Become a Writing Consultant
We are always recruiting! Students who want to become writing consultants should have strong interpersonal communication skills and practice reflecting on their own writing processes. We will train you for everything else!
Qualities of a Successful Writing Consultant
Reflective
Successful writing consultants are reflective and articulate about their own writing processes. They are able to explain their writing processes to others in an accessible way. Prospective writing consultants must be able to think critically about their own writing in order to better understand the writing of others.
Personable
Writing consultants must be excellent listeners. They exhibit patience, persistence, and flexibility in order to meet the needs of Writing Commons users. Consultants who demonstrate teamwork, professionalism, and leadership succeed and advance in our highly collaborative work environment.
Willing to Prepare
Undergraduate students who wish to become writing consultants train through coursework in the department of English at Kent State University, or successfully complete a comparable training program at another accredited college or university writing center. Graduate students are hired competitively based on their coursework and experience working with student writers.
Writing Consultant Trainee Application: For Undergraduates without Writing Center Experience
Undergraduate students who want to become consultants must complete a variable credit individual investigation practicum offered regularly. The course is an ideal choice for students in English, education, special education, language teaching or any of the helping professions. The course may be taken for Honors or regular credit, and should be taken before or during the first semester of employment. It is excellent preparation for graduate study. Registration is by permit through the director/instructor. This course is an experiential, hands-on course, that gradually eases you into consulting with writers on your own. Continued employment in the Writing Commons after the training semester requires a final grade of B+ or better, as well as recommendations from the Writing Commons senior staff and the approval of the director.
Apply for the undergraduate Writing Consultant trainee position
Experienced Consultant Application: For Previously-Trained Writing Center Consultants
Undergraduates who have completed training and worked in a writing center at an accredited college or university can apply to become consultants at the Writing Commons. This application is ideal for trained transfer students who have worked in a writing center at another accredited college or university campus. Put the consulting strategies you have already learned to work at a new campus, in a new writing center!
Apply to Join our Team as a Trained Writing Consultant
Graduate Student Writing Consultant Application: For Graduate Students
Becoming a Graduate Writing Consultant provides you with an opportunity to enhance your teaching skills and help your fellow graduate students. Graduate Writing Consultants meet regularly with graduate students developing long-term projects such as theses, dissertations, articles, and presentations. They also facilitate feedback and accountability groups for graduate student writers. Graduate students benefit from a position with the Writing Commons! We offer flexible hours to better work with your busy schedule. Writing Center consulting experience or experience teaching or assisting in writing-intensive courses is strongly preferred for this position.
Apply to Become a Graduate Writing Consultant
Opportunities for Professional Development
Once you become a writing consultant, you not only help your fellow students, you help yourself to on-the-job professional development, leadership training, and opportunities to publish and make presentations.
Pathways to Advancement
You won't find a job that offers more diverse ways to build your resume because there are more jobs to do in addition to consulting with writers to help the Writing Commons grow! Writing consultants develop themselves professionally throughout their semesters of employment through in-service training, continued coursework, presenting at professional conferences, working on outreach projects, and developing resources. We offer opportunities to learn everything from public speaking to web design, to marketing, workshop development, mentoring, leadership, and management. Everyone who works here is a writing consultant first, but once you join us, your learning never stops!
Conference Participation Support
Writing Commons donor funding is available to financially support consultant conference participation. Writing consultants regularly make presentations at a number of professional conferences: the Northeast Ohio Writing Centers Association, the East Central Writing Centers Association, the National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing, Midwest Writing Centers Association, Northeast Writing Centers Association, and the International Writing Centers Association Conference.
Awards and Honors
Writing consultants in good standing are eligible to be nominated for the John C. Tamplin Award for Writing Center Work each spring. Recipients receive a scholarship and are honored at the annual English Department Awards Ceremony.
Some people call it "the best job on campus," and you will see why when you join us!
If you love helping people and working in a collaborative environment, you need to check us out as an employment option. We will treat you with respect as a professional, pay you well, and give you opportunity to grow.
Contact Writing Commons Director Jeanne R. Smith (jrsmith3@kent.edu) for more information on becoming a writing consultant or graduate writing consultant.