AmeriCorp References

[LuciusVorenus]

So I know you need two references for your AmeriCorps app that they call up and ask about you. My problem is my second reference is super busy and said I should have a list of things they might ask him about since he hasn't done this before. I told him to just say whatever he felt like but he said he really wanted something to go off of.

So, for anyone who has gone through AmeriCorps...

What kind of questions are they about to ask him? Is it kind of like writing your own LOR or do they have specific things they want to know about?

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[deleted191570]

So I know you need two references for your AmeriCorps app that they call up and ask about you. My problem is my second reference is super busy and said I should have a list of things they might ask him about since he hasn't done this before. I told him to just say whatever he felt like but he said he really wanted something to go off of.

So, for anyone who has gone through AmeriCorps...

What kind of questions are they about to ask him? Is it kind of like writing your own LOR or do they have specific things they want to know about?

AmeriCorps is a huge organization, my friend... Which program are you applying for?

 

[DrSolus]

jwi7b - The application is the same for all programs, through the americorps.gov website.

OP - The "reference" is actually just a LOR. To my knowledge, they rarely call the person. As for the LOR, it should primarily speak to your work ethic/reliability and character. Think of it as a written job reference. They want to know from your previous employers/professors if you're a mature person capable of working independently, with diverse populations, and able to handle significant responsibility. To that end, it's good to have one from a professor and one from a prior supervisor.

(I am currently in my 2nd year of AmeriCorps - completed one term, presently in my second one)

PS - Woot! Cheers for signing up for AC! Good luck 🙂 PM if you'd like any additional advice/want to know more about my experience.

 

[jeffs office]

So I know you need two references for your AmeriCorps app that they call up and ask about you. My problem is my second reference is super busy and said I should have a list of things they might ask him about since he hasn't done this before. I told him to just say whatever he felt like but he said he really wanted something to go off of.

So, for anyone who has gone through AmeriCorps...

What kind of questions are they about to ask him? Is it kind of like writing your own LOR or do they have specific things they want to know about?

I think I found the questionnaire floating around once and it's just a few questions that the reference has to answer.

Ok, I found it. http://www.americorps.gov/forms/ac_reference.pdf

It's pretty simple.

 

[deleted191570]

jwi7b - The application is the same for all programs, through the americorps.gov website.

OP - The "reference" is actually just a LOR. To my knowledge, they rarely call the person. As for the LOR, it should primarily speak to your work ethic/reliability and character. Think of it as a written job reference. They want to know from your previous employers/professors if you're a mature person capable of working independently, with diverse populations, and able to handle significant responsibility. To that end, it's good to have one from a professor and one from a prior supervisor.

(I am currently in my 2nd year of AmeriCorps - completed one term, presently in my second one)

PS - Woot! Cheers for signing up for AC! Good luck 🙂 PM if you'd like any additional advice/want to know more about my experience.

From the form that the prev poster linked: "The success of AmeriCorps largely depends
upon an appropriate match between programs and members."

I asked which program because the likelihood of them actually calling the references could depend on where the person's applying. E.g., it'd be vitally important for a VISTA program with 1 position/year to have someone with the appropriate background and prior experience, so they might end up calling for all of their candidates. Whereas a State/National program with 5-10 positions it might be less critical. This might also dictate the types of questions they ask...

 

[LuciusVorenus]

jwi7b - The application is the same for all programs, through the americorps.gov website.

OP - The "reference" is actually just a LOR. To my knowledge, they rarely call the person. As for the LOR, it should primarily speak to your work ethic/reliability and character. Think of it as a written job reference. They want to know from your previous employers/professors if you're a mature person capable of working independently, with diverse populations, and able to handle significant responsibility. To that end, it's good to have one from a professor and one from a prior supervisor.

(I am currently in my 2nd year of AmeriCorps - completed one term, presently in my second one)

PS - Woot! Cheers for signing up for AC! Good luck 🙂 PM if you'd like any additional advice/want to know more about my experience.

In your experience, how difficult was it to get a position? I live in Orange County (which is a suburb) and I know there are quite a few programs near the area and I'd rather not move if I don't have to, but there are only a few position listings in my area. I'm not specifically aiming for the more competitive HealthCorps type stuff though, I'd really be happy doing any of a wide variety of things, but I've heard it's really competitive! I've taken a year off from school to do this and continue my research so I'm really hoping I get in somewhere!

I think I found the questionnaire floating around once and it's just a few questions that the reference has to answer.

Ok, I found it. http://www.americorps.gov/forms/ac_reference.pdf

It's pretty simple.

Perfect! I didn't know it was written. Thank you two so much.

 

[DrSolus]

jwl7b - I was saying that the wording needed for the reference itself is going to be the same regardless of what program someone is applying to.

When it comes to how competitive the application process is - as jwl7b alluded, it really depends on the program you're applying to. VISTA is definitely more competitive than State/National, and yes they're probably going to call your references if you're applying to VISTA.

Being multilingual makes you a much stronger applicant, as some positions will screen people out if they don't speak certain languages (Spanish, Chinese, etc depending on the area served). You'll know which ones do this because they'll specifically state this in the program description. Do a program search on the AC website so you can get an idea of what types of programs and what the requirements are in your area.

Personally, I found AC to not be that competitive (at least the State/National programs), and I did two different HealthCorps programs for two years. Most important is how good of a match are you to the program? You'll need work experience yes, and good letters yes, but really it boils down to - how strong is your interest in this particular population? And, will you be able to serve this population well?

Ex:
- If it's a teaching position - how much teaching have you done in the past? Do you like kids?
- If it's working with refugees - have you worked with people of limited english profieciency before? (ex: teaching english). Why are you interested in working with refugees?
- If it's an art program - What is your art background? What makes you interested in supporting the arts?
- if it's something tech related - how strong are your technical skills? why is technology in the classroom important? ...you get the idea.

I think the biggest deciding factor is going to be your interviews, and there are going to be a l o t of them depending on how many you apply to. You'll interview first with the program director, who is gauging your interest in the program's overarching mission and in your ability to be a teamplayer and how well you respond to supervision. After you've passed that screening, you're pretty much accepted to the program - then it's just a matter of finding a program site that's a good fit, so you move on to interview at various sites until a good match is found between you and all parties involved.

PS - Ive never seen that form before - I think when you submit the reference information through the online application portal, that may automatically be sent to the references you listed. I'm fairly certain it's much preferred to do things electronically now - at least that was my experience.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

jwl7b - I was saying that the wording needed for the reference itself is going to be the same regardless of what program someone is applying to.

When it comes to how competitive the application process is - as jwl7b alluded, it really depends on the program you're applying to. VISTA is definitely more competitive than State/National, and yes they're probably going to call your references if you're applying to VISTA.

Being multilingual makes you a much stronger applicant, as some positions will screen people out if they don't speak certain languages (Spanish, Chinese, etc depending on the area served). You'll know which ones do this because they'll specifically state this in the program description. Do a program search on the AC website so you can get an idea of what types of programs and what the requirements are in your area.

Personally, I found AC to not be that competitive (at least the State/National programs), and I did two different HealthCorps programs for two years. Most important is how good of a match are you to the program? You'll need work experience yes, and good letters yes, but really it boils down to - how strong is your interest in this particular population? And, will you be able to serve this population well?

Ex:
- If it's a teaching position - how much teaching have you done in the past? Do you like kids?
- If it's working with refugees - have you worked with people of limited english profieciency before? (ex: teaching english). Why are you interested in working with refugees?
- If it's an art program - What is your art background? What makes you interested in supporting the arts?
- if it's something tech related - how strong are your technical skills? why is technology in the classroom important? ...you get the idea.

I think the biggest deciding factor is going to be your interviews, and there are going to be a l o t of them depending on how many you apply to. You'll interview first with the program director, who is gauging your interest in the program's overarching mission and in your ability to be a teamplayer and how well you respond to supervision. After you've passed that screening, you're pretty much accepted to the program - then it's just a matter of finding a program site that's a good fit, so you move on to interview at various sites until a good match is found between you and all parties involved.

PS - Ive never seen that form before - I think when you submit the reference information through the online application portal, that may automatically be sent to the references you listed. I'm fairly certain it's much preferred to do things electronically now - at least that was my experience.

Thank you for all the information! What do you mean by that part though? So if a program is listed as for all of California, you interview for the program overall and then for specific sites within each county?

 

[DrSolus]

Thank you for all the information! What do you mean by that part though? So if a program is listed as for all of California, you interview for the program overall and then for specific sites within each county?

Wow - That sounds like quite the program. If you read the description correctly, then yes that's exactly right. Ex: Community HealthCorps of Connecticut: I interviewed in New Haven, Bridgeport, and one other site I can't remember.

I think some of the larger programs treat the application process a bit differently though...for ex: Teach for America. It's a VERY large program, so they don't let you interview at their million and one sites. Most of the smaller regionalized programs though, will let you do this.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Wow - That sounds like quite the program. If you read the description correctly, then yes that's exactly right. Ex: Community HealthCorps of Connecticut: I interviewed in New Haven, Bridgeport, and one other site I can't remember.

I think some of the larger programs treat the application process a bit differently though...for ex: Teach for America. It's a VERY large program, so they don't let you interview at their million and one sites. Most of the smaller regionalized programs though, will let you do this.

Great! Thanks a lot 🙂 👍

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

The online references are really easy. I filled one out for a former student and it was pretty basic. Took about 20 min. No one ever called me.

When I applied for AmeriCorps, one program did call my references even before contacting me about an interview (I thought this was strange.). The program I ended up choosing did not call my references (It is a S/N program).

My advice is to choose people who know your work/service experience. Especially if you have been in any student groups or something where you had a leadership role. I think this is almost more valuable than a prof who knows that you are smart and study a lot.

AmeriCorps is awesome though! Best of luck in your application process. 👍