Volunteer Opportunity for Career Transitioners: Remote Peer Counselor with Empower Work

Give Back While You Grow. Build Coaching Skills. Support Workers in Crisis.

If you’re between jobs, shifting careers, or taking a sabbatical, this is a powerful opportunity to make your time meaningful. Empower Work offers a way to support others, strengthen your communication and coaching skills, and build experience that can positively shape your next career step.

Every day, people across the U.S. turn to Empower Work when they’re facing a work crisis—job loss, a toxic environment, discrimination, or deep uncertainty. As a Volunteer Peer Counselor, you’ll provide immediate, confidential support through text or chat, helping people feel grounded, heard, and empowered to move forward.

Our 18-hour online training (completed over five weeks) equips you with skills that are valuable in any field—leadership, HR, people management, coaching, community work, and beyond. Many volunteers say the experience gave them clarity and confidence for their next professional chapter.

Why This Work Matters

Empower Work is a national nonprofit committed to making work healthier and more equitable for everyone. In 2025, we reached nearly half a million workers. More than 94% of texters report feeling better after just one conversation.

Your empathy and life experience can make all the difference for someone going through a tough moment.

Hear From a Volunteer

“I’ve learned that people often just need someone to truly listen as they process their experience. Volunteering at Empower Work helped me put empathy into action and better identify when to validate, acknowledge, and champion others.”

— Ebele, Volunteer Peer Counselor

What You’ll Do as a Volunteer Peer Counselor

Peer Counselors support people navigating difficult workplace situations. Your role is to help them gain clarity, feel less alone, and identify next steps that feel right for them.

This role is especially meaningful for people in transition:

• It keeps you engaged and connected
• It builds confidence and purpose
• It strengthens communication and coaching abilities
• It adds powerful experience to your résumé or LinkedIn profile

After training, you’ll:

• Choose flexible 2-hour remote shifts, Monday–Friday, 7AM–7PM PT
• Receive real-time supervisor support during every shift
• Use Empower Work’s AI-powered tools to guide conversations and learn as you volunteer
• Earn a LinkedIn-certified Empower Work Peer Counselor Badge after 50 hours of service

What You’ll Learn (5-Week Online Training)

Our structured program builds highly transferable skills, including:

• Empathy and emotional attunement
• Deep and active listening
• Clear, supportive communication
• Confidence in navigating complex or emotional conversations
• Powerful open-ended questioning and values-based decision-making

Volunteers often describe this training as grounding and energizing—especially during career transitions.

Why Transitioning Professionals Love This Role

• Purposeful impact: support people during some of their hardest moments
• Skill-building: strengthen your ability to listen, coach, communicate, and lead
• Career-ready experience: add meaningful, relevant experience to your résumé
• Flexibility: fully remote, self-scheduled 2-hour shifts
• Community: join a supportive national network of volunteers

What Help Seekers Say

"I came to this site 3 years ago on the off chance I could just speak to anyone about what was going on with my job. Y'all helped me so much then, and so much today."

“Within an hour, I received the best support I’ve had in my entire life. I’ll never forget that feeling of someone helping me rebuild my sandcastle after every wave had knocked it down.”

“I honestly don’t know what I would have done without your counselors. They helped me see the situation in a new light.”

Upcoming 5-Week Training Cohorts

Cohort 23: Apply by 01/11 | Training 01/26–02/27

Cohort 24: Apply by 03/08 | Training 03/16–04/17

Cohort 25: Apply by 05/03 | Training 05/11–06/12

Cohort 26: Apply by 07/05 | Training 07/13–08/14

Cohort 28: Apply by 09/13 | Training 09/21–10/23

Cohort 29: Apply by 10/25 | Training 11/02–12/11

Ready to Use This Season With Purpose?

Apply in 10 minutes and join an upcoming cohort:

👉 empowerwork.org/volunteer

Want to Learn More?

📺 Watch our video:

Empower Work: The New Workplace Confidante — https://www.youtube.com/embed/LAD5gJzneZ8

📘 Explore our real impact in the 2024 Impact Report:

https://www.empowerwork.org/impact2024

Questions? We’re here to help: volunteer@empowerwork.org