ESP Facilitators Application FAQS

Use our online application form. If you have any difficulties with the form, please email us at esp.facilitators@carleton.ca.

Yes, you may apply. Occasionally we hire outstanding candidates whose CGPA falls a little below the cut-off, particularly if their CGPA in the discipline is at least 9.0 and/or if their CGPA has been improving. Leave us a note to explain any unusual circumstances that resulted in a lower CGPA.

Yes, you can. We are generally looking for candidates who have experienced the “typical” student life, which means being enrolled in a degree program. However, we do sometimes hire Special students if they are exceptional candidates.

Yes, you can. You have to be taking at least one course at Carleton to be a facilitator.

If you’ll be working off-campus full time, it’s unlikely that the schedule will work. In addition to their workshops, facilitators must be available for lectures, training, and meetings. If your Co-op or placement has a flexible schedule, we can discuss the details.

Yes! We strongly encourage former ESP students to apply. Your experience as an ESP student provides valuable insight.

Sure! Please read the facilitator qualifications carefully to make sure you are eligible.

It depends on the course, but it’s usually 10-40 applicants. We encourage you to apply – many successful facilitators said they didn’t think they had a chance!

Yes. If there is a delay in obtaining a transcript from the institution, please include a note with your application and send us the transcript as soon as possible.

Yes, if you have a CCR, please upload it with your application. You can access it on the Student Experience Office website: carleton.ca/seo/ccr.

Yes. You will need to submit an updated résumé, and application form.

Definitely! Most facilitators have no prior experience with the professor whose class they facilitate.

Yes, apply for as many courses as you like. Include all courses you’re qualified to facilitate on your application form.

No, please don’t. If you are invited for an interview, we’ll ask you to provide contact information for one academic reference and one employment reference.

First, read our website thoroughly and ensure that you demonstrate a strong understanding of the ESP in general and especially the workshops. Second, make sure your résumé is up to date and complete – it’s confusing for us if you mention experience in your application form, but not on your résumé. Finally, review your application carefully to ensure that everything is correct. For additional guidance, check out our resume template.

Our team is working from home and on campus. We plan to conduct interviews both online and in person as circumstances allow.

About 2 to 3 weeks after the application deadline. For specific dates, please refer to our facilitator hiring timeline.

A group interview is an online event that brings together up to twenty candidates applying for various facilitator positions. Candidates engage in group activities similar to those used in ESP workshops. Our staff and some volunteer facilitators observe. The whole thing takes about 2 hours.

Please see the facilitator hiring timeline for this year’s dates. We run 5-10 interviews each year, so if you’re invited, you’ll have a chance to sign up for a time and day that works for you.

After the last group interview, we’ll begin contacting applicants we want to meet with individually.

No, please don’t send letters of reference. We prefer to contact your references ourselves.

Most take 30-60 minutes, but we suggest you plan for 90 minutes just to be safe. We like to take our time and get to know candidates as much as possible.

You can provide a reference from any type of paid or unpaid work. If you have any experience with childcare, casual landscaping, volunteer work, and so on, ask for a reference from the most senior person who is familiar with your work.

Consider asking a lab instructor or a PASS or ESP facilitator whose workshops you attended. If none of these is available to you, please provide a brief explanation when you submit your other reference.

Please do not substitute a personal/character reference for a work or academic reference.

Submit your other reference on time, and leave us a note about when we can expect your other one.

A week or two after the last interview for that position. We will let you know either way.

Yes, ESP facilitators are required to attend the in-class lectures. It is important that students and professors see the facilitator in class every week.

Facilitators must attend all the training sessions. Most of the training cannot be completed at other times, as it involves participating in group activities similar to those facilitators lead in their own workshops. If you are unable to attend the mandatory training, your application will not be considered.

Submit a tentative schedule based on the exact classes you plan to take in fall and winter, even if you have not yet registered for them.

Each week, Facilitators attend the class lecture, plan their workshops, conduct their workshops, hold office hours, and attend a team meeting. Periodically, Facilitators also participate in professional development such as training and workshop observations.

Planning involves reviewing course material and selecting workshop activities to help the students study the material.

Most workshops include lecture/reading review, mock quizzes, and preparing for assignments. We also preview upcoming topics. A Team Leader helps facilitators select/adapt activities to suit their course, plan the timing and sequence of activities, and incorporate academic skills.

Sample activities and templates are available, but we encourage facilitators to be creative and develop their own as well.

No, the Facilitator role does not include evaluating students. Facilitators are not permitted to assist professors or TAs with marking of any kind.

Not at all. Facilitators do not evaluate students or teach the course material. Instead, they help students to work together to understand and review the material. The focus is on developing students’ academic skills and habits and applying these to the specific content of the course. Finally, Facilitators are employed by the Centre for Initiatives in Education, not the academic department offering the course.

Don’t worry, most Facilitators have no experience before they start with ESP! Training covers everything you’ll need. Topics include: learning and memory, motivating students, guiding discussions, creating accessible learning activities, educational games, encouraging participation, and fostering student autonomy. You’ll also have a Team Leader, an experienced Facilitator who’ll provide support and feedback throughout the year.

No problem. Facilitators are taught many techniques to guide students to find their own answers. This way, students develop the independent-learning skills they’ll need in future courses. Facilitators need to be familiar with the course material to do this well, but are not expected to know every answer.

As of April 2023, we are planning only in-person workshops. We’ll update this FAQ if anything changes.