Workshop On How To Write Your Peace Corps Essay
It seems to me that this is the cost of no face-to-face recruitment that you (John) knew so well and…
You’ve got to love this! The UW-Madison Writing Center (which, by the way, is very good!) has introduced a new and short (non-credit of course) workshop for those of you with ‘special needs,’i.e., writing your Fulbright application essay, your APA documentation, and also “writing Peace Corps application essays.”
I’m all for such workshops, and I won’t mind taking it myself, but when it comes to getting into the Peace Corps, it ain’t the essay that counts: it is the experience and skills of the Applicant. (Of course, getting into the Peace Corps should be based on one’s writing skills, but I’m not running the agency.)
However, whether you join the Peace Corps or not, if you are in Madison, Wisconsin, do yourself a favor and take the workshop. You’ll be a better writer and a better person for it. The Writing Center is run by Brad Hughes. And he’s a good guy.
It seems to me that this is the cost of no face-to-face recruitment that you (John) knew so well and performed. It was a sad day when CNCS simiarly decided to do away with VISTA’s campus recruitment by incorporating VISTA into the broader CNCS recruitment process. That process is based on a system of electronic communications, with nothing personal other than an exchange of e-mails. I still believe that a good recruiter knows a good prospective PCV on first brush, up close and personal. It is also the best way to do what any good organization does with volunteers it recruits; it makes sure that the potential volunteer and the organization share the same vision of voluntary assistance that meets the organizations mission.