I received an e-mail today from the supervisor for placement review confirming yesterday's phone conversation (see previous post), but with a little more detail. She said I'm being considered for a program in Latin America that leaves in March, and that has a slightly different placement process than other Peace Corps programs. She has forwarded my resume to the post and said if they think the fit is not right, based on either my resume or the interview, she will return my file to my placement specialist to be considered for another program that matches up with my skills and background.
Sounds good so far. That would give me time to get the Spanish version of Rosetta Stone and start learning Espanol. Si? Esto es muy emocionate! <--courtesy of Babel Fish online traslator. Try it! www.babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt.
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Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
I heard a heartbeat!
I heard from the Peace Corps today. WAHOO!!! There's no specific assignment yet, but the call was to give me a heads up that there's a good match for me in the Technology Transfer Program. The program looks for people with business skills and backgrounds in areas such as organizational development and communication to fill site-specific needs within a country. The Peace Corps works in partnership with these organizations, which would sponsor my visa, but it would still be a Peace Corps position. I was told to expect a call within the next two weeks for an interview. In the meantime, the Placement Office is waiting to hear back on some other positions that are also a good fit. It's nice to be able to post some progress on my blog, and even nicer to know my file is still alive.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
My first post!
Welcome to my new blog. This is my first post about my Peace Corps experience, which I hope will commence soon with an actual assignment and departure date. If all goes well, I will continue to write about my experiences for the duration of my 27-month assignment, or for as long as we'll have each other.
With my corporate career soon behind me, I look forward to the next chapter as a Peace Corps volunteer. It has been 14 months since I submitted my application. Now I wait for an assignment. I could depart in as soon as a month, or not until sometime next year. It looks as if my wish for some down time between my Sept. 1 retirement and departure has been granted, which gives me time to paint, read, work out, sleep late, finish cleaning my closets, or just zone out on my patio if I want to.
Friends familiar with the Peace Corps warned me that the application process was long and tedious. But the reality has far exceeded my expectations, from reams of required paperwork and medical and legal reviews, to the interminable waiting for word on my status. I have had decades of experience learning how to hurry up and wait; this has got to be excruciating for someone in their 20s.
I was nominated in July 2009 for a business development position working with artisans in Morocco or Jordan, with a September 2010 departure date. Although I was apprehensive about an assignment in the Middle East, I was excited about the prospect of working with artists. Plus, the nomination was necessary to advance me to the next step: the medical review.
I was checked from stem to stern and I have an "all-clear," with two medical limitations, one or both of which disqualified me for Morocco and Jordan. The placement officer said there were many other countries where I was medically qualified, however, and added teaching English as a second language to business development as potential assignment areas.
For some reason that probably makes sense to the U.S. Government, the placement officer couldn't share the list of qualifying countries. I found a Wiki site (www.peacecorpswiki.com/timeline), a grassroots effort to fill in the blanks by people such as I who are hungry for information but can't find it through official Peace Corps resources*. As nominees receive their letter of invitation -- the final assignment notice everyone hopes for -- they populate the Wiki site with their assigned country and departure date. The site lists the remaining countries where volunteers are being deployed through the end of the year. There may be other countries not listed; the site is only as accurate as the people posting the information. Although the rule of thumb is six-weeks departure notice, one month is a possibility.
So here I sit, poised with catcher's mitt on, ready to find out what's in store. But for now, my first agenda item for Wednesday, Sept. 1 is: "Sleep late -- presenter: Donna"
I'll post another entry when I have Peace Corps news to share.
Until then, Peace!
* The Peace Corps does provide excellent information on the volunteer experience, as well as countries served, types of service, the application process and other information. To learn more visit http://www.peacecorps.gov/.
With my corporate career soon behind me, I look forward to the next chapter as a Peace Corps volunteer. It has been 14 months since I submitted my application. Now I wait for an assignment. I could depart in as soon as a month, or not until sometime next year. It looks as if my wish for some down time between my Sept. 1 retirement and departure has been granted, which gives me time to paint, read, work out, sleep late, finish cleaning my closets, or just zone out on my patio if I want to.
Friends familiar with the Peace Corps warned me that the application process was long and tedious. But the reality has far exceeded my expectations, from reams of required paperwork and medical and legal reviews, to the interminable waiting for word on my status. I have had decades of experience learning how to hurry up and wait; this has got to be excruciating for someone in their 20s.
I was nominated in July 2009 for a business development position working with artisans in Morocco or Jordan, with a September 2010 departure date. Although I was apprehensive about an assignment in the Middle East, I was excited about the prospect of working with artists. Plus, the nomination was necessary to advance me to the next step: the medical review.
I was checked from stem to stern and I have an "all-clear," with two medical limitations, one or both of which disqualified me for Morocco and Jordan. The placement officer said there were many other countries where I was medically qualified, however, and added teaching English as a second language to business development as potential assignment areas.
For some reason that probably makes sense to the U.S. Government, the placement officer couldn't share the list of qualifying countries. I found a Wiki site (www.peacecorpswiki.com/timeline), a grassroots effort to fill in the blanks by people such as I who are hungry for information but can't find it through official Peace Corps resources*. As nominees receive their letter of invitation -- the final assignment notice everyone hopes for -- they populate the Wiki site with their assigned country and departure date. The site lists the remaining countries where volunteers are being deployed through the end of the year. There may be other countries not listed; the site is only as accurate as the people posting the information. Although the rule of thumb is six-weeks departure notice, one month is a possibility.
So here I sit, poised with catcher's mitt on, ready to find out what's in store. But for now, my first agenda item for Wednesday, Sept. 1 is: "Sleep late -- presenter: Donna"
I'll post another entry when I have Peace Corps news to share.
Until then, Peace!
* The Peace Corps does provide excellent information on the volunteer experience, as well as countries served, types of service, the application process and other information. To learn more visit http://www.peacecorps.gov/.
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