Give up stable job for Americorps?

December 18, 2009 11:44 AM

Would I be crazy to quit my decent, although not fulfilling, job and sign up for AmeriCorps?

Background information: I've been employed for about two years since graduating college in 2007 with a liberal arts major. My job is, well, okay. I make more than enough cash for my simple lifestyle, plus the health benefits and time off are generous. The work itself is sometimes interesting when it relates to writing or doing creative work (like designing an ad), but at other times not so much. The downside is that I often find myself bored and having a feeling that I'm wasting my life here. There's not much opportunity for advancement or even just the chance to do something different, and to be honest, I'm not sure I would want to stay here for much longer.

The plot thickens: For several months I've been volunteering with an adult literacy program. I tutor a student looking to obtain his GED. Although I've never seriously considered teaching of any kind, I'm really enjoying this experience.

Said literacy program also happens to run the LiteracyCorps program for AmeriCorps. This would involve mainly teaching/tutoring adult education and ESL students fulltime, with some volunteer recruiting. I've had thoughts lately about applying to this program next year.

So, my question is: would I be crazy to drop everything and join Americorps?

I don't make crazy amounts of money right now, but it would be a 2/3 drop in pay. I'm fortunate to have zero debt, and I could conceivably live at home while serving in Americorps. I understand doing Americorps involves a certain amount of sacrifice, but the idea of barely subsisting for 1-2 years makes me a little uneasy. The economy is still not doing so great and I know that a lot of people would be grateful for my current job.

On the plus side, I think this would be a great experience for me in terms of career and personal growth. My job experiences have so far all been with non-profits, but not of the social service variety. I've been rather directionless since college ended and my volunteer work is the first thing that has excited/interested me this much in a long time. Conversely, the thought of my current job as a career is somewhat depressing.

This entire post assumes that I'd be even accepted into the program, which I'm reasonably sure if competitive.

So, what do you think AskMefites? Am I being crazy/unrealistic/selfish? Any thoughts, suggestions, similar experiences, advice, etc, would be appreciated.

posted by squawk to Work & Money (24 answers total)

My sister just did something very similar, and she's very, very happy in Americorps. Yeah, she's poor, but she doesn't feel slimy at the end of the day.
posted by Bookhouse at 11:48 AM on December 18, 2009

Overall, I say do it. You're young enough that it won't kill you, and it's been a worthwhile experience for everyone I know who's done it.

However, make sure you think long and hard about finances. I know it depends on which part of AmeriCorps is paying you, but your standard of living will drop considerably. Many, many AmeriCorps members get help from their parents for paying rent, etc. because the pay really is that bad.
posted by oinopaponton at 11:53 AM on December 18, 2009

I've done VISTA and AmeriCorps. I did AmeriCorps as a part-timer which is a possible option for you. I'd talk to some of the people who are in the local program and see what they think about it. Subsisting on very little [plus there's the educational bonus, plus there's health care] isn't too tough BUT it can be annoying as hell if your particular program is poorly run. There's a LOT of paperwork involved in AmeriCorps and depending on the program, you may be all out by your lonesome, or you may be part of a team of people who may include people for whom it's a sort of job training program [i.e. people who may have challenges entering the workforce] as well as people like yourself for whom the opportunity to help/volunteer is a conscious choice.

If you have other side skills you can probably bring in pocket change selling things on ebay or Etsy or even doing little side jobs. The work is usually interesting but they expect 9-5 out of you, it's not like there's crunch time where you have to work twelve hour days. They're decent [in my experience] with you having a life/work balance. That said, there are also some Hatch Act sort of things that can be tough if you're an activist. You have to make a pledge to "defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic" and some places take this more seriously than others. You can't register people to vote and depending how small your community is, it might even be a problem if you were out as gay or very active in a social justice movement. This is the exception rather than the rule, but an AmeriCorps job is a lot more of a lifestyle choice than an office type of job and I'd just check in with your program in your area and see how theirs is.

That said, it's a great opportunity to get real direct service experience working with differenr populations, looks good on a resume and is a great way to be service oriented without joining the military. That said, you can always continue to volunteer and sock away cash at your current job and do a lot of the same thigns. I don't think you'd be at all crazy to make the switch, in any case.
posted by jessamyn at 11:54 AM on December 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

Go for it! Do it now while you can live with your family and don't have any debts or other major responsibilities. You'll come out of the experience with a much better sense of what you might want to do next. Grad schools and, one would hope, employers will look at you more favorably.
posted by mareli at 11:57 AM on December 18, 2009

Go for it! Voluntary poverty isn't the worst thing in the world, especially when you're surrounded by people in the same situation. It seems like you'd be a good candidate since you already have experience with adult literacy programs. The job you're in will have you on anti-depressants in 5 years, but Americorps could very well help you find some real direction. You might discover a whole world of fulfilling ways to use your degree. Good Luck!
posted by SamanthaK at 11:57 AM on December 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

You just graduated college, so even though it seems like it's a big leap, this is the time that people do a lot of career/work/life balance experimenting. I think it's great that you want to do something for others, and at the end of two years, your bank account may not be much richer, but I think your experience will be.
posted by xingcat at 12:02 PM on December 18, 2009

I did it!

In 2003 I was having my soul sucked out by a customer service job with a major auto insurance company that paid too well to leave without doing something drastic. I left it for a position where I was able to help K-3rd grade students with literacy tutoring, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. Not only did it help me get out of a major funk, but it also put me into a mindset of helping my fellow man. It also gave me a year's experience in the public grade school system, in which I got paid to figure out that I really didn't want to teach. It was the perfect transition from sad corporate life into going back to school for things I believed in.

You're young and debt free, so there's no better time than the present to take advantage of this type of opportunity. MeFi mail me if you want to pick my brain.
posted by scarykarrey at 12:06 PM on December 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

I did Americorps, and as Jessymn mentions, my program was very poorly run. I did it part time (about 20 hours a week), and worked at a coffee shop on the weekends (10 hours a week). This was (barely) enough for me to live on, but if I wasn't good at managing my money I don't think I could do it.

If you can find out more about the specific program, I'd say it could be worth it. It's super shitty pay, but it can be really rewarding and may be good on your resume.
posted by too bad you're not me at 12:08 PM on December 18, 2009

See if you can speak with current members right now about the inner workings of your particular AmeriCorps branch/location. The administration stuff matters a lot.
posted by Meg_Murry at 12:13 PM on December 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

I am not an Americorps volunteer or alum, but I've seen many of my friends go through the program, so based on that:

- If your current job pays you amply, then try to save some cushion money now for emergencies while you're making $1000/month.

- Most Americorps members I've known used food stamps while they were serving. If you're eligible, definitely use that resource.

- If the thought of continuing on your current career is depressing, then it's definitely time for a change. You're young and can afford to take a few risks.

- That said, make sure you look into growth opportunities at your placement. Is there the possibility of staying on, with a promotion, afterward if you want to? Will they teach you valuable skills? Is the person who would be your supervisor a potential mentor? If you're going to take such a low salary, you should be getting career development. One friend I can think of ended up staying at her placement after her service year was up - she's still there, three promotions later, and has a career she loves and feels really good about.
posted by lunasol at 12:23 PM on December 18, 2009

I would advise you not do anything that drops your pay by two thirds until you look into seeing how comprehensive the health coverage under AmeriCorps is. Why not just look for another job and continue volunteering?
posted by anniecat at 12:28 PM on December 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

Do it! You are young, and it is rare to have an opportunity to explore a career that you have a really good reason to believe might be a good one for you. Now is exactly the time to explore these kinds of things. It's just 1 year out of a future of 40 more years of working and earning.
posted by yarly at 12:30 PM on December 18, 2009

AmeriCorps stipends and education awards are not counted as income/assets when applying for food support, health care, and other social service benefits (as per federal law, I believe). However, your local agency may not be familiar with that stipulation and may have to be prodded to track down this policy when processing your application. In my case, I wrote the pertinent state office, and they forwarded the applicable manual sections to my caseworker.
posted by glibhamdreck at 12:38 PM on December 18, 2009

Could you dedicate the next year to saving like crazy, and then make the jump to Americorps? My most intolerable jobs always got much easier once I had a target end date in sight, even if it was awhile off, and voluntary subsistence living isn't as bad if you have a cash buffer to cover emergencies.
posted by anderjen at 12:57 PM on December 18, 2009

I have no experience with AmeriCorps, but I am in the process of leaving a corporate life for a much looser, freelance-style occupation. So I say, DO IT!!

Life is short. You have zero debt and a place to live while this is going on. The economy will rebound, and there will be other boring office jobs in the future, should you ever with to return to that life.

It's definitely scary, though. Perhaps you could pick a quit date a few months from now (or however long you are comfortable with), and live on the cheap until then to build a financial cushion.
posted by lhall at 1:06 PM on December 18, 2009

Chiming in to say that I did this, too. I'll be honest, it was really difficult at times financially, but 100% worth it. I also agree with the above advice of carefully checking out the program you'd like to join; the quality and organization of AmeriCorps programs varies so widely, it can really make or break the experience.
posted by sarahsynonymous at 1:14 PM on December 18, 2009

Response by poster: Wow. Thanks everybody! Your responses are certainly encouraging and give me more food for thought. I think my next steps will be trying to set up an appointment with the program coordinator and talking to some past participants.

As for those who suggested continuing volunteering there while working, yes, I have thought of that too. This would definitely be my backup plan, but I think I'd like to give it a shot full time.
posted by squawk at 3:13 PM on December 18, 2009

Really great advice so far. I can fill in a few holes, though. I topped out at three years in AmeriCorps VISTA. The AmeriCorps experience can really vary according to the placement site that you choose, so you want to interview them as much as they're interviewing you. I've heard that the selection process is reasonably more competitive since the economy tanked, but I think you're a good candidate, with reasonable expectations and a lot of prior non-profit experience. In my observation, candidates with reasonable expectations are the most successful and you've already thought a lot about finances, which is good.

The health care is decent and saved my bacon on a couple occasions. There is a big gotcha, though, because the Seven Corners coverage (it's technically a health plan, not insurance) DOES NOT cover pre-existing conditions or physicals. (Just covers a yearly pap smear for women.) Strangely enough, it does cover preexisting medications. So, for instance, if you currently take insulin for diabetes, you would have to pay for the doctor's visit and tests to get the prescription, but you would receive your sustaining meds absolutely free (there's never any co-pay for meds and the copays for covered visits and ER are insanely reasonable.) Also, there is an exit option to transfer to private insurance, but it's fairly expensive.

Sometimes people get hired on at their sites, but other than that, the post-service transition is all up to you. A lot of my peers, myself included, struggled to find jobs right after service and then eventually found their dream job several months up to a year later. I think it's mostly because A*C spoils you to want more out of your career and to aim high for another dogooder job, but also because Corps experience is hard to translate correctly on a resume.

When you begin your service, you will get an account on my.americorps.gov which will have a link for a letter that explains the law with regard to receiving federal benefits such as food stamps that you can give to a case worker. AmeriCorps State and National (such as LiteracyCorps) and VISTA are treated differently under the law because they were formed by two different acts of congress, but this is only confusing for VISTA and it sounds like you're more interested in State and National.
posted by Skwirl at 3:37 PM on December 18, 2009

Do it.

I spent most of my 20s working for various non-profits all over the world, barely scraping by and coming out with no savings in the bank. And it was great...I racked up a decade of experiences that mean more to me than any number of zeroes on my bank balance will.
posted by randomstriker at 4:30 PM on December 18, 2009

id say go for it, given where you're at now and the kind of exploring you'd like to do. i did VISTA for a year and it launched a pretty good youth work career for me. some advice:

quit your current job at least a month before your AmeriCorps service is to begin. That way, you can sign up for food stamps and get the maximum allowable per month. I lived with a house of 5 people and was able to buy most of all our food on food stamps, so they gave me a break on rent. This made for a significant boost to my income. Given the thin margins that you are asked to live on as a "professional volunteer," finding ways to have the system work better for you will really help.

also, shop around for the AmeriCorps program thats right for you. The one where you've been volunteering might be great, but there could be some other, better options. In MA, for example, there is a state-wide cohort of AmeriCorps volunteers that comes together for monthly meetings, fellowship, support, etc. I, however, got stuck in a regular VISTA program and had no such support; mostly out on my own. Still a good experience though.

Enjoy it! Don't buy a bunch of stuff on credit while you're doing it though.
posted by cubby at 6:26 PM on December 18, 2009

I agree with everyone here: Go For It. The only thing I would take into consideration that I haven't heard brought up yet is that you say you'd live at home. Is living at home going to be a comfortable situation? If so, no problem. If not, better think about that.

My friend was in AmeriCorps and loved it. He luckily could stay with his Dad. I looked into joining the same program he was involved in because it was very interesting, but I would've had to move to a small town too far away from where I lived and I couldn't afford the rent (even in a small Midwestern town) with what AmeriCorps paid.

Someone here mentioned that many volunteers get Food Stamps. That made me kinda sad to think that a program like AmeriCorps is almost "forcing" their participants to take assistance like that. Doesn't look very good, but that's just an aside to the whole issue here.

My first thought when I read your intro was, "Welcome to the world of work." You described it well. Hopefully, if you take the AmeriCorps position it will lead to better and more fulfilling work opportunities for you later on.
posted by VC Drake at 9:48 PM on December 18, 2009

I took the leap and signed up for AmeriCorps this year. I have several years of non-profit experience under my belt and decided that I wanted to finally fulfill my goal of doing AmeriCorps. I would say that it's a mixed experience. My placement site can be disorganized and demoralizing at times. I have decided to stick it out and make the best out of it, but one of my fellow service members is quitting already. All but one of my fellow service members find themselves without enough to do. That is tough on morale because we all signed up to make a difference. As one of my fellow service members put it, "I signed up for this to do some good, not to spend hours a day on Facebook." I have decided that you have to just find ways to help in our placement site and with that attitude, my personal experience is improving.

Make sure that you can handle living on the stipend. I am doing AmeriCorps State and the stipend actually comes about to about 888 dollars a month (not a thousand). I have kept my own health care because the AmeriCorps coverage doesn't cover preexisting conditions and its dental coverage is only for emergencies. I also enrolled in SNAP (the new name for food stamps). You get about $200 a month for purchasing food. That really helps me get by.

I am glad I am an AmeriCorps member and I sincerely hope to successfully finish my year of service. I think you have the best chance of success if you figure out exactly how you'll survive financially before you sign up and if you have a good attitude about what you'll be doing.
posted by val5a at 4:56 AM on December 19, 2009

I'd do it. I'm about a year out of college and currently working on a similar program in France. It's through the French government as an english language assistant. I do various teaching things for 12 hours a week and otherwise get to hang out and do my best to really learn the language.

Coming from a computer programming job that mostly matches your description of work, it's great. No regrets. A good chance to travel and see a bit of the world I wouldn't have otherwise. The travel wouldn't be as big an aspect with Americorps, but it'd definitely be a lifestyle change, which is along the same lines.

The only downside is that it's going to be hard to ever go back to humping code for a living. (Or even working 30 hours a week…)
posted by kjell at 6:24 AM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: hi everyone, OP here. I just wanted to post a follow up for this question and let you all know how it turned out. I did decide to apply to AmeriCorps, and I'm proud to say that after a lengthy application and interview process I was accepted!

I'll be working a few more months to save up some more cash, but come September I'll quit my job and teach ESL full-time for a local agency. I feel like I'm embarking on what should be a rewarding, although not remunerative, adventure that lies ahead -- thanks again to everyone that nudged me to apply!
posted by squawk at 3:50 PM on June 12, 2010