Top 5 things to avoid when applying for Peace Corps service

When you submit an application, it's reviewed by a placement officer (PO) who assesses your skills and qualifications. The PO places you in a program based on the information in your application including, but not limited to your preferences, countries that can support your medical history, and where you'll be most competitive to meet host-country needs.  Throughout the application process, we use a holistic assessment to make a final placement decision, so be sure your application accurately communicates your motives, intentions, and preferences.

Here are 5 things to avoid during the application process:

1. Asking to be placed in a different country

When you apply to the Peace Corps, the preferences in your application are considered first, whether you apply directly to one program or to “serve where needed most.” Your Placement Officer (PO) appreciates honesty and openness regarding your preferences; however, there is no guarantee that we will be able to honor them. A program may be full, your medical history may not be supported in a country, or a variety of other reasons can make your preferred country a bad fit. If this is the case, we may consider your application for other programs, considering a variety of factors including the competitiveness of your application and where your skills and interests are needed most. Core Expectation #3 for Volunteers is "Serve where the Peace Corps places me with the flexibility needed for effective service," and this starts with your application!

When you ask to be placed in a different country, it can communicate to your PO that you are not motivated for Peace Corps service or haven’t done your homework about service. Please read what it means to Apply to Serve Where Needed Most. Learn about the countries where Peace Corps serves and our commitment to Volunteer health, safety, and security. Effective Peace Corps Volunteers demonstrate a strong connection to the Mission & Goals of Peace Corps, including serving where needed.

Submitting an application for the Peace Corps is a commitment to serving where you are asked to go. Be honest with yourself about your preferences and think about your reasons for applying. We do our best to place you somewhere you will be successful—but it could be somewhere you have never heard of before!

2. Not responding to the prompt in your motivation statement

When your motivation statement doesn't answer the prompt, this can communicate that you did your application too quickly without putting thought into what being a Peace Corps Volunteer might look like for you. It can also indicate that you’re not able to follow directions, a capacity that is critical to your safety and success as a Volunteer. A thorough reflection on your motivation will set you up for success and enable you to answer questions from host community members who will naturally be intrigued about why you chose to serve.

Keep in mind the motivation statement prompt is a two-part answer. We encourage you to research Peace Corps before you answer it and work with a recruiter if you have questions. They are there for you as you embark on your Peace Corps journey.

For more helpful information:  4 tips to make the most of your Peace Corps motivation statement.

3. Your resume is incomplete or missing key information

This can communicate lack of interest in the Peace Corps and/or the Volunteer position to which you applied, lack of motivation, or inability to follow directions. Missing information can delay your application assessment because the placement officer will need to follow up with you to obtain information. The resume is especially important when you are applying with 5 years of professional experience instead of a bachelor’s degree.

Take the time to create a Peace Corps-specific resume that specifically communicates your skills and experience for the position. It will also help the community you want to work in get to know you! Use your resume as a time to shine. At the same time make sure you are concise.  A  recruiter is your best resource for composing a resume that will help make your application competitive.

Many Peace Corps Volunteers go on to work for the federal government, which has similar resume requirements. Think of your Peace Corps resume as valuable practice to start a career you might want to pursue after Peace Corps.

For more helpful information:  Does my resume matter when I apply to the Peace Corps?

4. No call or no show for a Peace Corps interview

This can communicate to the placement officer (PO) who is assessing your application holistically that you aren't motivated and committed to serving in the Peace Corps and might not be ready to work through the tasks and challenges that service will require. Additionally, Peace Corps service is a professional experience.  When you schedule an interview and then fail to communicate why you didn't show for that interview, it communicates a lack of professionalism and consideration for others.  Please keep in mind that we may have more applications than are needed for any one position or may have an extremely competitive pool of applicants. Showing up for the interview you schedule for yourself will make you more competitive.

Schedule an interview time where you will be uninterrupted for two hours and in a quiet space. This is a job interview and should be treated like one. If there is a circumstance where you can't attend, communicate this with your PO as soon as you know.

For some more helpful information:  You have been selected for an interview. Now what?

5. Failure to communicate or respond to Peace Corps communications

Both of these behaviors may be viewed as lacking in professionalism, motivation, and/or commitment to service.  Not communicating with the Peace Corps as you work through the application process, including the medical and legal clearance, can result in a withdrawal of your application. In most cases, our communications will have a deadline for completion or a response. The most competitive candidates find ways to adhere to those deadlines or communicate clearly and with timeliness about the completion of any requests.

Applicants are unique individuals with unique sets of circumstances. Assessing those for a mutually beneficial placement can take time. The more effective your communication, the faster the process can go.  That includes being able to receive voicemails or communicating via your email's auto-response that you are on a vacation or away for extended period of time. Please complete everything asked of you by the stated deadlines. Do your research and read everything you can while you are waiting to hear from your placement officer.

For more helpful information: Applications In-Progress and the Peace Corps Application Process

Your candidacy is being assessed throughout the entire application process. We will use everything we learn about you to make an application decision. Showing that you are very motivated to serve in the Peace Corps is an essential part of competitiveness for service.

If you are selected for service, your community will want to know why you applied, and they will ask about your commitment to stay for the full term of your assignment. Successful Peace Corps Volunteers are able to draw on their initial motivations to apply and use them to best serve their communities.