Nominate yourself or a student to become a Writing Advisor here!
Explore this page to decide if becoming a writing advisor (WA) is a good fit for you. Find application instructions at the bottom.
What does an effective WA look like?
Strong WAs are skilled coaches, demonstrate professionalism, and are open to collaborating with and learning from North Park’s diverse community. We expect WAs to grow as writers while they work with us; we don’t need “perfect” writers, and we don’t believe those exist. We also need a variety of majors to assist with all genres of writing, from lab reports to poetry. Finally, our writing center’s strength comes from employing WAs of all races, identities, and backgrounds. All are invited and necessary.
Application is limited to students graduating December 2025 or later since we prefer that WAs work for at least 2 semesters after taking the WRIT2100 WA training course Fall 2024.
Why should I become a WA?
Earn flexible income. WAs earn $13.50/hour and can choose their hours. Extra shifts and paid opportunities are easy to find. While we hope to return to in-person writing conferencing in the fall, we expect to retain some online conferencing opportunities, convenient for commuter students or those who prefer to work from off campus.
Build your writing skills and resume. Between honing your writing and tutoring, serving on committees, and even interviewing new WAs, Writing Center work gives you standout skills applicable to any job (not to mention letters of recommendation). WAs can also conduct research and participate in scholarly conferences, excellent for any CV.
Serve other writers and your community. In addition to helping fellow North Park students improve their writing in drop-in hours and course conferencing, WAs can participate in countless projects—from serving with our hospitality team to prepare meals for staff meetings, transcribing and designing the layout for the writing center/ North Park School of Restorative Art’s bimonthly lit mag Feather Bricks, to participating in regular meetings to discuss how to support LGBTQ+ voices in the writing center.
Make friends. WAs forge lifelong friendships and gain access to a network of fellow WAs from all walks of life.
Become a leader. WAs can build confidence and take advantage of leadership opportunities by joining our leadership team, initiating committees, facilitating workshops, and much more. WAs are known by their advisees, faculty, staff, and administrators across campus, granting them access to a wide range of opportunities.
Enjoy a comfortable and safe working environment. The Writing Center hosts online activities and in-person events to build community. WAs have the option to work in person or remotely when facilitating drop-in hours and course conferences. The Writing Center prioritizes safety and security for its WAs, ensuring that our employees can feel at home when advising or participating in committee meetings.
What do WAs do?
Advise writing students. As a new WA, you’ll hold scheduled writing conferences with 8 student advisees from one course. You’ll meet each advisee 3 times over the term, each time discussing one of their 3 course essays. You are paid 2 hours per conference with the idea that you will spend 40 minutes reading and responding to an advisee’s draft, 40 minutes conferencing, and 40 minutes composing a detailed email conference report to your professor.
Work drop-in hours. Each WA is also expected to work at least 2 in person or online drop-in advising hours per week, where students can connect with WAs for unscheduled writing support.
Do tutor training, WRIT2100. All new WAs complete this required 2-semester-hour course concurrent with their first semester of advising in the fall. To meet your needs, you can take WRIT2100 for 0, 1, or 2 semester hours. The course puts you in community with your WA cohort to learn about tutoring best practices and writing center theory. The WRIT2100 course in Fall 2022 is set to meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:10pm.
Attend monthly general meetings. These paid opportunities for professional development apprise you of vital policies, updates, and fun Writing Center opportunities.
Attend at least 1 start-of-term meeting with your assigned instructor(s). You’ll be a WA in their course, and learning the instructor’s essay due dates and expectations up front is key to successfully assisting your advisees.
Maintain open communication with instructors. Frequent communication with your assigned instructor(s) ensures you stay on the same page.
What’s my time obligation?
On most weeks, you’ll only work your minimum 2 drop-in hours. On the weeks you conference with your advisees, new WAs should budget 10–12 hours. WAs can also volunteer to work on committees and projects.
I’m interested. How do I apply?
You DO NOT need a nomination to apply. Please submit a complete application; your application will be returned if it doesn’t include these.
- Application Cover Sheet as page one of your application materials (download and fill in from the link)
- Cover letter, explaining why you’d be a strong fit for this position
- Resume
- Letter of recommendation written by a North Park faculty member (This is different from a faculty nomination; click here to learn what a LOR is and how to request one.)
- A full-length, argumentative, college-level essay that includes quoted or paraphrased sources to serve as a writing sample; one additional sample may be included to demonstrate a range of writing skills, but isn’t required
- Informal transcript (a screenshot from Self-Service). Applicants who successfully completed WRIT1000 in the fall are welcome to apply; after a successful interview, employment is contingent on submitting a final CORE1000 grade of C or better.
- Find more resources on applications and how to turn them in here.
- Submit your materials to the Writing Advisor Application on Handshake or as a Google document to this link
What happens after I apply?
After we receive and review applications, we’ll contact applicants to schedule 30-minute remote interviews with a panel of interviewers.
Help! I still have questions.
Contact Tony Pizarro (apizarro@bonaprinting.com) or Melissa Pavlik (mpavlik@bonaprinting.com)
We can’t wait to see what you’ll bring to the Writing Center and we hope to hear from you.
Nominate yourself or a student for spring 2022 using this form.
Explore this page to decide if becoming a writing advisor (WA) is a good fit for you. Find application instructions at the bottom.
What does an effective WA look like?
Strong WAs are skilled coaches, demonstrate professionalism, and are open to collaborating with and learning from North Park’s diverse community. We expect WAs to grow as writers while they work with us; we don’t need “perfect” writers, and we don’t believe those exist. We also need a variety of majors to assist with all genres of writing, from lab reports to poetry. Finally, our writing center’s strength comes from employing WAs of all races, identities, and backgrounds. All are invited and necessary.
Application is limited to students graduating December 2023 or later since we prefer that WAs work for at least 2 semesters after taking the WRIT2100 WA training course Fall 2022.
Why should I become a WA?
Earn flexible income. WAs earn $11/hour and can choose their hours. Extra shifts and paid opportunities are easy to find. While we hope to return to in-person writing conferencing in the fall, we expect to retain some online conferencing opportunities, convenient for commuter students or those who prefer to work from off campus.
Build your writing skills and resume. Between honing your writing and tutoring, serving on committees, and even interviewing new WAs, Writing Center work gives you standout skills applicable to any job (not to mention letters of recommendation). WAs can also conduct research and participate in scholarly conferences, excellent for any CV.
Serve other writers and your community. In addition to helping fellow North Park students improve their writing in drop-in hours and course conferencing, WAs can participate in countless projects—from being letter partners with MA students enrolled in North Park Theological Seminary’s School of Restorative Arts housed at Stateville and Logan Correctional Centers, transcribing and designing the layout for the SRA’s bimonthly newsletter Feather Bricks, participating in regular meetings to discuss how to support LGBTQ+ voices in the writing center, to educating themselves on social justice issues via our Social Change Activist Alliance (SCAA) committee.
Make friends. WAs forge lifelong friendships and gain access to a network of fellow WAs from all walks of life.
Become a leader and get famous. WAs can build confidence and take advantage of leadership opportunities by joining our leadership team, spearheading committees, facilitating workshops, and much more. WAs are known by their advisees, faculty, staff, and administrators across campus.
Connect with professors. Get to know your favorite professors by advising for their course.
Enjoy a comfortable working environment. The Writing Center hosts online activities and in-person events (while observing Covid protocols) to build community. WAs have the option to work in person or remotely when facilitating drop-in hours and course conferences.
What do WAs do?
Advise writing students. As a new WA, you’ll hold scheduled writing conferences with 8 student advisees from one course. You’ll meet each advisee 3 times over the term, each time discussing one of their 3 course essays. You are paid 2 hours per conference with the idea that you will spend 40 minutes reading and responding to an advisee’s draft, 40 minutes conferencing, and 40 minutes composing a detailed email conference report to your professor.
Work drop-in hours. Each WA is also expected to work at least 2 in person or online drop-in advising hours per week, where students can connect with WAs for unscheduled writing support.
Do tutor training, WRIT2100. All new WAs complete this required 2-semester-hour course concurrent with their first semester of advising in the fall. To meet your needs, you can take WRIT2100 for 0, 1, or 2 semester hours. The course puts you in community with your WA cohort to learn about tutoring best practices and writing center theory. The WRIT2100 course in Fall 2022 is set to meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:10pm.
Attend monthly general meetings. These paid opportunities for professional development apprise you of vital policies, updates, and fun Writing Center opportunities.
Attend at least 1 start-of-term meeting with your assigned instructor(s). You’ll be a WA in their course, and learning the instructor’s essay due dates and expectations up front is key to successfully assisting your advisees.
Maintain open communication with instructors. Frequent communication with your assigned instructor(s) ensures you stay on the same page.
What’s my time obligation?
On most weeks, you’ll only work your minimum 2 drop-in hours. On the weeks you conference with your advisees, new WAs should budget 10–12 hours. WAs can also volunteer to work on committees and projects.
I’m interested. How do I apply?
You DO NOT need a nomination to apply. Please submit a complete application; your application will be returned if it doesn’t include these.
- Cover sheet as page one of your application materials (download and fill in from the link)
- Cover letter, explaining why you’d be a strong fit for this position
- Resume
- Letter of recommendation written by a North Park faculty member (This is different from a faculty nomination; click here to learn what a LOR is and how to request one.)
- A full-length, argumentative, college-level essay that includes quoted or paraphrased sources to serve as a writing sample; one additional sample may be included to demonstrate a range of writing skills, but isn’t required
- Informal transcript (a screenshot from Self-Service). Applicants who successfully completed WRIT1000 in the fall are welcome to apply; after a successful interview, employment is contingent on submitting a final CORE1000 grade of C or better.
Email your materials as one Word or PDF document, not multiples to Tony Pizarro at apizarro@bonaprinting.com.
What happens after I apply?
After we receive and review applications, we’ll contact applicants to schedule 30-minute remote interviews with a panel of interviewers.
Help! I still have questions.
Contact Tony Pizarro (apizarro@bonaprinting.com) or Melissa Pavlik (mpavlik@bonaprinting.com)
We can’t wait to see what you’ll bring to the Writing Center and we hope to hear from you.