Fema Employment - Does joining the peace corps prevent you from getting a federal job?

Does joining the peace corps prevent you from getting a federal job?

Does joining the peace corps prevent you from getting a federal job? I heard that after being a volunteer in the Peace Corps you are disqualified from attaining a security clearance and therefore ineligible for many types of federal employment and military service. I'm asking because I would like to join the FBI after my service.

Public Comments

I've worked in federal offices and had co-workers (DoD employees) who had served proudly in the Peace Corps (and had fascinating stories to tell about it), so I think you've been misinformed.
You sound like you have a terrific future ahead of you! Peace Corps experience won't disqualify you from Federal Service---in fact, you get tenure (senority) credit for your time (months or years) in the Peace Corps. The security clearance question is a bit more tricky, I'll admit. I do know that overseas work makes getting a clearance more complicated. One point in particular is whether or not you maintain on-going relationships with your acquaintances overseas. That can make getting a clearance difficult. A personnelist from OPM should be able to answer your question in general terms. Not to sound like a nudge, but if your long-term priority is the Fed Gov't, why not start there in an intern position (say, with the FBI, DoD or State Dept.)---and skip the Peace Corps? You find fina a job with plenty of overseas travel, if that's what you crave---and the earlier you get your clearances established, the better! Best of luck with your career!
I think you have the order backwards...after serving for an "intelligence" agency your purgatives have been compromised and then you are not eligible to join the peace corp.
The Peace Corps wants to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. If, to take an extreme example, you went straight from the Peace Corps into the CIA, or vice versa, it would make all PCVs look like spies. There are some things you can't do just before and just after Peace Corps service; the CIA is one, some military specialties are another. You should talk to a Peace Corps recruiter about the specifics.