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Career Connections Newsletter • October 2008
Career Topic of the Month: Long-Term Volunteer Opportunities
Career Topic of the Month: Long-Term Volunteer Opportunities A long term volunteer opportunity has a variety of benefits which an individual will not find with short term opportunities. In addition, short term and long term volunteer opportunities usually differ in their purpose. Short term opportunities tend to be more direct action projects which benefit the community immediately. Long term opportunities are not as structured as short term because there is not a specific project. The volunteer has the opportunity to develop their own project. This is possible because long term volunteer opportunities will generally be a year or more so there is time to become acclimated to the surroundings, the community, and assess what the greatest need is for the specific population. For instance, someone in a two year trip may not even begin to work on a project until the fourth or fifth month into their service. A long term volunteer opportunity usually will be free or there may be payment available in the form of a monthly stipend and/or additional money after completion of service. Peace Corps is an example of this because they offer a monthly stipend and $12,000 after completion of two years. Another financial benefit of a long term volunteer commitment is the possibility of student loan deferment. A difference in short term volunteering is you may have to put forth your own money in order to participate. This fee is usually returned to the volunteer in the form of housing, materials, or transportation. As a long term volunteer one has the benefit of being more immersed in the culture and surroundings of the area because of the length of service. The longer length of service helps in making the experience more intimate. It is easier for projects to be adjusted or changed in long term situations because of the length of time involved. Short term volunteer projects are usually accomplished in a short amount of time, are predetermined, and there is not as much of an opportunity to establish a relationship with the community or service site in which the volunteer is helping. Two examples of a long-term volunteer opportunity include the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) and the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC). CAP offers short and long term opportunities. Long term for CAP consists of 9 months or longer. JVC offers domestic and international opportunities, which vary from one year to two years of service. Each organization has their own standards for application. There are some differences in requirements between the two different organizations. In order to apply for CAP an individual must be at least 18 years old, have a driving records check, provide three references, a national background check, and a personal interview. JVC requires applicants be 21 or older in addition to a college degree or applicable work experience. Both organizations offer paid housing in addition to medical coverage and a small stipend. JVC Volunteers must arrange their own travel expenses to the orientation site in the region to be served. From there JVC provides transportation to and from work, along with transportation home at the end of the year. Each organization should be eligible for loan deferment in addition to volunteers being eligible for the AmeriCorps Education Award. Both require community living which involves living with a number of other volunteers and agreeing on household responsibilities, a time when everyone can meet together during the day which may or may not involve meal time, and learn how to handle disagreements. JVC volunteers are given two weeks of vacation plus holidays and usually work a 40-hour week. These are only two examples of long-term volunteer organizations. There are many more which may or may not involve travel abroad. Many examples can be found on our website at http://www.snc.edu/career/students/volunteer.html or http://www.snc.edu/career/docs/internationaljobsearch.pdf. Whether you decide to volunteer for long term or short term each experience will be rewarding, challenging, and most likely a life changing experience. Taken in part from: http://www.serveyourworld.com/articles/39/1/Short-Term-vs.-Long-Term-Volunteering-Abroad Career Resource of the Month: Center for Community Service and Learning (CCSL) The CCSL for short is a new office on campus this year which is a collaboration of Student Affairs, Academics, and Mission and Heritage. Their purpose is to serve the core of the college’s mission, foster student learning and development, and embody the Catholic, Norbertine, and Liberal Arts tradition through engaging with the wider community in works of service and social justice as well as building relationships of mutuality. Their goals for the first year are to support existing community service and learning efforts, develop a better communication point between SNC and the Brown County community, as well as develop a discussion on campus of what is meant by community service. Specific things they can provide to the SNC community includes written and electronic resources, policies and forms, training and facilitation, contacts in the community, as well as assisting with new avenues for service and engagement. Specifically to long term volunteer opportunities they can put students in touch with individuals on campus who have participated in long-term volunteer opportunities in order to gain some personal insight. Their website is www.snc.edu/ccsl and the Director is Dan Robinson, 403-3363 or 403-3374, Library 233. Spotlight on Success: SNC Alumni Profile Abbie Daigle, Philosophy, 2002
Check out our growing list of Alumni Profiles to learn more about their career paths, experience and to envision what you can do with a degree from St. Norbert College. Career Tip of the Month: Norbertine Volunteer Community The Norbertine Volunteer Community - a new long-term service organization started by the Norbertines. This new organization is for post-college age young adults (ages 21-29) who are looking for an opportunity to give service to the poor of Green Bay, experience community living, and engage in prayer. This is an 11 month commitment in which the volunteer becomes a part of and works with an assigned Green Bay neighborhood. Volunteer benefits include a monthly stipend, living arrangements in the NVC house in Green Bay, shared use of a community vehicle and possible health insurance. The new director is Ellen Mommaerts and her office is PAC 200. BONUS TIP: Luncheon panel discussion on long-term volunteer opportunities, Wednesday, November 5, 11:30 – 1:00PM in the Union, 201BC. Sponsored by the Center for Community Service and Learning.
Financial Literacy Tip of the Month: Get Organized Financially
Internship of the Month: ELL Intern Why intern? Internships are a great opportunity to apply classroom theory to real life work and to acquire experience to make yourself more marketable for future employment. It can also be one way to "test" your chosen career area to determine if it is a good fit for you. ELL Intern, Literacy Green Bay, Green Bay, WI
For more information on this internship and to search for additional internships, please login to Career Connections. To register for an event or workshop, login to
Career Connections and click on Career Events.
Graduate School Fair
Career Exploration Day
Mock Interviews
Developing Your Job Search Strategy
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Career Services Phone: (920) 403-3040 |
