So my interview went amazingly well! It was much shorter than I had been preparing for, only 45 minutes. Everything I had heard said it could last up to two hours. Oh well, I feel like it went really well and my recruiter told me I did well. I have to send in a shorter version of my resume since mine was two pages, but other than that I'm good. He told me he was going to look at what programs were available and call to let me know. I feel so relieved now that the interview is over and I seem to be moving forward with the process. My recruiter told me he was considering me for the science education program but he needed to look at the specific programs before he could let me know.
So now I'm just awaiting my fingerprint form in the mail and a phone call from my recruiter!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Submitted!
So, I'm applying to the Peace Corps! I'm thrilled, nervous, overwhelmed, stressed, and ecstatic about it. I've been intrigued by the Peace Corps since elementary school when we learned about it. In high school, a returned volunteer came into my biology class and spoke about her experience. I decided it was something I wanted to do and have been working towards it ever since.
I had a terrifying/eye opening realization in January. I will be a college graduate THIS YEAR. Once I was sure I would be graduating in December, the panic really sunk in. What on earth do I do next? After a little soul searching, "Join the Peace Corps" was the great resounding answer my mind gave. I already had a pretty good idea of the programs, but I needed more specific information, so, I started researching. From what I could tell, I qualified for the PC although I needed more volunteer experience.
I started my application without any immediate plans to submit it and applied to every volunteer organization within a fifty mile radius (a slight exaggeration, but still). I spoke to my recruiter at an ASU event and found out I needed experience tutoring specifically science. So, thanks to my best friend Kathy and her friend Maya, I learned about a charter school in Phoenix which needed volunteers. I emailed them and they have been absolutely AMAZING with letting me volunteer. I help out in their science class and the teacher has been extremely helpful. The school is awesome and the teachers are astounding. I also got a volunteer job tutoring girls at a group home for girls in the foster care system.
Anyway, with two volunteer jobs started, my application mostly filled out, references given a heads up, and essays in rough draft form I was feeling pretty accomplished. I intended to submit my application mid-April since I needed a recommendation from a volunteer supervisor and neither of mine knew me well enough to answer any questions about me yet. So, one day I unsuspectingly log onto the Peace Corps website to input more details into my application and read the terrifying line "Apply by April 1 for consideration to depart on or before June 30, 2011". So I immediately began the frantic process of writing essays, officially notifying references, and finishing my application. I emailed my recruiter and he said I could have my volunteer supervisor simply send in a list of my duties as my recommendation.
I lingered over the "submit" button momentarily and then sent it off. All three of my references sent in their recommendations amazingly quickly. I got an email earlier this week before my final recommendation was in telling me the Peace Corps had received my application and would be reviewing it and asking me to fill out a few more forms. Now I'm waiting to hear back from my recruiter! The next step, as far as I'm aware, is finding out if I get an interview. It's an exhausting mindset to be constantly asking yourself "am I qualified?", "will they want me?", "what if I'm not what they're looking for", etc. I feel relatively qualified now that I've put in some serious hours at my volunteer positions, but those fears are still there. I want to actually go out into the world and DO something, and this seems like the perfect opportunity. Two years is the blink of an eye and I'm thrilled to be moving forward with my application!!
While I was in the process of writing this post, I got an email from my recruiter asking me to schedule a date for my interview!!!!! I chose next Wednesday morning. I'm so insanely excited and nervous! I'll post more information when I have some. Wish me luck!
I had a terrifying/eye opening realization in January. I will be a college graduate THIS YEAR. Once I was sure I would be graduating in December, the panic really sunk in. What on earth do I do next? After a little soul searching, "Join the Peace Corps" was the great resounding answer my mind gave. I already had a pretty good idea of the programs, but I needed more specific information, so, I started researching. From what I could tell, I qualified for the PC although I needed more volunteer experience.
I started my application without any immediate plans to submit it and applied to every volunteer organization within a fifty mile radius (a slight exaggeration, but still). I spoke to my recruiter at an ASU event and found out I needed experience tutoring specifically science. So, thanks to my best friend Kathy and her friend Maya, I learned about a charter school in Phoenix which needed volunteers. I emailed them and they have been absolutely AMAZING with letting me volunteer. I help out in their science class and the teacher has been extremely helpful. The school is awesome and the teachers are astounding. I also got a volunteer job tutoring girls at a group home for girls in the foster care system.
Anyway, with two volunteer jobs started, my application mostly filled out, references given a heads up, and essays in rough draft form I was feeling pretty accomplished. I intended to submit my application mid-April since I needed a recommendation from a volunteer supervisor and neither of mine knew me well enough to answer any questions about me yet. So, one day I unsuspectingly log onto the Peace Corps website to input more details into my application and read the terrifying line "Apply by April 1 for consideration to depart on or before June 30, 2011". So I immediately began the frantic process of writing essays, officially notifying references, and finishing my application. I emailed my recruiter and he said I could have my volunteer supervisor simply send in a list of my duties as my recommendation.
I lingered over the "submit" button momentarily and then sent it off. All three of my references sent in their recommendations amazingly quickly. I got an email earlier this week before my final recommendation was in telling me the Peace Corps had received my application and would be reviewing it and asking me to fill out a few more forms. Now I'm waiting to hear back from my recruiter! The next step, as far as I'm aware, is finding out if I get an interview. It's an exhausting mindset to be constantly asking yourself "am I qualified?", "will they want me?", "what if I'm not what they're looking for", etc. I feel relatively qualified now that I've put in some serious hours at my volunteer positions, but those fears are still there. I want to actually go out into the world and DO something, and this seems like the perfect opportunity. Two years is the blink of an eye and I'm thrilled to be moving forward with my application!!
While I was in the process of writing this post, I got an email from my recruiter asking me to schedule a date for my interview!!!!! I chose next Wednesday morning. I'm so insanely excited and nervous! I'll post more information when I have some. Wish me luck!
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