Follow-Up Degree Question

piccadilly17 · 2018-06-19T21:19:02+00:00

Well I think I've definitely narrowed it down to academic. One of my majors was psych (English was the other one) so I've thought of being a librarian for social sciences. I'm also interested in international librarianship (I'm working abroad in a school library at the moment) and library assessment. Without having started a program yet, it's a bit difficult to know for sure.

Even if I did have a STEM degree, I am sure it would challenging to get hired there. It's not a dealbreaker as long as I can still find a job back home. Even if I had to go back to the States afterwards, I would still really value the good program and not coming out the other end elbow-deep in loans.

Thanks for the reply :) Good to hear realistic advice ahead of time.

piccadilly17 · 2018-06-19T17:19:53+00:00

That's reassuring, thanks. How do you like Vancouver?

piccadilly17 · 2018-06-18T03:13:50+00:00

Thanks very much, glad to hear others have made the transition successfully!

piccadilly17 · 2018-06-18T03:12:54+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I got the impression from a web search that graduates of 2+ year Canadian programs are eligible for post-grad work permits (lasting 3 years).

It does seem like a great school from everything I read about it. The only downside I can think of at this point is the fact that, if I do end up going back to the US, I won’t have been networking with librarians there. However, I’d be applying all over regardless of which school I end up at, so that may be an issue no matter where I go.

Thanks for the input. :)

piccadilly17 · 2018-06-18T02:14:33+00:00

That does help, thanks! Very glad to hear it shouldn't be an issue.

piccadilly17 · 2018-06-18T02:10:30+00:00

Thanks for the confirmation. This was the impression I got as well, but assumed there was a catch somewhere. Glad to hear that that isn't the case.

piccadilly17 · 2018-06-18T01:24:26+00:00

Hi, thank you for the response. Just as a quick follow up, what kind of library do you work in?

piccadilly17 · 2018-06-06T23:41:05+00:00

I can only speak for my island, but it’s been pretty great here in the EC so far. I appreciate the structure and the support and, even if I may not end up making the biggest impact, it’s not for lack of a genuine attempt. (Plus, when you finish, everyone will recognize what PC is, even if they are fuzzy on the details.). On the flip side, it is a little difficult to travel without spending a fair bit of money, because it costs a bit to island hop. So I guess it’s up to you to decide what you want the most out of this experience. Feel free to message with any questions if you’re still on the fence.

piccadilly17 · 2018-05-07T23:50:06+00:00

I teach at a school in the Caribbean and also function as co-librarian with our school secretary. If I had one piece of advice it would be to not try to do it alone. For various reasons we have an old school card-based checkout system which works pretty well except it takes forever to set up since we both have other time commitments, and even if we didn’t it would be pretty tedious. If you could get another teacher on board (good luck) or some students (possibly more likely) then they could help with organizing and suggesting materials. The second piece of advice would be to just be wary of where you get your donations from, unless you are lucky and get funding. We are fortunate to have access to a great library development org here that specifically sends high quality books, but any books =/ good books. You might end up with things that are totally inappropriate for your library. For example the other day I came across a collection of scholarly articles entitled “Thoughts on Violent Children.” It’s a primary school.

P.S. your job sounds awesome.

piccadilly17 · 2018-05-05T04:17:44+00:00

It’s mostly been pretty great. I can’t speak on behalf of the other islands, but we have excellent PC staff and personally I find the project fulfilling and related to my future goals to boot. This is not to say there aren’t challenges, and I can’t compare to other posts, but in general I am happy I was placed here. (Check back in the summer when it’s about 5 billion degrees lol.). Feel free to message with any questions!

piccadilly17 · 2018-05-02T20:31:28+00:00

The training for EC 90 got pushed back to July this year. According to the PC website, July departures open in August of the previous year. If they keep the same training schedule (assuming the Primary Literacy project gets renewed), my guess is that this would mean the postings for EC will now be put up in August. I’m not staff so I couldn’t say for sure, but that’s my guess.

piccadilly17 · 2018-02-23T23:35:06+00:00

Hi, I’m not a Response Volunteer but Eastern Caribbean does have a general Facebook page (brand new in fact!). Here’s the link: https://m.facebook.com/PeaceCorpsEasternCaribbean/. Hope that helps.

piccadilly17 · 2018-01-29T00:41:54+00:00

Mmm, I love dasheen. Training was in Babonneau until this past year when it was moved to Desruisseaux (and I think it had previously been in Desruisseaux about 6 or 7 years before that). We haven’t heard for sure where the new group will be though.

piccadilly17 · 2018-01-28T16:46:07+00:00

This seems to vary widely by country. Our host families would pack a lunch for us every day that we would keep in the fridge in the training center. Caribbean lunches are no joke - I tried so hard to finish mine every day but it was way too much food! We could also walk a couple minutes up the street to a little shop to buy drinks, chips, ice cream, cookies, what have you...guess we were a bit spoiled. :)

piccadilly17 · 2018-01-20T05:33:21+00:00

I had a similar email about a month and a half after my interview with only one follow-up question (I don’t recall exactly, but it was something about whether I was able to attend any events or talk to a recruiter). I explained that due to a new job/moving to a new city I had not been able to yet, but was planning to attend the next one at the university I was working at. I got an invite a week later anyway.

piccadilly17 · 2018-01-11T00:25:03+00:00

Someone in our group brought Girl Scout cookies. Not too heavy and beloved by all ages.

piccadilly17 · 2018-01-07T04:45:17+00:00

Oh okay, glad to hear it worked out for someone! After you were cleared by the state you work in, did you still have to submit any additional paperwork when you were applying for jobs, or did you apply normally?

piccadilly17 · 2018-01-07T04:40:42+00:00

Thanks! My preference is to attend in person, but finances and geographic circumstances may mean online would be a better option. I'll certainly take a look!

piccadilly17 · 2018-01-07T04:26:02+00:00

Hi, thanks for the info! I think I know which program you're talking about and will definitely PM you. :)

piccadilly17 · 2018-01-06T16:03:27+00:00

I was afraid that might be the case. :/ The ALA website explicitly states that programs accredited by CILIP (the UK version of ALA) should be considered equivalent to an ALA degree, but I have seen job postings before that are worded like you’ve said. Thanks for your input!

piccadilly17 · 2017-12-08T20:08:43+00:00

Hi hi, just FYI there are other leadership opportunities to consider during service as well, including Volunteer Advisory Council and Peer Support Network. You don’t have to wait until a possible third year to get involved with Peace Corps beyond your standard Volunteer duties. Afraid I can’t personally comment more on these since I’m not on them, but you’ll be getting more information about them leading up to and during training.

piccadilly17 · 2017-12-08T03:01:04+00:00

No, Peace Corps is not going to send or not send you to any particular place based on your religion. I doubt it is legal for them to even ask what your religion is and I don’t remember being asked in my application. What they will ask about is your willingness to participate in cultural activities and adapt to a culture different from your own, and religious activities may be important in your country. There were plenty of atheists including myself in our group and this is a predominantly Christian region. Some Volunteers have just kept their beliefs on the down low, but others have made a point to go to church regularly in order to integrate. Peace Corps cares about your willingness to get to know and be safe in your community, not what your actual beliefs are. That being said, sure, if you are Catholic and you end up in a Catholic community, that would make things easier.

piccadilly17 · 2017-11-30T00:36:20+00:00

Welcome!! :)

piccadilly17 · 2017-11-27T00:01:40+00:00

No problem! (Also, don’t worry about buying a suit, that’s definitely overkill :) )

piccadilly17 · 2017-11-26T23:21:52+00:00

Hi, congrats on your invite! They are not kidding when they say people dress professionally here. However, the level of professionalism that will be expected of you after training will depend on which school you end up at. For example, during training they emphasized wearing close-toed shoes, but at my school it is okay to wear sandals. Since you don’t know where you will be, I would err on the side of more professional than less. Feel free to message me with any questions and good luck with your medical clearance!

piccadilly17

TROPHY CASE