1st Month: General Goal-Setting for Post-Service

• General declaration of post-service goal(s)—OK to have several options in mind. List all and why each is an option. (There is a general discussion of goal setting on page 45 of the workbook.) You will be discussing goals for the year of service. Add a discussion of post-service goals.
• If any members are interested in graduate school or in private undergraduate colleges for the next autumn, they need to start the admissions and financial aid processes in the fall of the preceding year to be ready for December or February deadlines. Public institutions of higher education usually have later deadlines (see pp. 48–52 and Appendices A and B of workbook).

2nd Month: Skills

• Begin self-assessment process–self-management skills–transferable skills–special knowledge skills (see pp. 23–28 of the workbook).
• Use the exercises to focus on what skills members have now and what they need to be successful in their AmeriCorps assignments, as well as what they need and want for the future. How do they gain these skills? How do you help with that process? Members might be fuzzy about what skills they need for the future, however. Give personal feedback about how realistic their assessments are and what you might see as current or future needs skills-wise for individual members.

3rd Month: Interests

• Continue self-assessment process
• Use the exercise on pp. 28–31 of the workbook to determine member personality types. If you are interested in a more thorough assessment using researcher John Holland's activity preferences, see the information under 5 on page 31 of the workbook.
• Members' selections of personality types can be the backdrop for discussion of individual differences and what types of work/service/leisure activities are best suited for each member. To translate Holland types to occupations, consult pp. 34–38 of the workbook.

4th Month: Values and Personal Considerations

• Continue self-assessment process (see pp. 21–22 of workbook).
• Values—Everyone is value-driven, but those who choose service may be even more than usual. Most members have their values challenged during AmeriCorps service. Lead a discussion about what values are being met in their current service site and what values aren't. Have each member describe the "ideal" post-service site values-wise.
• Personal Considerations–(see page 31 of the workbook). Encourage members to be realistic about their personal considerations. Lofty ideals don't work if there is no childcare or health insurance or some other necessity available.

5th Month: Self-Assessment Summary

• Summarize self-assessment process in writing. (See page 34 of workbook.)
• Members know each other well by now. They might challenge each other as they read their summaries aloud. Discussion should be facilitated with great care. Give them a week or two to consider their summaries and make changes if needed.

6th and 7th Months: Research

• Research options which match requirements in the self-assessment summary (see pp. 35–40 of the workbook).
• This step is a formidable task with which members need much guidance. Try to schedule information sessions with knowledgeable members from the community at large: academic advisors, human resource professionals, career counselors, social service providers, government employees, private sector employees. Help members connect with others in the community. Offer member development time for research by computer and/or at libraries. If there is a one-step career center in your area, arrange a group visit there. Meet at least weekly to see what members are doing and with which tasks they need help. This is a common place where the career development process is ignored or discarded. Help members stay on track.

8th Month: Decision-Making and Goal-Setting

• Members assess all the information they have accumulated during the research phase, make decisions about their next steps and set goals to meet their next step objective (see pp. 40–47 of the workbook).
• Again, this is a tough task. Some members may balk at focusing on one or two options at this point. Remind them that the decisions they make now are determining next steps after AmeriCorps, not the ways their whole lives are going to go. Sometimes that reminder helps with anxiety about choosing next steps. Individual sessions with members may be necessary during this month as members formulate their next steps.

9th–12th Months: Pursuing Individual Options

• This is a tough task for program directors and AmeriCorps supervisors because each member's focus is different from every other member's. Five options and ways of dealing with each are outlined in pp. 48–74 and Appendices A and B of the workbook.
• Your best contributions at this stage of the post-service consideration process is to ensure that members have development time to pursue their options and that you act as a referral and resource agent within the community for them.
• At this stage of the process, members are conducting a job search, creating a business plan for a new business, applying to schools, applying for another year of AmeriCorps service or doing nothing. Those who are doing nothing may need your special attention (see page 74 of the workbook).
• In staff meetings, try to incorporate regular reporting from each member about progress on post-service issues.

10th Month: Managing Your Transition

• Lead a frank discussion of transitions in general and members' transitions out of AmeriCorps specifically (see pp. 4–7 of the workbook). For those interested, have them read William Bridges' book, which is cited in the workbook text, and discuss it as a group. They also need to be very practical about the transition: Where will I live and what will I do?
• Have members remember what they did to cope with the transition to becoming an AmeriCorps member. What coping strategies did they use then that would be helpful now? (The same question could apply to you. What did you do in the beginning of service to be helpful to members? Can you do the same or similar things now to help them make their ways after AmeriCorps?)

11th Month: Continuing to Serve

• There is yet another consideration for AmeriCorps members. What do they think about their year of service thus far? (See pp. 8–10 of the workbook.) How will they continue to serve after they leave AmeriCorps? (see pp. 12–18 of the workbook).

12th Month: Reflection, Review, and Closure

• Reflect and review what members said in their self-assessment summaries. Reassessment of values and skills may be particularly appropriate at this time. Have them reflect on their growth over the year. How have they changed? Why? Where in the process of moving to a next step is each member?
• A formal closure of service is important. What has been learned and accomplished personally and professionally, and what next steps are being taken are important components of any closure ritual. The "ceremony" needs to move the focus of member from where they have been to where they are going.