ESP Facilitators Application FAQs
Application process
Interviews
References
Scheduling
Facilitator roles and duties
Application process
- How do I apply?
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Use our online application form. If you have any difficulties with the form, please email us at esp.facilitators@carleton.ca.
- Can I still apply for a facilitator job if my CGPA is lower than 8.0?
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Yes, you may apply. Occasionally we hire outstanding candidates whose CGPA falls a little below the cut-off, particularly if your CGPA in the discipline is at least 9.0 and/or if your CGPA has been improving. Use your cover letter to explain any unusual circumstances that resulted in a lower CGPA.
- I am a Special student. Can I still apply?
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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 in other ways.
- I am a part-time student. Can I still apply?
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Yes, you can. You have to be taking at least one course at Carleton to be employed as a facilitator.
- I will be doing Co-op or a placement next year. Can I still apply?
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Maybe. If you’ll be working off-campus full time, it’s unlikely that the schedule will work out. In addition to their workshops, facilitators need to be available for lectures, training, and meetings. If your Co-op or placement has a flexible schedule, we can discuss the details.
- I am a former ESP student. Can I apply to be a facilitator?
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Yes! We strongly encourage former ESP students to apply. Your experience as an ESP student provides valuable insight.
- I did not receive an invitation to apply. Can I still submit an application?
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Yes, you can. We suggest that you read the facilitator qualifications carefully to make sure you are eligible.
- Do you receive a lot of applications for each course?
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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 didn’t think they had a chance!
- What should I write in my cover letter?
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Your cover letter should showcase the skills, qualities, and experiences that you think would make you a good ESP facilitator. You can draw on employment, volunteer, student, and other relevant experience. Your letter should also draw attention to the parts of your résumé that matter most for this position and point out exactly how they are relevant to the facilitator role. For additional guidance, download our cover letter template and advice.
- I attended another college or university before Carleton. Do I have to submit my transcript?
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Yes. If there is a delay in obtaining a transcript from the institution, please include a note with your application and email the transcript to us as soon as possible.
- I have on-campus work/volunteer experience. Should I submit a Co-Curricular Record (CCR)?
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Yes, please upload your CCR with your application. To access your CCR, please follow the directions posted on the Student Experience Office website: carleton.ca/seo/ccr.
- I applied for a position last year but wasn’t hired. Do I need to re-apply?
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Yes. You will need to submit an updated letter, résumé, audit, and application form.
- Can I still apply if I took the course with a different professor?
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Definitely! Most facilitators have no prior experience with the professor whose class they facilitate.
- If I received an invitation for one course, can I apply for another?
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Yes, you may apply for as many courses as you like. List all courses you are qualified to facilitate on your application form.
- The application form does not include a place for references. Should I submit them with my résumé?
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No, please don’t submit references with your application. If you are invited for a group 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 a group interview.
- How can I make my application stand out?
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First, read our web site thoroughly and ensure that you demonstrate a strong understanding of the ESP 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.
- How will COVID-19 closures affect the application process?
Our team is continuing to work from home during the closures. All parts of the application and hiring process will be conducted online.
Interviews
- How soon after the application deadline will I hear if I have been invited for a group interview?
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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.
- What is a group interview?
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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 workshops. If you are invited for a group interview, you will receive additional information about the interview process and how to prepare.
- When and where are the group interviews?
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Please see the facilitator hiring timeline for this year’s dates. Each group interview lasts approximately two hours and is held at Carleton University or online if required. We’ll provide you with the times and locations if you are invited for a group interview.
- I am unable to attend a group interview. Can I still apply?
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Yes, but preference will be given to candidates who participate in a group interview because it’s our chance to see candidates engaging in groups, which is vital to the facilitator role. In exceptional circumstances, we can conduct group interviews online instead.
- What happens after the group interview?
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Within a day or two following the last group interview, we’ll begin contacting applicants we want to meet with individually. If selected, you will be interviewed by the facilitator coordinator. A staff member will also be there to take notes.
- I’ve been invited for an individual interview. Do I need a letter of reference?
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No, please do not send letters of reference. We prefer to contact your references ourselves.
- How long do individual interviews take?
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.
References
- I don’t have an employment reference. What should I do?
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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.
- I don’t have a professor or Teaching Assistant who can act as an academic reference. What should I do?
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Consider asking a lab instructor or a PASS or ESP facilitator whose workshops you attended. If none of these is available to you, please bring a note to the group interview explaining why you have not included an academic reference. Do not substitute a personal/character reference.
- I can’t reach one of my references before my group interview. What should I do?
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Send us your references as soon as possible after your group interview. We begin contacting references only after we begin individual interviews for a given position, so you have a few days after group interview.
- I was recently interviewed for a facilitator position. When will I know if I got the job?
For each position, we phone the successful candidate and email the other candidates we interviewed. This takes about two weeks after the last interview. For quicker information, check our web site. Beside each available position, we’ll note if we’re still interviewing or if the position has been filled.
Scheduling
- If the course is offered on CUOL, do I have to attend the lectures?
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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.
- I want to apply, but I’m not available for all the training dates.
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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 dates, your application will not be considered.
- I’ve been asked to submit my fall and winter course schedule, but I haven’t registered for my classes yet. What should I do?
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.
Facilitator Roles and Duties
- The job description says facilitators work 10 to 12 hours per week. What does that consist of?
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Each week, facilitators attend the class lecture, plan their workshops, conduct their workshops, hold office hours, and attend a team meeting. Facilitators also participate in frequent professional development activities including training and workshop observations.
- What is involved in workshop planning?
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Planning involves reviewing relevant 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. With the guidance of a Team Leader, 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.
- If I’m hired as a facilitator, will I have to grade students’ work?
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No, the facilitator role does not include evaluating students. Facilitators are not permitted to assist professors or TAs with marking of any kind.
- Is being a facilitator the same as being a TA?
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Not at all. Facilitators do not evaluate students. More importantly, facilitators do not teach the course material. Instead, they help students to work together to 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 Centre for Initiatives in Education, not the academic department offering the course.
- I’ve never done this type of work before. What will be covered in training?
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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, 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.
- What if students ask me something I can’t answer?
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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.
- Will workshops be in person or online?
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As of March 2022, we are planning mostly for in-person workshops. Psychology and Law will each have one fully online workshop. We’ll update this FAQ as soon as we have more information.
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