3 Ways to Benefit from a Team-based Program

by Meghan Oakley

category: Tips for Applicants

Published October 19, 2009 @ 05:33PM PT

Each AmeriCorps program is unique and offers professional development opportunities to its members. However, there is something to be said for team-based programs--like AmeriCorps*NCCC and CityYear--for what they teach you (by experience) about working with people. These are lessons that don't just maximize your year of service, but are sure to help you become a better professional in whatever you do for many years beyond AmeriCorps. Here are just three of those lessons:

Flexibility I used to think that I was a flexible person ... then I joined AmeriCorps*NCCC. It turns out that I wasn't that flexible after all. Instead, I found out that I had gotten my way for most of the first 22 years of my life. AmeriCorps*NCCC taught me how to work in unpredictable situations, adapting and making the most of the information and resources that I had at the time. It wasn't an easy lesson, but it has served me well in the years after. In each of the positions that I have held since my term in AmeriCorps, I can think of examples of times that I tapped into the flexibility that I learned in NCCC to get me through a challenging work situation.

Communication It's easy to communicate with others when you spend most of your time with like-minded family and friends who you have developed lifelong relationships with. The real test of your communication skills is in working with a group of strangers in physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging situations and circumstances. Team-based service requires that people develop mechanisms for communication that ensure cooperation towards a common goal supersedes personal differences. It is harder than it sounds, but once you develop real-life-tested communication skills, they will serve you for many years to come.

Teamwork I have always thought that "Teamwork" was the most nebulous term ever. It always conjures up images of a group of good Samaritans lifting a rafter out of a piece of rubble to free a trapped earthquake victim. I don't doubt that this is, in fact, teamwork, but it is not the kind of teamwork that people encounter in their daily lives (except for firefighters maybe). Instead, the understanding and appreciation of diverse perspectives, skills sets and work styles is key to a healthy team in the workplace. Working in a team-based program, you get the chance to learn about what you bring to the table, what others bring, and how they all come together to produce your desired outcomes.

Photo Attribution: Flickr