Two years ago, in the communities where Collegewise operates offices, we began hiring community organizers—local parents to help more people learn about what Collegewise does and why we do it. Responsible experimentation is good in business, but we still had some initial reluctance. We didn’t want to do anything that would ask people to put their personal or professional relationships at risk, or to create an arrangement that resembled the college counseling version of a pyramid scheme. But especially in areas where we were opening new offices, we felt a bit like the new kid in school. And we wanted to find the grown-up versions of the well-connected student who could introduce the newcomer around a little bit.
That experiment succeeded. We partnered with over a dozen parents, some who were readers of my blog, some who had seen us speak at their high schools, and several who had put their own kids through our programs. Their common thread was that they believed in the Collegewise approach of making college admissions less stressful and more enjoyable for families, so much so that they wanted to help spread the word. Now, we’re looking to expand that program and are officially taking applications. All of the details are below. If your interest is piqued, I hope you’ll consider applying. And if you know someone who might be a good fit, I’d appreciate it if you would forward this post to them.
Wanted: Community Organizers
- Are you a parent who believes there is too much anxiety surrounding the college admissions process?
- Can you organize and lead people who care about the same things you care about?
- Would you like to make a difference in your high school and community by helping families enjoy their journey to college rather than suffer through it?
If so, you might be interested in partnering with your local Collegewise office as a community organizer.
We’re currently hiring in:
California
- Anaheim
- Conejo Valley
- East Bay/Oakland
- Irvine
- Los Angeles
- Mill Valley
- Napa
- Palo Alto
- Redondo Beach
- San Francisco South Bay
Maryland
- Rockville
Massachusetts
- Newton
New Jersey
- Closter
- Millburn
- Princeton
New York
- New York
North Carolina
- Chapel Hill
- Raleigh
Texas
- Austin
- San Antonio
Washington
- Bellevue
More about us
Collegewise is a rapidly growing college counseling company trying to change college admissions. We do college counseling a little differently here. Our goal isn’t necessarily to get every kid who works with us into an Ivy League school. Instead, our college counselors show families just how many wonderful colleges there are, helping our families apply and get accepted to schools they’re excited to attend. We do it all with just the right mix of advice, encouragement, and occasional cheerleading to make the process exciting and enjoyable. Not everyone agrees with the way we approach the college admissions process. So our offices need part-time community organizers who can connect us with families, schools, and local organizations who believe what we believe and might want to learn from us.
Here’s who we’re looking for
You’re the parent at school who makes things happen. Whether it’s a fundraiser for the hockey team or finding the chaperones for the junior prom, when something needs to get done, you don’t just volunteer—you jump in and bring others with you. You’re not afraid to speak up or to take charge. And when you find a service that does a great job for you, you speak up and tell your friends, “You need someone? I’ve got somebody!” Your kids may feign teenage embarrassment about Mom or Dad’s commitment to their school and their education, but deep down they know you’re the good example of a parent who cares and wants to be involved.
If you were working for us, here are some of the things you might have done in the last month:
- Hosted a meeting at your home where our counselor takes college admissions questions from a dozen of your friends and their kids.
- Spoken to your school’s PTA president to schedule Collegewise to speak at their next meeting.
- Referred three of your friends to Collegewise, and coordinated with our counselor to schedule their introductory meetings.
- Organized a special presentation for our counselor to present to your student’s water polo team, National Charity League, or AssisTeens group.
- Contacted your local library, church, synagogue, mosque, etc. to inquire about potential free workshops we could organize for their members.
- Announced our upcoming free seminars to your fellow parents (by email, Facebook, Twitter, text—whatever works for you!).
It’s about trust, not sales
This isn’t a sales position that’s all about the numbers. Yes, we need people to enroll in order for our offices to succeed, and we want you to help us do that. But short-term sales pressure doesn’t create long-term trust in our communities. Whether you connect us with families you know, organizations who want us to speak, or schools who will share our books and guidelines with their faculty, we need you to put us with people who would love and benefit from our approach.
Pay
Community organizers earn:
- A 10% commission for families they personally refer who enroll with us
- $150 for every speaking engagement they help us secure
- A 5% commission on enrollments that come from those speaking engagements
Hours
Community organizers work remotely (no need to come to our office), set their own hours, and can dedicate as much or as little time as they’d like.
How to apply
First, get to know us a little by looking around our website. If you like what you read and think you may be able to find a part-time professional home here, send an email to jobs@collegewise.com with the subject [Community Organizer]. Tell us where you live (you need to be in the same community as one of our offices), why you want to work at Collegewise, and anything else you think will help you stand out. Share specific examples of how you’ve organized, led, or otherwise made an impact in your school and community (that’s much more compelling than, “I know everyone!”). We love personality here, so don’t be afraid to be yourself—smart, thoughtful, or maybe even funny. Just don’t be generic.
We’re looking for people to start as soon as possible. If you have questions about the job, please email us at the above address rather than call us. We promise to respond to you quickly.
Thanks for reading my post. We’d love to hear from you, but if we don’t, I hope you find the perfect professional fit someplace else.