Tutoring Jobs

How to Apply

If you are a current PCC student, have good writing skills, and like to help others, we welcome you to apply to be part of our team of student tutors and writing specialists.  Be sure to check out the FAQs at the bottom of this page for questions about eligibility, etc.

Part 1: General Application

All applicants start by submitting your information using our WSC application form. Please note that the WSC does require a faculty reference, so be sure to contact the professors whom you list as references, so they know we will be contacting them.

After you have filled out the online application form, you will be contacted and asked to submit:

  • A sample of your writing from a previous class, preferably at PCC.
  • A document where you comment on your writing process for that paper. Title the document “My Writing Process”
  •  A copy of your PCC transcripts (unofficial copies are fine)

Part 2: Initial Screening

After you have submitted the documents and we have heard back from your references, we will conduct an initial screening. All applicants will be contacted after the initial screening.  If you are selected to continue, you will be invited for a sample tutoring session and interview via Zoom.

Tutoring Session And Interview

When your interview begins, we will share a student essay with you to review. After you have had ten minutes to review the paper,  we will ask you to share what the writer can do to improve the paper. This will not be a role-playing situation. The review of the sample paper will be followed by interview questions.

Completion Of The Hiring Process

After the tutoring session and interview, we will contact applicants, usually within a week, to inform them whether we can offer them a position.

We want all newly hired writing tutors to start as soon as they are cleared by the Human Resources Department at PCC, so they can gain hands-on experience.

Still have questions?

Please contact the Writing Support Center by email: writingcenter@pasadena.edu

Want to know more about the application process and what it’s like to work at the Writing Support Center? Feel free to watch our video, “You Want to Be a Tutor?" Information Session where we explain the different steps to our application process and answer questions from past applicants.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Writing tutors enjoy the convenience and experience this job provides as they have opportunities to work on the PCC campus. Students can work before, after, and between classes. Our tutors enjoy the opportunity to work with a diverse group of co-workers, students, and faculty.

An Embedded Tutor is paired with an instructor and supports students hands on in the classroom. A Center Tutor works with students who come into the Writing Success Center for tutoring. 

Absolutely. Writing tutors work closely with faculty inside classrooms, can assist with training new tutors, perform workshops, and even attend and/or develop conference workshops. Many tutors have developed lasting relationships with staff and instructors, creating professional networks that last beyond their work here at PCC.

Current PCC students who planning to enroll in 6 or more units next fall and who have completed (or are about to complete) English 1A are eligible to apply. We also ask for a commitment to work at least two consecutive 16-week semesters.

Writing tutors work with students in one-to-one sessions and assist faculty in classrooms and online. We try to match our staff with their interests and provide opportunities to give them a diverse work experience. Primarily, writing tutors work with students about their ideas, organization, and writing skills. We’re not editors; our primary goal is to help other students develop as writers. We pride ourselves on being friendly, helpful, and approachable.
Of course! Some of our best writing tutors are from other majors. Our writing tutors are trained to work with all student writers, regardless of what course they’re seeking assistance with.
Absolutely. Some of our writing tutors speak other languages or have learned English later in life. In fact, we are proud of our diverse staff and their ability to assist our students.
  • Most of our writing tutors work between 5 to 15 hours per week depending on how many hours they want to work and how well their schedules match our needs.
  • Very few employees work more than 15 hours per week. The writing tutor position is designed to be a part-time job.
  • We try very hard to give employees continuous blocks of time to work so they don’t have many one or two-hour shifts.
  • We also try to avoid scheduling a worker late one day and early the next day.
Pay
Our current starting rate for tutors is $16.11.
Not at all. We expect you to be comfortable working with student writers, but we don’t expect you to know everything. Even our most experienced writing tutors still ask each other for help. We provide training to help you learn your role and keep resources on hand to assist you in sessions. The important thing is that you’re willing to help a student find an answer, even if you’re not sure of it yourself.
All tutors must attend training—both pre-semester and during each semester. All training work is paid