The Academic Success Center (ASC) regularly hires tutors and academic peer mentors as well as writing consultants for its undergraduate and graduate writing centers. Both positions are on-campus, paid opportunities for students who enjoy helping their peers be academically successful.
To give a better idea of what it’s like being a student worker in the ASC, we spoke with some alumni who worked there during their time at NC State. Akshay Joshi, MOR Operations Research ‘18, started working as a graduate writing consultant while pursuing his masters. In that role, he primarily worked with graduate students to brainstorm, outline, organize ideas and read through drafts on multi-disciplinary writing styles (STEM, social sciences, humanities) to support student needs. Additionally, he consulted graduate students on academic write-ups such as funding proposals, dissertation, cover letters, reflections, personal essays, abstracts etc. Finally, his role involved coaching non-native English speakers regarding written language accessibility concerns.
Here is what he had to say:
What did you enjoy most and what did you gain from your experience with the ASC?
I got to meet graduate students from different walks of life. I reviewed write-ups on diverse topics such as classical educational theory, black hole event horizons, GMO-free beans etc. I learned about different ways of writing academic papers, standard styles, techniques for creating drafts and research methodologies etc. All this, while getting paid 🙂
What are you doing now, and what transferable skills from your job with the ASC have helped you in your current work?
I am a senior management consultant with Deloitte Consulting and primarily work on healthcare AI delivery. My time at ASC helped me be better at reviewing niche documents, creating high quality deliverables and communicating written ideas succinctly. I still use the ASC handouts to help draft challenging deliverables.
What other perks or advantages did you enjoy from your work at the ASC?
The staff at ASC is very welcoming and always ensured that I had a good experience. They also helped me get a CRLA International Tutor training certification. Finally, they made me feel part of the NC State community & enriched my graduate school experience.
What advice would you give students who are considering applying to work for the ASC?
The Academic Success Center is a great opportunity for anyone who loves reading and feels comfortable with the English language. Bonus if you are from a technical/STEM background as you can support a broader set of students. A lot of English as a second language (ESL) students work with the ASC, so be kind and patient as you help these students. It is an enriching experience that supports you financially and helps you be a better writer and a patient speaker.
If you are a current student interested in working as a tutor, peer mentor or writing consultant within the Academic Success Center, please apply here.
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