Tips

1. Use clear, concise standard English
2. Avoid using (or clearly explain) acronyms
3. Avoid using jargon or local terminology
4. Write in the third person (Mr./Ms./Mrs.)
5. Consider your audience--i.e., employers, universities, etc.
6. Include the major highlights of your PC experience (not every detail)
7. Organize the text by activities/accomplishments, not necessarily chronologically
8. Quantify when possible
9. Write a descriptive record, not a recommendation
10. Keep the DOS to 1-2 pages

The Importance of The Description Of Service (DOS)

Adapted from the Office of Returned Volunteer Career Services

One of the tasks PCVs are asked to complete before leaving country is to draft a description of their Peace Corps service. This document contains information about the training period, language skills and use, and duties and responsibilities at site. The draft is used by country staff to create the only official description of the PCV's service. In most cases, the PCV is given the original DOS when s/he leaves country, and a copy is sent to Washington, where it is kept for 60 years!The purpose of this article is to encourage the careful and detailed drafting of their DOS by PCVs. There are many tasks to complete as your service ends, but that time will be your only chance to describe fully what you have done as a PCV. At least two or three times a month, the Office of Returned Volunteer Career Services (RVS) in Washington receives a call from a former Volunteer whose DOS does not contain some information critical to employment, graduate school admissions, retirement credit, and/or teaching certification--in some cases from RPCVs whose service ended in the 1960s.

Following is RVCS' best advice about your DOS:

1. Provide detail about hours spent on specific subjects during Pre-Service and In-Service trainings. For example, to say that you completed a four week health technical training is not enough. Instead, provide details about the number of classroom hours spent on several specific topics within the health training period. Further, discuss any practical field experience during the training period. This issue becomes even more important as PONSI recommends Peace Corps training and service for academic credit at U.S. institutions of higher education.

2. Most PCVs provide detail about their language training and FSI or ACTFL scores in their DOS. Many, however, don't discuss the use of language in their job descriptions. It is important to describe the fact that you conducted professional work, business conversations, etc., in Thai to make the point that your language skills were critical to the success of your work, not just critical to your success as a neighbor or friend abroad.

3. Don't forget to detail all projects on which you worked. It is easy to forget that you taught English once a week for your first year of service when you are writing your DOS at the end of your second year. But that information might be critical to provisional teaching certification in California, for example, or for admission to a Fellows/USA combination teaching/masters program. Even if you have not served in a formal teaching assignment, provide detail (hours per week, percent of overall work time, etc.) regarding projects involving instruction, teaching or training. Many PCVs without teacher training as undergraduates decide to teach in the U.S. after Peace Corps--sometimes long after Peace Corps. Teaching and training experience during Peace Corps can make a difference to credentialing and retirement benefits.

4. The DOS may vary in length, but should not exceed one to two pages.
5. Keep in mind that the DOS does not serve as a reference for you. The DOS is a factual account about your service as a Volunteer and is sufficient for use in job and graduate school applications. It is not an evaluative account of how well you did your work. You may request personal, non-official references from staff, but please check first to learn if they are willing to provide them. These letters should not be construed as an official evaluation by Peace Corps. You should request reference letters before leaving the country. It is difficult to get them once you return to the U.S.

6. Take the time to write and rewrite your draft DOS. In many cases, the country staff members use your copy, and do not edit nor ensure inclusion of all pertinent information. It is the PCV's responsibility to make the DOS an accurate and detailed account of Peace Corps service. Contact staff members to see if they are willing to provide a review of your drafts.

From the Peace Corps web site on benefits (see original site here):
Most Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) have a small advantage over the general public when searching for a Government job: non-competitive eligibility.What is non-competitive eligibility? Non-competitive eligibility (NCE) is a special mechanism through which RPCVs can be appointed to federal GS positions without competing with the general public in order to be hired. That is, you do not have to be on an OPM register. RPCVs with non-competitive eligibility may find that, at some agencies, their applications will not be rated by a panel prior to being invited to interview. An agency may, however, still require you to submit a Supplemental Statement. It is always a good idea to submit them because it usually enhances your ability to compete. Federal agencies sometimes (especially in the case of temporary positions) seek out non-competitive RPCVs for employment. The primary advantage to the agency is the speed with which the candidate may be hired. Remember, non-competitive eligibility is not a guarantee of a job. The agency is not required to hire a non-competitive RPCV. You must always meet, and more often than not, exceed the minimum qualifications for a position. Who gets non-competitive eligibility and for how long? Non-competitive eligibility is granted to RPCVs for one year following the successful completion of their planned tour of duty. Volunteers who have completed less than one year of service (including training time) may not receive non-competitive eligibility. Some PCVs may serve over one year (including training) but less than their full tour. For them the granting of non-competitive eligibility is at the discretion of the Country Director and is based upon the reason for the early termination. For example, if you are medically separated after serving 12 months, you may be eligible for NCE. If you leave service early and are not sure of the status of your non-competitive eligibility, contact your Country Desk Officer to discuss your status. There are several other types of non-competitive eligibility available. Outstanding scholars (college students with a 3.45 GPA or college graduates in the upper 10 percent of their class) and Vietnam veterans are two examples. There is also a preferred hiring status for federal employees who have lost their jobs due to reduction in force. This is an executive order called the "Re-employment Eligibles List." Can non-competitive eligibility be extended? Yes, NCE can be extended by the hiring agency for up to two additional years (which would equal a maximum of three years from your COS date) for four reasons. These reasons are:· If, after Peace Corps service, you enter the military.· If you study at a recognized institution of higher learning. This normally means becoming a full-time student.· If you work for the Peace Corps in activities related to Volunteer program operations. As an example, if you work on a Peace Corps training program following your service, your non-competitive eligibility could be extended for the amount of time you worked on the training program.· If you engage in another activity that the hiring agency thinks warrants an extension. The Federal Personnel Manual states, "Generally, work experience which is pertinent to the position being filled and which can be expected to enhance the candidate's performance and value to the agency could be an appropriate basis for extension. Extensions should not be granted routinely, but should be reserved for situations in which the activity has truly enhanced the RPCV's value to the agency."Can non-competitive eligibility be "used up" during the 12 month period? The general answer to this question is "no." You are able to use your non-competitive eligibility more than once during the period of eligibility if the hiring agency permits you to do so. How do you prove non-competitive eligibility? Non-competitive eligibility is officially granted to you through your Description of Service (DOS) and is proved by attaching a copy of your DOS when applying for a Federal job. The DOS will reference "Executive Order 11103" which is the Presidential directive that established non-competitive eligibility. If you have misplaced your original DOS, the Peace Corps will send you a copy. Contact the Office of Volunteer and Staff Payroll Services (VSPS) for a copy see Update Your Records. Many federal personnel staff and other employees are not familiar with non-competitive eligibility. You should refer them to the text of "Executive Order 11103 - Providing for the appointment of former Peace Corps Volunteers to the civilian career services." This information was formerly in the Federal Personnel Manual, Chapter 315, Section 6-7 (this is no longer an official manual) and provides good historical information to employers. Please note: An area that sometimes causes confusion is the distinction between NCE granted to a Peace Corps Volunteer and NCE eligibility granted to a Peace Corps employee. Peace Corps staff are awarded non-competitive eligibility for three years, but only after 36 months of full-time work. Does non-competitive eligibility apply to all federal positions? No, it only applies to those positions that fall under the aegis of OPM. Most of these are "GS" positions. Not all federal jobs are controlled through OPM. Some of these excepted agencies are: the Postal Service, the Foreign Service of the Department of State, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the FBI, the Foreign Service of USAID, and the Peace Corps. Non-competitive eligibility does not apply to state or local government jobs. They are separate organizations under the Constitution.Letter to federal employerYou can submit the following letter to a federal employer along with your resume or application. The letter is addressed to all federal employers and explains the benefit of non-competitive eligibility (NCE). Remember, it is up to each individual agency to determine whether or not to use NCE. TO: Federal Employers FROM: Peace Corps, Office of Returned Volunteer Services RE: Non-competitive Eligibility Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who have successfully completed their service are granted one year of non-competitive eligibility for federal appointments, under Executive Order 11103. This special eligibility is of particular use to federal employers due to the special qualifications of RPCVs, and the speed and ease with which they may be hired. The certification for non-competitive eligibility is contained in the RPCV's "Description of Service." This document is signed by the Country Director of the RPCV's country of service. In order to assist you, Peace Corps' Office of Returned Volunteer Services would like to provide you with the following information: This eligibility allows you to hire a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) as long as the minimum qualifications for a position are met. The RPCV need not be the most qualified candidate. Non-competitive candidates need not be on a register. Non-competitive eligibility can be used to fill both posted and non-posted vacancies, depending upon the individual agency's or department's personnel policies. What most personnel departments do, in the case of announced vacancies, is send the selecting official a ranked list of competitive candidates, and all non-competitive applicants too. Non-competitive eligibility was detailed in the former Federal Personnel Manual, Section 6-7, chapter 315 (although no longer an official document, it does provide accurate historical information). Non-competitive eligibility may be extended for up to three years from the RPCV's completion of service date. Reasons for extension are explained in the above mentioned FPM sections.