Post AmeriCorps Tips

For many AmeriCorps members, the spring months bring freshness, rain showers, allergies, and the looming date of the end of service. If you are like me, you may be feeling a mixture of excitement for the possibilities of the future, panic from all you have left to do in your service, and a lingering fear of job-searching, interviewing, and the unknowns of what’s next.

The good news is that a year in AmeriCorps provides you with a multitude of experiences that can make you a valuable addition to any team. Not only have you spent the year engaged in projects at nonprofits, schools, city departments, or other organizations gaining essential soft and technical skills, you have also been part of a great networking opportunity. There are many organizations in Minnesota and across the country that recognize the importance of AmeriCorps service and are recruiting national service alumni. Check out the following websites for a list of organizations that hire AmeriCorps members and tips on interviewing, translating your service to a resume, and exploring all your options after your service year.

CNCS: The Corporation for National and Community Service has a database of employers of national service members. You can filter by state and type of employer.

https://www.nationalservice.gov/partnerships/employers-national-service/search-network

Service Year Alliance: Service Year Alliance is an organization that provides support to national service projects and initiatives, including AmeriCorps. They have great resources for alums in figuring out your path after service, including Virtual Career Fairs that connect current members with organizations that employ national service members. The next one is in June, so check it out!

https://serviceyear.org/alums/

AmeriCorps Alums: You can access recent professional development webinars from AmeriCorps Alums online for free. You’ll find valuable information about navigating your path and building your career.

https://www.americorpsalums.org/page/CareerWebinars

You can also check out their blog post for tips on getting hired after AmeriCorps:

https://blog.americorpsalums.org/2012/05/21/getting-hired-in-your-life-after-americorps/

Your project managers, supervisors, program alumni, and fellow members are all great resources as well! Ask someone from your cohort or your supervisor if they would look over your resume and give you some feedback, or set up a mock-interview with a friend to practice common interview questions. We wish you the best of luck on your journey after AmeriCorps!