"Why are you interested in serving in this country?"

During the interview, your placement officer will ask why you’re interested in serving in the country for which you are interviewing.

Maybe you applied directly to the country or maybe you had it selected for you. Either way, your interviewer can see how you came to be considered for that country and he or she wants to know what it is about serving in this country that interests you.

When people ask Lora K. about her service in Ethiopia, she thinks about her relationships with community members. "Ethiopia is a fresh cup of coffee with my host father, listening to the summer rain on the tin roof as he teaches me about the songs and dances of the different regions. Ethiopia is overhearing the most reserved student in class proudly shouting 'Head, shoulders, knees and toes!' in English as they teach their friends what they learned in class that day. Ethiopia is the stories and the histories, the joys and the tragedies, all entrusted to me by the people whom I had the privilege to know. The people who welcomed me wholeheartedly into their country, into their lives, into their homes and into their hearts."

It’s easy to see pictures of a beautiful place and imagine yourself living there, but Peace Corps service is more than what you see in a photograph. It’s not a tourist destination – it's living and working in and with a culture different than your own. Take your research of a place one step further to learn more about the people and the culture that actually live there, not just the beautiful places in which they live.

As you research, ask yourself what it is you’ve discovered that excites you about the opportunity to live with a community abroad. That way, when your placement officer asks, “Why are you interested in this country?” you can tell him or her what drives you to want to commit to spending 27 months living and working with the people of the country for which you're interviewing.

To dig deeper into the culture of the countries where Peace Corps Volunteers serve, check out some of these resources:

Peace Corps country pages

Each country page has a page titled “Living Conditions” that details the living conditions and social activities Volunteers experience.

The Peace Corps blog

Read blogs from current and Returned Volunteers who served in the country. (Pro tip: you can filter for a specific country or use the search bar.)

Peace Corps Volunteer profiles

Visit the Volunteer Profiles section to learn about experiences of Volunteers around the world.

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs)

The National Peace Corps Association has a list of affiliate RPCV groups that you can connect to in person or online. They can help connect you or you can harness the power of social media to connect with current and Returned Volunteers around the world. Another option is to talk to a Peace Corps recruiter or even family and friends – you never know who knows an RPCV!

Ready to start your Peace Corps journey? Connect with a recruiter today.