GET TO

THE POINT T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E N C C C A T L A N T I C R E G I O N

F R I D A Y , A U G U S T 1 6 , 2 0 1 3

V O L U M E X I X , I S S U E 1 9

19 ISSUE 19 19 Tips for Life After

AmeriCorps

2 AUGUST 16, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

I’m a member of the National

Civilian Community Corps,

an AmeriCorps Program.

N-Triple-C members are 18 to 24 and spend

10 months getting things done for America

while developing their own leadership. We

serve on teams to help communities

prepare for and respond to disasters, build

homes, and help the environment.

To learn more, visit NationalService.gov or call 1.800.942.2677

CONNECT WITH AMERICORPS NCCC ATLANTIC REGION

Sam McKenzie, Community Relations Specialist (CRS)

Phone: 410.642.2411 Ext. 6244 ● Email: smckenzie@cns.gov

Mona Hillstrand, Assistant Community Relations Specialist (ACRS)

Phone: 202.815.4259 ● Email: rhillstrand@cns.gov

Ben Dillon, Community Relations Support Team Leader (CRSTL)

Phone: 443.995.7940 ● Email: bedillon.guest@cns.gov

Facebook.com/NCCCAtlanticRegion

@AmeriCorpsNCCC

NationalService.gov

03 Gallery

Images from Round 4 projects

05 Bulletin Board

Update of Independent Service

Hours & Team Reminders

06 Life After AmeriCorps

19 Tips for Life After AmeriCorps:

Selected online resources and

excerpts from AmeriCorps Alums

that can improve your transition

08 Alumni Spotlight

Katie Manchester, Class XVII

Corps Member, Class XVIII

Support Team Leader, North

Central Region

10 Community Relations

11 Shout Outs

12 Team Project Map

About the cover

To mark Class 19’s

nineteenth issue of Get

to the Point, we are

presenting 19 tips for a

successful transition to

Life After AmeriCorps.

Page 6.

ISSUE IN THIS

CONTENTS

↑ Raven 2 member

Travis Hanes poses

in front of a school

bulletin board

while working with

the Reaching the

Summit Community

Service Initiative in

West Virginia last

month.

GET TO THE POINT | AUGUST 16, 2013 3

G ALLERY

Friends of All Sizes

↑ Buffalo 3 member Wayne Sun examines an earthworm dug up while

clearing emergency evacuation routes near Torrington, Conn.

→ Buffalo 1 member Alex McDonald examines a praying mantis he

discovered while moving furniture at Creative City Public Charter

School in Baltimore.

↓ Raven 5 member Chris May presents his teammates with a praying

mantis found while removing invasive plants from Valley Forge

National Historic Park in Pennsylvania.

4 AUGUST 16, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

G ALLERY

↑ Moose 5 Team Leader Michelle Pinter-Petrillo uses a sawzall to shave

a two-by-four while building a house with Habitat for Humanity of

Greater Newburgh in New York.

→ Buffalo 4 member Kaitlyn Liafsha scrapes peeling paint from a

gazebo platform while working on urban beatification projects with

Baltimore City Bureau of Parks.

↓ Raven 1 member Bridget Kimbell paints a window sill at Phoenix

Charter Academy in Lawrence, Mass.

GET TO THE POINT | AUGUST 16, 2013 5

BULLET IN BO ARD

There are fewer than 100 days

remaining in the service term! Finish

your ISPs and make time with

your team count!

The race to become the first unit to

finish ISPs continues! Once again,

the Raven Unit has pulled into the

lead, but the Buffalo Unit is still

nipping at its heels!

Percentage of ISP Hours Complete

Raven: 81.20

Buffalo: 78.25

Moose: 76.12

“To find joy in work is to discover the

fountain of youth.” - Pearl S. Buck

6 AUGUST 16, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

L I FE AFTER AMERICORP S

TIPS FOR LIFE AFTER AMERICORPS

T o mark the nineteenth issue of Get to the Point, we’re presenting

19 tips for making a successful transition to Life After AmeriCorps.

Whether you choose to further your education, start a career, or

continue full-time community service, these tips can help you take ad-

vantage of opportunities and maximize the experience you’ve gained

as a Corps Member. In addition to selected online resources, we have

included excerpts from the website of AmeriCorps Alums, a national

network of AmeriCorps alumni established by Points of Light. For more

information, or to become a member, visit AmeriCorpsAlums.org

16

19 REVIEW YOUR RESUME

“While we hope that everyone knows Ameri-

Corps, your accomplishments need to stand

on their own regardless of how much the

employer knows about national service. Ask

someone to review your resume who doesn’t

know about AmeriCorps or what you did

during your service to make sure that it is

clearly articulated. Since many employers

will look at a resume first (and in some cases,

only look at your resume) be sure to include

under your address a note that you will be

relocating to X city by X date.”

Excerpt from Ask the Career Coach: How to

Relocate for an Out-of-State Job on the

AmeriCorps Alums Blog

NETWORK ONLINE

18 Enhance your professional network

by joining the AmeriCorps Alums

LinkedIn Group. If you’re new to LinkedIn,

watch the AmeriCorps Alums webinar on

how to get started.

TAP INTO BIG RESOURCES

17 Look for job postings by umbrella

organizations. “Examples include

professional associations like The Center For

Association Leadership, Government Associ-

ations, United Way chapters, HandsOn Net-

work Volunteer Action Centers, Net Impact

Chapters, community foundations and local

nonprofit associations.”

Excerpt from Ask the Career Coach: How to

Relocate for an Out-of-State Job on the

AmeriCorps Alums Blog

PLAN TO RELOCATE

“FindYourSpot.com is a fun website to help

you think through factors that matter in a

new geographic location. If you can afford

it, plan a visit now and set up as many net-

working meetings as possible.”

Excerpt from Ask the Career Coach: How

to Relocate for an Out-of-State Job on the

AmeriCorps Alums Blog

PARTICIPATE IN WEBINARS

15 Each month, AmeriCorps Alums

conducts a career webinar that aims

to improve your knowledge around a varie-

ty of career topics. Topics include a wide

array of subjects, ranging from leadership

and resume assistance to career panels and

graduate school planning.

FIND A FLEXIBLE TRANSITION JOB

14 Look for jobs that allow you to

telecommute or keep a flexible

schedule while transitioning between loca-

tions after AmeriCorps. Websites like

FlexJobs.com are reliable resources for

flexible, entry-level jobs in several career

fields.

LOOK FOR STEPPINGSTONES

Denise Riebman, Career Coach Columnist for

AmeriCorps Alums: “Explore positions at

organizations which are working on a broad

range of issues so that you could land a posi-

tion based on your current experience and

transition into other projects and roles with-

in the same place. I worked with a student

who accepted a position within the Depart-

ment of Education that was not in her pre-

ferred area. However, once she was settled

into her role, she offered to assist with addi-

tional projects beyond her initial scope of

work that extended into her ideal area of

interest. She built her experience and reputa-

tion for this area until she eventually transi-

tioned into a new role within the agency.”

Excerpt from Ask the Career Coach: Shifting

Career Fields on the AmeriCorps Alums Blog

RESEARCH NON-PROFITS

12 If you’re interested in working in

the non-profit field, GuideStar.org

is a great resource for finding organizations

that do the work you are passionate about.

13

GET TO THE POINT | AUGUST 16, 2013 7

L I FE AFTER AMERICORP S

11 7

4 EXPAND CAREER SKILLS THROUGH

ALUMS CHAPTER LEADERSHIP

Dhri Pandya, co-president, North Texas

Chapter of AmeriCorps Alums: “In just a

year, it has been a tremendously enriching

experience. From creating a media strategy

to engage more alumni to working with local

AmeriCorps programs to form the North

Texas AmeriCorps Alliance, the position as

Chapter Leader has allowed me to hone pro-

fessional skills in ways I never would have

imagined of a volunteer position. In addition,

I have been able to develop knowledge in the

areas of public relations, marketing, and

communications. These additional skills have

allowed me to take more initiative in areas of

my “day job” not normally within my scope

of work. Not only that, it has been wonderful

getting to know my local AmeriCorps peers

and work with AmeriCorps Alumni who have

become not only professional connections

but dear friends.”

Excerpt from the AmeriCorps Alums Career

Newsletter, May 2013

CONSIDER TEACHING

10 For anyone interested in teaching

or working in the field of educa-

tion, TeachForAmerica.org has an amazing

list of resources and domestic education

programs.

TALK TO STAFF MEMBERS

9 Atlantic Region staff members have a

wealth of knowledge, experience, and

professional networks. Take some time to

talk to staff members, whether in person or

via email, about their career paths and how

their service experience has shaped their

professions.

TALK TO THE CORPS

8 Your fellow Corps Members are some of

your best resources. Some members

have taught or served abroad, earned bache-

lor’s or master’s degrees, gone on missions

trips, or spent time in the professional world.

Ask around. You may be surprised at what

opportunities you find.

LOOK FOR AMERICORPS POSITIONS

IN YOUR AREA OF INTEREST

“After my year in NCCC, I had come a little

closer to identifying a few professional

goals. My interests pointed me towards

Higher Education and I began to look for a

way to connect this field with civic engage-

ment. Along came an AmeriCorps VISTA

position that fit like a glove. I applied for

and was hired as the AmeriCorps VISTA in

the Office of Service-Learning at Gannon

University in Erie, PA where I am currently

finishing my year of service. The position is

part of a collaborative project called Lake

Effect Leaders which is made up of 4 colleg-

es and 12 non-profit organizations in the

region. It was the diverse experiences that

I had in NCCC that made my resume stand

out. Not only did my projects provide the

extra “wow factor” that my supervisor was

looking for, but they provided me with

endless stories to tell during the interview.”

Jennifer Schadd, Class 18 Alumna, South-

west Region

SEARCH USAJOBS FOR OPEN

POSITIONS WITH CNCS

6 The Corporation for National and

Community Service (CNCS) regularly

posts job openings on USAJobs.gov, the

Federal Government’s official job site.

UTILIZE LIFE AFTER AMERICORPS DAYS

5 With hurricane season and the end of

the service term nearing, remember to

use your LAA days to polish your resume,

apply to jobs or schools, or simply do re-

search on possible service opportunities.

USE YOUR EDUCATION AWARD FOR

SPECIAL INTEREST PROGRAMS

“Some alums have been able to use their Ed

Award to pay for special interests classes,

including EMT training, SCUBA lessons,

photography courses, and sewing classes.

Some of these courses eventually turned a

hobby into a career path for our alums! Oth-

er alums were able to enroll in study abroad

programs, even after graduating from school.

Check with your institution to make sure that

the Ed Award is accepted in its programs.”

Excerpt from Using Your Segal Education

Award in the New Year from the Ameri-

Corps Alums Blog

ASK FOR REFERENCES IN ADVANCE

3 If you want to use your Team Leader,

Unit Leader, or another NCCC staff

member as a reference, make sure to ask

them before applying for a job. They will

appreciate your pro-activeness and will have

more time to prepare a well-written refer-

ence letter.

BUILD RAPPORT WITH PROJECT SPONSORS

2 It’s not uncommon for AmeriCorps

alumni to land jobs with previous pro-

ject sponsors. Take advantage of the fact that

you already have your foot in the door with

employees of several non-profit organiza-

tions. Talk to them about your career inter-

ests and keep in touch with them about posi-

tion openings.

PREPARE FOR LIFE AFTER

AMERICORPS DAY

1 The Atlantic Region Life After Ameri-

Corps Day will include guest panels on

international and domestic service opportu-

nities, as well additional AmeriCorps oppor-

tunities, and a resource fair with representa-

tives from several non-profit organizations

and colleges. Once the list of attending or-

ganizations is finalized, you should tailor

your resume to your areas of interest and

come prepared to speak with representatives

about your experience.

8 AUGUST 16, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

ALUM NI SPOTL IGHT

Why did you join NCCC? An

opportunity to serve our country and to

assist those in need.

What was your favorite aspect of

NCCC? The variety of service projects.

What was your most interesting

project? I really can’t pick just one. My

team had the opportunity to serve on seven

projects throughout the year with three of

those being disaster projects. The disaster

projects provided variety, having assisted

in three different capacities; needs

assessment, shelter operations, and

mucking and gutting.

KATIE MANCHESTER INTERVIEW BY STEPHANIE FERGUSON

What was the most challenging

aspect? Getting used to living with a team

of nine and not having much time to

myself.

Can you tell us a story in which you

learned something about yourself

through service? I learned that I am

capable of going with the flow. As someone

who plans and likes to follow a plan, I

experienced many situations that didn’t

always go as planned. Having been pulled

for three disaster assignments, my team

and I had to adapt to the ever-changing

tasks and environments.

NCCC REGION:

North Central (Iowa)

SERVICE TERMS:

Class XVII Corps

Member; Class XVIII

Support Team Leader

CURRENT RESIDENCE:

Nantucket, Mass.

CURRENT OCCUPATION:

Office Manager,

Madaket Marine;

Founder, Volunteer

Nantucket (Non-Profit)

GET TO THE POINT | AUGUST 16, 2013 9

ALUM NI SPOTL IGHT

What skills did you gain as a Corps

Member and Team Leader? Patience

and delegation. With supervising close to

100 members as the POSTL, I had to put my

delegation skills to use. As someone who

struggles with delegation, I had to remember

that I could do things myself, but by me

doing them, what are the CMs learning?

What advice would you give to current

Corps Members? You can do anything for

10 months (and it’s worth it). The skills and

experiences that you have through NCCC are

unlike any other. You may not realize it at

the moment, but after completing your term

of service, reflect on it and you’ll realize it.

How did AmeriCorps affect your life

path? Volunteering has always been an

important part of my life. AmeriCorps NCCC

steered me in the path of founding Volunteer

Nantucket to promote volunteerism and help

others find volunteer opportunities on the

island that they are interested in.

How have you continued to serve?

After completing my TL year I founded an

organization in my hometown (Nantucket)

that connects volunteers with the current

opportunities on the island. In what spare

time that I do have I usually find myself

volunteering for many of the opportunities

that my organization lists.

“The skills and experiences that you have through NCCC are unlike any other.”

10 AUGUST 16, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

Shout Outs

Thanks to Greg Starling (M5) for his quick turn-around on emailing a potential applicant and his

assigned alumni contact on the same day of our request!

Thanks to B1, M4, R1, R2 and R5 for submitting tweets early in the round! Refer to the glide path (at

right) to stay on track with tweets. You can submit them via email, text or WPR.

Thanks to everyone who submitted Round 4 press releases on time! We were especially happy to

see solid quotes from project sponsors in the releases.

TEAM MEDIA CAP ALUMNI APPS

BUFFALO 1

BUFFALO 3 6 1

BUFFALO 4 18 3 (251) 2

MOOSE 1

MOOSE 2 1

MOOSE 3

MOOSE 4 11

MOOSE 5 1 (1)

RAVEN 1

RAVEN 2 9

RAVEN 3 1

RAVEN 4 1 (14)

RAVEN 5

TOTAL 50 5 (266) 4 1

Weekly Updates for Media/CAP Reps. Media Reminders

Distribute Press Releases

by August 19

Round 4 GTTP Articles:

Buffalo 4 — August 18

Moose 4 — August 25

Raven 4 — Sept. 1

Phoenix 4 — Sept. 8

Glide Path for Tweets:

4 by August 19

6 by August 26

8 by September 2

10 by September 12

Submit a yearbook photo

of each member of your

team by the end of the

round. All members

should wear formal shirts

for the photos.

Media Reps have the

option to complete a

Team Leader spotlight

article to count as 2

media hits! Ask the CRSTL

for more information.

CAP Reminders

Each team has been

assigned at least one

alumni contact for the

round. Email your

contact to inquire about

a possible day of service,

social event, or

conference call

Events at Historic Black

Colleges or Universities

and Native American

organizations will count

as 2 events for your team

CAP Reps have the

option to complete a

spotlight article on an

NCCC applicant to

count toward your goals.

COMM UNITY RELAT I ONS

GET TO THE POINT | AUGUST 16, 2013 11

BUFFALO 1

Out of Baltimore. Mass, here we come!

Shout Outs? Shouts Outs are

short messages

submitted by

teams each week

to share with the

rest of the Corps.

Whatever it may

be, a Shout Out

is one little way

to keep the Corps

connected

throughout the

service term.

SHOUTS OUTS

RAVEN 4

Stay safe, Erin!

BUFFALO 3

We’re not lost, we’re on an adventure!

BUFFALO 4

Shout out to Megan Racine out there in California. We miss you a lot. It’s not the same without you and Courtney says, “it’s purple.” Happy b-day to our own Shannon Herr as of August 12. We hope the rest of the teams are enjoying their projects!

MOOSE 1

We have the best Team

Leader EVERRR!

MOOSE 5

Shout out to our Cat Lady, Laura Mahoney, who is out on wildfire in Cali. Get that In and Out Burger,

girl!

MOOSE 4

Moose Force wishes Snax and P4 the best of luck in Cali! Snax, safeguard those palm trees, and then climb one for RyGuy! It’s kind of like how Mulan

climbed that pole, but different. For more information, call your revered Team Leader. Also,

are you growing your hair out yet?

For Round 4, Atlantic Region teams will complete 19

projects across nine states. Currently, five teams are doing

environmental stewardship projects, five teams are doing

community improvement projects in rural and urban

areas, three teams are doing disaster recovery projects,

and one team is on-call for disaster response.

Where in the Atlantic Region Are They? Round 4, Week 4

BUFFALO 1

Russell, Mass.

Appalachian Mountain Club

Environmental Stewardship

BUFFALO 3

Torrington, Conn.

Torrington AHD/MRC

Urban & Rural Development

BUFFALO 4

Baltimore, Md.

Baltimore City Bureau of Parks

Urban & Rural Development

MOOSE 1

Elk Township, Pa.

The Nature Conservancy

Environmental Stewardship

MOOSE 2

Toms River, N.J.

Jersey Cares

Disaster Services

MOOSE 3

Burlington, Vt. → Portland, Maine

Charity Treks

Urban & Rural Development

MOOSE 4

Rockaway, N.Y.

St. Bernard Project

Environmental Stewardship

MOOSE 5

Newburgh, N.Y.

Habitat for Humanity Newburgh

Urban and Rural Development

PHOENIX 4

Sawyers Bar, Calif.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Disaster Services

RAVEN 1

Chelsea, Mass.

Phoenix Charter Academy

Urban & Rural Development

RAVEN 2

Hackensack, N.J.

Volunteer Center of Bergen County

Disaster Services

RAVEN 3

Queens, N.Y.

Respond & Rebuild

Disaster Services

RAVEN 4

Baltimore, Md.

Baltimore County Reforestation

Environmental Stewardship

RAVEN 5

King of Prussia, Pa.

Valley Forge

Environmental Stewardship