The School of Public Health (SPH) invites applications for one to two Peer Coaching position(s) within the Careers Office, housed within the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). We are hiring 1-2 graduate peer coach(s) with a Fall 2026 start. The Careers Office is a team of 3 full-time professionals who are focused on supporting the career journeys of our graduate and undergraduate students. 

Through this position, you will have the opportunity to engage with the SPH undergraduate and graduate students through career coaching support. We are seeking students who are excited about engaging with students and supporting their career journeys. Peer coaches will help students curate materials like resumes and cover letters, and help them feel confident and prepared for processes like interviews. A comprehensive onboarding will be provided on these topics and our methodology of coaching. 

This position will be hybrid, with the intern being able to work 40% of their shifts virtually, and 60%  in-person in our office at SPH 1, Suite 1700. The position will require 10-20 hours of work per week, with compensation at $18-19 per hour. The position will be for the academic year Fall 2026 - Winter 2027 with possible extension. 

Responsibilities

70% - Coaching

• Coach students one-on-one in 30 min and 45 min scheduled appointments on topics like resume, cover letter, and interview preparation 

• Coach students and offer support during our all-staff drop-in services - (it is imperative for you to be available for one or both of these sessions): 

  • Careers Community Workspace Hours: 1-4 pm every Wednesday  (In-person) 

  • Virtual Drop-in Hours: 2-4 pm every Friday (Zoom)

• Coach students on improving resumes and cover letters during Resume & Cover Letter Lab sessions (in-person & virtual) 

• Provide detailed written feedback on resumes through resume reviews 

20% Job postings Support 

• Post internship and job opportunities across all sectors and for all SPH departments and programs on the SPH Careers Gateway 

10% Professional development and support

• In-depth onboarding process throughout summer 2026 (anticipated to be around 15-25 hours) 

• Participate in biweekly peer coaching meetings & trainings

• Participate in biweekly 1:1 meetings with your direct supervisor 

• Participate in biweekly all-staff meetings with the full SPH Careers staff 

• Participate in twice a semester celebration events with the full SPH Careers Team staff 

Skills & Strengths We are Seeking

We are seeking an intern with experience and interests in the following skills and strengths. During our hiring process, we will be evaluating materials and asking interview questions based on candidates demonstrating their interest and experience in these areas. Again, please note that we will provide comprehensive training and support regarding career coaching.

• Engagement with students

  • Ability to create a friendly, welcoming environment 

  • Student engagement experience in one-on-one, small group, or large group settings

  • Familiarity with engaging with other students regarding career concepts, especially case interviewing, is a plus but is not required

• Communication

  • Follow up with students after appointments in a timely and succinct manner 

  • Prepare content and notes for student meetings 

  • Enter notes into the internal system to track student coaching appointments and progress 

• Project management

  • Contribute to and provide leadership in projects 

  • Ability to manage multiple projects with different timelines

  • Maintain consistent communication with team members and stakeholders on project progress and shifting timelines 

• Time management

  • Ability to follow through with large and small elements of project deliverables

  • Ability to complete projects on time, meet deadlines, and be well-organized with multiple deadlines 

• Presentation skills

  • Ability to facilitate discussions, field questions, and present resource overviews to student audiences 

  • Ability to tailor content to a variety of audiences  

• Pursuing a University of Michigan School of Public Health residential graduate degree (Biostats, EHS, Epid, HBHE, HMP, NS)

Required Materials: Resume and Cover Letter

The resume provides an overview of your previous or present experiences (part-time jobs, leadership activities, course projects, etc.) that are relevant to the position skills (see below). For resume support, you can review our Resume Structure Worksheet and Writing Resume Bullets Worksheet. 

The cover letter provides an opportunity for you to share about your specific interest in the position and share details about how you have engaged in work that is relevant to this position. Your cover letter should be no more than 1 page and included in one document with your resume. For cover letter support, you can review our Cover Letter Structure Worksheet and our Cover Letter Content Worksheet. We recommend the following structure for your cover letter: 

• Addressed to Dr. Ari Renda, the Associate Director of SPH Careers 

• Paragraph 1: Include the following - 

  • Your specific interest in the Peer Coaching role

    • Why are you interested in supporting students in their career journeys through coaching appointments, drop-in hours, and resume reviews? 

  • Your interest in working at the School of Public Health Careers Office  

    • Why do you want to work at an office focused on public health careers? What student career needs do you want to address?  

  • Your Investment in learning and a growth mindset 

    • Being a careers peer coach will involve participating in training so that you can support students. Please share 1-2 sentences about your commitment to learn and developing in this role.  

• Paragraphs 2-3: Include the following - 

  • Examples of when you have engaged with students in 1:1 and group settings through leadership roles, peer mentoring or advising, or jobs. 

  • Examples of when you have used project management & time management skills such as in course projects, jobs, research, or leadership activities. 

• Paragraph 4: Include the following - 

  • Your interest in sharing career resources and support with students. 

    • Share your ideas on how peer coaches can connect with students or how you would approach connecting with students in a creative way.