My son has just reached the half way mark in his 27 month assignment in the Peace Corps. I’m wondering what life will be like for a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV). Does the non-competitive status for government jobs amount to much? Will serving enhance his applications for jobs? How will adjusting back to our culture go? Please share your experiences with me.
If there is a government hiring freeze, which happened when my kid had that status (via a different route) that status will mean zip.
BunsenBurner, so sorry to hear about your kid, how did he/she move ahead? OOPs I see your kid was not a RPCV. Thank you for the info.
She was stationed abroad - just not with the Peace Corps. She was also eligible for that special status upon return which happened when the freeze went into effect. She found a non-government job locally that she seems to like. The reverse culture shock got her both times! Prepare to be a sounding board for your kid!
I think that if you change your thread title to spell out Peace Corps, you will get more responses.
RPCV here, as is H–but from another generation. Most of the RPCVs that I know of did not benefit directly from RPCV status. There were a few graduate education programs that gave (if I remember correctly) direct admission and/or free tuition to RPCV teachers. Many of the RPCVs in my group went on to medical school, and I think RPCV status was a plus for med school admission. A few went into the foreign service, one is a lobbyist. Several work in international development, etc.
In general, PC is an interesting/ impressive thing to have on a resume. A conversation starter, at least. Most people admire RPCVs and say they wish they’d joined PC. RPCVs may be favored for some government job openings, but will any of them be a good fit for your son?
Most RPCVs won’t have trouble readjusting. For me, the materialism in the States was a little hard to get used to again. And it is hard to leave your friends and routines and be among people who didn’t share/can’t really understand your experience. But for most, life in the States is just “easier,” and nice to come back to in many ways. I still appreciate our everyday “luxuries” here–like a hot shower! You son will have a lot of interesting stories to tell–be willing to listen. Good luck to him!
Just something to keep in mind if your child ever goes into government service…I was a VISTA volunteer about 40 years ago (like peace corp, but domestic). Many years later, I joined the government. When I was researching retirement I remembered I might get credit for my Service. I had to pay a deposit and interest (which came to less than $50, since I’d earned less than $1000 for my year of service. As a result, I’ll get an extra year towards my retirement, worth more than $1000/year! No bad! So let her know if she ever does join the government, to have them credit her peace corp service–the sooner she gets the credit and pays the deposit and interest the better. It will also count towards years for getting her more vacation time.
Thanks very much for sharing your experiences! Atomom, I’ll be spending Christmas with him in his remote village in Africa, I really want to see his current life and I think it will help understanding the reverse culture shock of returning.
I sent you a PM. My daughter is a RPCV. There are a few others on this forum as well. @cap? Any thoughts?
I have to say…our kid took a 7 week trip at the end of her P.C. service. I think that helped the transition back here. She arrived home Christmas Eve…and it was a festive time to come. She took a couple of weeks off once here. Then started a job in mid January.
She definitely will return to her village at some point…
And with FB and phones, she is able to keep in touch with her friends in the village.
My daughter finished her service in 2011 at age 23. She spent a month traveling Europe with a friend, then came home and finished her masters degree. She interviewed for a teaching job in Turkey and left eight days later. She stayed there three years, came back and two months later left for Indonesia, where she has been for two plus years. She finished there in Dec and is talking about Hong Kong next.
Probably not the answer you want. 
Thanks, Cap! Not the answer I want, you’re right, but I’m not surprised. Peace Corps Volunteers are adventurous, your daughter sounds exceptionally so! Have you been to visit her?
My daughter is an RPCV. She served in a West African country for 27 months, returned to the US and, a few months later, left for a year long posting in an East African country through Peace Corps Response. She started researching and applying for stateside jobs almost from the beginning of her stint in East Africa. She currently has a job in the US which is a good fit for her in project development at an NGO. She went to a few RPCV get-togethers after moving to her current city and mentioned that several of the people who got their government jobs through noncompetitive eligibility were dissatisfied with what they were doing. My daughter has said that the post-PC transition (to a new job in a new city in the US) was the hardest one she’s ever made. One of the first things she did upon moving to the city was to find a restaurant serving West African food, a club playing Nigerian pop music, and a friend from her PC cohort to share them with. As to her service “enhancing” her job applications, shortly after being hired she attended a work event where a higher up in the organization introduced her to some people as someone “with an interesting story”.
@Appaloosa my DD has found a shop in the greater Atlanta area that carries Rwandan coffee and tea. That made her happy! The food in Rwanda was not memorable!!
A good source of what to expect on re-entry.
https://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/c56075.htm
“Reverse culture shock” is real and hits pretty much everyone who works abroad in third world countries.
It also hits those who study abroad. Very good website, BB, and explanation of the re entry process.
Yes, thanks BunsenBurner, good info.