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Welcome to Welcome to

Translating VISTA Service to your Résumé and Career

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Today’s Speakers

Erin Barnhart, Ph.D Effective Altruism, LLC

Calvin Landrum VISTA Training Coordinator

Anne Otih VISTA Program Associate

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Today’s Agenda Building and sharing a portfolio

Translating service to career-speak

Crafting a compelling resume

Resources and next steps

Q&A

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“I have been asked about VISTA in every job interview I’ve been on…the skills I gained from VISTA may have set me apart from other candidates”

@AmeriCorpsVISTA I was a VISTA 6 years ago & I’m still experiencing career benefits because of it

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Poll Questions

Where are you in your service?

If you were in an interview today, how comfortable would you be describing your VISTA service?

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Preparing for the Transition What can you do today to prepare for your

professional next steps? Build your portfolio Identify careers, jobs, and/or degree

programs of interest Informational interviews Request letters of recommendation (near the

end of service)

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Building Your Portfolio Writing/Work samples

Program materials Social media snapshots

Outcomes and evaluations Trainings completed

Software used Accolades/Kudos Thank you letters

Certificates

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When Should You Share Your Portfolio?

“The best time to share your portfolio is when an employer ASKS about your previous work”

Consider sharing at the end of the interview as well

Make sure to bring a duplicate of your portfolio that can be

left with the employer upon request

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Chat Question

How would you describe VISTA to a potential employer?

Click this button if you don’t see the chat panel.

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Describing VISTA Prepare a 1-2 sentence description to

explain VISTA to an employer

AmeriCorps VISTA members live and serve in some of our nation’s poorest urban and rural areas. With passion, commitment, hard work, and innovative solutions, VISTA members build capacity by creating or expanding programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty.

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Defining Capacity Building

Ability to do more with less Helping to make the organization more efficient or sustainable

“A set of activities that expand the scale, reach, efficiency or effectiveness of programs or organizations”

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Translating Service to Career-Speak Reflect on your service, identify:

What were you responsible for? What activities did you complete? What skills did you develop? What did you accomplish?

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Chat Question

What skills and experiences have you gained during your VISTA service?

Click this button if you don’t see the chat panel.

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Translating Service to Career Speak Learn terms for your field and/or

sector of interest

Translate VISTA service to sector/field language

Community Outreach = Marketing = Public Awareness

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Translate Your Service Tasks

Anne Otih

VISTA Alum

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Translate Your Service Tasks

Anne Otih

VISTA Alum

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Review Your Monthly Reports

Sustainability: What specific organizational strategies have you put in place to ensure the sustainability of your project? Collaboration: Were any partnerships established as a

result of the project? Challenges: What struggles have you faced and how did

you overcome them? Success: What are you proud of having accomplished?

Anne Otih

VISTA Alum

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Create A Quick Description

“AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America are fulltime volunteers who

develop sustainable programs to address poverty in the United States. For my project, I worked to expand opportunities for underserved youth who lived in a food desert to access

healthy foods by developing a community garden and healthy habits

curriculum.”

Anne Otih

VISTA Alum

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Translating Service In Person

Use your VAD and Monthly Reports Prepare for Interviews

Share your National Service Story

Anne Otih

VISTA Alum

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Crafting a Compelling Résumé Share details

Be confident

Where possible, quantify successes

Create a Master Résumé, then customize for each audience/position

Tailor and make the case!

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A Not-So-Good Example

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A Better Example

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Finding Data Points

Use your VAD and Monthly Reports The amount of monetary and in-kind resources

you procured in the form of grants or donations The number of volunteers you recruited and

managed Other performance measures

Anne Otih

VISTA Alum

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Translate VAD objectives

“Steward and Apply for Grants”

“Researched and applied for grants culminating with the procurement of over $35,000 in funding and $10,000 in in-kind

donations for the garden project; managed budgets and maintained financial records”

Anne Otih

VISTA Alum

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Customize Your Resume

Project Summary: “Planned and oversaw a community garden initiative

serving over 1,000 Boys and Girls Club youth and community members in a designated food desert”

Anne Otih

VISTA Alum

Custom Bullet Points

+

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Translating Service On Your Resume

Use your VAD and Monthly Reports Read position descriptions

Use your network

Anne Otih

VISTA Alum

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Cover Letters + Interviews

Cover Letters Briefly introduce VISTA and your role Focus on relevant skills and strengths Make clear how you would be a good fit for them

Interviews Choose examples in advance Practice storytelling and talking points

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Resources Job Search Sites VISTA Job Board: www.vistacampus.gov/jobs

Nonprofit Careers: www.idealistcareers.org

Government Careers: www.usajobs.gov

For-Profit Careers: www.indeed.com www.simplyhired.com www.monster.com

Guides To Explore VISTA Service Portfolio Kit:

https://www.vistacampus.gov/sites/default/files/VISTA_Service_Portfolio_Toolkit.pdf

Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers : http://idealistcareer.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IdealistGuideforFirstTimeJobSeekers.pdf

Accessing Higher Education Grad School Resources:

http://idealistgradschool.org/

Find a Grad Program: www.princetonreview.com/colleges-majors.aspx

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Next Steps Still in service? Start building your portfolio Research jobs and degrees of interest Informational interviews!

Close to finishing? All of the above + Request letters of

recommendation

A VISTA Alum? ALL of the above (it’s not too late to

start now!)

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Evaluation

Please take a few moments to share your feedback through the quick poll on the right side of the screen. How can we improve these sessions? What topics should we

include in future webinars? Thank you very much for your time and participation!

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Questions

To ask a question verbally, call in using the number on this slide and press *1 To ask a question electronically, use

the Q&A feature located in the bottom right corner of the screen. Please ask “All Panelists”

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Thank You for Your Participation! If you have further questions or for more information, contact us:

VISTAwebinars@cns.gov

Our next webinar: Creating Group Volunteer Opportunities That Engage

and Inspire

June 29, 2016 2:00pm Eastern

Visit the Webinars for VISTAs page on the VISTA Campus for a complete schedule of VISTA webinars