It’s impossible for AmeriCorps to not help you find clarity. I didn’t hear about AmeriCorps until after I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree, but I could’ve benefited greatly from a service experience prior to entering college. Why are the armed services pushed to teenagers and the non-armed national service branches hardly ever are? Why not enter college with some more clarity, life experience and money for education?Įvery year in high schools, military recruiters speak to students nationwide, trying to recruit them to the armed services before attending college. It’s so common for college students to graduate with an expensive degree and still have no idea what they want out of life. Pennsylvania, 2016 What You Should Understand About AmeriCorps Before You Apply Understanding #1: You don’t need a degree for all national service programs and can join AmeriCorps right after high school. 22-year-old me wasn’t waste-conscious, but now I use a Stojo cup to divert disposable cups from the landfill). I grew up and went to college in Pennsylvania, but I only seriously considered positions in Washington State, Tennessee and North Carolina before choosing WA and moving from PA to Seattle.Īdventure called, and one of my best friends was there to answer with me. You can serve in AmeriCorps all over the country, so you don’t have to serve where you live. This was the invite to my going-away party. My 3rd Motivator: I wanted to travel and move across the country I used AmeriCorps as an excuse to move cross-country from Pennsylvania to Washington State. Brussels, Belgium 2020 My 2nd Motivator: I wanted to do something unique, and stand out from my peers.Īll humanitarian and intrinsic rewards of public service aside, I still cared about how AmeriCorps would help me compete on the job market.īefore I signed my contract, I realized I could only go into a year of service if I felt confident that it would help me get a good job post-service or be accepted into a top master’s program.Īfter researching, I found that the program seemed to have a lot of respect, and many universities even offered incentives for AmeriCorps alum to join their programs. Spoiler: AmeriCorps actually wasn’t the experience I was hoping for, but it helped me develop the skills that ultimately helped me become a digital nomad. Ironically, after my AmeriCorps term of service, I actually did go into a corporate environment, but the experience confirmed that it wasn’t for me so I left to become a digital nomad. Helping people and having exciting new experiences sounded much more exciting ![]() I wanted to find career fulfillment, not begin my 4-decade cubical slog. □ Save for later! □ My 1st Motivator: I wanted an experience different from a corporate job.Īt 21 years old, the prospect of sitting behind a desk, chained to my email inbox felt bleak. Let me share my personal motives for joining the program, and see if any of these resonate with you. Something excites you about the AmeriCorps program but you can’t articulate it quite yet. I don’t know what’s motivating you to read this AmeriCorps review, and maybe you’re not sure either. Because no one can tell you exactly what your experience will be like.īut taking a look at what is motivating you to consider joining AmeriCorps will help you see if your expectations are realistic. The truth is, no one can answer the question “is AmeriCorps worth it” for you. No AmeriCorps review could give you a final answer to your question “ is AmeriCorps worth it for me?” What Attracts You To An AmeriCorps Position?Įven though it’s only 1 year of your life ( or less, depending on the program), committing to national service is a big decision. For my term of service, I went through an AmeriCorps state program, and was under the umbrella of the Washington Service Corps.įor me, and I think for many service members who complete the program, AmeriCorps is a very unique, sometimes challenging, quick-and-dirty year, unlike any experience that college or the corporate world can offer. You can read more about program specifics online. Some work mostly in the field and are in schools teaching kids first aid, on construction sites building homes, and so on. Other service members are stationed in one location and do the majority of their work in an office. Some AmeriCorps members travel around the country or region in a cohort. Not every AmeriCorps position is the same. That sounds great, right?! But doesn’t give you any indication at what daily life is like. Per the organization’s mission statement, a year in AmeriCorps is a year spent “improving lives and fostering civic engagement.” ![]() Is AmeriCorps Worth It For You? What Does A Year In AmeriCorps Mean?
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