Become a Peer Academic Coach

This is a high impact, high-commitment role at Stanford. Please read the entire description of the role and its expectations before applying.

Graduate and professional students are invited to apply to work as a Peer Learning Consultant in the Peer Academic Coaching division. As a Peer Academic Coach, consultants work individually with Stanford undergraduate and graduate students to help them navigate academic challenges and goals. PLCs in this division start at $29/hour and are expected to work a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8 hours per week.

Division purpose

Peer Academic Coaches work one-on-one with Stanford students (undergraduate, graduate, and professional) to help them identify and pursue goals related to learning and thriving academically at Stanford. Whether students need help with a specific academic skill or they're looking to build effective habits for the long term, Peer Academic Coaches provide guidance, accountability, and encouragement. Coaches support Stanford students with a variety of common academic concerns, including time management, goal setting, resilience, test preparation, reading and note-taking strategies, dissertation planning, communicating with advisors, and more. Many students need and value Academic Coaching; this resource is consistently in high demand at Stanford. If you are passionate about supporting student learning and are excited to work one-on-one with other Stanford students to help them develop their academic skills and make progress toward their goals, consider applying!

What you’ll do

Conduct in-person and online individual coaching sessions on a weekly basis with undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to help them develop skills and knowledge to reach their academic goals.
Assist with academic skills outreach efforts, which may include leading information sessions, facilitating workshops, and assisting with open houses and other tabling events.
Attend a multi-session virtual summer training to develop coaching skills and knowledge about evidence-based learning strategies.
Engage in professional development throughout the academic year, including observing other coaches and receiving feedback from peers and professional staff.
Attend regular all-program meetings, as well as divisional meetings to reflect on your coaching approach, debrief coaching sessions, and learn about new resources and strategies.
Collaborate with other Peer Learning Consultants on content development and cross-team initiatives within the PLC Program as needed.

Insights from current coaches

This is a position that requires a lot of thinking on your feet and a desire to mentor students. The ideal academic coach will be excited about supporting students, interested in their individual development, and able and eager to take on a more substantial workload than the other Peer Learning Consultant divisions. Current coaches have reflected on their experience and share that it is both the most rewarding and enjoyable part of their role within the PLC program – as well as the most demanding. Many coaches with certain identities that have been historically underrepresented in academia also find that undergraduate students sharing similar identities tend to gravitate towards them as coaches. In all, the Peer Academic Coaching is among the most enjoyable, rewarding, exciting, demanding, and time-intensive roles in the Peer Learning Consultant program.

Skills we seek

Ability to manage your own time and projects with guidance but minimal structure
Excellent communication skills, with students and with PLC staff over Slack and email
Exceptional presentation skills (over Zoom and in person)
A desire to learn and grow in your ability to develop and deliver academic skills content
Effectively giving and responding to constructive feedback
Passion for supporting undergraduate and graduate students
Ability to work on a dynamic team in which changes occur throughout the year
Understanding of diverse communities on campus (including through your own personal experiences as a diverse applicant)

Application process

Application: Complete the online application (which includes submitting a brief statement and CV/resume).
Finalist Interviews: Qualified candidates will be contacted to participate in a one hour interview with division leadership and current Peer Academic Coaches.
Admission: All candidates will be informed about a decision no later than three weeks after the interview. Successful candidates will be given 48 hours to accept the offer. Please note that the turnaround time between admission and onboarding is relatively short.

Application requirements

Must be a currently enrolled masters, doctoral, or professional student
Must be legally eligible to work in the United States
Masters students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA overall; graduate and professional students must be in good standing with their department/program
Must have a strong commitment to helping peers learn
Must possess outstanding interpersonal skills, time management skills, and attention to detail