ESP/IESP Facilitators Application FAQS

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

Yes, you may apply. Occasionally we hire outstanding candidates whose course grade falls a little below the cut-off. Use your cover letter to explain any unusual circumstances that resulted in a lower grade.

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

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

Yes! We strongly encourage former ESP/IESP students to apply. Your experience as an ESP/IESP student provides valuable insight into the facilitator role.

Yes, you can. We suggest that you read the facilitator qualifications carefully to make sure you are eligible.

The number of applications we receive depends on the course, but usually it ranges between 10 and 40 applicants. We encourage you to apply – many of our successful facilitators have said they had to be convinced to apply by parents or friends.

What should I write in my cover letter?

Your cover letter is a place to showcase the skills, qualities, and experiences that you think would make you a good facilitator. Explain how your experience makes you a good candidate for a facilitator position in the ESP/IESP. You can draw on employment, volunteer, student, and other relevant experience. Draw attention to the parts of your résumé that matter most and point out how they are relevant to the facilitator role. For additional guidance, download our cover letter template and advice.

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

Yes, please print your CCR and attach it to your résumé. To access your CCR, please follow the directions posted on the Student Experience Office website: carleton.ca/seo/ccr.

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

We prefer applications to be dropped off in person if possible. Otherwise, you may submit your application by mail or email. Our contact information is on the application form.

To submit an application by email, it must be sent from your Carleton email address. Attach the following in PDF or Word to your email:

1. One-page cover letter
2. One- to two-page resume. Include your Co-curricular Record (CCR) from Carleton (if you have one)
3. Audit/transcript
4. Application form
5. Carleton Co-cocurricular Record (CCR) (if you have one)
   

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

Yes, you may apply for more than one course. List all courses you are eligible to facilitate on Part 2 of the ESP/IESP application form. Additionally, you can indicate the courses you are applying for in your cover letter.

No, we are not able to contact each applicant. If you mail your application, you can send it by courier or registered mail if you want to confirm that we received it. Ideally, try to drop off your application at the CIE office (1516 Dunton Tower) during business hours. That way, we can look over your application to make sure it’s complete. If the office is closed when you arrive, leave your application in the drop box located to the right of the office door.

No, don’t submit references with your application. If you are invited for an individual interview, we’ll ask you to provide contact information (phone number and email address) for one academic reference and one employment reference. You may want to think about whom you’d ask in case you are invited for an interview.

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

Candidates who are selected for a preliminary group interview will be contacted 2 to 3 weeks after the application deadline. For specific dates, please refer to our facilitator hiring timeline.

A group interview brings together about twenty candidates applying for various facilitator positions. Staff and former facilitators observe candidates as they engage in group activities similar to those used in ESP/IESP workshops. If you are invited for a group interview, you will receive additional information about the interview process and how to prepare.

Please see the facilitator hiring timeline for this year’s group-interview dates. Each group interview lasts approximately two hours and is held at Carleton University. The exact times and locations will be provided to candidates who are invited for a group interview. NOTE: Invited candidates participate in just one group interview.

Group interviews are a key component of facilitator hiring. If you are unable to attend, you may still apply, however, preference will be given to candidates who participate in a group interview. Should we be unable to identify a qualified candidate through the group interviews, we will revisit all applications for a given position. Please indicate in your cover letter if you are unable to attend a group interview.

Within a day or two following the last group interview, we’ll begin contacting applicants we want to meet with individually. You will be interviewed by the facilitator coordinator. A staff member will also be present at the interview to take notes.

No, please do not send letters of reference. We contact the references of interviewed candidates ourselves.

Most interviews 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 you have done. 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/IESP facilitator whose workshops you attended. If none of these is available to you, please write us a note explaining why you have not included an academic reference. Do not substitute a personal/character reference.

As soon as possible after the interview, contact us with your references. We begin contacting references as soon as all individual interviews for a position are complete

For each position, the successful candidate receives a telephone call, and other candidates who were interviewed receive an email. This takes about two weeks after the last interview is conducted. For quicker information, check our web site. Beside each available position, we will note if we are still interviewing or if the position has been filled.

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

Facilitators must attend all the training sessions. Training cannot be completed at other times, as it involves participating in group activities similar to those facilitators lead in their own workshops.

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.

Facilitators attend the class lecture, plan their workshops, conduct their workshops, hold weekly office hours and attend weekly team meetings. Facilitators also participate in frequent professional development activities including training and workshop observations.

Planning involves reviewing relevant course readings and notes and selecting workshop activities to help the students study the material. With the guidance of a Team Leader, facilitators adapt standard workshop activities to suit the course they are facilitating, plan the timing and sequence of activities, and incorporate academic skills development into their activities. Many sample activities are available, but facilitators are encouraged to be creative and develop their own activities as well.

On-going training sessions, weekly team meetings, and workshop observations. 

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, as mentioned above. More importantly, facilitators do not teach the course material. Instead, they help students to work together to effectively review the course 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 CIE, 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, classroom management, guiding discussions, Universal Instructional Design, 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.

Actually, facilitators are taught techniques to avoid answering students’ questions. In keeping with the goals of ESP/IESP workshops, facilitators guide the students to work with peers and find their own answers using their lecture notes and textbooks. This way, students develop the skills they will need in future courses. Facilitators need to be very familiar with the course material to do this well, but are not expected to know every answer.