March 31, 2005: Headlines: COS - Guyana: Computers: IT: Diversity Careers: IT professionals install programs and hardware and teach people in Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Georgia and other countries how to use computers.
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March 31, 2005: Headlines: COS - Guyana: Computers: IT: Diversity Careers: IT professionals install programs and hardware and teach people in Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Georgia and other countries how to use computers.
IT professionals install programs and hardware and teach people in Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Georgia and other countries how to use computers.
IT professionals install programs and hardware and teach people in Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Georgia and other countries how to use computers.
The Peace Corps needs you
Caption: In Guyana, Peace Corps volunteer Pam Kingpetcharat teaches computer repair.
Engineers and IT pros of any age are welcome, especially minorities and women. There's no pay, but the international experience can be a great career booster
In Guyana, Peace Corps volunteer Pam Kingpetcharat teaches computer repair.
Engineers and IT pros who volunteer for the Peace Corps plunge into a myriad of exciting projects. While the engineers are working at environmental tasks like water sanitation, the IT folks may be training school systems in computer use, says Sharon Wharton, diversity recruitment specialist. The Peace Corps provides assistance to nations that need it in areas like business, agriculture, the environment, health and HIV education.
In addition to the good work and goodwill, a Peace Corps tour can be a real plus on the resume, Wharton points out. "Having international experience can really set you apart, and in today's job market you need something that sets you apart," she says. "It's a great opportunity to increase your skill set and show your adventurousness."
The idea is working. "There has been an increase in applications," Wharton notes.
Positions for IT pros are mainly in Eastern Europe; for engineers they're essentially worldwide. "We have so many different programs that we can always find a place for someone's skills," Wharton declares. Older volunteers, in particular, "bring life skills which are particularly valuable," she says.
IT professionals install programs and hardware and teach people in Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Georgia and other countries how to use computers. They may also provide tech training and support to school systems.
Engineers may work with local governments to improve water sanitation facilities, and train people in facilities operation and maintenance. They help build garbage collection facilities and school systems. Of course the scale is generally rather small, especially in the less developed countries, Wharton says.
Currently 3 percent of the Peace Corps' 7,000 volunteers are African American and 3 percent are Hispanic, Wharton says. The diversity recruitment office, established in 1989, is hoping to double those figures in the next ten years, and looking for Native Americans and Asians as well as blacks and Hispanics.
"A lot of people don't learn about the Peace Corps until they get to college. We're working on penetrating the high schools to plant the seed," Wharton says.
The Peace Corps is definitely not just for students and new grads. It is open to anyone, including people past retirement age. While the median age is twenty-five, the oldest Peace Corps volunteer is in her eighties, Wharton notes.
Volunteers are just that - not paid - but the Peace Corps does provide housing, medical and dental care and a monthly stipend for living expenses. "The challenge is convincing people that if they look at the bigger picture, their income will probably increase later with this kind of experience. It's career-building," Wharton says.
Volunteers are trained in language, culture and technical matters for three months. There's also some first aid and medical training, since they may be working far from a hospital or even a doctor.
The training usually takes place in the country they'll be assigned to. "Often you live with a family for those three months to give you an immersion into the culture and language. After that you swear in as a volunteer and start your tour," Wharton says.
The application process takes about a year. There's a health questionnaire, a legal review and a nominal background check, and school transcript, resume and references are needed.
The Peace Corps tries to send people where they want to go. "The last thing we want is a disgruntled American representing us abroad, so we try very hard to place you where you want to be. You always have a choice to say yes or no to an assignment," Wharton says. Most people spend two years on assignment, but a volunteer can stay as long as five years if a need has been demonstrated by the host country.
Government student loans are deferred for the two-year tour. Perkins loans are forgiven as much as 15 percent of the balance for each year of service completed. And when the time is up the volunteer receives about $6,000 as a readjustment allowance. "It helps people make the transition back into their lives once they return home," Wharton says.
Besides providing real-life experience abroad, the Peace Corps partners with several universities to offer masters programs in international development. Volunteers accepted to this program begin with a year or two on campus (for which they must pay tuition), then two years abroad. At the end of their tour, they get their masters.
"You are not only getting the degree, but the international development experience at the same time. You come back skilled," Wharton says.
When this story was posted in March 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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Story Source: Diversity Careers
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Guyana; Computers; IT
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