A service year can be an amazing experience. But, not all service years are created equal. Just as every service year opportunity is different, everyone's personal experience will also differ. To help get you thinking, here are some of the pros and cons that go along with taking a service year.
The Actual Service Work
PRO: The work you get to do.
When you sign on for a service year, the work you get a chance to do can be very diverse and sometimes just plain amazing. You learn new skills that you may have never done before such as building houses and picking up construction skills, or mentoring youth and learning leaderships skills. Since you are essentially choosing the type of service work you are doing, and the service year you are partaking in, you get a chance to learn a lot about what you may be passionate about. More than that, the work you are doing is helping to support and assist communities around the world. There really is no better feeling than knowing you have played a part in helping someone in need.
CON: What you signed on for may not align with reality
When you think you signed up for something, and find out that is not what you are actually doing, it can be very frustrating. For example, maybe you signed up to be a teacher in a classroom but once you get there it turns out the first month or two is only training, so you are not going to be in a classroom for two months. Then, once you are in the classroom, it turns out you are not the primary teacher but the assistant that does more babysitting than actually teaching. This can be really difficult! If you are passionate about the work you signed on for, and now you feel like you are not making a difference, it can be very frustrating.
The Overall Experience
PRO: You can get to see & do so much.
The experiences you have during your service year can be amazing! You are not only learning and developing skills, but getting a chance to travel to new places, meet new people, and learn about the world. You get the chance to become apart of the community that you are making an impact on. You also will learn new things about yourself that you may have never known by stepping out of your comfort zone and overcoming new challenges. If you ask someone who has completed a service year, I guarantee they will say something along the lines of, "it was the hardest but one of the best years of my life."
CON: Not all experiences are amazing.
Let's be blunt: Not all experiences are good, and not everyone has a successful service year. I know many members who left their service year program for all kinds of reasons. The work may be harder than you expected, you may not be doing what you thought you would, you don't like the rules you have to follow, etc...
To help set yourself up for success, I recommend doing a lot of research on the program you are looking to join. Research the program's history, true impact on the community, reviews of past participants, and all the rules and regulations of the program. Of course, it is also possible that you do all your research and it turns out you have a bad experience anyway.
Cost & Expenses
PRO: Most things are provided for you.
Many service year opportunities will assist you in some way while you are serving with them. Some will take care of your housing, others may offer a monthly living stipend, and a few may cover everything from your plane ticket to your meals. This makes it possible for many people to take part in a servie year, and not have to worry about many daily expenses. There are service year opportunities that do offer financial help once you finish your year as well. Several AmeriCorps programs offer a $6,000 education award to help pay off student loans or to put toward future education. The Peace Corps offers $10,000 upon completion of your 2-year term, to help you with your transition back to your life at home.
CON: You are not able to save money.
Of course, if you are looking to dedicate your time to a year of service, I am sure you are not doing it for the money. The frustration later becomes, once your service year is over, that you have nothing saved up to help you take the next step. This can be really hard, and it is up to you to decide what is most important, or what you need most in your life right now.
What it Means for Your Future
PRO: It looks great on your resume.
A service year not only looks great on a resume, it also adds a lot to it. There will be soft skills you will learn such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking, adaptability, leadership, and more. You will also have learned various tangible skills depending on your project(s) that may consist of computer/technical skills, construction/machinery experience, marketing/design knowledge, project management, and/or others that will provide you with the experience needed to find a job at the end of your service year. The experience(s) you had during that year will be a great talking point during an interview, or a way to connect and network with those already apart of the job/company/field you are looking to get into.
CON: Not completing the year.
When you join, you may end up learning that a service year, or that specific service year, is not for you. And that is okay! You have to try new things to find out if it is your thing. And if it is not, then there is no shame in choosing a different path!
But, what happens if you don't complete your term? Obviously, you will not receive the benefits promised to you upon completion. This may be financial support, an education award, or a specific certificate. Depending on the organization you are with, it may also hinder your chances of joining another service year program. Really, the biggest thing that will take a hit is your resume. Of course, if you were only there for a couple of months, this may not matter much. However, if you were there for more than 6 months, then that can be a big gap to explain on your resume, especially if you are on a certain track to a specific job or goal.
When the Year Ends
PRO: Everything you have completed/accomplished.
During your year, you will most likely have made a difference for a community, and even changed a bit yourself. You will have overcome struggles, learned a lot about the world, and made a positive lasting impact. You will have grown as a person and learned a lot about what you realistically can and can't live with- especially when meeting others that don't necessarily have the same opportunities and privileges you have had in your life. You really change and grow as a person.
You also get a chance to see the impact you have made. That may be building a house from the ground up, watching a community have the means to grow their own food, seeing how much a student has learned, and so on.
It feels good to know you were a vital role in producing a positive and lasting impact. It feels amazing to know that you can make a change in this world.
CON: It can be hard to "get back to normal".
You just spent a full year adhering to certain rules, following a specific routine, and developing habits that are now ingrained in you. Suddenly, you don't have to do any of them anymore. This can be a shock to the system, especially if you were living in a country that is much different than your own. It can feel like you
need to reintegrate into your own society.
It can also be hard to take on a new job, or go right back to school, where the type of work you are doing does not seem to have an impact on others or is creating a positive change for someone. It can really feel unfulfilling and almost empty at times. And no matter how much your friends and family try to empathize with you about this big change, it is hard to understand a service year unless you have gone through one yourself.
Conclusion
There are many pros and cons to a service year. Some will make sense and some you may not understand until you have participated in one yourself. Whatever service year program you end up doing, I hope it is a wonderful and challenging experience.