mtnguyen

Thanks for the advice! It really helps. Doing the Peace Corps has always been a goal/dream of mine and it was something I was set on doing. I am very focused and career-driven, which is why I had some doubt since I would be losing 2-3 years of experience in my career. However, this is something that I need to do now when I'm still young and have the opportunity to do it. When I'm older, it'll be harder when I have a family and in a higher position within my career. I would deeply regret it in the future if I didn't do it now. Also, I will have plenty of time to focus on my career once I'm back. You're right in that regardless of whether or not the PC experience helps with my professional career, I will still gain some life experience from it and will still be able to accomplish a personal goal of mine. So, I will apply and hopefully can go next year. Thanks for the encouragement and advice! That's just what I needed to destroy any doubt I had.

This post is going to be a bit long, so I apologize. However, I want you to understand my situation completely in order for you to offer me your sound advice. I am currently 24 years old and I have always wanted to volunteer for the Peace Corps since my first year as an undergrad student. However, I have always been very career focused as well and have always worked on progressing in my field. I studied Business Management as an undergrad and I am currently working on my MBA. On top of school, I have always been working as well and have been doing very well for myself professionally. My goal is to get into Project Management, get a PMP, and become a Project Manager in a well-known corporation (aiming for Deloitte) or with a government agency (aiming for the State Department) by the time I'm 30 years old. I plan to finish my MBA by the summer of 2015 and I know that with my experience and education, I can definitely fulfill my goal. However, as I mentioned earlier, I have always wanted to volunteer for the Peace Corps as well. I had planned on doing it earlier (right after my undergrad), but since I also have always been focusing on developing my career, I never had the opportunity to since I was always working and had to keep pushing the Peace Corps back. Now, as I am working on finishing my MBA and will be 25 years old once I'm done it with next year, I know that if I want to do the Peace Corps, the only time to do it will be then. I don't want to wait any longer, nor do I want to do it when I'm older. If I am do it, I want to apply this year so that I can go next year after I complete my MBA. That way, once I'm done with the Peace Corps, I will be 27 or 28 years old. By then, I would still have a couple years to get into project management and fulfill my goal by the time I'm 30 years old. I love to travel, live in rural areas, and immerse myself within the community. So, I'm not afraid of moving away for a couple years and leaving everything behind. I have been abroad numerous times and I understand the conditions. That is also not a fear of mine. My only concern is whether the experience within the Peace Corps will be worth it. If I do the Peace Corps, I plan to apply for a task that is business related-- I will be applying for a Community Economic Development position (http://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/learn/whatvol/busdev_01/). With this, I can still work on a position that relates to my field and will still give me the experience I need. So basically, the reason that I want to apply for the Peace Corps is because I want to satisfy this need of mine to be a part of the Peace Corps, develop myself, gain some more international experience, and simply immerse myself in a culture that I would normally not be a part of. However, being away for two to three years is a long time that I could have used to grow my professional career. If I was to stay in the U.S., I know that I could have used those 2-3 years and really make something of myself professionally. If I leave for the Peace Corps and come back at around the age of 27 or 28, will that Peace Corps experience be enough for me to jump into the job market and be able to find a job within project management, or would I have to start over again and begin doing what I would have done right after obtaining my MBA? I know that I will be gaining some hands-on experience abroad through the Peace Corps, but is that experience enough to compensate for the experience that I would be gaining here in the U.S. if I continue on my path towards obtaining project management experience...? I feel as if the experience that I will be gaining here in the U.S. will be the experience that I need-- working on different tasks and consulting projects for various large companies-- while the experience that I will be gaining through the Peace Corps will be ones that are much smaller-- working and developing small community projects and events such as teaching the community how to use the computer or helping a small business learn to market itself. Therefore, while I want to do the Peace Corps and I know that I'll have an incredible time and develop myself as a person, I also have a fear that that experience will not be enough to compensate for the three years that I could develop my career here in the U.S. If I stay here in the U.S., I would try to work for Deloitte in a project management role and develop myself to become a Sr. Level Project Manager. If I do the Peace Corps, I plan on coming back afterwards and applying for a project management position with the State Department using the non-competitive status that I would have for that year. Based on this, what is your recommendation that I do? Do you think the experience that I will gain through the Peace Corps will be enough to compensate for what I miss by leaving for 2-3 years? If so, what has your experience been like for when you return from the Peace Corps and how difficult or easy was it for you to get a job? Would I have to basically start over again? Again, sorry for the extremely long, long post! Hopefully, you have the patience to read all of that as I desperately need some advice. Thanks!!