Seasonal Writing Instructor

This is an onsite position at our center in Westport, CT.

Seeking a HIGH SCHOOL WRITING COACH for our college application process.The right person will: a) possess excellent writing skills (and we mean excellent; an MFA or comparable degree or experience is must); b) epitomize the word "flexible"; c) thrive under pressure, meet deadlines with aplomb, and exhibit the patience of a saint; d) think creatively about everything; and, most importantly, e) have a YOUTHFUL attitude.

You will be working exclusively with teenagers. Yes, teenagers. Those self-involved, irrational, capricious, and willful creatures. They can be fussy and critical, and sometimes they smell bad. But we love 'em. And so must you. A dynamic personality is absolutely required, but you must also be ready, willing, and able to set limits - adolescents can get carried away. You will need to speak to teenagers on their own terms, so unless you are well-versed in current music, movies, fashion, and culture don't apply for this job! If you don't know what a meme is, if you wear seasonal sweaters that jingle or sing (in a way that is not ironic), if you have never laughed at someone doing something incredibly stupid and/or dangerous on YouTube, this is not the job for you. This job is serious fun for the right person - you get to hang out with some pretty cool kids, and your co-workers aren't bad either - but for the wrong person, it can be a nightmare.

You don't just need to be able to write well yourself; you must be able to help others write well, which is much harder than simply having a good knowledge of grammar and sentence structure. Imagine trying to help yet another kid write yet another essay about the big game or grandma or, god help us, the family dog. Now imagine it again. Imagine trying to find unique and inspired ways to answer the question "Why do you want to attend [Insert Name of School Here]?" when your student has no idea why they want to go. Now imagine it again. Imagine having to keep a teenager focused when their friends and TikTok are calling. Literally. Now imagine it again. That's your job. Got the picture?

Writing season runs May through January. At minimum, must be available to come to our center at least 20 hours per week May to November. B.S. or B.A. required, MFA preferred. Send us a paragraph or two telling us who you are - we'll consider it a writing sample. The pay is great, and we're all cool. Got game?