From what I understand, Ukraine volunteers may get very similar/the same titles but have very different assignments, and they have their reasons for that. I will also not be finding out where I am going until we are in training in country, so they can best match my skills with the needs/projects. What I have right now is an assignment but it is not specific...my job title will be Community Developer. Here is what the "Your Assignment" packet says:
"The specific type of work you will do will depend on the needs of the community and partner organizations to which you will be assigned as well as on your ksills and educational background...If you have a business background [that's me], you may apply your skills in the areas of organizational development [in which I actually have experience], business planning [also have experience], investment attraction [hmm...not so much], strategic planning [I have experience and really like doing], business communication [LOTS of experience there] and income generation.
"In all Community Development assignments, Volunteers support the introduction and improvement of organizational systems and structures. This includes project design and management [again, like this a lot] with the accompanying need to identify and secure necessary resources. Organizational sustainability is of central importance to Ukrainian NGOs and represents an area in which Volunteers can play a significant role. In addition, the refinement of cross-sector collaboration and the coordination of programs will be an area for Volunteer support and innovation."
There's more....and mention of secondary projects. What I really want to know right now is whether some of these crazy things on the packing lists people are posting are really necessary....I don't think I will be buying Yaktrax. I mean, I'm from MN - snow and ice are not novelties to me...as a matter of fact, lately it has been warmer in Ukraine than it has been here! Also - a sleeping bag? WAFFLE IRON? Wha? I have three months to figure these things out - but there are holiday sales right now so I was hoping to consider some of the (few) things I actually do not have and actually do need. But suggestions/input from current volunteers are/is welcome.
Just so I don't sound like I am obssessed with packing this early on...
And to correct the faux pas from the last post - I am going to be learning Ukrainian, hopefully at least some before I leave. Whoops. I grew up with the map showing USSR so sometimes I slip!
First step - turn in current passport, apply for PC passport and visa - have photos taken. Check, and check. Sent off today. Next step - the aspiration statement. I wonder what I will say when I don't really know my assignment...how can I write an effective aspiration statement?
Oh by the way, I got a very nice letter from President Obama in my invitation package :) I will be in Peace Corps on its 50th anniversary!
Okay, enough for now...
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Invite
Happy Hanukkah to me! My invite came in today's mail.
Dear Karin,
Congratulations! it is with great pleasure that we invite you to begin training in Ukraine for Peace Corps service. You will be joining thousands of Americans who are building stronger communities around the world. This call to action gives you the opportunity to learn new skills and find the best in yourself.
The letter continues on, but you all get the "gist" - on March 29, 2010, I leave for staging.
Time to start re-learning Russian...
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
THE phone call
The last thing I want to be is a blogger who just writes about nothing, so I will make this substantive. I got THE phone call today.
The PO and I had a nice chat. Actually I was a little worried at a couple of the questions she asked me (they pay attention - she asked me a question based on something one of my recommendations had on it!) but then we got to the good part.
"About the program to which you were nominated," she said, "tell me what you were told."
"My recruiter did not elaborate - he told me Business Advising, Francophone Africa, leaving in February 2010," said I.
"That's true," she said, "however, that program is full."
I took that in for a moment, during which she told me that the country originally asked for a certain number of people for the program, then cut that number, and now they are looking for alternate assignments for the people left out in the cold (well, she did not use that term).
"Is it more important to you that you go to a Francophone country or that you leave sooner?" she asked. I replied that the priority in my eyes was a speedy exit from this country and into my country of service. Indeed, I am good at learning languages and am confident that I would do fine in another country.
"We appreciate your flexibility," she said, "there are many applicants who are not as willing to go anywhere in the world."
Well, color me happy! I still get to go!
"I am going to check and see what programs are still open for a February or March departure and get back to you in a couple of days," she said.
Sounds good. I can wait another day or two at this point. Well, as it turns out, I did not have to wait more than 20 minutes. I soon got this e-mail:
"Dear Karin,
Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. I have issued you an invitation for a business program that departs for Eastern Europe in late March. It will go out in this afternoon's mail."
So today I got my belated birthday gift!
Tempting though it is, I will not speculate as to the where I will be going. Anyone interested in doing so can go to the PC web site and poke around - there are only so many countries in Eastern Europe!
The PO and I had a nice chat. Actually I was a little worried at a couple of the questions she asked me (they pay attention - she asked me a question based on something one of my recommendations had on it!) but then we got to the good part.
"About the program to which you were nominated," she said, "tell me what you were told."
"My recruiter did not elaborate - he told me Business Advising, Francophone Africa, leaving in February 2010," said I.
"That's true," she said, "however, that program is full."
I took that in for a moment, during which she told me that the country originally asked for a certain number of people for the program, then cut that number, and now they are looking for alternate assignments for the people left out in the cold (well, she did not use that term).
"Is it more important to you that you go to a Francophone country or that you leave sooner?" she asked. I replied that the priority in my eyes was a speedy exit from this country and into my country of service. Indeed, I am good at learning languages and am confident that I would do fine in another country.
"We appreciate your flexibility," she said, "there are many applicants who are not as willing to go anywhere in the world."
Well, color me happy! I still get to go!
"I am going to check and see what programs are still open for a February or March departure and get back to you in a couple of days," she said.
Sounds good. I can wait another day or two at this point. Well, as it turns out, I did not have to wait more than 20 minutes. I soon got this e-mail:
"Dear Karin,
Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. I have issued you an invitation for a business program that departs for Eastern Europe in late March. It will go out in this afternoon's mail."
So today I got my belated birthday gift!
Tempting though it is, I will not speculate as to the where I will be going. Anyone interested in doing so can go to the PC web site and poke around - there are only so many countries in Eastern Europe!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Lesson to other applicants
The good news of today (happy birthday to me) is that I heard from Peace Corps. The bad news (no happy birthday to me) is that instead of a phone call to discuss an invite, it was in the form of an e-mail requesting more information. This was information that I had skipped those many months ago when I filled out the original application, because I thought it was taken care of with the resume I sent in. Nope.
Here is what the e-mail said:
Dear Karin. My name is (name) and I am a Placement Officer on the Business Skills Desk. Your Placement Officer, (name), has been out unexpectedly for the past few weeks and I am following up with some of her files. I have started the assessment portion of your file and noticed that there is some important information missing. While you provided detailed resumes, you did not fill out the employment history section of the application. This is important because it captures some information not typically included on a resume. Please provide the following information for all the jobs that appear on your resume:
Previous employer name
City/State
From (Mo/Yr) to (Mo/Yr)
Job title
Hours per week
Name of supervisor
Phone number
E-mail address
May we contact your former employer ()Yes ()No
Reason for leaving
Once I have this information regarding your employment history I'll have the complete information in order to continue the review of your application.
My lesson learned in all of this is that I thought that by providing my resume that would cover the information, so at the time I applied I did not fill out those fields. Shame on me for that oversight, as it now means additional waiting. This is getting hard, to see people getting invites for MAY and I am still waiting for February. But this was my fault.
The lesson for other applicants - when they ask for information, give it to them - give them what they ask for. As a matter of fact, give them more than they ask for. That is what I did for the medical portion and that went flying through the approval process. I did not do that with the resume portion, WAAAAAAAY at the beginning of the process, and it has now come back to bite me.
Here is what the e-mail said:
Dear Karin. My name is (name) and I am a Placement Officer on the Business Skills Desk. Your Placement Officer, (name), has been out unexpectedly for the past few weeks and I am following up with some of her files. I have started the assessment portion of your file and noticed that there is some important information missing. While you provided detailed resumes, you did not fill out the employment history section of the application. This is important because it captures some information not typically included on a resume. Please provide the following information for all the jobs that appear on your resume:
Previous employer name
City/State
From (Mo/Yr) to (Mo/Yr)
Job title
Hours per week
Name of supervisor
Phone number
E-mail address
May we contact your former employer ()Yes ()No
Reason for leaving
Once I have this information regarding your employment history I'll have the complete information in order to continue the review of your application.
My lesson learned in all of this is that I thought that by providing my resume that would cover the information, so at the time I applied I did not fill out those fields. Shame on me for that oversight, as it now means additional waiting. This is getting hard, to see people getting invites for MAY and I am still waiting for February. But this was my fault.
The lesson for other applicants - when they ask for information, give it to them - give them what they ask for. As a matter of fact, give them more than they ask for. That is what I did for the medical portion and that went flying through the approval process. I did not do that with the resume portion, WAAAAAAAY at the beginning of the process, and it has now come back to bite me.
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