Comparative Study-JVC (1)

8/13/2019 Comparative Study-JVC (1)

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Stephanie Bruns

POLS 30595: International Development in Practice13 November 2013

Jesuit Voluntee r Corps

Having identified the market niche, recruitment, and volunteer assessment for North American

volunteers, America Solidaria (AS) is now looking to change their application process and content in

order to serve as a means of attracting such volunteers. North American concepts of what it means to

“do service” and expectations applying for such an opportunity differ from South American ones. This

paper will examine and evaluate the current application materials and process of America Solidaria in a

comparative study with that of the Jesuit Volunteer Corp (JVC).

Relevance of JVC

JVC is both a domestic and international service program with a minimum requirement of 1 year

for domestic sites and 2 years for international sites. They have over 340 volunteers placed in 39

different locations, including 6 countries, fulfilling the JVC mission to “directly serve the poor and

marginalized” and foster “conscious[ness] of the poor and causes of social injustice.”

Like America Solidaria, JVC sends a large number of volunteers to many different sites across

the country and the globe. The also emphasize the professional nature of the service volunteers will be

providing. They are considered employees of the partner organizations where they work and are held to

similar standards one would expect from a professional. As an organization, JVC is respected as a

reputable and valuable service experience. By looking at their application process and content as the

prototype, this paper hopes to illuminate what North American volunteers would expect from the

application process of a service organization.

The Current Process for America Solidaria

The AS application functions similarly to most North American volunteer organizations it its

utilization of both written application materials as well as interviews and letters of recommendation as

tools for selecting and evaluation possible volunteers. This blended process is useful in that it gives the

applicant a chance to fully express themselves, who they are, their motivations, and their skills, while



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also giving the organization to get a sense of candidates and how they would or would not fit in the

organization, its needs, and its goals.

The current written application is submitted online and very short. Each of the three essays is

less than 300 words, leaving a candidate with limited space to truly express themselves. The majority of

the application comes in the form of interviews. AS currently evaluates volunteers through a series of 3

separate interviews, none of which are directly associated with placement. The interviews are incredibly

comprehensive, but could be somewhat overwhelming for a US volunteer who is more accustomed to

written personal statements rather than dialogue as an initial “getting-to-know-you.” Letters of

recommendation are solicited, but only after the applicant has been passed the evaluation of the

materials above.

Using JVC as a Model

The JVC application offers the candidates a much greater opportunity to express themselves and

convey their motivations and qualifications in written form, while still utilizing person-to-person

interaction through interviews. The application is longer, composed of 2 essays, each of which ranges

from 2-5 pages as well as 10 shorter questions, with an additional long essay if the candidate is seeking

to devote their time to one of the international sites. Longer essays are important for the applicant to feel

as if they are being evaluated as a complete person, especially based on the type of questions asked.

One of the essays is biographical in nature, although it lends itself to interpretation and

individual agency to determine what information to include and how to represent it. It is more

individualistic; it asks about how you handle and respond to challenges as well as whom or what has

shaped you. The other essay ensures understanding of the JVC mission statement and asks the applicant

how their personal mission is complimented by the greater organization. It also includes ten, rather than

3, short answer questions (about a paragraph) that refer more specifically to possible challenges a

volunteer might be forced to confront at some point in their service year, should they be selected, and

how they relate and desire to be a part of the overall mission of the organization.



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JVC also has an interview process, although not quite as extensive as the model currently in

place at AS. The website contains a great deal of information on this subject. It clearly explains the

goals of the interview, how long the interview will be, and how the interview plays a role in the

application process overall. Specifically, the interview examines the skills an applicant possesses that

could benefit the partner organizations, motivations for participating in the program, and gives the

applicant information about the program and the opportunity to ask questions. The interview seems to be

just as informative as evaluative and a positive step in both the discernment process of the applicant and

the decision-making process of JVC.

A second interview takes place only after the applicant has been accepted into the JVC program

as a whole. The purpose of this second interview is to determine best fit between applicant and partner

organization with the interviewer serving more of a guiding resource than an interviewer. The applicant

receives information about the various sites available to him/her and then forms a ranking list. JVC then

organizes interviews between the applicant and at least three of their listed organizations. After the

interviews, a match is hopefully made and the offer accepted.

Lastly, in addition to the written essays and the interviews, the JVC application requires four

letters of recommendation in addition to the submission of a college transcript. While four

recommenders is a high number, JVC specifically states the role of each of these recommenders. One is

to be a peer to comment on the ability to live in community; another should be from a supervisor who

knows you in a professional sense, with the last two letters being from a spiritual or personal mentor and

a person of the applicant’s choice.

Recommendations for America Solidaria

Based on the similar size of JVC and its ability to place volunteers in a multitude of locations in

a variety of professional roles, it can serve as a model for the application proess of AS.

1. Reduce the number of interviews . It is rare that any organization requires more than one

interview of its applicants. Even those that do, like JVC, have the second interview serve a



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very different function and take place after acceptance into the program but before the

volunteer commits. The JVC model provides a very interesting and helpful perspective in

this regard since there are so many sites and opportunities available to applicants.

Additionally, many of the questions from interviews can be converted into written essays or

short responses on the initial written application.

2. Modify the personal nature of several of the Personal Interview questions. This is an

observed cultural difference, but it is highly unusual, and even inappropriate, for an

interviewer to ask about family and friends outside the scope of how they would describe

you or how they have influenced you. Romantic relationships are never brought up, although

there is relevance for AS to know the marital status of their applicants. This could be solved

with a simple multiple choice question on the initial online application.

3. Use transcripts and letters of recommendation to gain a better understanding of

technical skills. The lack of a transcript request is likely another cultural difference between

Latin America and the United States. In most disciplines, course options are very flexible

and looking at the course an applicant chose to take could be enlightening to their skills and

interests. Also, grades matter in the United States. Passing classes and graduating is not the

same as earning straight A’s. Applicants work hard for their grades and that effort should be

recognized. Letters of recommendation could also be incredibly useful in terms of

identifying an applicant’s professional abilities, especially if specified that a letter should

come from a previous or current employer.

4. General improvement of aesthetic appeal, navigability, and information of the

application. The impression an organization makes through their presentation in websites

and application plays a large part in recruitment and interest maintenance. Because AS’s

presence in the US is fairly recent, a strong reputation has not yet been built. Little details

like the ability to save work and revisit the application later, drop down menus instead of



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multiple choice bubbles, and reorganizing of questions could greatly improve the appeal of

the application as well as the organization. JVC has a great deal of transparency in terms of

what the process entails and what the purpose of each step is. This creates a greater sense of

confidence in the applicant and allows them to ask deeper questions rather than technical

ones.

Conclusion

Applications and their process themselves should not be underestimated in their ability to be

used as methods of recruitment as well as evaluation. In a world with so many opportunities, people

have the option of giving up on certain organizations because the application was too long, too

confusing, or simply unappealing. Presentation is especially important for America Solidaria because of

their recent presence and goal of name recognition and reputation building. America Solidaria is a great

organization that serves a unique niche in catering to young professionals across national borders

without an overt spiritual component. With the right tools, it could definitely create a name for itself in

the United States.

Resources

http://www.americasolidaria.org/2011/10/america-solidaria-u-s/

http://www.jesuitvolunteers.org/potential-jvs





Documents

Comparative Study-JVC (1)