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General Information PowerPoint
This PowerPoint is shown to those who want to know more about the details of the Peace Corps.  If you are in the Burlington Area you can come see this PowerPoint and join in our weekly General Information Session every Monday 4-5pm in the Dean's Conference Room at Morrill Hall, UVM.

Frequently Asked Questions

You are not alone in your questions!  It seems everyone has heard about Peace Corps but few people understand what it is and what it means to be a Peace Corps Volunteer.  Here are a few most commonly asked questions.  If you have a question that was not answered here or elsewhere on this web-site, please don't hesitate to contact your PC Recruiter at the contacts below or via the Ask-A-Question page.  Additional Questions and information will be routinely added to this web-site.  For additional information, check out the main Peace Corps web-site

Q: Why do people want to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer?

A: There are many different reasons people join the Peace Corps including ability to travel, opportunity to be a part of another culture, desire to learn more about themselves, and the desire to make a difference in other people's lives.  There is no right or wrong reason to apply to Peace Corps but it should be the right reasons for YOU.  Serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer can be extremely challenging and rewarding, before you apply it is important to ask yourself why you want to do this and what you hope to gain from it.

Q: How does Peace Corps decide where I will go and what I will be doing?

A: Peace Corps tries to balance and match when you are ready to go, what your qualifications are and what regions you have requested. Below outlines the general process Peace Corps undertakes in matching an applicant with a country and a program.

1. Deciding where there is a need. All assignments are individually chosen by countries in which the Peace Corps operates, based on their needs.  Peace Corps office staff in these countries work with local community groups to identify positions that need to be  filled. This list of positions is then sent to the Peace Corps headquarters in Washington D.C. so the positions can be filled as soon as possible.
2. Process of filling available positions. Applicants state their skills and their preferences when completing the application and during the interview process. You can request when you want to leave, where you want to go (by region), and what program you would like to be in. Try to be as flexible as you can.
3. Making the final decision Your file ultimately ends up with a Placement Officers at Peace Corps headquartes. The Placement Officer makes the final decision trying to match your skills and your desires and country requests.

Q: What are the benefits to being a Peace Corps Volunteer

A: Peace Corps offers specific benefits as well as many intangible benefits of living in another culture.

• Round-trip airfare
• Living allowance (around the middle-class income for the country you serve in)
• Medical and dental coverage
• Paid vacation
• Readjustment allowance (currently at $6,075 after 2 years of service)
• Resume booster
• Change how you see the world and yourself!

For more Benefits visit the main Peace Corps web-site.

Q: What will I be doing in Peace Corps?

A: The Peace Corps offers a number of challenging assignments in areas such as education, business,environment, agriculture, health, and community development. To make this decision easier the Peace Corps matches your skills and qualifications with an assignment that is most suitable for you.

To learn more about possible assignments visit the Peace Corps Assignments web-site.

Q: Where do I serve and how long will I be there?

A: The 'How Long' is always the same but the 'Where' is variable.

Where? You may preference a region you would like to serve in, however, your Peace Corps placement officer in Washington D.C. will make the final match between the assignments available and your skills and qualifications.To learn more about the regions to choose from click on the link below.

How Long? All assignments begin with 3 months of in-country training followed by 2 years of service. Visit the Peace Corps web-site to learn more about the Countries & Regions.

Last modified September 09 2008 09:46 AM