How do I pick between a job and Peace Corps service?

At vet office during service_ — Karen gained experience in a veterinary office during her service in the Eastern Caribbean, a key factor in her decision to become a vet.

You’ve covered all your bases—you applied to the Peace Corps because it’s been a longstanding dream, or maybe just something you’ve considered for a while—but you also applied for some interesting jobs.

Or, maybe, you have an interesting job and applied for the Peace Corps anyway. Now, with your Peace Corps invitation in hand, you must make a choice. Peace Corps service or a 9-to-5?

Employers love the Peace Corps

It’s worth saying right off the bat that joining the Peace Corps and serving successfully as a two-year Volunteer or as a shorter-term Peace Corps Response Volunteer will never negatively impact your future career options. Far from that. In fact—employers love seeing Peace Corps service on a resume. Need convincing? Our Career Paths page shines a light on post-Peace Corps opportunities and career support.

Peace Corps makes your resume stand out

If you the prefer private sector or the non-profit world, Peace Corps service gives you skills that bolster your resume in all kinds of ways. Volunteers leave service with solid intercultural work experience, language skills, heightened skills in adaptability, teamwork, and flexibility—all soft skills that employers look for. One Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) shares the seven professional skills he gained during service here. Peace Corps Volunteers come from all walks of life and all sorts of career backgrounds. Whether you’re just graduating from college or you have years of work experience under your belt, there are people just like you choosing to serve.

“The power skills I learned in Peace Corps—adaptability, influence without authority, intercultural communication—have been far more instrumental in advancing my career than any textbook or classroom. Long before I ever had “manager” in my title, those skills helped me gather resources, gain buy-in, and build momentum behind ideas that mattered,” said Bri S. (El Salvador, 2002-05).

Advantages for federal employment

If you plan to pursue a career in public service, Volunteers who have served at least 24 consecutive months will leave Peace Corps with one year of “non-competitive eligibility,” which is a huge bonus for those seeking federal jobs, as it helps your resume get to the top of the pile.

You’ll be in great company

Since 1961, over 240,000 Americans have served in the Peace Corps. This is a huge network of people who have something deep and life-changing in common with you, should you also choose to serve. They’re not just random individuals, either. The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) is a nationwide advocacy group for RPCVs that hosts networking events, social gatherings, and even offers opportunities for leadership positions in the national and state affiliates. RPCVs tend to look out for one another. In fact, three RPCVs from three different generations of Peace Corps recently started a venture capital firm exclusively to mentor, support, and fund RPCV businesses.

Peace Corps isn’t just a job

The agency has retired the classic tagline “The toughest job you’ll ever love,” and it makes sense, because Peace Corps service isn’t just a job. It’s a 24/7 life—one that might find you in the mountains of Nepal, the rainforests of West Africa, or a secondary city nestled in the Balkans. While serving, you may leave your day job at a school, in a municipal office, or on a farm, but you’ll still be immersed in a world that’s profoundly different from the one you left at home. Your commute might be on foot, or on a bicycle or on a bus, but the language you hear around you probably won’t be the one you grew up speaking. The food, the customs, the housing—it’ll all be different. So, choosing between Peace Corps service and a 9-to-5 job is an exciting and potentially daunting choice. But one thing is for sure—you will not be doing your future career a disservice by choosing the Peace Corps. Quite the opposite. You may see opportunities you’d never imagined for yourself open. And you’ll have a vast network and lots of support to help you on your post-service way.