Job satisfaction, by: Angie Jeffers

Our jobs here are as varied as the communities in which we live. So trying to generalize job satisfaction to such a diverse workforce is difficult. One factor many PCVs face on their way to attaining job satisfaction is the intangibility of effort despite the work done. Realistically, we are able to see change in a handful of Malawians at the end of our service, if we are lucky. Sometimes I forget that those few people may positively affect other people, and the cycle repeats itself for generations until my efforts spread throughout the ages. Excuse the romanticized outlook, but the truth is that I will most likely not be around to see the results of my work. The fruits of my labors are rarely visible, but when they are I bask in their glory. Those small rays of hope bring me profound joy and I feed upon their memory until the next light presents itself. My advice here is simply to be realistic. Development is a slow process.

My aim here was to prepare you for some of the obstacles you will be facing on your way to contentment, not to discourage or dishearten you. Our jobs here are difficult, and frustrating, yet they also bring great joy to our lives. I can only hope you are now a bit more prepared for what you may be up against and are equipped with the pulmonary tools to overcome. Did we join Peace Corps expecting it to be easy?

Job satisfaction, by: Angie Sanders

	Angie Sanders with a few of her neighbors.

Your “job” is intertwined with your life. The boundary is really sketchy. You’ll be working with the people you live amongst. You are trying to make theirs and others’ lives better while at the same time somehow enhancing your own life. No easy answer to how to balance this exists. You just have to feel your way around. Easier said than done…

The first few months, even the first year, is really a “feeling it out” process. You may not have any major projects going on for a while…and that’s okay. As long as you keep communicating with your community, your eyes and ears open for projects and ideas you will find the niche you need to have a satisfying job. And if it does take you a while to find that niche, you probably will start to get frustrated—especially when you see the “super volunteer.” You’re not alone.

“Super volunteers” exist, yes. But didn’t they in America? The pressure here, however, to do so many great projects that are SUSTAINABLE, can be overwhelming at times. Don’t let it get to you, seriously. Start small. You’ll find what you need that way. And if that means not taking on a lot of projects and having more time for coffee in the morning and reading at night then that’s what it means. And that’s the way you’re going to do your job and live your life here.

But don’t get me wrong here. I’m not saying to take it completely easy. The fact is the more involved you get with your community, whether through a project or daily life, the more likely your will feel satisfied. And that doesn’t mean being tied to your house or your village every day either. You are still an American. You’ll still need to hang out with other Americans and do some American things with each other. And that will help you to cope with the cultural immersion at site. So, take it as it comes. Work hard, but also give yourself some space for necessary playtime. You’ll find a system that works for you and that’s what matters.