Prós
- Amazing connections with like-minded colleagues at annual staff training
- Work with students selected in a competitive application process, that for the most part really want to be there
- Travel within the US to a place I wouldn't have otherwise gone
- Learned about U.S. DOS exchange programs, and got to meet with funders at the DOS
- Learn from amazing leadership within the organization
- Connect with community partners in your "home stay" city, and learn deeply about the service and philanthropy communities there, as well as local history and culture
Contras
NONE!! Ok so maybe it can be tiring, and some days are long, but if you love working with students and are happy to be guiding them through a life-changing experience (for both them, and even you), then you won't mind. It's good to be the kind of person able to be kind and calm, even when everything is going wrong and you are still responsible for a large group of students. You definitely need to know how to work with youth and manage their behavior, so that the experience remains positive. Any job comes with drawbacks, but if you do this job for the right reason, none of the traditional "cons" feel like "cons."