EFFECTIVE RECRUITING AND PLACING METHODS OF CAMPUS COMPACT AMERICORPS*VISTAS

1. EFFECTIVE RECRUITING AND PLACING METHODS OF CAMPUS COMPACT AMERICORPS*VISTAS Jonathan Romm, NC Campus Compact VISTA Director March 16th, 2010

2. Relevant Statistical Overview of NC Campus Compact’s AmeriCorps*VISTA Program • 30 VISTAs at 29 different Institutions • ~95% Retention Rate/Completion Rate • 100% of COSers employed or in graduate school within 6 months • Over 70% of current VISTAs attended a member institution • 2009 Recruitment: 175+ applicants, 100 phone interviews, $650+ in phone bills. • 2010 Recruitment (to date): 110 applicants, 40 interviews, $17 in phone bills

3. VISTA Recruitment • Current VISTAs are the best marketing tool. • They are the ones on the ground with the experience to share with potential candidates • Good stewardship of current VISTAs and project sites with orientations, trainings, and ending with a banquet – give them a good experience and they will stay or be your best recruiter for the position • Recruit quality, current students - they know them better than you (?), staff (?), and faculty (?) • Know what it takes to “Get It Done.”

4. VISTA Recruitment • AmeriCorps Website (interviewees, 96% stated so) • Idealist (weak, less than 2% last year) • National Campus Compact (no stats to reflect effectiveness) • Your website – KEY – Thank you Mrs. Leslie Garvin • You want technologically savvy volunteers, market to them – put information online. • Place the VAD for each site on their website • Current VISTA contact information – delegate • Hyperlinks to the Campus • Google map of locations – let the geography lend a hand in the marketing. • Executive director, Dr. Lisa Keyne, is always looking to increase member benefits – VISTA is a wonderful benefit!

5. Pros and Cons of Recruitment to Date Pros Cons • Filled all CNCS slots • Quality candidates – majority of campuses are pursuing reenrollment • Having incentives – assistance with room and board is huge • ~10% of VISTAs are males • ~15% are minorities • National recruitment, but majority from member campuses • Heavily reliant on AmeriCorps.gov

6. Questions?

7. VISTA Application Process – don’t let it keep you up at night!!! • AmeriCorps Website – ask for CV/résumé to be sent to you • Review of applications submitted online • In general, immediate rejection of 40% • Initial phone/Skype interview with NC Campus Compact • Second phone interview with project sites • Project site contact references • Offer “balance game”

8. Application Timeline: (Note, the majority of members are brought on during the July PSO) • January 15th - Open AmeriCorps website • February 2nd - First round of phone interviews with NC Campus Compact • February 19th – Signed MOA from project sites • March 1st – Project sites receive first packet of candidates • March – May 15th – NC Campus Compact and project sites are conducting phone interviews and placing VISTAs • May 15th - VISTA enrollment documentation is being sent to State Office • July 15th (ish) PSO in Atlanta, GA • Following Thursday VISTA & Supervisor Orientation at NC Campus Compact

9. eGrants • Order of Events • Educational Requirement – Attained Bachelor’s Degree • Motivational Statement Keys – a. Interested in serving on a college campus b. Show higher level of service (watch for key words: engagement, reflection, direct/indirect service, etc.) c. Passion of Service • Community Service a. Track record – watch for attention span b. Variety of service or deepening of one theme c. Indirect service a plus (they will be going from “client” to “provider”) • Previous Experience a. Student Leadership/Resident Assistant b. Service Track record – watch for attention span c. Higher level of service involvement • Reference – can make or break an applicant

10. NC Campus Compact Interview • Live by Microsoft Outlook for interviews • Print & review résumé & application and staple interview questions (forthcoming) • 30 minute interview with 15 minute review • Skype has the potential to save us $500 this year

11. Campus Interviews • Application Packets – Résumé, AmeriCorps application and other • It’s like the NBA draft: teams (campuses) are looking for the best players (applicants) so the best ones* can go quick – relay this to campuses with the caveat that we are still accepting applications • Sample questions to campuses to assist them • Send out clusters of applicants to campuses

12. The Balancing Act • Live by the spreadsheet. I track: • # of applicants/campus, # of campus/applicants • Status of each applicant at campus – interviewed, declined interview, offer, offer accepted, etc. • Status - Applicants who remove themselves from the pool • You are the communication conduit between project sites and applicants • Offers – two days to accept early on, 24 hours later in the game

13. Questions I think I’d rather recruit VISTAs…