Abstract

Building relationships with career services offices enhances the likelihood that AmeriCorps members will be validated for their year of service, as well as increasing the number of recruits for service programs. Amy Potthast, former AmeriCorps*VISTA member and current program manager with Idealist.org, submitted this effective practice in January 2006.

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Issue

A gap exists between national service programs and college career services offices. National service program staff, team leaders, and site supervisors have an opportunity to establish strong ties to their local college and university career services offices. These relationships will help educate the career services staff and the students to understand national service better as an entry point to public service careers, and it will also help national service programs recruit new members.

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Action

Each national service program and its placement sites recruit new members each year. Some of these programs might consider posting flyers on a local campus, or emailing offices of career services (OCS) to say that they are currently recruiting. But how can you and they work together to build a stronger relationship?

• Ask a career office staff member if you can stop by for a brown bag lunch in their office to share resources and compare complementary needs.
• Let the OCS staff person know that currently-serving members and/or alumni from a variety of year-of-service programs are available to speak as part of panel discussions. Such discussions can help students, who are exploring service options, clarify their understanding of program differences and opportunities.
• Ask to staff a resource or information table at an opportunities or career fair; to speak at round table discussions; or to post your general and recruitment information on the OCS website.
• Contribute updated materials to the OCS resource library. When the recruitment season begins, send an announcement, flyers, recruitment materials (such as business cards, brochures, information sheets, position descriptions, and posters) to the office for display.
• When talking about your national service program with OCS staff, help them understand that a year of national service is a great entry point to a public service career, with great work experience, networking opportunities, autonomy, and responsibility. Students looking for a year of work experience before going to graduate school will benefit from working for an organization that doesn't expect a long-term commitment. If they can think of the year-of-service as a fifth college year— during which the students learn, tuition-free, and don't have to pay student loans — the investment makes a great deal of sense.
• Offer to help the OCS staff to prepare their students for careers in the nonprofit sector. As you develop relationships with career office staff in your area, you might offer opportunities for their students to shadow your members for a day; establish a list of members who would be open to informational interviews; ask to be invited to join college students on community service projects, and invite college students to serve during member-coordinated service days; offer to serve as the "employers" for mock interviews with their students.

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Context

Some of these ideas came from Emily Weidhaas, an AmeriCorps*VISTA supervisor in St. Louis, MO. Using these principles, her office has developed great ties to Washington University's career services office.

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Outcome

The intended outcome for such a relationship is to increase mutual awareness among national service programs and career services offices. Working together stands to help with new member recruitment, increased understanding of the role national service can play as an entry point to a public service career, and students' understanding the possibilities of serving in an AmeriCorps program.

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Posted On

January 25, 2006

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For More Information

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Resources

Idealist.org is a portal for everyone interested in nonprofit organizations and issues, nonprofit careers, volunteering, events, and resources. Idealist.org provides services to the global community in an effort to connect people, resources, and nonprofit organizations. Action Without Borders, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that runs the Idealist.org website.

Related Practices

• Helping members plan for professional development
• Implementing and moderating a professional panel or forum
• Finding a job after AmeriCorps service

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Related sites

Idealist.org Career Center

Topic Areas

• Partnerships
• School-community partnerships
• AmeriCorps
• AmeriCorps VISTA
• Volunteer
• Member
• Schools
• Students
• Higher Ed
• Program management

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