How AmeriCorps Experience Can Help You in the Corporate World

You know what AmeriCorps, the domestic version of Peace Corps, is famous for? “Getting things done.” That’s their motto, and one many corporations guilty of old thinking and slow-moving bureaucracy wish they could claim for themselves.

And the verdict’s in: According to a study by VeraWorks, a community involvement consultant, AmeriCorps service greatly influenced professional direction and commitment. Out of 332 Washington State respondents, 97 percent rated AmeriCorps as a positive experience that increased skills such as confidence, service, and career direction.

So how did AmeriCorps help them exactly? By providing challenging experiences that helped participants develop better leadership and management skills. Projects such as renovating homes, serving meals, and restoring local parks helped participants learn how to develop, oversee, and execute efforts. These skills can later be applied in corporate or government environments to complete projects on time and under budget. Volunteers also learned specialized skills, such as soldering and construction, that prepared them for careers in those fields.

AmeriCorps volunteers also benefited from an increase in confidence. One-third of participants in the study reported that they felt certain their new abilities could help them achieve success in school or the workplace. According to the VeraWorks study, one participant said, “I was depressed and working a dead-end job and now I am confident and excited for the future.” The skills learned in AmeriCorps help boost enthusiasm by giving a sense of pride and accomplishment to participants.

Additionally, AmeriCorps participants reported renewed focus on career direction. In an era when many young people listlessly switch from job to job, AmeriCorps can provide direction and a sense of purpose in a career field. Many former volunteers later earn a four-year degree and move forward in a public service career. AmeriCorps does, after all, provide a scholarship valid for up to seven years.

For those who already have a degree, the scholarship provides a chance to pursue a second one or simply take elective classes of personal and professional interest. Maybe that’s a language. Maybe that’s graphic design. Maybe that’s political philosophy or quantum physics. It doesn’t matter. Get it done.

Learn about AmeriCorps programs in your area at AmeriCorps.gov.

By Quail Bell
Photo by Bikerider London

Christine Stoddard is the founding editor of Quail Bell Magazine and owner of Quail Bell Press & Productions. Sarah Sullivan is a contributing writer to Quail Bell Magazine and a copywriter for Quail Bell Press & Productions. Both are originally from the Washington, D.C. area.