Mid-year workshop

1. Mid-year workshop What to start thinking about to finish your term successfully.

2. Agenda and goals How to finish your term successfully Grad schools, Careers, and resources Resume workshop What do we want to take away from this workshop?

3. Ending your term successfully What will they do when I’m gone?!

4. how to confidently leave your site • Whatever you do, do NOT drive yourself crazy thinking about what will happen once you are gone! You had one year to accomplish your goals, and you did that, so you should feel proud and successful! NOT worried, stressed, or angsty. • Legacy binder! • Train other staff and/or volunteers well • Pass off specific pet projects to people you trust, and emphasize how much their assistance in keeping your work going means to you • STOP with the “what ifs”! • Stay with your site as a volunteer • You can always keep in touch with your site supervisor after you are gone or follow your site on Facebook for updates

5. Grad school or career? What do I do next?

6. Grad school or job hunt? • How many of you are planning to attend grad school after your term of service? • How many of you are looking for jobs related to your field of study/interests? • How many of you already have something lined up for after your term? • How many of you don’t know what you want to do yet? • How did you decide what was best for you?!

7. Pro’s and Con’s of grad school • People decide to apply to graduate school for many reasons. Among the best are when a graduate education: • is necessary for your desired professional field such as healthcare, law, teaching, and social work to name a few • can improve your career by increasing your responsibility and/or income earning potential • can enhance your professional prospects, whether you are switching careers or simply want greater flexibility and options • You may want to reevaluate your readiness for graduate education if any of the following are a significant or the most significant factor in your interest in applying to grad school: • You are avoiding personal/family/financial obligations • You are avoiding or having difficulty in the job hunt • You are dissatisfied with your current employment • You don’t know what to do with your life • You have always been curious about X • You have always wanted to live in X

8. Lessons learned by Americorps Alumni • Find a mentor in your field that can assist you with finding good schools/programs and help with the application process. • Talk to alumni at the school you are interested in. • Think about where you want to be long term (geographically). • Don’t just go with a “big name” school, take the time to research programs everywhere. • Actively control the process of researching and applying to programs so that your end result fits you. • Apply experience to program classes, internships, etc. and use your network for recommendation letters and advice. • Be excited about your program, question your decision if you aren’t! • Actively think about what you want to do after grad school: career options, debt, opportunities • Good Reasons To Wait: • You haven’t clarified your chosen field yet. • Getting experience now means better experience later. • Strengthen your application to grad school. • Strengthen your job application. • Improve your financial outlook.

9. Alumni benefits - school • A number of colleges and universities encourage AmeriCorps alumni to attend their schools by offering additional benefits. • Some schools will match your ed-award amount (in full or partial), some schools will provide scholarships to alumni, other schools will provide credit hours for your AmeriCorps experience. • If the school you’d like to attend isn’t listed as a matching school, just ask! The worst that can happen is that they will say no. There is information on the AmeriCorps Alums page on how to encourage a school to become a matching school.

10. Tips and tricks for grad school • Check to see if you are eligible for the GRE Fee Waiver Program: http://wwww.ets.org/gre/institutions/services/fee_reductions • Ask the Admissions Office if they will waive your application fee; show them your story, don’t just tell them! • If you apply to grad school during your term of service and are accepted, most institutions will grant you “admission deferral” so you can put off enrolling until your term of service is complete. • Look for schools that offer scholarships to those with public service experience, and always be sure to check with the Admissions Office or Financial Aid Office for these opportunities. • Use the “Complete Match” and “Partial Match” AmeriCorps websites to find schools that will assist you in attending their school. • Some schools even offer credit for terms of service (Indiana University is one of them). • If you’re interested in traveling and expanding your service experience while in grad school, look for schools that are connected with the IPSL program. http://www.ipsl.org • Depending on how long you have lived/served somewhere, in-state tuition may be available to you outside of your home state.

11. Americorps specific fafsa information • Hiding half-way through the FAFSA, you'll find a question relevant to reporting your AmeriCorps income so it does NOT count against you when your financial aid amount is determined. • For the 2013/2014 FAFSA (both the online and paper version) the question is 44G and asks about living allowances given to students, the military, etc. This is where you will report your AmeriCorps earnings. • The exact question looks like this: • 44. Student’s 2012 Untaxed Income (Enter the combined amounts for you and your spouse.) • G: Housing, food and other living allowances paid to members of the military, clergy and others (including cash payments and cash value of benefits). Don’t include the value of on-base military housing or the value of a basic military allowance for housing.

12. more on the fafsa • Though you won't get the satisfaction of doing the math yourself, when you submit your FAFSA, the financial aid office will subtract the amounts you list in this section from your income, giving you a lower adjusted gross income. • In other words, if your only source of income in the previous calendar year is $10,000 from AmeriCorps, then for financial aid purposes your income is $0(!), and you potentially could receive a better financial aid package than a student who earned $10,000 at a regular job. • Be aware that other factors may apply here – for example, if your parents still claim you as a dependent or if you have other assets.

13. job hunting resources • Locally: 501 Connect and The Rome Group • Idealist.org • AmeriCorps Alumni website • Networking (online, such as LinkedIn, and in person) • Craigslist (there’s a nonprofit job section!) • Indeed.com (combines Monster, Career Builder, local listings, and business websites to create one search engine) • Connect with your alma mater to make connections and learn about opportunities

14. Resume workshop Let’s get the party started!

15. Quick tips on cover letters • ALWAYS submit a cover letter when applying for a job. • Your cover letter should explain why you are sending a resume, be specific in the position you are seeking and how you qualify. • SELL YOURSELF! Connect past experience with the qualifications of the job, make the connection for the reader, don’t leave them guessing how you would apply your skills. • In the first paragraph it’s good to include how you found out about the job, this would be a great place to name drop (but don’t name drop without asking permission first!), and also introduce yourself in a general manner. • In the second paragraph you want to connect your experiences, skills, and interests to the job and the organization. Take the time to show that you have researched not only the position but also the organization. Paint a clear picture of how you would fit in and what you would bring to the table. • In the third paragraph express your interest in an interview as well as your intent to follow up. And always remember to thank them for their time!

17. Quick tips for updating your resume • Human Eyes: 5-30 seconds to impress your readers, don’t use jargon, make it easy to read, and use keywords (but don’t be boring, use a thesaurus!) • Computer Eyes: “Search Engine Optimization”: use all variations of the same word throughout your resume so it will show up in their search, make the top of your resume stand out in case someone looks at your resume from a smart phone • If you have enough content for a full and relevant resume, 2 pages is okay • Always quantify if possible: $, #, % • Remember to answer these questions: So What? Who Cares? Why Does It Matter? • Format your resume to become a list of accomplishments, not just a list of responsibilities • Always include relevant, recent, or unique content; ie: activities, leadership, community involvement, skills, presentations, certification • Do NOT say “References Available Upon Request” on your resume! • Objective Statements are OUT and Professional Profiles are IN • Why you’re a match for the job/company, what makes you unique • Don’t be boring or cliché • Think of it as a mini cover letter on your resume, make sure you edit it for each position/job you apply for!

19. Good luck!!