

Pros

Independence in the work environment to assess and respond to community needs. Intensive training to be equiped with the technical skills to respond to those needs.

Cons

Community needs go beyond what a volunteer can and is prepared to address. This produces feelings of impotence and frustration.

Pros

Great mission, dedicated hard working people

Cons

Too many political appointees to be effective

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to your employees

Pros

Peace Corps is great because you have the opportunity to make the experience what you want it to be. You arent micromanaged. You will grow as a person.

Cons

Working for the Peace Corps can be hard because its is a 27 month commitment in a forgein country away from your family in sometimes harsh conditions.

Advice to Senior Management

There is no advacement as a Peace Corps volunteer. You are a PCV for the entire 27 months you are there.

Pros

Traveling to a new place and learning the local culture.

Cons

The rules and regulations can take away from some of joys.

Pros

Improve international perspective and appreciation for a multicultural perspective

Cons

Loneliness being so far removed from friends and family.

Advice to Senior Management

Protect the legacy - negative media attention does worlds of damage

Pros

- choose your own projects
- be able to see the world

Cons

interview process is annoying
Washington D.C. does is not efficient

Advice to Senior Management

Better interviewing process,
set expectations

Pros

Interest in development work, the need for field work experience

Cons

Far from comforts of family, friends and home.

Advice to Senior Management

Expand programs

Pros

You have the opportunity to live in another country, experience another culture.

Although you're assigned to a specific work area, you'll usually have the flexibility to expand your work to other areas that interest you.

You'll gain a better understanding of how international aid helps and/or harms.

Cons

Not really clear on overall goals and whether we're actually meeting any goals. Peace Corps has been in many countries for 50 years now...is there a plan to ever pull out?

Sometimes there was favoritism shown by certain staff members to certain volunteers.

Personally, my allowance wasn't enough to adequately cover my expenses for the area I lived in.

Advice to Senior Management

Set realistic and attainable goals for each country where Peace Corps serves. Let's not plan to stay in these countries for 50 more years. Cultural exchange is cool, but if we're really trying to help the people of these countries and produce real sustainability, we have to think about when we're going to leave.