Working for FEMA!

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I'm thinking of signing up with FEMA or the Peace Corps. Whatcha think? Anybody have any experience with that they can share?

Not sure about FEMA although someone with the name Captain Trips working at FEMA would be rather cool.

As for the Peace Corp my wife and I considered it and thought that it would be a great idea until we found out she was pregnant (no kids in the Peace Corp). The only concern I had is that the first couple of months would be spent establishing a new set of routines in a new environment. Not sure how that would impact me.

I strongly suggest checking it out then... especially if you are open to being sent almost anywhere. It is the opportunity of a lifetime and the work is very rewarding, not to mention the chance for immersion in another language.

The Peace Corps can be an excellent way to kickstart an international career in development work or other NGO causes. However, in most cases you will be put in a position of leadership of some kind, and it does involve interacting with LOTS of people and their associated politics/personal power games. Depending on your skill set, you can be sent anywhere in the world, but not necessarily the place you most want to go.

It's also important to remember that you will be given a stipend to cover the LOCAL cost of living, and living modestly at that. So, make sure you are debt-free before you leave the country. Sell the house, if you have one. If you have to rent it out, get it in the hands of a property management company, put EVERYTHING online (billpay, etc.), and give them complete authority to make all decisions about repairs. It is quite common to be out of internet access for literally months at a time and completely incommunicado.

You will also need to plan your re-entry to American life following your tour of duty, including enough money to start up again and support yourself while you look for a job. This is why the Peace Corps is popular with very young people (who still have lots of friends on whose couches they can crash) and retired couples (who have banked their Social Security and pension payments during their tour and already own their homes).

Having said all that, I would still encourage you to explore and see if it would be a good fit for you!

The Peace Corp will cover travel costs.

The Peace Corp doesn't pay at all really. They cover costs (living, travel, medical) and you can earn credit to be taken off of Student Loans but really it is a volunteer position. It is the afterwards where you can make your bones. The foreign language experience can be a huge boost and if you want to get into NGO work you will network with a lot of them.

If you want to pursue a career back in the US then you will need to use their list of other Peace Corp alumni who you can network with which is invaluable.

if you can't find a job in the US i don't think you'll have a chance of getting in the Peace Corps unless you have a specific skill set they need.

even when the economy was good it was hard to get in.

I was a DAE (disaster assistance employee) for FEMA. A DAE is a reservist. When there is a disaster, DAEs are deployed to do damage assessments and man various functions of the JFO (joint field office) or other offices.

It was awesome!

FEMA pays for the travel and you rotate out three weeks or so and go home for a week then back out until your job is finished.

There are lots of different people there, but the things I found I liked about being a DAE as opposed to being in a regular office setting is:

a. The personnel are almost constantly changing as people are rotating in and out. This means that even if you have a coworker or lead who is a knucklehead, in just a couple of weeks he or she will rotate out.

b. Everyone is so focused on their jobs that most don't have time for pettiness or discrimination that you often see in a regular work setting.

c. Everyone is very team oriented and they are mostly very eager to help you succeed.

d. Most of the people who choose to be DAEs do so because they truly want to help people - it isn't just about a paycheck. They tend to be more compassionate and more accepting of others' differences.

e. With so many people coming in and out, all the activity, everyone is so busy, it is easy for an Aspie to just blend right in. I did quite easily.

f. Most of the leads in the field are looking for people with skills and abilities that extend beyond the job they are doing. In times like now, when we have so many active declarations at one time, there is often a shortage of personnel so people may find they are filling several roles. You have a good chance of being able to use several of your skills and abilities on your job, not just one thing that bores you.

g. It is very fulfilling work because you get to help people.

No, not really. There was a JFO in my area and I started out as a contractor. Then they hired me as a local hire. When my job ended, they converted me to a DAE.

If there are not active JFOs in your area, you can go to their site and apply for a DAE (it is also called an SAE - Stafford Act Employee). The did have a ad on USAJobs recently.

You can also call HQ or your regional HQ and ask. Right now, they are shorthanded with so much going on in the country.

What area were you thinking of going into? What type of work did you want to do?

Well, there is External Affairs. Under that is:
Public Affairs
Research and Writing (press releases, etc)
Broadcast Ops (video, photography, media events, etc.)
Legislative Affairs
News Desk
Media Monitoring (basically watching the news and reading news papers to pull out articles and note news stories to monitor the press and their accuracy of reporting - you wouldn't believe how often the wrong information gets reported)
and others

There is also Individual Assistance (applicants for disaster assistance)
Community Relations (works directly with the applicants to help them file their applications, give them information on applications, follow up on their claims, etc)
Temporary Housing (travel trailers, motel/hotel program, etc.)

Various administrative positions
Security (internal - the guys with the guns -guards - are contracted)
IT (a lot of that is contracted)

There are a lot of things.
The Research and Writing comes to mind with your degree. Public Affairs looks like it would be a good fit for you.