What is the peace corp like?

How can i join a volunteer program like the peace corp?

• im considering giving a long amount of my time to helping less fortunate people, towns, countries. I'd love to work with children, or hospitals, and ideally get out of the country. aside from the peace corp what other sort of organizations are out there that i can join? and how can i get started?

• Answer:

  You get started by researching. There are many organizations that offer volunteer trips, so it's just a matter of getting plugged in to what you want to do. If you are looking for a paying job, know that they are extremely competitive and often narrow in their descriptions. See idealist.org for some examples. Mostly, no matter what the organization's goals are, they are going to want skilled people with experience and education over "I want to help in some way." While the latter is admirable with its place, NGOs can't afford to pay unskilled but well-meaning individuals. That is why the pay-for-volunteer organizations exists. (And there are hundreds of them.) Peace Corps is a two-year commitment and the application processing time is about a year. You can also help the less fortunate in your own country. Poverty doesn't have boundaries.