“Sorry, we’re looking for someone with more experience.”

Recent college graduates and others hear this line a lot in this tight job market. The college internship often doesn’t stack up to the experience others in the job market bring to the table. So where does one go to get that experience?

AmeriCorps can be a great way for people to gain very relevant experience and increase their competiveness in the job market. Often billed as the “domestic Peace Corps” one doesn’t have to travel overseas to serve; in fact, there is an AmeriCorps opening right here in Woburn now! SCI AmeriCorps members serve full-time at local agencies including the Boys & Girls Club of Woburn, North Suburban YMCA and NuPath.

Last year 59 percent of our 18 AmeriCorps members were hired by the agencies they served at or came back for a second year of service. For instance, Meg Gambale is now serving as Education & Leadership Development Director at the Boys & Girls Club of Woburn and Caitlin O’Reilly teaches English as a Second Language at the YMCA International Learning Center. Some choose a business path, such as Kallie McConkie, who is now Social Media Marketing Training Specialist with Constant Contact in Waltham. Others pursue graduate degrees after serving—for instance, two SCI AmeriCorps alums are working toward their PhDs at MIT and Brown. Employers and graduate programs appreciate the significant level of responsibility AmeriCorps members have and the commitment that they show through their service.

Of course, most people serve in AmeriCorps primarily because they want to serve the community. The service SCI AmeriCorps members have provided in Woburn is impressive! Last year we had six members based in Woburn serve 10,220 hours; recruiting over 800 additional community volunteers. These AmeriCorps members recruited new volunteers at the YMCA, ran youth leadership programs at the Boys & Girls Club, started a new autism walk with NuPath, and maintained the community website SCIWoburn.org.

SCI does have several AmeriCorps positions open, including one in Woburn serving with the YMCA and SCI. Our next group of AmeriCorps members is scheduled to start in mid-September, so candidates should act fast. If you are interested or know someone who might be, visit the SCI website for the application instructions.

I should also note that AmeriCorps is a federeral program overseen locally by the Massachusetts Service Alliance. Federal funds are stretched far in this program due to the combination of private matching funds donated to groups like SCI and the cost-effectiveness of all the volunteer time.