The Wrong Reason (and the Right Ones) to Leave AmeriCorps Early
Published November 05, 2009 @ 03:35PM PT
One question that I get a lot from people interested in applying for AmeriCorps is: "If I find a better job, can I leave early?" Technically, yes. Would I recommend it? No. Of course, there are plenty of situations that would require someone to "honorably" leave their service early. Which ones are which? Read on.
Before I go into the good reasons and the bad reasons to leave your service early, I would like to note exactly how AmeriCorps is different from many full-time jobs in this regard. Specifically, it is a different kind of commitment:
- When you join AmeriCorps, you commitment to 10 months to 2 years of service, and AmeriCorps commits to you. Although you technically can leave early, you take an oath that you won't.
- People and communities are hurt when you leave early. Why? Chances are that a nonprofit has jumped through a lot of hoops to get you to their organization (trust me, I make the hoops). If you leave, they might not be able to get someone to replace you, and the service will go undone.
- WRONG REASON: You found a higher paying job. (If it was money you are after, you shouldn't join AmeriCorps anyway)
- RIGHT REASON: You have a family emergency that requires you to take care of a family member full-time
- WRONG REASON: You don't like your boss.
- RIGHT REASON: The person who first developed your project has left, and they have decided to re-assign your position.
- WRONG REASON: It wasn't EXACTLY what you expected.
- RIGHT REASON: You have a medical condition that keeps you from serving.
Photo Attribution: eHow.
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